Free Republic

Former Representative Beto O’Rourke of Texas is dropping out of the presidential race, ending a campaign in which he struggled for months to recapture the energy of his insurgent 2018 Senate candidacy on a national stage full of other big personalities and liberal champions. Mr. O’Rourke made the decision to quit the race in the middle of this week, on the eve of a gathering Friday of Democratic presidential candidates in Iowa, according to people familiar with his thinking. He is not expected to run for any other office in 2020, despite persistent efforts by party leaders and political donors...

2020 hopeful Beto O’Rourke said it was “no longer sufficient” for Americans “not to be racist” anymore; instead, he insisted they must be "anti-racist." Speaking at his “Rally Against Fear” in Texas, Beto used 'racism' as the topic of choice."It's no longer sufficient for us not be racist," Beto declared to the crowd."Each one of us must commit to being anti-racist in America going forward."

Beto to Obama: Hold my beer. Barack Obama's IRS may have targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny, but Obama never pledged to strip tax-exempt status from organizations that disagreed with his position on an issue. Yet on Thursday, former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) said he would strip tax-exempt status from any religious organization that supports traditional marriage as defined by one man and one woman. In fact, his position essentially amounts to a government preference for pro-gay marriage religious bodies that likely violates the Establishment Clause. CNN's Don Lemon quoted O'Rourke's policy on LGBT issues, which states: "Freedom of religion...

Full title: O’Rourke calls on Trump to resign over Ukraine controversy, says it would ‘bring the country together’Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke called on President Trump to resign Saturday over the controversy surrounding Trump’s July call with the Ukrainian president -- saying it would be the best chance to bring the nation together. “This country is as divided as it's ever been, is being driven further apart every day by this president,” the former Texas congressman said at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. “The single best thing to bring the country together would be Donald Trump's resignation -- much...

2020 Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke said Saturday that the "single best thing" to unify the country would be for President Donald Trump to resign for his actions related to Ukraine. "The best possible path, especially if you're concerned about a country that's never been more divided, perhaps more highly polarized every day, is for this President to resign, allow this country to heal and ensure that we come back together with the greatest, most ambitious agenda we've ever faced, none of it possible while he remains in power," O'Rourke said at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin.

Marijuana would not only be legalized under a plan proposed on Thursday by Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, but cannabis tax revenue would be used to directly repay formerly incarcerated people through a new "Drug War Justice Grant" program. Unlike other contenders who have come around to supporting marijuana legalization in just the past couple of years, the former Texas congressman has long called for ending prohibition—and his new plan in many respects goes further than those rolled out by other campaigns. While rival candidates have proposed funding programs to begin repairing the harms of the war on drugs through...

On Wednesday Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) addressed Robert “Beto” O’Rourke’s confiscatory push on AR-15s and made clear, “[He’s] not taking my guns away from me.” Manchin then asked for someone to deliver that message to O’Rourke. Breitbart News reported that O’Rourke used the September 12, Democrat debate to tell AR-15 owners, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15.” Breitbart News reported that O’Rourke’s declaration was a game-changer which showed the Democrats’ intention to seize guns.

Robert “Beto” O’Rourke explained he plans to use fines to “compel” American gun owners to comply with his AR-15 ban, during a weekend exchange with reporters. O’Rourke made his claim in a video posted by Fox4 DFW’s Teresa Riley. He was asked how he plans to make Americans comply with his AR-15 ban and he said, “I begin by saying we expect our fellow Americans to follow the law. If they do not there would be a fine imposed to compel them to follow the law.” Question: what happens if people don’t sell their guns back to the govt....answer: pic.twitter.com/wGuXJlBZQG—...

Beto O’Rourke, a Texas Democrat and presidential hopeful, recently made the comment, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.” O’rourke declared this striking, new campaign promise of a mandatory gun buy-back during an impassioned plea made at the last Democratic presidential debate. O’rourke was asked by the debate moderator what he would do about gun control if elected President. The only problem with the congressman’s promise is that it’ll never happen. Here’s why: Most Americans Won’t ComplyA simple truth provides a rather large hurdle for Mr. O’rourke’s ambitions: Many Americans simply don’t like the government telling them...

