Amid talk that President Trump might make a longshot play to win New Mexico in 2020 the state GOP will host an ABQ watch party for his re-election announcement that's slated for next Tuesday in Orlando, FL.

The event will be held at ABQ GOP headquarters so it's not as though the Trump campaign has started to reach out to independents and Democrats who would be essential to pull off any upset. No R prez nominee has carried NM since 2004.

A thought: If the Trump campaign pursues its '20 longshot talk, might he attempt to score points with this?:

The Bureau of Land Management no longer opposes an effort by members of the NM congressional delegation that would ban oil, gas and other mineral leasing within a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Trump is in good shape to carry the conservative southern congressional district but recent Democratic landslides in big BernCo are a roadblock that appear as impassable as his wall on the border would be.

It seems absurd that the Trump campaign believes it can win here but if Midwest states continue leaking oil on him desperate times will provoke desperate measures. For example, the Trump campaign is now even playing around in deep Blue Oregon.

TRUMP IN NM

With Trump set to launch his re-election bid, we take you back to his May 25, 2016 rally at the ABQ Convention Center for what was one of the wildest nights ever in state politics. We were there and here's how we wrote it:

TRUMP TEARS THE TOWN IN HALF: WILD NIGHT OF POLITICAL THEATRE AND PROTEST ROCKS CITY; HE STUNS THE STATE AS HE LASHES OUT AT NO SHOW MARTINEZ

Donald Trump cut Albuquerque in half Tuesday night. His appearance prompted violent street protests that drew national attention and at the same time had his hardcore supporters inside the Convention Center reacting with euphoria. (Complete video of Trump rally is here.)

Visiting the most Hispanic state in the nation and a Democratic city, Trump did not hold back. He hit hard all the hot button issues that have made his presidential candidacy the most controversial of our time. There was no change in tone or content to indicate he would pivot to generate more Hispanic support here or elsewhere.

It was a night of political theater unlike any ever seen here, giving an up front, uncut and unsettling look at the new brand of American politics that carries with it an air of danger.

When we left the Convention Center for the walk home to our near downtown neighborhood, protesters on the street and in cars taunted the Trump crowd, waving Mexican flags and shouting obscenities at them. Some vehicles spun their tires to burn rubber and send smoke into the faces of the Trump supporters.

It was a long walk home.

CRIME BEAT 

The head of the ABQ police officer's union was quoted here Tuesday saying police feel "handcuffed"  enforcing the law because of a federal consent decree governing APD. That drew this cutting dissent on Twitter:

Gag me -#APD is "handcuffed" by the gangster culture it wallows in and which caused more than $50 million paid out in lawsuits and the cost of the federal oversight. And this was not addressed by its union..#goodmoneyafterbad #DOJOversight.

A spokeswoman for APOA--the police union--comes with this reaction:

The DOJ has certainly been a challenge for officers. One of the most problematic things to contend with has been the McClendon settlement under the previous administration. . . The City has chosen to take the most liberal execution of the settlement, telling APD officers to not arrest for misdemeanors but rather to cite or give a summons to violators. This has truly handcuffed officers and they hate it. . .

The APOA believes that the way in which the settlement has been brought to bear on their daily policing can and should be reviewed. We think that officers should be allowed discretion in arresting individuals and certainly if they are known repeat offenders. . . 

. . . Officers need to have their discretion back, make arrests and send people to jail even if it’s only for a day or two. Officers are convinced that until the city allows them to make these arrests they won’t be able to make a lasting impact on the crime crisis in Albuquerque. This is not to say that the DOJ hasn’t made a lasting mark on policing here but when it comes to day to day crime and the quality of life issues we face, McClendon has been the real hang up, and that’s certainly not well understood by the public.

The McClendon settlement dealt with jail overcrowding as well as issues relating to APD's arrest procedures. More on that here.

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(c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2019