Beto O’Rourke Removed From Press Conference as He Confronts Texas Governor
Written by SOURCE on May 25, 2022
On Wednesday, Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rouke was ejected from a press conference on the Uvalde school shooting after he confronted Governor Greg Abbott.
In a video of the moment, O’Rouke can be heard telling Abbott the shooting is “on him.” 19 children and two adults were killed in the tragedy on Tuesday. O’Rouke appeared to get into a heated exchange with Abbott, who was joined by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Uvalde’s Mayor Don McLaughlin.
“You are doing nothing,” O’Rourke can be heard in the clip. Patrick says, “You’re out of line and an embarrassment.” At one point, McLaughlin suggests O’Rouke is a “sick son of a bitch” for making a scene.
O’Rouke was escorted out of the press conference by security shortly after the exchange. Just as he went to leave, he told the governor, “This is on you until you chose to do something.” The mayor, in response, said the shooting was “on assholes like you,” the Independent reported.
Shortly after O’Rourke was escorted out of the building, Abbott called on people to “put aside personal agendas” while responding to the shooting. “We need to focus on the healing and hope that we can provide to those who have suffered unconscionable damage to their lives,” he said. “Think of somebody other than ourselves, think about the people who are hurt and help those who have been hurt.”
Abbott, who has appeared to blame “mental health” as the cause behind the shooting, is set to give a talk at the National Rifle Association convention in Houston this weekend.
“It is absolutely wrong. In fact, it is insane, the governor talks about mental health,” O’Rouke told reporters after he was escorted out. “It is insane that we allow an 18-year-old to go in and buy an AR-15. What the hell did we think he was gonna do with that? This one is on us. … Now is the time to stop the next shooting. Right after Santa Fe High School was a time to stop the next shooting. Right after El Paso was a time to stop the next shooting. But after Midland Odessa was a time to stop the next shooting. In each case we say this isn’t the time. Now is the time. Like, literally right now. That’s why I’m here.””
O’Rourke will face off against Abbott in the 2022 gubernatorial election on November 8, 2022. In the 2018 election, Abbott won with 55.8 percent of the vote against Democratic nominee Lupe Valdez.
