Former Rep. Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke (D-TX) railed against Republicans and called on Democrats to &#8220;f*** the rules&#8221; and redraw congressional districts that would ensure Democrats will &#8220;win whatever it takes.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke, whose most recent political aspirations ended in failures, has been attempting to use his non profit group &#8220;Powered by People&#8221; to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-blocks-betos-attempt-to-funnel-cash-to-awol-texas-dems">slip money to Texas state Democrats</a> who fled the state, breaking quorum at a called special legislative session in order to stall the passage of new district map that could give Republicans as many as five more right-leaning seats.
Following a loss in court — where he was slapped with a restraining order preventing him from raising money for those purposes — O&#8217;Rourke continued to lash out against Republicans.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In a deranged and profane rant, Chronic Loser Beto O&#8217;Rourke calls Republicans &#8220;fascists&#8221; and tells Democrat states to redraw their districts now.
&#8220;Fuck the rules, we are going to win whatever it takes.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/4ZF3sZJ2DL">pic.twitter.com/4ZF3sZJ2DL</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1954307689741210096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We are not going to let him stop us, are you with me on that?&#8221; he began. &#8220;We don&#8217;t await the punch thrown by these would-be fascists to land. We punch first, and we punch harder. We want California and New Jersey and Illinois and every other state where the Democrats hold the governor&#8217;s mansion, the assembly, and the state senate to redraw their congressional districts now, not wait for Texas to move first, to maximize Democratic Party advantage.&#8221;
&#8220;Listen, you may say to yourself, &#8216;Those aren&#8217;t the rules,'&#8221; he added. &#8220;There are no refs in this game, f*** the rules, we are going to win whatever it takes. We&#8217;re going to take this to him in every way that we can.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke also let the mask slip during another part of his remarks, revealing what he believed Democrats should do if they ever did regain the power he was suggesting they pull out all the stops to obtain: &#8220;[We should] drive that car like we stole it.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Beto O&#8217;Rourke says when Democrats take back power, they&#8217;re going to &#8220;drive that car like we stole it&#8221; to give amnesty to illegal aliens.
O&#8217;Rourke: Illegal immigrants are &#8220;what makes this country so G**damned great in the first place.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/CYpN1JsQTi">pic.twitter.com/CYpN1JsQTi</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1954308235093262778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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O&#8217;Rourke stated that once they had the power, Democrats should offer mass amnesty to illegals in the country, arguing that they were &#8220;what makes this country so G**damned great in the first place.&#8221;

Beto

‘F*** The Rules!’: Beto Goes Off The Rails, Says Dems Will Win ‘Whatever It Takes’

'F*** The Rules!': Beto Goes Off The Rails, Says Dems Will Win 'Whatever It Takes'

Beto O'Rourke

Democrats

Politics

Redistricting

Texas

A Texas judge has put a stop to former Rep. Beto O-Rourke&#8217;s (D-TX) attempt to funnel cash to the the fifty-odd state legislators who fled the state in an effort to stall the passage of a Republican-led redistricting plan.
Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey slapped O&#8217;Rourke with a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/judge-blocks-beto-orourke-from-funding-texas-dems-who-fled-stop-gop-redistricting-vote">temporary restraining order</a> late on Friday, stating that funds raised by his non profit group could not be used to assist the Texas Democrats — who have been hiding out in blue states like Illinois and California since they fled the state — because they were in violation of the law as long as they remained absent from the special legislative session that had been called.
&#8220;Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law],&#8221; Fahey wrote. &#8220;Consumer have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke, who failed in his most recent bids for elected office — an attempt to unseat Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and and attempt to earn the Democratic presidential nomination — was trying to use his group &#8220;Powered by People&#8221; to help the Democrats survive their self-imposed exile by funding their travel and lodging expenses in addition to the fines they&#8217;ve racked up for not remaining in Texas to do their jobs.
Fahey&#8217;s ruling was a response to Attorney General Ken Paxton&#8217;s (R-TX) filing earlier that day.
&#8220;BREAKING: I sued Robert Francis O&#8217;Rourke for &#8216;Beto Bribes&#8217; to Democrat runaways to impede the Texas Legislature. I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials. I’ll see you in court, Beto,&#8221; Paxton wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: I sued Robert Francis O&#8217;Rourke for &#8220;Beto Bribes&#8221; to Democrat runaways to impede the Texas Legislature.
I will not allow failed political has-beens to buy off Texas elected officials. I’ll see you in court, Beto. <a href="https://t.co/hPvSZwwdfV">pic.twitter.com/hPvSZwwdfV</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1953913485576003592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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O&#8217;Rourke responded to the ruling, claiming that Republicans in Texas were afraid of him because he and his organization were threats to their power.
&#8220;They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won&#8217;t,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke claimed. &#8220;Now Paxton’s filed a restraining order to try to take us out of the fight. He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump’s attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I’m not going anywhere. I plan on speaking at our rally to stop the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon.&#8221;
&#8220;Cry more, lib,&#8221; was Paxton&#8217;s reply. &#8220;You lost in court because you&#8217;re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Cry more, lib.
You lost in court because you&#8217;re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers. <a href="https://t.co/zDc15Q4ghe">https://t.co/zDc15Q4ghe</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1953961721644953981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Paxton has also launched in investigation into another group that has been aiding the AWOL Texas Democrats: Texas Majority PAC.

