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Interrupted the press conference of Republican Texas Governor: Democrat Beto O'Rourke
Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP
A political scandal broke out at a press conference on the devastating shooting spree at an elementary school in the US state of Texas.
Democrat Beto O'Rourke interrupted an ongoing press conference by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and criticized him for his stance on gun laws in the state.
O'Rourke, who wants to challenge Abbott in the next Texas gubernatorial election in November, accused the Republican of not doing anything about rampant gun violence in the United States.
"You're doing nothing," O'Rourke said.
"That is your responsibility."
"You said it wasn't foreseeable, but it was totally foreseeable if you decide not to do anything," said O'Rourke, who first sat in the audience and then ran to the stage where Abbott was sitting.
O'Rourke, a well-known advocate for stricter gun laws, will challenge Abbott in November's gubernatorial election.
Abbott did not respond to the allegations, while other officials called O'Rourke to order and ordered him to leave the room.
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin loudly ordered O'Rourke to leave the hall.
He even described the Democrats as a "sick bastard" who was politically instrumentalizing the school massacre.
O'Rourke left the room after the verbal altercation.
Many Republicans vehemently oppose tightening gun laws
A tightening of gun laws in the USA has failed for many years due to a fundamental disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on this issue.
While many Democrats have long called for a substantial tightening of gun laws in the country, many Republicans vehemently oppose it.
Abbott also argued on Wednesday that stricter laws are not the answer to preventing rampages like the recent one in Uvalde, Texas.
A gunman shot dead 19 children and two teachers in an elementary school on Tuesday.
O'Rourke served in the House of Representatives for the Texas border city in El Paso from 2013 to 2019 and later made a name for himself nationally as a candidate for a Senate seat and as an internal Democratic presidential candidate.
O'Rourke was unable to assert himself in either case.
tfb/dpa/AFP
