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Beto O’Rourke confronts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at Uvalde press conference: “This is on you”

Beto O’Rourke confronts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott at Uvalde press conference: “This is on you”
2 years 7 months 2 days ago Wednesday, May 25 2022 May 25, 2022 May 25, 2022 1:22 PM May 25, 2022 in News - AP Texas Headlines
Source: https://www.texastribune.org/
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke confronts Gov. Greg Abbott at a Wednesday press conference in Uvalde the day after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Cobb Elementary on May 24, 2022. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune

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Beto O'Rourke caused a dramatic scene on Wednesday when he angrily confronted Gov. Greg Abbott at his news conference about the Uvalde school shooting, yelling, "This is on you."

After Abbott was done giving his initial remarks, O'Rourke charged the stage and told Abbott he was "doing nothing" to combat gun violence. He said the Uvalde massacre, in which a gunman killed 19 children and two adults, was "totally predictable."

"You are doing nothing, you are offering us nothing," he told Abbott from the floor as security worked to remove him.

"Someone needs to stand up for the children of this state or they will continue to be killed just like they were killed in Uvalde yesterday," he said before walking out of the building.

Some of the Republican officials onstage with Abbott quickly denounced O'Rourke, telling him to go away. Another man onstage used expletives to criticize O'Rourke for interrupting the event.O'Rourke was eventually escorted away amid the unruly scene.

“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,” Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin told O'Rourke at one point.

Once the scene calmed down, Abbott called for unity.“There are family members that are crying as we speak," he said. "There are family members whose hearts are broken. There’s no words that anybody shouting can come up here and do anything to heal these broken hearts.”

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/25/beto-orourke-greg-abbott-uvalde-shooting/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

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