Beto O’Rourke

Judge Blocks Beto’s Attempt To Funnel Cash To AWOL Texas Dems

Judge Blocks Beto's Attempt To Funnel Cash To AWOL Texas Dems

Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation Wednesday into a group led by Democrat Beto O’Rourke that is bankrolling dozens of Democrats who fled the Lone Star State to block a vote on new congressional maps.
Paxton said that O’Rourke’s group, Powered by People, might have violated laws on bribery, campaign finance, and abuse of office. Powered by People is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beto-orourkes-pac-bankrolls-texas-democrats-escape-from-redistricting-standoff?author=Sam+Korkus&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Beto+O%E2%80%99Rourke%E2%80%99s+PAC+Bankrolls+Texas+Democrats%E2%80%99+Escape+from+Redistricting+Standoff">funding</a> a group of 50 state Democrats who are each facing a $500 daily fine after fleeing to Illinois, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beto-orourkes-pac-bankrolls-texas-democrats-escape-from-redistricting-standoff?author=Sam+Korkus&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Beto+O%E2%80%99Rourke%E2%80%99s+PAC+Bankrolls+Texas+Democrats%E2%80%99+Escape+from+Redistricting+Standoff">reported</a>.
“Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable,” Paxton said. “Texas cannot be bought. I look forward to thoroughly reviewing all of the documents and communications obtained throughout this investigation. These jet-setting runaways have already lost public trust by abandoning our state, and Texans deserve to know if they received illegal bribes to do it.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: I just launched an investigation into Beto O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s radical group for unlawfully funding runaway Democrats.
Any Democrat coward breaking the law by taking a Beto Bribe will be held accountable. <a href="https://t.co/PV2IdwNOBd">pic.twitter.com/PV2IdwNOBd</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1953188955807273440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
O’Rourke — who ran failed presidential, senatorial, and gubernatorial campaigns — shot back at Paxton’s investigation, <a href="https://x.com/BetoORourke/status/1953228139271995756">writing</a> on X, “The guy impeached for bribery is going after the folks trying to stop the theft of five Congressional seats.”
Paxton was impeached by the Texas state House in 2023 on bribery charges, but he was later acquitted by the state Senate. The Texas attorney general is now challenging incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
Powered by People <a href="https://poweredxpeople.org/what-we-do/">focuses</a> on organizing volunteers to help Democrats win elections in “competitive Texas battleground districts.” The leftist group says it is also “focused on creating long-term changes to the Texas electorate that will outlast any one candidate or campaign cycle.”
Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows set a Friday deadline for the Democrats to return to the legislature, but the 50 representatives are hoping to keep their stunt going and are pleading for donations as they remain in Illinois, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-texas-democrats-walkout-trump-payments-59966a83df7cbaa43ee7e410eed2fc08">reported</a>. The House Democratic Caucus set up a website for donations of up to $2,500.
“We’re getting a lot of small-dollar donations, and that’s going to be used to help keep this thing going,” said Democrat House Caucus Chair Gene Wu.
“We’ve already been inundated with donations from across the state of Texas, from across the country, just regular people donating $5, $10, $15,” Democratic state Rep. James Talarico said. “And that’s appropriate, because this fight is for the people and it should be funded by the people. We don’t have billionaires who are funding this operation.”
Earlier this week, Paxton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-ag-asks-judge-to-officially-remove-awol-dems-from-seats">said</a> he would seek judicial orders to remove the AWOL Democrats from office over their “refusal to perform legislative duties.” Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has also pushed to remove Wu from office over the state representative’s refusal to show up for the redistricting vote and reach quorum.
Sen. Cornyn has also asked the FBI to help round up the Democrats and bring them back to the state. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the bureau “may have to” get involved.

