Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday criticized “political posturing” within the wake of the killing of 19 youngsters and two lecturers at a Texas elementary faculty. The Texas senator, to whom gun rights teams have given greater than $442,000, then proceeded to speak not about laws that will crack down on firearms however reasonably a couple of invoice to “harden faculties.”
Requested in regards to the bloodbath by Fox Information host Jesse Watters, Cruz, talking from close to the positioning of the capturing, acknowledged that “we have to do one thing.” However he then instantly poured chilly water on commonsense gun reform measures. In a remark much like many others that have been voiced on Fox airwaves within the final day, Cruz added: “However the one thing is just not the empty political posturing of individuals like Beto O’Rourke who exhibits up and tries to show it right into a political occasion as an alternative of a briefing with the police a couple of horrific mass homicide that simply occurred.”
On Wednesday, O’Rourke, the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, interrupted a press convention on the capturing held by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
“That is on you till you select to do one thing totally different,” O’Rourke mentioned. “This may proceed to occur. Someone wants to face up for the youngsters of this state or they are going to proceed to be killed similar to they have been killed in Uvalde yesterday.” O’Rourke additionally slammed Abbott’s shut relationship to the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation, at whose annual conference in Houston he's scheduled to talk, as is Cruz and ex-President Donald Trump.
Cruz, who was standing behind Abbott, mentioned he was “shocked” by O’Rourke’s feedback.
“To take one thing—you’ve acquired grieving households, you’ve acquired a neighborhood that's damaged to items, and to attempt to politicize it and switch it right into a rally the best way Beto did, it was actually—I’ve seen loads of crass habits,” Cruz mentioned. “That was embarrassing and it was disgusting.”
Cruz then talked about laws he launched in 2013 that he mentioned “would spend $300 million on federal grants to harden faculties” within the type of bulletproof glass and doorways, and armed cops. He argued that it’s essential to have “one door into and out of the varsity and have that one door [with] armed cops at that door.”
“If these federal grants had gone to this faculty, when that psychopath arrived, the armed cops may have taken him out and we'd have 19 youngsters and two lecturers nonetheless alive,” Cruz mentioned.
A faculty district police officer “engaged” the gunman outdoors Robb Elementary Faculty, however was shot and wounded, authorities confirmed. There was no alternate of gunfire. The gunman then entered the constructing by “a again door.” He was later shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent, in keeping with the AP.