Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s campaign has contacted the FBI after a sitting Texas state representative appeared to threaten O’Rourke with his “AR” on Twitter just after the Democratic debate Thursday evening.
O’Rourke confirmed to CNN Friday morning that his campaign contacted the FBI and Twitter about the threat.
“I mean, anytime you have somebody threatening to use violence against somebody in this country to resolve a political issue or really for any reason, that’s a matter for law enforcement,” he said. “But it really drives home the point, better than I could have made. Representative Briscoe Cain is making the case that no one should have an AR-15. That they can hold over someone else in this country, say, ‘look, if we disagree on something, let me introduce you to my AR-15.’ Absolutely wrong.”
In a since-deleted tweet, Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain (R) retweeted O’Rourke, who reiterated a point he made during the debate about getting rid of AR-15s and other military grade weapons if he were elected president — the strongest gun control stance yet exhibited by Democratic candidates. O’Rourke has reframed his campaign around the issue, following a mass shooting massacre in his hometown of El Paso, Texas, last month that claimed 22 lives.
“My AR is ready for you Robert Francis,” Cain tweeted, harping on a petty conservative talking point that O’Rourke’s real name is Robert, but he goes by his childhood nickname “Beto.”
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
Early Friday morning Cain responded on Twitter, calling O’Rourke a “child.”
You’re a child Robert Francis https://t.co/rU3WoYQFQV
— ??????? ???? (@BriscoeCain) September 13, 2019
This complaint will go nowhere. Threatening to kill someone with an assault weapon is as American as Mom, apple pie and Chevrolet. It is now the norm.
Yup. In Texas, that’s called a terrorist threat:
(a) A person commits an offense if he threatens to commit any offense involving violence to any person or property with intent to:
(1) cause a reaction of any type to his threat by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;
(2) place any person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury;
(3) prevent or interrupt the occupation or use of a building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has access, place of employment or occupation, aircraft, automobile, or other form of conveyance, or other public place;
(4) cause impairment or interruption of public communications, public transportation, public water, gas, or power supply or other public service;
(5) place the public or a substantial group of the public in fear of serious bodily injury; or
(6) influence the conduct or activities of a branch or agency of the federal government, the state, or a political subdivision of the state.
(b) An offense under Subsection (a)(1) is a Class B misdemeanor.
© An offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a Class B misdemeanor, except that the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the offense:
(1) is committed against a member of the person’s family or household or otherwise constitutes family violence; or
(2) is committed against a public servant.
(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection ©(2), an offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a state jail felony if the offense is committed against a person the actor knows is a peace officer or judge.
(d) An offense under Subsection (a)(3) is a Class A misdemeanor, unless the actor causes pecuniary loss of $1,500 or more to the owner of the building, room, place, or conveyance, in which event the offense is a state jail felony.
(e) An offense under Subsection (a)(4), (a)(5), or (a)(6) is a felony of the third degree.
(f) In this section:
(1) “Family” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.003, Family Code .
(2) “Family violence” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.004, Family Code .
(3) “Household” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.005, Family Code .
(g) For purposes of Subsection (d), the amount of pecuniary loss is the amount of economic loss suffered by the owner of the building, room, place, or conveyance as a result of the prevention or interruption of the occupation or use of the building, room, place, or conveyance.
The FBI agents tasked with interviewing Cain will be yukking it up and talking about this week’s game against the Cowboys by the time their talk is winding down.
It’s the part of him that’s most ready, anyway.
The platform should be renamed “Twatter.”