Beto O’Rourke-Led Group Under Investigation Over Potential Bribes To Help Runaway Texas Dems

General

Greg Abbott

Illinois

Investigation

Ken Paxton

Former Rep. Beto O&#8217;Rourke (D-TX) lashed out at President Joe Biden on Wednesday, saying that Biden&#8217;s apparent plans to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border made him no different from former President Donald Trump.
The Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-sees-our-country-is-being-invaded-trump-calls-for-return-to-his-policies-after-dhs-waives-laws-to-build-border-wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced the plan</a> to add about 20 miles of wall to the border via a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/myorkas-cites-immediate-need-wave-regulations-build-border-wall-texas-immigration-surges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
&#8220;There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas pursuant to sections 102(a) and 102(b) of [the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996],&#8221; he said.
O&#8217;Rourke responded to the news in a post he shared with X: &#8220;1. Walls don’t work; 2. President Biden promised he wouldn’t build them; 3. Now even harder for voters to distinguish between him &amp; Trump on border/immigration; 4. Wasted opportunity to use executive power to actually fix our asylum system instead of impotent political posturing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
1. Walls don’t work
2. President Biden promised he wouldn’t build them
3. Now even harder for voters to distinguish between him &amp; Trump on border/immigration
4. Wasted opportunity to use executive power to actually fix our asylum system instead of impotent political posturing <a href="https://t.co/AQkxokNd2a">https://t.co/AQkxokNd2a</a>
&mdash; Beto O&#39;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1709771529901265355?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tear-it-down-beto-orourke-wants-knock-down-ryan-saavedra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O&#8217;Rourke</a> was vocally opposed to any additional border wall construction during his ill-fated run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and even advocated for tearing down sections of the wall that were already built.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
MSNBC host Chris Hayes asked O&#8217;Rourke about it directly when he was still running for the presidency in 2019, saying, &#8220;If you could, would you take the wall down now? Knock it down?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes, absolutely,&#8221; O’Rourke replied. &#8220;I would take the wall down.&#8221;
Former President Donald Trump also responded to the Biden administration&#8217;s plan, saying it should reintroduce other parts of his border policy — namely the recently-expired Title 42 and Remain in Mexico.
&#8220;Biden sees our country is being invaded. What is he going to do about the 15 million people from prisons, from mental institutions, insane asylums, and terrorists that have already come into our country?&#8221; Trump asked. &#8220;He has to reinstate Remain in Mexico and Title 42. He has to do all of the other things that we were doing.&#8221;

Beto O’Rourke Speaks At The Cambridge Union

Beto O’Rourke Says Border Wall Makes It Harder To Tell Trump And Biden Apart

Beto O'Rourke Says Border Wall Makes It Harder To Tell Trump And Biden Apart

Alejandro Mayorkas

Border Crisis

Executive

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Joe Biden

Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stacey-abrams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Abrams</a> and Robert Francis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beto-orourke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke</a> raised tens of millions of dollars, despite campaigns on track to get crushed in the 2022 midterms.
Neither O&#8217;Rourke nor Abrams have led in any major public polling for the entirety of the 2022 election cycle. But new fundraising numbers for both campaigns show that O&#8217;Rourke raised more than $76.5 million through the end of October, while Abrams raised more than $97 million through October. Both candidates have a history of record-breaking fundraising, despite previous losing campaigns.
According to a report from the <a href="https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/texas/state-bureau/2022/11/01/orourke-leads-in-fundraising-report-but-abbott-opens-lead-in-new-poll/69609159007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corpus Christi Caller Times</a>, O&#8217;Rourke outraised incumbent Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott by about $1.5 million in the month of October. In the last 30-day reporting period, from September 30 through October 29, O&#8217;Rourke took in $10.5 million, while Abbott took in just $9 million.
O&#8217;Rourke raised more than Abbott in each of the last three reporting periods, and currently has more cash on hand than the incumbent, $4.3 million to Abbott&#8217;s $3 million. But even so, Abbott has raised more money overall: over the course of the cycle, Abbott raised a total of $103 million, while O&#8217;Rourke raised just $76.5 million.
In Georgia, the race for Governor is a rematch between Abrams and incumbent Republican Brian Kemp. Combined, the candidates have nearly tripled the combined fundraising total from their first campaign against each other in 2018. Abrams and Kemp raised $165 million for the filing period ending October 25, the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/kemp-abrams-haul-in-three-times-the-campaign-cash-they-did-in-2018/H5OXHGOJWZDETJL6NVKYRBXVQM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a> reported.
But unlike O&#8217;Rourke, Abrams has far outraised the Republican incumbent. Kemp raised $8 million during the previous reporting period, and $69 million in total. He has some $10.3 million cash on hand. Abrams, meanwhile, raised $11.5 million in the same period, and has raised a total of $97 million dollars over the whole cycle; she currently has some $5.6 million cash on hand. The two candidates spent just $48 million combined in 2018.
Despite raising enormous sums of money, both Democrats are on track to get crushed in their respective elections, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls in both states. In Texas, Governor Abbott holds a lead of <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/governor/tx/texas-governor-abbott-vs-orourke-7376.html#polls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9.2 points</a> on average. The latest poll, from the University of Houston, showed Abbott with a 13-point lead over O&#8217;Rourke. A similar situation is playing out in Georgia; according to RCP&#8217;s poll of polls, Governor Kemp leads Abrams by <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/governor/ga/georgia_governor_kemp_vs_abrams-7538.html#polls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7.5 points</a> on average. The latest poll from Fox 5 News and Insider Advantage showed Kemp with a nine-point lead.
Abrams and O&#8217;Rourke have become national figures despite losing in high-profile races in 2018. Abrams lost to Kemp; O&#8217;Rourke lost his bid to unseat Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R). O&#8217;Rourke was one of many also-rans in the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary, but he dropped out in November 2019. O&#8217;Rourke and Abrams&#8217; continued national presence led <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/11/beto-orourke-stacey-abrams-superstar-loser/671959/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Atlantic</a> magazine to dub the pair &#8220;superstar losers.&#8221;
&#8220;Both Abrams and O’Rourke have won some elections, but their name recognition far surpasses their electoral accomplishments,&#8221; The Atlantic staff writer Jacob Stern opined. &#8220;After serving 10 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, Abrams rose to prominence in 2018, when she ran unsuccessfully for the governorship. O’Rourke served three terms as a Texas congressman before running unsuccessfully for the Senate, then the presidency. And they are both running again this year, Abrams for governor of Georgia, O’Rourke for governor of Texas. They are perhaps the two greatest exponents of a peculiar phenomenon in American politics: that of the superstar loser.&#8221;

