O’Rourke, Democratic nominee running to succeed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (right) in November, initially ignored the laughter. He continued to stammer, saying that the Uvalde shooter did not use the rifle to fight enemy soldiers off in in distance but “against kids” five feet away.
But then he stopped and pointed to the screamer: “You may find it funny,” boomed O’Rourke, inserting a swear word, “but I’m not.”
One video of exchange went viral, shelving up more over 3 million views by early Thursday, just hours after O’Rourke wrapped up in campaign stop in Mineral Wells is a city about 40 miles to the west. of Dallas-Fort Worth area and 260 miles north of Uvalde. O’Rourke campaign did not respond immediately for comment about the exchange from The Washington Post late Wednesday night.
Shortly after the event O’Rourke tweeted that he doesn’t count more serious ‘than get justice for families in Uvalde and preventing it again”.
The town hall was part of what is being formed up to be the most expensive campaign in Texas history dwarfing the $125 million O’Rourke and Senator Ted Cruz spent in 2018 in democrat failed on Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported on an attempt to overthrow the incumbent Republican president. Between the end of February and June alone, O’Rourke and Abbott raised a total of $52.5 million. with O’Rourke’s $27.6 million haul creates fortune campaign fundraiser recordTexas Tribune reports. last month.
Gun control was basic of O’Rourke’s platform to defeat Abbott, especially in commemoration of massacre in Uvalde. The day after the shooting, he interrupted Abbott during news conference at Uvalde High School as governor updated journalists, according to The Post. As Abbott introduced Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (right), O’Rourke came up to the stage to state that the governor and other senior government officials hesitated for too long, inactivity after previous mass shootings in Texas, including at Santa Fe High School. in 2018 and Walmart in El Paso in 2019.
“Time to stop next shooting is going on right now and you’re not doing anything,” O’Rourke said. “You suggest us nothing.”
Moments before O’Rourke interrupted him at the May 25 concert news conference Abbott told reporters that tougher gun laws are not real solution” to prevent more mass shootings. Instead a week later he called on state legislature to create special committees that will make recommendations on how take “meaningful action” it might stop something like Uvalde from what’s happening again. At the time, O’Rourke dismissed the idea, pleading with the governor “do your work” by calling special legislative session do a special job issue.
At the town hall Wednesday night in Mineral Wells, O’Rourke promised supporters”common-meaning” gun control if elected governor. He mentioned raising the minimum age for buying an AR-style rifle from 18 to 21, implementing universal background checks in Texas and the passage of the Red Flag Act, a law that allows Judges Order Law Enforcement to Arrest gun owners of firearms if they are convinced that they represent danger to yourself or others.
O’Rourke ended his speech by saying that “Democrats and Republicans, gun owners and non-gun owners” – perhaps even he himself is a critic – could still find common Earth on gun restrictions.
“You either admit that we are inherently evil and cruel, or deadly and I love kill each other and kill kids where they sit,” O’Rourke said, “or that there’s something you and I can do together no matter what. of difference between us”.
