El Paso shooting patients being treated at hospital 'refused to meet with Trump'

El Paso mass shooting patients being treated at a local hospital refused to meet with Donald Trump when he visited, a spokesperson for the facility has said.

The US president on Wednesday travelled to both the Texas city and Dayton, Ohio, to meet with victims and first responders following two mass shootings over the weekend which left 31 people dead and dozens injured.

But following Mr Trump's departure from University Medical Center (UMC), where he met two victims already discharged by the hospital, UMC spokesperson Ryan Mielke revealed the eight patients still being treated there did not agree to meet the US leader.

"This is a very sensitive time in their lives," Mr Mielke told The Washington Post. "Some of them said they didn't want to meet with the president. Some of them didn't want any visitors."

The newspaper reported some of the victims did, however, meet a number of locally elected officials, including Democratic congresswoman Veronica Escobar.