Beto O’Rourke Campaigns For Governor Of Texas

‘Superstar Losers’ Stacey Abrams, Beto O’Rourke Raised $170 Million To Unseat Republican Governors In Texas, Georgia. Polls Show They’re Getting Crushed.

'Superstar Losers' Stacey Abrams, Beto O'Rourke Raised $170 Million To Unseat Republican Governors In Texas, Georgia. Polls Show They're Getting Crushed.

2022 Midterms

Elections

Georgia

Stacey Abrams

Pop star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/harry-styles">Harry Styles</a> has officially endorsed Beto O’Rourke (D) in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas">Texas</a> gubernatorial race.
The 28-year-old “Watermelon Sugar” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">singer</a> made his stance known during a Sunday concert at the Moody Center in Austin. Styles showed off a &#8220;Beto for Texas&#8221; sticker on his guitar that audiences could clearly see on the jumbo screen, per <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/harry-styles-endorses-texas-gubernatorial-candidate-beto-orourke-during-concert-austin">Fox News</a>.
O’Rourke was in the audience clapping, which camera operators also showed on the screen.
Styles has become more political lately, joining efforts to register voters before the November midterms. He endorsed Democratic candidate Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election. 
O&#8217;Rourke is running a campaign to unseat incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R) next month. He&#8217;s a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and lost his race for the U.S. Senate in 2018 to Republican Ted Cruz. O’Rourke briefly ran for president during the last cycle but dropped out in November 2019.
As for Styles, the singer has become more political.
During another concert at the Moody Center last week, Styles made overt references to his disdain for current Texas politics. According to local news outlet <a href="https://www.kxan.com/entertainment-news/harry-styles-jabs-texas-politics-at-austin-concert/">KXAN</a>, the singer displayed political messages on the screen: “Together, we can end gun violence.” 
Below the quote, Styles included his tour logo paired with a logo from Everytown, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control.
At the same show, the “Sign of the Times” singer began with a statement on abortion, saying he believed women should have “the right to choose” what happens to their bodies.
Styles also showed support for the LGBTQ community by wearing a pride flag during his song, “Treat People with Kindness.” 
The Grammy Award winner has come under fire for refusing to define his sexuality, which some critics claim is just a ploy for attention. 
“It’s not like I’m sitting on an answer, and protecting it, and holding it back. It’s not a case of: I’m not telling you cos I don’t want to tell you. It’s not: ooh this is mine and it’s not yours,” he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/14/harry-styles-sexual-ambiguity-dating-normals-rocking-a-dress">told</a> The Guardian in 2019 when asked point blank if he was bisexual.
“It’s: who cares? Does that make sense? It’s just: who cares?” he continued.
“Am I sprinkling in nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try and be more interesting? No.” Styles said.

