OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Beto O’Rourke, a former U.S. congressman and current Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Texas, has once again turned heads for what many saw and his latest over-the-top response to current political controversies.
O’Rourke was holding a campaign event at the Kaufmann Leadership Academy in Mineral Wells, Texas when he engaged a heckler using profanity as he discussed gun control and the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman killed 19 children at Robb Elementary School along with two teachers.
“It’s hard to believe that in a little under three months we’re going to decide the outcome of the most important election in the history of the state of Texas,” the former congressman and failed 2018 U.S. Senate candidate said.
“Perhaps the most important election taking place anywhere in America today. Thanks to you and everyone that’s here we are going to win,” he said. “I know we’re going to win because we’re fighting for every woman in Texas to make her own decision when it comes to her health care.
“Because we can get behind every public school educator and make sure we’ve got their backs as they go into this school year and every school year hereafter,” he said, as he began discussing the shooting in Uvalde and the AR-15 weapon the killer used.
After a gesticulating O’Rourke made a comparison to the weapon used in Uvalde to Vietnam, someone from the crowd could be heard chuckling.
At that point, O’Rourke spun around in the direction of the laughter and fired back: “It may be funny to you, motherf**ker, but it’s not funny to me!” — which drew cheers from the small but friendly crowd.
WATCH:
"It may be funny to you motherf—er, but it's not funny to me": Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke snapped at a man during a town hall on Wednesday who started laughing as O'Rourke discussed the gun used in the deadly Uvalde mass shooting. pic.twitter.com/sHCXh2mIpW
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 11, 2022
Speaking of Uvalde, O’Rourke drew heavy fire from critics after he crashed a somber news conference to discuss the incident that featured his GOP opponent, Gov. Greg Abbott, during which time he was called an “a**hole” amid demands that he be escorted out by police.
As O’Rourke spoke to the governor directly in what appeared to be a political stunt, the sheriff called him a “sick son of a bitch” and asked him to leave.
“You are doing nothing,” the Democrat said. “You said this was not predictable, this was totally predictable, and you choose not to do anything.”
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin shouted, “Sir you are out of line,” and demanded that he leave before he was escorted away by authorities.
“I cannot believe you,” the mayor said. “You’re a sick son of a b*tch, you would come to a deal like this to make it a political issue.”
Several people responded to O’Rourke’s outburst online.
Beto O’Rourke just proved that he is one of the biggest pieces of shit in the nation. He just stepped on the bodies of 19 dead babies to interrupt Gov. Abbott’s press conference to make a political statement. Fuck you Beto. He made this about his campaign from the first second.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) May 25, 2022
What kind of political cretin interrupts a press conference to campaign? @BetoORourke showed no leadership, is only interested in power. Sickening political theater. pic.twitter.com/VqZmrpc5v3
— Chris Loesch (@ChrisLoesch) May 25, 2022
Beto O’Rourke always dances on the graves of shooting victims to advance his political career… today was his worst stunt yet. He’s trash.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 25, 2022
O’Rourke wasn’t the only leftist to use the shooting as a means to score cheap political points.
The women of ABC’s “The View” expressed their belief that gun control is the answer, with host Whoopi Goldberg going as far as saying Americans who own AR15s “better get ready” to hand over their weapons.
“What are we doing? Why are we always at square one with this? And I swear to God, if I see another Republican senator talk about their heart being broken, I’ma go punch somebody,” she said. “I can’t take it. And your ‘thoughts and prayers.’ If your thoughts and prayers were really with everybody, you’d have done something by now.”
Self-described “Republican” Ana Navarro chimed in, in agreement with her liberal cohost.
“What happened after Sandy Hook? We didn’t pass legislation. We taught kids how to do more drills, and we invented bulletproof backpacks,” she said. “And so I would like Republicans — and let’s just say Republicans, because they are the ones that are standing in the way. It is not Congress. Congress, the House of Representatives, has passed a gun reform bill that’s been sitting in the Senate now for months and months. It’s going to get called up again. Republicans are being held hostage by the NRA, which is a gun lobby and a special interest that holds the purse strings.”
