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Two hours before President Donald Trump takes the stage at a special commencement event at the University of Alabama, former congressman and presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke will speak against the event.He'll be speaking at the Tide Against Trump rally hosted by the UA College Democrats at Snow Hinton Park. The group has been very outspoken against having Trump on campus. "I got a call from students at the University of Alabama who were concerned that Trump coming to speak before the commencement didn't accurately reflect the sentiment of the student body, the people of Tuscaloosa, or the University of Alabama," O'Rourke said. "They asked if I would come and speak to this moment, a moment where our country is under attack by its very president."O'Rourke said those students standing up for their beliefs are why he was inspired to make the trip from Texas."We are in a moment of crisis, and each of us need to stand up at this moment of truth and be counted," the former congressman said. "Certainly, the students at the University of Alabama are doing that, and I'm just very excited to be able to join them."The UA College Democrats have protested having Trump on campus, given the detainment of Alabama student Alireza Doroudi last month. O'Rourke agreed with the students that they need to take a stand."While every American wants us to fix our immigration system, myself included, very few want to see the president defy the Constitution, the courts, and the rule of law to do that," he said. "It's important that we remember when they suspend due process for an immigrant today, and that goes unchecked, they will soon suspend due process and our constitutional protections for the rest of us before long. Now is the time to stand and fight. We can't wait until 2026. We should not rely on 2028. The moment is now, and that's why I'm going to be in Tuscaloosa tomorrow."O'Rourke believes the students are inspiring for taking a stand, saying, "I was so impressed and so inspired by these students at the University of Alabama. I could not help but say, yes, I want to be with them, following their lead in this fight."He also used the state's history as an example of why he believes it's important to stand up and fight for what you believe in."I'm coming to Tuscaloosa to remind us all that the power is with people," O'Rourke said. "You know, if you look at Alabama history, it was John Lewis in 1965, leading that march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge that shook the conscience of America and made the otherwise impossible possible. The way that these students at the University of Alabama are standing up right now, not an election year, not for a candidate or even a political party, but they're standing up for their country to make sure that their voices heard and that we fight back at this moment of truth. That's where the power is."The rally will start at 5 p.m. Thursday at Snow Hinton Park. Former Senator Doug Jones will join O'Rourke in speaking against the event.Stay updated on the latest political stories with the �������� 13 app. You can download it here.