Beto O'Rourke stuns Twitter with school shooting press conference interruption: 'Truly sick human being'

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Beto O’Rourke interrupts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's news conference on Uvalde school shooting

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke was escorted out of the room as Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin shouted at him to leave.

Texas Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke shocked Twitter when he interrupted Governor Greg Abbott, R-Texas, and other Texas lawmakers during a press conference about the horrific Uvalde, Texas school shooting.

Towards the beginning of the Wednesday press conference, O’Rourke walked up to the stage where the governor, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the Uvalde mayor, and law enforcement were seated.

In between terse requests from Patrick and others onstage for O’Rourke to sit down, the former Senate hopeful could be heard telling the governor and members of Texas' government that the opportunity "to stop the next shooting is right now, and you are doing nothing."

He was immediately drowned out.

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Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who is running against Abbott for governor this year, interrupts a news conference headed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

As law enforcement escorted O’Rourke from the stage, he turned around one last time, pointed a finger at Abbott and company and claimed, "This is on you until you choose to do something about it."

Both conservative and liberal Twitter users were shocked at the tense exchange, though one side admitted disgust with the stunt, while the other expressed admiration for it.

Conservatives were outraged at Beto O’Rourke’s exhibition. Washington Times columnist Tim Young brutalized the politician, tweeting, "Beto O'Rourke always dances on the graves of shooting victims to advance his political career... today was his worst stunt yet. He's trash."

Conservative writer Carmine Sabia called it the "worst" political stunt he’s ever seen, tweeting, "Politics is my business. I have seen cheap political stunts before. But the political suicide Beto O'Rourke committed today is the worst I have ever seen. And if he thinks that is going to help him in Texas he is insane."

Blaze TV host Sara Gonzales tweeted, "Beto O’Rourke- the same man who has his staffers and the Dallas Police Department assault constituents who want to ask him a question now wants to disrupt a news conference to use dead children as a political weapon."

"What a disgusting piece of human garbage," she added. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference in Uvalde, Texas Wednesday, May 25, 2022.  (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

While noting NBC correspondent Tom Llamas’ omission towards O’Rourke’s speech, Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck tweeted that O’Rourke’s grandstanding was "sickening." He wrote, "Note how NBC's Tom Llamas refuses to label Beto O'Rourke as a Democrat when touting his political stunt and sickening interruption of the Uvalde, Texas press conference as ‘a stunning moment.’"

"Beto O'Rourke is a truly sick human being," tweeted The Daily Wire reporter Ryan Saavedra. 

The Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller mocked O’Rourke, tweeting, "’This is about me.’"

Daily Caller reporter Chrissy Clark wrote, "This is perfectly predictable behavior when our elected politicians are no more than activists using political office to garner mediocre fame and fortune."

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Liberal media folks, on the other hand, approved of O’Rourke’s actions. 

"There was a good, compassionate man speaking up for those murdered Texas children. And then @BetoORourke left the room," gushed MSNBC host Joy Reid.

MSNBC contributor and justice correspondent for The Nation Elie Mystal tweeted, "Wherein Texas Republicans and assorted jackboots get more upset at @BetoORourke than the shooting that's left us with 18 dead children."

"Look at these good ol’ boys terrified at the sight of Beto O’Rourke," posted liberal actress Bette Midler

MSNBC contributor Dean Obeidallah tweeted sarcastically, "How dare Beto O'Rourke demand that the Republicans in Texas do more than offer ‘thoughts and prayers’ to families mourning their children killed because Republicans have LITERALLY made gun laws more lax in Texas since last mass shooting there?!!"

Police walk near Robb Elementary School following a shooting, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

Liberal political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen tweeted from his show account, "Confront every Republican politician the way that Beto just did."

Filled with gratitude Democratic consultant Adam Parkhomenko tweeted, "Thank you, @BetoORourke."

Liberal commentator Keith Olbermann commented on O’Rourke’s stunt, tweeting, "FINALLY. Beto O'Rourke interrupts the crocodile tears propaganda conference in Texas. At last, someone tells the Republican Merchants of Death to their face that the world knows they have the blood of children on their hands. Bravo @BetoORourke."

In another post, Olbermann added, "The video capturing the absolutely correct assessment of the Republicans' industry of selling people Licenses To Kill School Kids by @BetoORourke just now. I can't spare this man - he fights."

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In response Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer's assessment that "there is going to be a lot of debate on this website about the politics and optics of what @BetoORourke did today," Democrat campaign strategist Tara McGowan said it was time to "get angry" and confront leaders like O'Rourke did.

"Those children were killed by the status quo. Get angry, get in electeds’ faces, camp outside their big houses, make them look at the faces of the children their deliberate obstruction of gun control killed every single day until whatever shame they’re capable of eats them alive," she tweeted.