2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival – Weekend 2 – Day 1

Harry Styles Endorses Beto O’Rourke For Texas Governor During Concert In Austin

Harry Styles Endorses Beto O'Rourke For Texas Governor During Concert In Austin

Harry Styles

Music

With just more than 30 days to go until the midterm elections, it&#8217;s nice to be a Democrat.
The mainstream media is busy doing what the mainstream media does: Buck up weak Democratic candidates while trying every which way to make the Republicans look like evil incarnate.
The funny thing? It&#8217;s not helping, at least in the cases of Beto O&#8217;Rourke and Stacey Abrams.
O’Rourke, who famously said &#8220;I&#8217;m just born to be in it&#8221; right before he got crushed in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, is going up against Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R). Meanwhile, Abrams — who famously refused to accept that she lost her gubernatorial bid in 2018, saying the election was &#8220;rigged&#8221; and the outcome &#8220;stolen&#8221; — is in a rematch with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R).
The most recent poll in Texas, taken by <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/images/polling/tx/tx09282022_tung28.pdf">Quinnipiac</a>, shows Abbott leading O&#8217;Rourke 53-46. A running <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/governor/tx/texas-governor-abbott-vs-orourke-7376.html">average</a> of all polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com (RCP) gives Abbott an 8-point lead.
Meanwhile, the latest <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/official-polls/fox-news-poll-georgia-races-see-split-decision-warnock-kemp-ahead">Fox News</a> poll shows Kemp leading Abrams by 7 points, while the RCP average puts the lead at 6.6 points.
The fact that they&#8217;re both trailing — despite &#8220;glossy magazine profiles&#8221; and &#8220;soft press coverage&#8221; — surprised the liberal website <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2022/09/29/two-dem-stars-struggle-to-recapture-the-magic-00059662">Politico</a>.
&#8220;O’Rourke hasn’t led in a single survey since he announced his candidacy last November, and Abrams is barely doing better,&#8221; Politico’s deputy editor Calder McHugh wrote.
&#8220;Their anointment as the future of the Democratic Party — young, dynamic and erudite — led to glossy magazine profiles and soft press coverage that may have burnished their national profiles but did little to advance their prospects among voters who weren’t already inclined to support them,&#8221; McHugh wrote.
O&#8217;Rourke, who announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019 with a Vanity Fair cover shot taken by Annie Liebowitz, hasn&#8217;t helped his own cause. In one early debate, O’Rourke told the audience, &#8220;Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.&#8221;
That didn&#8217;t go over very well in the pro-gun state and O&#8217;Rourke dropped out of the race shortly after.
Down in Georgia, Abrams has enjoyed friendly coverage as well. A gushing Vogue profile pondered whether she can &#8220;Save American Democracy.&#8221; And a piece by The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/05/14/stacey-abrams-political-power/">featured</a> a shot of her wearing a superhero-style cape, noting that she &#8220;lost by fewer than 2 percentage points in the 2018 Georgia race riddled with allegations of voter suppression.&#8221;
&#8220;For her part, Abrams was haunted by the conclusion of the 2018 governor’s race, where she initially refused to concede, alleging voter suppression and that the result didn’t accurately reflect the will of the people,&#8221; McHugh wrote in Politico. &#8220;She’s been explaining herself ever since, aiming to draw a distinction between her position and the accusations of election fraud made by former President Donald Trump.&#8221;
But the Post&#8217;s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/29/stacey-abramss-rhetorical-twist-being-an-election-denier/">fact checker</a>, Glenn Kessler, said Abrams&#8217; repeated denial that she lost means &#8220;she’s little different from former president Donald Trump.&#8221;
She has sought to distance herself from her earlier claims, <a href="https://19thnews.org/2022/09/stacey-abrams-trump-democracy-big-lie/">saying</a> last month, &#8220;My point was that the access to the election was flawed, and I refuse to concede a system that permits citizens to be denied access. That is very different than someone claiming fraudulent outcome.&#8221;
Even that was wrong. A federal judge has ruled against an organization founded by Abrams, stating that the Georgia&#8217;s election practices do not violate constitutional rights.
After a four-year legal battle, U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/01/politics/georgia-voting-rights-ruling-abrams-kemp/index.html">said</a>: “Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect, the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the [Voting Rights Act] VRA.&#8221;
In the end, it&#8217;s clear that both Abrams and O&#8217;Rourke are damaged goods and, despite the glowing coverage of swooning liberal press outlets, both appear headed for big defeats.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Beto O’Rourke Holds Pride Run With Members Of The LGBTQ Community In New York City

