Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott sparked outrage after saying the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas "could have been worse."
Speaking about the murders of 19 children and two teachers, Abbott said "Texans must come together and support the families who have been affected by this horrific tragedy."
But it was his remark that the shooting "could have been worse" that angered many who criticized him for not backing comprehensive gun control measures.
You can hear Abbott's remarks in the video below.
\u201cGovernor Abbott says, "it could have been worse."\n\nA lot of people talking about this line in our comment section right now. \n\nAbbott is giving an update on the Uvalde school shooting in Texas that left 19 students, 2 adults and the gunman deceased. https://t.co/h3EO8HDla8\u201d— JB Biunno #HeyJB (@JB Biunno #HeyJB) 1653500917
Abbott said:
“All Texans must come together and support the families who have been affected by this horrific tragedy. What they need now more than ever is our love."
"What they need is uplifting from all of our fellow Texans and all of our fellow Americans.”
He added:
“The reality is, as horrible as what happened, it could have been worse."
“The reason it was not worse is because law enforcement officials did what they do: They showed amazing courage by running toward gun fire for the singular purpose of trying to save lives.”
He also dismissed calls for stronger gun control laws while bringing up a conservative talking point about crimes in liberal urban centers:
“I hate to say it, but there are more people who are shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas."
“If you’re looking for a real solution, Chicago teaches that what you’re talking about is not a real solution. Our job is to come up with real solutions that we can implement.”
Many criticized Abbott in the wake of his remarks, suggesting he has blood on his hands by not supporting laws that would make massacres like the one in Uvalde less likely.
\u201cHow does @GovAbbott explain to the parents of dead children that "it could have been worse?" Children so mutilated by an AR15 assault weapon legally purchased by an 18 yr old - that their own parents were unable to identify them. @GregAbbott_TX is the reason.\u201d— Voting Must Be A Priority-YOUR VOTE MATTERS (@Voting Must Be A Priority-YOUR VOTE MATTERS) 1653549220
\u201cAbbot is going to regret this. Police waited outside for at least an hour\u2014preventing parents from entering the school in large groups, willing to take on the gunman unarmed. The shooter may have killed *himself*\u2014according to video evidence.\u201d— magda.boyo (@magda.boyo) 1653570499
\u201cI hate this creature so much!\u201d— Joseph\ud83e\udd84 (@Joseph\ud83e\udd84) 1653570540
\u201cThese weren\u2019t soldiers who lost their lives in a battle\u2026 and it could\u2019ve been worse? These were children/grandchildren! They didn\u2019t sacrifice their lives for their other classmates. They were violently and needlessly gunned down. #UvaldeMassacre #mothersagainstgregabbott\u201d— Dani (@Dani) 1653571790
\u201cHey @GovAbbott --- do you have the guts to attend the funerals of the children and tell their families to their faces, "it could have been worse."?????? \n\nYou're sick. Have fun when the devil tells YOU "it could have been worse" when you join him in the afterlife.\u201d— Denise 'Hollywood It Girl' Salcedo (@Denise 'Hollywood It Girl' Salcedo) 1653622813
\u201cSo what could be more worse than 19 kids and 2 teachers getting shot up no empathy at all there's a special place in hell for people like @GovAbbott\u201d— vote or die democracy on the line (@vote or die democracy on the line) 1653626374
\u201cI miss the days when screaming too loud lost you the election. Now, this buffoon will probably still win. Disgusting\u201d— Euphoria supremacist (@Euphoria supremacist) 1653655678
\u201cJust to be clear when @GovAbbott says \u201c..it could have been worse.\u201d He means a Police Officer could of been killed. Don\u2019t get it twisted believing he meant children folks.\u201d— Kevin Flanagan (@Kevin Flanagan) 1653652321
\u201cRepublicans are slowly trying to bring hell to Earth bc they know deep down that's where they're headed, and they want to ruin it for the rest of us\u201d— iris (@iris) 1653581313
Abbott backed out of an appearance at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association (NRA) amid controversy over his remarks about the shooting.
He will still be seen in pre-recorded remarks at the meeting, which begins today, May 27.
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