Yesterday’s press conference in Uvalde, Texas, which was interrupted by a grandstanding Robert Francis (Beto) O’Rourke, featured many reactions but one of the more notable ones was the one from Uvalde’s mayor, Don McLaughlin, who wasn’t as polite as the others.
(WATCH: Beto O’Rourke Crashes Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Press Conference on Uvalde Shooting)
“Sir, you are out of line. Sir, you are out of line. Sir, you are out of line, please leave this auditorium. I can’t believe you’re a sick son of a bitch who would come to a deal like this to make a political issue,” McLaughlin said.
BREAKING: Beto O'Rourke just disrupted Greg Abbott's press conference on the school shooting in Texas.
A Sheriff calls him a "sick son of a bitch." pic.twitter.com/KieQw9vITn
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 25, 2022
Townhall’s Julio Rosas caught up with McLaughlin and asked for additional comments. McLaughlin made it clear that he wasn’t against having that discussion that O’Rourke allegedly wanted to have, but that it wasn’t the time or place for it at all.
“If he wants to have that discussion, have it outside,” said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin said his community was broken and O’Rourke’s actions were crossing the line.
“For a person to come in there and start that crap — I have no respect for Beto,” said McLaughlin. “The haters that hate and send me the emails and the texts, to hell with you too.”
The mayor finished by saying this isn’t about Republicans or Democrats, but coming together as Americans and what O’Rourke did to make it political was wrong.
Don McLaughlin, mayor of Uvalde, on @BetoORourke crashing the press conference earlier today: “That event today was not the place or the time…I have no respect for Beto and the haters who hate…to hell with you too.” pic.twitter.com/313WtdU8mk
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) May 26, 2022
To be sure, if O’Rourke was really looking to help he would have done this in a more civil and polite way, but instead, he waited until there were cameras that would see him and utilized an event meant to update the citizenry and remember the slain innocents as a campaign stop. The disgust from the mayor, in particular, was shared by many who watched the scene unfold.
O’Rourke’s supporters are vehemently defending him and his selfish actions, which isn’t surprising but it’s still highly disgusting. The fact that they’re sending hateful messages to McLaughlin is proof of just how political this has become, but the mayor is right. This isn’t about Republicans or Democrats, and realistic solutions should be discussed apolitically.
This will likely not happen with the Democrat Party’s help now. O’Rourke made this a very divisive moment and he did this intentionally because he knew it would play well to his base which thinks he spoke “truth” to power. He didn’t. He just muddied the waters.
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