Liberal MSM Not Helping Weak Liberal Candidates

Liberal MSM Not Helping Weak Liberal Candidates Beto O'Rourke, Stacey Abrams

Reuters was forced to fact-check claims that Texas gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/very-clearly-staged-cbs-reporter-says-beto-used-seat-holders-to-slip-into-abbott-presser-unnoticed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke</a> (D) had contracted monkeypox after the former congressman announced he was taking some time to recover from an undisclosed illness.
&#8220;After feeling ill on Friday, I went to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio where I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/hell-yes-gun-grabbing-beto-is-back-people-who-own-ar-15s-shouldnt-be-able-to-keep-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O&#8217;Rourke</a> tweeted on Sunday. &#8220;The extraordinary team there — from custodians to nurses and doctors — gave me excellent care and attention, including IV antibiotics and rest.&#8221;
&#8220;While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors&#8217; recommendations,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road with you as soon as I am able.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
While my symptoms have improved, I will be resting at home in El Paso in accordance with the doctors’ recommendations.
I am sorry to have had to postpone events because of this, but promise to be back on the road with you as soon as I am able.
&mdash; Beto O&#39;Rourke (@BetoORourke) <a href="https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1563981544544509952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The majority of people responded to the news by wishing O&#8217;Rourke a speedy recovery. However, shortly after he made the announcement, a few people began to tweet their (unfounded) suspicions that the Texas politician was actually recovering from monkeypox.
&#8220;Has anyone in the media even asked Beto O&#8217;Rourke who he got monkeypox from?&#8221; @PartymanRandy tweeted. &#8220;If a Republican had to suspend their campaign due to monkeypox, you know the media would demand every detail. But since it&#8217;s Beto O&#8217;Rourke who has monkeypox, they aren&#8217;t even curious.&#8221;
https://twitter.com/PartymanRandy/status/1564622074169229325
&#8220;How did Beto get monkeypox?&#8221; another asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How did Beto get monkeypox??
&mdash; Valley of the Sun (@modmothernature) <a href="https://twitter.com/modmothernature/status/1564050667592830978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite the lack of any evidence confirming the rumor, enough people began spreading it that Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-beto-bacterial-infection/fact-check-beto-orourke-battling-a-bacterial-infection-spokesperson-says-idUSL1N3051YN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped in</a> and published a fact check stating that the claims were false.
Noting that the people who originally began circulating the claim had not presented any evidence, the outlet also pointed out the fact that monkeypox is a virus — related to smallpox and cowpox — rather than a bacterial infection that can be treated with simple antibiotics.
Reuters also published a statement from a spokesperson for O&#8217;Rourke, who said, &#8220;The claims are false. Doctors diagnosed Beto with a bacterial infection, which they treated with antibiotics. His symptoms continue to improve and he will be back on the road as soon as he is able.&#8221;
As for Reuters&#8217; final verdict on the issue?
&#8220;No evidence. Beto O’Rourke’s spokesperson told Reuters that the Democratic candidate for Governor fell ill from a bacterial infection, not monkeypox.&#8221;

Reuters Forced To Fact-Check Claims That Beto O’Rourke Caught Monkeypox

Reuters Forced To Fact-Check Claims That Beto O'Rourke Caught Monkeypox

Monkeypox

Reuters

Demonstrators dancing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kid-rock">Kid Rock</a> and toting “Abbott for Governor” signs heckled Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beto-orourke">Beto O’Rourke</a> as he left a campaign event in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas">Texas</a> on Friday.
O’Rourke wrapped up an hour-long campaign stop in Rockdale, Texas, Friday evening and walked back to his truck through a crowd of Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott supporters. Several boisterous people walked O’Rourke back to his vehicle, waving Abbott signs and dancing along to Kid Rock’s “We the People.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🔥🔥😂😂😂😂🔥🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beto</a> gets the boot in Rockdale, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texas</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BetosNotWelcomeHere?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BetosNotWelcomeHere</a> <a href="https://t.co/9YMvA9c5wl">pic.twitter.com/9YMvA9c5wl</a>
&mdash; Sue Knows Best (@sues86453) <a href="https://twitter.com/sues86453/status/1556251182326333443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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O’Rourke is using the months left before the election to hit campaign stops across Texas, even in deep red Milam County, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-texas.html">voted</a> more than 75% in favor of former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. O’Rourke is hoping to make up ground with a blitz across the Lone Star State in his <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/governor/">longshot</a> attempt to unseat Abbott, who is running for his third term in the office.
O’Rourke’s signature issue is gun control, and he is <a href="https://betoorourke.com/issue/promote-gun-safety/">campaigning</a> to ban AR-15 rifles and other firearms. He also wants to repeal the state’s constitutional carry law and implement red flag laws and other gun control reforms.
The Democratic candidate is well-known for his gun control activism. On May 25, O’Rourke interrupted a press conference led by Abbott over the mass shooting at Uvalde Elementary School that resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two educators.
As Abbott was delivering remarks, O’Rourke <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youre-a-sick-son-of-a-b-beto-orourke-crashes-greg-abbott-press-conference-on-uvalde-shooting">approached</a> the stage and accused the governor of not doing enough to combat gun violence.
“The time to stop the next shooting is right now and you are doing nothing. You are offering us nothing,” O’Rourke said. “This is totally predictable when you choose not to do anything.”
Critics accused O’Rourke of using the Uvalde tragedy as a campaign stunt. As O’Rourke confronted Abbott, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the Democratic gubernatorial candidate an “embarrassment” and told him to sit down.
Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, who was also on stage with Abbott, had strong words for O’Rourke.
“Sir, you are out of line. Please leave this auditorium,” McLaughlin yelled. “I can’t believe. You’re a sick son of a b****, you would come to a deal like this to make a political issue.”

