OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Texas Democratic candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke has been forced to “postpone events” after being hospitalized with a bacterial infection.
“While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors’ recommendations,” O’Rourke tweeted.
Campaign communications director Chris Evans announced that O’Rourke has been discharged from the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio after feeling sick on Friday.
The Democrat was diagnosed with a bacterial infection and was treated with IV antibiotics.
“While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors’ recommendations,” O’Rourke said.
“I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road with you as soon as I am able,” he added.
After feeling ill on Friday, I went to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio where I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection.
The extraordinary team there — from custodians to nurses and doctors — gave me excellent care and attention, including IV antibiotics and rest.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 28, 2022
Prayers for Beto!!🙏🙏💙🌊
Beto O'Rourke Off The Campaign Trail After Being Hospitalized https://t.co/lDX6GgcNkw
— Will 😎🎷🎹🎼🤩✌️ (@Okie_Will62) August 29, 2022
The most recent polls show Texas Gov. Greg Abbott leading O’Rourke by about 7 percentage points with November’s general election inching closer.
O’Rourke made headlines earlier this month with another over-the-top response to current political controversies.
O’Rourke was holding a campaign event at the Kaufmann Leadership Academy in Mineral Wells 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.”
