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Home • News

'This Is A Death Threat': Beto O'Rourke Calls Out Texas Congressman's AR-15 Tweet

Texas State Rep. Briscoe Cain's tweet, quipping "My AR is ready for you" was ultimately taken down, with Twitter saying it violated its standards on threats and violence.
'This Is A Death Threat': Beto O'Rourke Calls Out Texas Congressman's AR-15 Tweet
Heidi Gutman/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images
By Breanna Edwards · Updated October 23, 2020

During the third Democratic presidential debate candidate Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) drew applause for his impassioned speech in response to a question about assault weapons, declaring “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.”

“We’re not going to allow it to be used against our fellow Americans anymore,” O’Rourke added.

Hell yeah, we're going to take your AR-15. If it's a weapon that was designed to kill people on the battlefield, we're going to buy it back. pic.twitter.com/cCEWkG6y0X

— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 13, 2019

It didn’t take long for trolls to crawl out of their caves, with one Texas state legislator, State Rep. Briscoe Cain (R) responding to O’Rouke’s comments saying “My AR is ready for you.”

Now clearly, that is a threat, and O’Rourke and his campaign called out the tweet as such.

“This is a death threat,” the former Texas congressman snapped back. “Clearly, you shouldn’t own an AR-15 — and neither should anyone else.”

This is a death threat, Representative. Clearly, you shouldn't own an AR-15—and neither should anyone else. pic.twitter.com/jsiZmwjMDs

— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 13, 2019

Of course, Cain didn’t get the seriousness of his words, instead quipping back, “You’re a child Robert Francis.”

The tweet with the AR-15 threat was later removed from his feed, listed as “no longer available” for violating the platform’s policies because you know, that’s what it was, the Daily Beast reports.

In the meantime, O’Rourke refuses to back down, continuing to tweet out on the issue and demanding stronger action.

The very thing that drew that killer to EL Paso is the very thing that helps us set the example for the rest of the country.

We don't see our differences as disqualifying or dangerous. We see them as foundational to our success, our strength, and our security. pic.twitter.com/Z9dNfl1Oqx

— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 13, 2019

Texas faced two mass shootings in a month—and the furthest Governor Abbott will go is “voluntary” background checks.

We need background checks on every sale—no loopholes, no exceptions. We need to buy back every assault weapon. And it’s on all of us to get it done. https://t.co/Qj6TU2bw2B

— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 13, 2019
TOPICS:  AR-15 assault weapons background checks Beto O’Rourke Briscoe Cain democratic debate gun control