Beto O’Rourke is getting both praise and criticism over his response to a man who asked him if he thought it was disrespectful for NFL players to kneel in protest during the National Anthem.
The question came from an audience member during a campaign rally on Aug. 10 in Houston. The man said he was from a family of veterans, and said he found the anthem protests disrespectful.
O’Rourke told the man that he did not think the protests were disrespectful but added that he believed reasonable people could disagree on the issue. He then drew parallels between military members and civil rights workers who struggled for freedom.
“I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up or take a knee for your rights, anytime, anywhere, in any place,” O’Rourke concluded, before thanking the man for his question.
Video of the response went viral. The video had than 2.5 million views on the Facebook page of Beto for Greater Houston. A post of the video on the “Now This” news site had more than 16 million views. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and LeBron James tweeted their support.
O’Rourke is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Ted Cruz. Cruz criticized O’Rourke’s stance on the issue.
“I think that’s an answer that’s out of step with most Texans, ” Cruz told KXAN. “The last time I checked, Ellen DeGeneres isn’t’ a registered voter in Texas.”
A recent NBC News/Marist poll shows the Senate race is getting tighter. Cruz has a four-point lead in the poll, with 49 percent support to 45 for O’Rourke.