Texas governor confronted publicly by opponent during news conference after Uvalde school shooting

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During a press conference held in the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott was interrupted by former Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke, who denounced Abbott for taking no action in response to gun violence. 

Key Players

Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who has been Texas governor since 2015, previously served as the state attorney general, as well as a member of the state’s Supreme Court. A stanch supporter and defender of Second Amendment rights, Abbott has played a major role in rolling back gun regulations within the state.

Beto O’Rourke (D), a former Texas congressman in Washington and former aspiring Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, is running against Abbott in the November 2022 Texas gubernatorial election. In his platform, O’Rourke has advocated for responsible gun ownership and said he would fight to repeal “permitless carry” of arms, which was authorized in a law passed under Abbott.  

Further Details

O’Rourke has long been vocal about stricter gun control, particularly since a gunman opened fire in his hometown of El Paso in 2019, killing 23 people in a Walmart, The Washington Post reported. Similar to the Uvalde shooting, Latinos were largely the victims of the El Paso shooter, a fact that O’Rourke linked to the inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric of former President Donald Trump.   

On May 24, 2022, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, near San Antonio, killing 19 students and two teachers in the span of an hour. A timeline published by The Texas Tribune revealed that the shooter had legally purchased the AR-15 rifles he used just days after his 18th birthday.

The next day, Abbott held a news conference in Uvalde High School’s auditorium. Alongside him were other Republican office-holders, including Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Among other remarks, Abbott cited mental health as the primary cause of the shooting. Notably, in April, Abbott had cut nearly $211 million from the Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees Texas mental health services, KSAT reported. 

Fifteen minutes into the news conference, O’Rourke walked to the front of the stage to confront Abbott personally.

“Governor Abbott, I have to say something. The time to stop the next shooting is right now and you are doing nothing,” O’Rourke shouted. “You are offering up nothing. You said this was not predictable. This was totally predictable when you choose not to do anything.”

In a video of the briefing, O’Rourke’s remarks are difficult to hear, as he was shouted down by those surrounding Abbott on stage. 

Patrick told O’Rourke he was “out of line” and “an embarrassment,” and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said, “I can’t believe that you’re a sick son of a bitch that would come to a deal like this to make a political issue.” 

Others from the crowd could be heard shouting, “Let him speak,” and “What happened to the First Amendment of the Constitution? Freedom of speech?”

As O’Rourke was escorted out of the auditorium by police, he turned around and said, “This is on you. Until you choose to do something, this will continue to happen. Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state, or they will continue to be killed,” and received the response, “It’s on assholes like you. Why don’t you get out of here?” from McLaughlin, according to Politico. 

Outcome

Abbott attempts to redirect news conference

After O’Rourke’s interruption, Abbott attempted to get the news briefing back on track, focusing on “healing and hope” for the victims’ families and not “our agendas,” Politico reported. 

“There are family members who are crying as we speak. There are family members whose hearts are broken,” Abbott said. “There’s no words that anybody shouting can come up here and do anything to heal those broken hearts.”

O’Rourke tells reporters ‘we owe our kids something’

Outside the high school, O’Rourke explained to reporters why he had interrupted the press conference. “Because if we do nothing, we will continue to see this. Year after year, school after school, kid after kid. This is on all of us, every single one of us to do something,” O’Rourke said. 

Democrats and Republicans respond to O’Rourke

Kathleen Thompson, communications director for the Dallas County Democrats, said the organization was “proud” of O’Rourke, according to the Dallas Observer.

“Every Texan deserves answers to why Governor Abbott keeps saying ‘thoughts and prayers,’ they have it in their power to safeguard Texans … and they don’t,” said Thompson. 

However, Jennifer Stoddard-Hajdu, chair of the Dallas County Republican Party, said of O’Rourke’s protest that “it wasn’t the time or place to argue politics about firearms,” the Dallas Observer reported.Cruz told CBS News that O’Rourke was “acting like a peacock.” He went on: “So I got to tell you, I get tired of all the politicking. It happens every time there is a mass shooting.”