PLANO — Beto O'Rourke on Sunday said Democrats should be bolder in their approach to issues related to gun control, immigration, criminal justice and climate change. "I'm a lifelong Democrat," O'Rourke told about 300 people outside of Artcentre of Plano. "For too long Democrats have played defense ... but just like Lucy with the football, every single time that we put our best foot forward and move forward in the spirit of consensus and comprise and start in that middle position, we lose it." O'Rourke called for a different, less compromising approach, noting that attempts at consensus building have led...

Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke (D) confirmed in an interview with Latino USA’s Maria Hinojosa Friday that he is in favor of physically tearing down existing sections of the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. “So Beto I just want to be clear. Have you said you want to tear down the wall?” Hinojosa asked. “If I’m elected, I will tear down that wall. Then suddenly the Democrat is quoting the Republican Ronald Reagan– tear down that wall.” “Right. So the short answer is yes,” O’Rourke said. “I would include all local stakeholders.” “There are more than 600 miles of wall and...

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is planning to visit San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco on Saturday to meet with inmates and have them lead him on a tour of the facility — a rare peek behind bars for a White House hopeful. The former Texas congressman will spend part of his time with inmates who are close to finishing their sentences, discussing ways to improve the “re-entry” process into society and to combat recidivism. He will also conduct an interview with “Ear Hustle,” a podcast produced by inmates inside the all-male prison that is California’s...

On Friday’s “CNN Newsroom,” Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), who has endorsed 2020 Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, stated that 2020 presidential candidate former Representative Beto O’Rourke’s (D-TX) statement that he will take away certain guns “will be played for years at 2nd Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people” and that O’Rourke’s statement isn’t a smart move for policy or politics. Coons said, “I frankly, think that that clip will be played for years at 2nd Amendment rallies with organizations that try to scare people by saying Democrats are coming for your guns. I’m a...

Former Texas congressman and failed Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke is not shy about expressing his views on confiscating Americans’ guns. And on Thursday at the 2020 Democratic presidential debate, O’Rourke reiterated that he’ll remove firearms from law-abiding gun owners. “Are you proposing taking away their guns and how would this work?” ABC anchor David Muir asked O’Rourke, referring to his so-called mandatory “buyback” proposal for AR-15s and AK-47s.

In an interview at SXSW last month, US Senate hopeful Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke kicked off his campaign by doing something most Texas Democrats have been loath to do: line out his opposition to the Second Amendment and advocate that Texans should be prohibited from purchasing the most popular firearm in the United States. “There is no reason an AR-15, a weapon of war designed for the sole purpose of taking lives as effectively and as efficiently and [in] as great a number as possible should be sold to civilians to be used in our schools, in our churches, in...

Baby faced Beto tripled and quadrupled down on this early Friday morning while appearing on MSNBC, saying that turning in guns would be mandatory. His plan largely depends on people voluntarily complying with new laws. When pressed about people who won’t just hand ’em over, Beto explains “I’m going to work with police chiefs, with sheriffs, with law enforcement to make sure we implement this in the most effective way possible.” Beto then clarifies “No, it’s not voluntary. I want to make sure that we make the distinction here. It is mandatory. It will be the law. You will be...

Former Texas Congressman and 2020 presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said at ABC’s Democratic debate that President Donald Trump “inspired” the El Paso shooting last month. In his opening statement, O’Rourke railed against Trump by pointing to the “cost and the consequence of his presidency.” O’Rourke accused Trump of bringing racism and violence “out into the open” throughout America before turning to the massacre that left dozens dead and wounded in his hometown in early August. “Twenty two people were killed,” O’Rourke said. “Dozens more injured by a man carrying a weapon he should never have been able to buy in...

Beto O’Rourke is flailing about on the campaign trail in the race for the 2020 Democrat nomination. He has nothing to lose at this point. In what world, though, did he think it was a good idea to pick a fight with Meghan McCain over gun ownership? Robert Francis is way out of his league. The new season of ABC’s The View began this week and right away Meghan McCain came under fire, so to speak, during a discussion about gun violence and mass shootings. The topic led to the inevitable back and forth on gun control. Meghan McCain was...