A video clip of Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic U.S. representative from Texas going up against Ted Cruz for a seat in the U.S. Senate, at a town hall meeting in Houston has resonated with people all across the country. The video clip, which has since gone viral, shows him talking about the NFL protests against police brutality after a man asks if he finds the protest “disrespectful.” It is a moving, powerful, and poignant response that I definitely recommend watching.
People are clearly responding to the candidate’s passionate defense of patriotism through protest, and several celebrities have expressed their approval. O’Rourke is gaining tons of momentum as a liberal candidate (this GQ piece on the race between O’Rourke and Cruz sets up scene pretty well), which is unsurprising.
Ellen DeGeneres invited O’Rourke to her show:
I would like to meet you, @BetoORourke. https://t.co/rz0XAKbH5w
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 22, 2018
Athletes have thrown their support behind O’Rourke as well, including Colin Kaepernick who retweeted the video onto his feed, LeBron James, and more:
A Must Watch!!! 🙏🏾💪🏾💯‼️ Salute @BetoORourke for the candid thoughtful words! https://t.co/E1YrbqGciZ
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 23, 2018
Vote for @BetoORourke https://t.co/QO6hlIi71E
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) August 24, 2018
If you want some insight into the National Anthem kneeling controversy, watch this. If you’ve already made up your mind that kneeling is disrespectful and facts and history won’t change your mind there’s no need to watch. https://t.co/2iUxKBTam0
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) August 22, 2018
To ALL .@NFL Teams!!
👉🏾https://t.co/cPzHvRw3UN WHO U WIT?! 👉🏾#IMWITHKAP 🇺🇸🙏🏾 @undisputed @nflnetwork @espn @FS1 @FirstTake— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) August 22, 2018
Please watch this and be reminded of what thoughtful leadership looks and sounds like. Thank you @BetoORourke for giving us a glimpse of our future. Things will get better! https://t.co/0ndoPbQEN8
— Steve Kerr (@SteveKerr) August 22, 2018
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz made … some kind of joke(?) after Kevin Bacon tweeted it?
Most Texans stand for the flag, but Hollywood liberals are so excited that Beto is siding with NFL players protesting the national anthem that Kevin Bacon just retweeted it. That means all of us us can now win Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon! https://t.co/8oWpL1AuyF
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 23, 2018
He gave a longer response to it during a campaign stop, focusing on O’Rourke’s “nothing more American” comment:
While in Corpus Christi, Ted Cruz called out Beto O’Rourke for supporting NFL players taking a knee in protest. pic.twitter.com/GN1r9lbEiI
— Haley Williams (@HaleyRhiannon) August 20, 2018
Patricia Arquette also made an appearance in the discussion, criticizing Cruz for not responding to O’Rourke’s actual points and encouraging Ellen to have O’Rourke on Ellen.
Did you watch the video?
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) August 24, 2018
Have him on your show!
— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) August 23, 2018
While other politicians (including Donald Trump) struggle to even acknowledge that the NFL protests are against police brutality and not “the anthem,” O’Rourke is miles ahead. It’s unclear at the moment whether or not he’s accepted Ellen’s invitation. However, it’s extremely promising to see more and more people support his campaign through his support of protesting police brutality.
(via Daily Dot, image: Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
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