WATCH: Beto O’Rourke Leaves Campaign Stop Surrounded By Abbott Supporters Dancing To Kid Rock

2022 Election

Left-wing billionaire and investor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/george-soros">George Soros</a> donated $1 million dollars to a PAC supporting the gubernatorial campaign of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas">Texas</a> Democrat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beto-orourke">Beto O’Rourke</a>.
The donation was made to the Beto for Texas PAC. The former presidential and senatorial hopeful is running against the incumbent Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/greg-abbott">Greg Abbott</a>, who has a 5-point lead over O’Rourke in <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3559143-abbott-leading-orourke-by-5-points-in-texas-governors-race-poll/">recent polls</a>. 
Abbott has made national headlines for his stances on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-single-day-abbott-sends-eighth-bus-of-unlawful-migrants-to-d-c-could-send-more-to-bidens-home-state-of-delaware">immigration</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-pro-life-law-inspires-legislation-in-other-states">abortion</a>, while O’Rourke is well known for his <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/beto-orourkes-flip-flop-flip-on-confiscating-ar-15s/">vacillating</a> rhetoric on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hell-yes-gun-grabbing-beto-is-back-people-who-own-ar-15s-shouldnt-be-able-to-keep-them">gun rights</a> — O’Rourke famously supported gun confiscation in his 2020 presidential run before dialing that stance back in the early days of his gubernatorial race. 
However, O’Rourke has pivoted back to his earlier hardline stance in the wake of the horrific school shooting in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/uvalde">Uvalde</a>, Texas, where a lone gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
The Soros donation was made last month, one day before the Supreme Court’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-states-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade-leaves-abortion-restrictions-to-states">decision</a> overturning <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/roe-v-wade">Roe v. Wade</a>, and was recently <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/soros-backs-o-rourke-s-bid-for-texas-governor-with-1-million/ar-AAZKRTY?ocid=msedgntp&amp;cvid=4f4b4f7cdc324129847cfefb2a375a5a">disclosed</a> in a filing with the Texas Ethics Commission. A spokesperson for the O’Rourke campaign acknowledged the donation, but said that most of the campaign’s support came from smaller donors.
Soros has an extensive history of donating to progressive political causes, and in the last decade has pumped <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/george-soros-invested-40-million-to-help-elect-dozens-of-progressive-prosecutors-across-the-u-s-study">$40 million into dozens of local district attorney races</a>, resulting in laxer law enforcement in many of America’s major cities. 
San Francisco voters recently sacked Soros-backed DA Chesa Boudin after the progressive bastion experienced <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/05/us/chesa-boudin-recall-san-francisco.html">soaring crime rates</a>. Los Angeles DA George Gascón, another Soros-backed candidate and Boudin’s predecessor in San Francisco, is facing a popular <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3561848-heres-what-to-know-about-the-los-angeles-county-da-recall-effort/">recall effort</a> of his own.
The billionaire investor has involved himself in Texas politics before. Last year, he donated $500,000 to help combat a ballot initiative that would have compelled the city of Austin to hire hundreds of new police officers.

George Soros

Soros Backs Beto’s Latest Campaign With $1 Million Donation

George Soros Gives $1 Million to Beto's Gubernatorial Campaign

Texas gubernatorial candidate Robert Francis &#8220;Beto&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said that he thinks the situation at the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/border-crisis">southern border</a> is &#8220;pretty great right now.&#8221;
At a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Xak6h3SAPI&amp;t=54m35s">town hall</a> Monday afternoon in Rio Grande City, Texas, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beto-orourke">O&#8217;Rourke</a> was asked by a voter during a question and answer period what he would do with state funding currently being used to construct a border wall on state land in gaps between segments of the federal border wall. O&#8217;Rourke said the money should be redirected toward communities and toward helping migrants instead of a border barrier and extra manpower at the border, which he derided as &#8220;bumper sticker slogans.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Texas Democrat Beto O&#8217;Rourke: &#8220;I think the border&#8217;s pretty great right now.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s border crisis is the worst on record. <a href="https://t.co/EbFTKzZdUi">pic.twitter.com/EbFTKzZdUi</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1534221366358155265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
&#8220;What do you do about the money that the state is spending on a wall that does not work?&#8221; the questioner began, claiming that walls do not work because of the large number of migrants that cross the border every month. &#8220;Eliminate that money, eliminate the money that is being used for the Texas [National Guard], put it into our schools, that&#8217;s where we need it.&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke began his response by pointing out that Governor Greg Abbott has invested $5 billion of state money toward efforts to secure the southern border. &#8220;And we all agree that we want the border to be better. In fact, I think the border is pretty great right now. I&#8217;d love to see investments in our communities, protecting our natural heritage, improving the ability to help those who are seeking asylum and trying to do it lawfully and in an orderly fashion, because they literally cannot return to their home countries for fear of being killed, or their children being kidnapped. I want to see us do a better job.”
“But involuntarily activating ten thousand of our fellow Texans, with a week&#8217;s notice, they were taken from their families, their kids, their jobs, their careers, and sent to the border for a one-year deployment, and these guard members have no constitutional authority to arrest or detain, they can only spot and radio in to CBP, or to local law enforcement,” he continued. “And there is some value in that, I think a voluntary activation at some small number might make sense, we&#8217;ve been doing that in Texas for years. But ten thousand members, a wall, that is more of a public art installation than it is anything else &#8230; it&#8217;s done nothing to stop anybody. But it really speaks to the larger problem that we have in this state and in this country &#8230; we&#8217;re excited &#8230; for bumper sticker solutions like &#8216;build that wall,&#8217; or &#8216;deport them all,&#8217; or be incredibly cruel, or do whatever it takes, we just don&#8217;t want to have to deal with this problem, instead of addressing the underlying issues.&#8221;
Abbott announced the first construction of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/its-official-texas-border-wall-construction-begins">state&#8217;s border wall</a> in December. “Texas has officially started building its own border wall,” Abbott tweeted on December 17th. “Biden allows open border policies and refuses to enforce laws passed by Congress to secure the border and enforce immigration laws. Texas is stepping up to do the federal government’s job.”
At a Texas Facilities Commission in November, commissioners unanimously approved a contract to construct a total of eight miles of border barrier that would fill gaps in the federal border wall, The Daily Wire reported. Abbott also announced in October that the state would use <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governor-abbott-reveals-clever-way-texas-is-using-shipping-containers-to-stop-illegal-immigration">shipping containers</a> as makeshift barricades to block other segments of the border.

