Former White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove ripped Democrat Beto O’Rourke Monday for taking a "cheap shot" at the Texas Republican governor's plan to reopen the state in a responsible and safe manner.
The former congressman and presidential candidate mocked the gradual reopening of the Texas economy from coronavirus shutdowns as “dangerous, dumb and weak.” O’Rourke’s Twitter post was a reaction to a tweet by Gov. Greg Abbott, who touted the Lone Star State’s reopening plan as “Safe, Smart, and Strong.”
“Dangerous, dumb and weak,” O’Rourke wrote in retweeting Abbott’s message.
"I thought he might be tweeting out his own personal motto," Rove responded on "Fox & Friends," noting that Texas is the second-most populous state but has among the lowest number of COVID-19 deaths per capita.
He added that the number of hospitalizations remains steady and testing is ramping up, with one out of every 33 Texans being tested for the virus.
"I thought it was a cheap shot by Robert Francis O'Rourke," said Rove, adding that Abbott has called on people to maintain social distancing and wear a mask when they leave the house.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Sen. Ted Cruz, both Republicans, also fired back at O’Rourke, the former congressman from El Paso who failed to unseat Cruz in 2018 and then ran an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination. Rove said O'Rourke may next be eyeing a bid for governor in a few years.
In more commentary on the Texas reopening plan, O’Rourke retweeted a Washington Post story that said Texas recently reported new single-day highs in both coronavirus infections and deaths.
“Despite what Trump & co. (Abbott & Patrick) say, stay home if you can & wear a mask if you have to go out. It will save lives,” O’Rourke wrote.
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Last week Gov. Abbott outlined Phase II of the Texas reopening plan. It permits child care centers, massage and personal care spas and youth clubs to reopen May 18; bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls and other entertainment venues to resume operations May 22 – with restaurants at 50 percent of capacity – and sets a May 31 reopening date for youth camps and sporting events.
Fox News' Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.
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