Uvalde mayor shouts down Beto O’Rourke during press conference interruption

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, was confronted by his Democratic rival Beto O’Rourke, shortly after wrapping up comments at a Wednesday press conference about the killing of 19 children and two teachers at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school.

O’Rourke called out Abbott for inaction on gun reform, after the governor blamed mental health as the root cause of the shooting, according to Politico.

What Beto O’Rourke said to Abbott: “The time to stop the next shooting is right now, and you are doing nothing,” said O’Rourke, who is challenging Abbott in this year’s Texas gubernatorial election, according to The Associated Press.

“You said this was not predictable?” O’Rourke went on, according to KUT. “This is totally predictable when you choose not to do anything.”

What happened next: Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, who was sitting on the stage behind Abbott, interrupted O’Rourke, repeatedly saying, “Sir, you are out of line.”

“I can’t believe you’re a sick (expletive) who would come to a deal like this to make a political issue,” McLaughlin said, per The Hill.

“Sit down and don’t play this stunt,” said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, according to The Texas Tribune. Cruz also called O’Rourke “pathetic,” writes ABC News.

O’Rourke was escorted out of the auditorium by security, and continued challenging Abbot as he left, saying, “This is on you until you choose to do something different. This will continue to happen. Somebody needs to stand up for the children of this state or they will continue to be killed just as they were in Uvalde yesterday.”

Divided reactions to O’Rourke’s interruption: Politicians and commentators on both sides of the aisle were quick to condemn or laud O’Rourke’s actions.

“The murder of children is a singular evil,” tweeted former Fox News commentator Monica Crowley. “Beto O’Rourke saw it as an opportunity to score political points. What a despicable POS.”

“If you want to dismiss this as a ‘stunt,’ go ahead,” said Keith Olbermann, former ESPN and MSNBC host. “By that standard so is every presidential debate. You are allowed to plan your noncooperation with state propaganda.”