Beto O’Rourke: ‘I Think The Border Is Pretty Great Right Now’

Beto O'Rourke: 'I Think The Border Is Pretty Great Right Now'

Border Wall

Southern Border

Texas gubernatorial hopeful Beto O&#8217;Rourke (D) has flipped again, saying on Tuesday that he did not believe Americans who already owned AR-15s and AK-47s should &#8220;be able to keep them.&#8221;
This marks the second time O&#8217;Rourke has flipped on the issue recently, as he announced several months ago that he had abandoned one issue that had been the centerpiece of his failed 2020 presidential bid: gun confiscation, at least when it came to the AR-15.
&#8220;I’m not interested in taking anything from anyone. What I want to make sure that we do is defend the Second Amendment. I want to make sure that we protect our fellow Texans far better than we’re doing right now,&#8221; <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/im-not-interested-in-taking-anything-beto-orourke-does-a-complete-180-from-hell-yes-im-gonna-take-your-ar-15/">he said</a> in November of 2021 as he campaigned for governor in the state of Texas.
According to a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/beto-orourke-ar-15-owners-shouldnt-keep-them?intcmp=tw_fnc">report</a> from Fox News, O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s second one-eighty came prior to the deadly shooting that took place last Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas — and he brought it up at two separate town halls in Texas the week before.
&#8220;I think we are fools to believe anything other than that these weapons of war will continued to be used with greater frequency against our fellow Americans,&#8221; O&#8217;Rourke said at an Abilene town hall on May 21. &#8220;It’s why I’ve taken the position that I don’t think we should have AR-15s and AK-47s in civilian life. They belong on a battlefield.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Meeting with and listening to veterans in Abilene!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nNxdi5f88-k?start=2914&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
O&#8217;Rourke mentioned confiscation while speaking to veterans during another town hall the same day in San Angelo, saying that he didn&#8217;t even believe that people who legally owned AR-15s and AK-47s &#8220;should be able to keep them.&#8221;
&#8220;My kids are my conscience. And I may win or lose this race, but I’m always going to have to face them and answer for what I’ve done or failed to do when I had the chance to do something,&#8221; he said of his own children. &#8220;And I just took the position that may not be politically popular or maybe too honest that not only should no one be able to purchase an AR-15 or an AK-47, because they’re designed to kill humans and that high-impact, high-velocity round will just tear up everything inside you. You’ll bleed out before we can get you back to life.&#8221;
&#8220;But I don’t think that the people who have them right now in civilian use should be able to keep them,&#8221; he added.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="In San Angelo for a veterans town hall!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C_JPQDO5VIc?start=2550&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
O&#8217;Rourke&#8217;s current position — apparently once again in favor of confiscation — matches the position he took on the campaign trail in 2019 when he told crowds, &#8220;Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15, your AK-47!&#8221;
O&#8217;Rourke hopes to beat incumbent Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) — and <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/msnbc-host-gov-abbott-was-rude-to-oust-beto-orourke-from-press-conference-he-crashed/">confronted him</a> directly on the issue of gun control during an <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/very-clearly-staged-cbs-reporter-says-beto-used-seat-holders-to-slip-into-abbott-presser-unnoticed/">official press conference</a> just after the tragedy unfolded in Uvalde.

Gun Control Advocates Protest Outside NRA Convention In Texas

‘Hell, Yes,’ Gun-Grabbing Beto Is Back: People Who Own AR-15s Shouldn’t ‘Be Able To Keep Them’

Gun-Grabbing Beto Is Back: People Who Own AR-15s 'Shouldn't Be Able To Keep Them'

Gun Control

Guns

School Shooting

Uvalde

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