Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke interrupts a press conference held by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott following the massacre at Robb Elementary School on May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. (Photo: Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)
May 25, 2022
Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke on Wednesday interrupted a press conference led by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and other top officials, walking up to the stage and accusing the state leaders of "doing nothing and offering us nothing" in the wake of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
"This is on you, until you choose to do something," O'Rourke said as security attempted to escort him away from the stage.
As Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin called O'Rourke a "sick son of a bitch" who "needs to get his ass out of here" and several others--including law enforcement--pointedly told him to leave, at least one person in the crowd could be heard yelling, "Let him speak! Let him speak!"
Watch:
Progressive firebrand Nina Turner praised O'Rourke for disrupting the press conference, saying he's "bringing the correct energy here" as political leaders in Texas and across the country refuse to act in the face of persistent deadly gun violence.
Just before O'Rourke approached the stage in the Uvalde auditorium, Abbott claimed that "more mental health support" is needed to stop mass shootings like the one on Tuesday, which left 19 children and two adults dead.
But moments earlier, Abbott said the gunman--identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos--had "no known mental health history." Ramos legally purchased two AR-15-style rifles in the days after his 18th birthday.
Abbott and Cruz are both slated to speak at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday.
Shannon Watts, founder of the advocacy group Moms Demand Action, said O'Rourke is a "hero" and--pointing to the state officials' furious response to the interruption--added, "If only they'd get this angry about gun violence."
Speaking to the press before crashing Abbott's press conference, O'Rourke said that "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 going to do with that?" O'Rourke asked.
Listen to O'Rourke's comments:
\u201c\u201cIt 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 going to do with that?\u201d\n\nBeto O\u2019Rourke speaks to reporters after confronting Gov. Greg Abbott.\n\nVia: @MeetThePress\u201d— The Katie Phang Show (@The Katie Phang Show) 1653502163
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke on Wednesday interrupted a press conference led by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and other top officials, walking up to the stage and accusing the state leaders of "doing nothing and offering us nothing" in the wake of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
"This is on you, until you choose to do something," O'Rourke said as security attempted to escort him away from the stage.
As Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin called O'Rourke a "sick son of a bitch" who "needs to get his ass out of here" and several others--including law enforcement--pointedly told him to leave, at least one person in the crowd could be heard yelling, "Let him speak! Let him speak!"
Watch:
Progressive firebrand Nina Turner praised O'Rourke for disrupting the press conference, saying he's "bringing the correct energy here" as political leaders in Texas and across the country refuse to act in the face of persistent deadly gun violence.
Just before O'Rourke approached the stage in the Uvalde auditorium, Abbott claimed that "more mental health support" is needed to stop mass shootings like the one on Tuesday, which left 19 children and two adults dead.
But moments earlier, Abbott said the gunman--identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos--had "no known mental health history." Ramos legally purchased two AR-15-style rifles in the days after his 18th birthday.
Abbott and Cruz are both slated to speak at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday.
Shannon Watts, founder of the advocacy group Moms Demand Action, said O'Rourke is a "hero" and--pointing to the state officials' furious response to the interruption--added, "If only they'd get this angry about gun violence."
Speaking to the press before crashing Abbott's press conference, O'Rourke said that "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 going to do with that?" O'Rourke asked.
Listen to O'Rourke's comments:
\u201c\u201cIt 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 going to do with that?\u201d\n\nBeto O\u2019Rourke speaks to reporters after confronting Gov. Greg Abbott.\n\nVia: @MeetThePress\u201d— The Katie Phang Show (@The Katie Phang Show) 1653502163
Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke on Wednesday interrupted a press conference led by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and other top officials, walking up to the stage and accusing the state leaders of "doing nothing and offering us nothing" in the wake of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
"This is on you, until you choose to do something," O'Rourke said as security attempted to escort him away from the stage.
As Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin called O'Rourke a "sick son of a bitch" who "needs to get his ass out of here" and several others--including law enforcement--pointedly told him to leave, at least one person in the crowd could be heard yelling, "Let him speak! Let him speak!"
Watch:
Progressive firebrand Nina Turner praised O'Rourke for disrupting the press conference, saying he's "bringing the correct energy here" as political leaders in Texas and across the country refuse to act in the face of persistent deadly gun violence.
Just before O'Rourke approached the stage in the Uvalde auditorium, Abbott claimed that "more mental health support" is needed to stop mass shootings like the one on Tuesday, which left 19 children and two adults dead.
But moments earlier, Abbott said the gunman--identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos--had "no known mental health history." Ramos legally purchased two AR-15-style rifles in the days after his 18th birthday.
Abbott and Cruz are both slated to speak at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday.
Shannon Watts, founder of the advocacy group Moms Demand Action, said O'Rourke is a "hero" and--pointing to the state officials' furious response to the interruption--added, "If only they'd get this angry about gun violence."
Speaking to the press before crashing Abbott's press conference, O'Rourke said that "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 going to do with that?" O'Rourke asked.
Listen to O'Rourke's comments:
\u201c\u201cIt 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 going to do with that?\u201d\n\nBeto O\u2019Rourke speaks to reporters after confronting Gov. Greg Abbott.\n\nVia: @MeetThePress\u201d— The Katie Phang Show (@The Katie Phang Show) 1653502163
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.