Internet Explodes After Beto O'Rourke Announces He’s Running For President

Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman who took on Ted Cruz in 2018 and came so close to winning, has just officially announced that he will be running for President in 2020. The confirmation apparently came in via text message to an NBC affiliate.

It's official. Beto O'Rourke is running for President. https://t.co/8teLFGj76Y

— KTSM 9 News (@KTSMtv) March 13, 2019

“I’m really proud of what El Paso did and what El Paso represents,” O’Rourke said in the text. “It’s a big part of why I’m running. This city is the best example of this country at its best.”

Also, it appears that even before this text confirmation was revealed, people who went to unsubscribe from Beto’s emails were hit with a bit of a spoiler.

When I clicked to unsubscribe – spoiler alert pic.twitter.com/GTnbHrVNKu

— Courtenay P (@hugandpint) March 13, 2019

The announcement/spoiler comes on the heels of a Vanity Fair photo shoot that included some gorgeous shots by Annie Leibovitz. In the corresponding interview, O’Rourke said that he was “just born to be in it,” presumably referring to the 2020 presidential race. But with this announcement, it seems possible he could have meant the White House.

“Man, I’m just born to be in it.” Beto O’Rourke seemed to come from nowhere to the brink of a presidential candidacy—but he’s been on this journey for his whole life. O’Rourke spoke with Joe Hagan. Photographs by Annie Leibovitz. https://t.co/WhmQGZnbUg pic.twitter.com/a7DCoaZdtd

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) March 13, 2019

Beto had also received recent press for advocating for immigrants and asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border and opposing Donald Trump’s wall, including in an opposing rally he led at the same time as one of Trump’s pro-wall events. Though he has received some criticism for holding a few somewhat conservative positions and only seeming like a good option in opposition to Ted Cruz, his speeches have been praised for their inspirational qualities.

Now, Beto is reportedly headed to Iowa to kick off his official campaign. Whether fans or not, everybody on Twitter has an opinion.

beto o'rourke going from a senate L to a presidential run in 4 months pic.twitter.com/XeGihstvaC

— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) March 13, 2019

I’m not by any stretch on the Beto train. I don’t know much about him.

But my god, his answer is so much better than Bernie’s.

Bernie and his stans—especially those at the Bernie Free Press—should be embarrassed by his response. https://t.co/KjtmPafnul

— Imani Gandy (@AngryBlackLady) March 13, 2019

I’m sure he’s great but Beto O’Rourke always makes me think of like some guy you dated in college who said “I can’t say I love you because I just don’t know what it means,” and then made you listen to a Toad The Wet Sprocket album and look at his pictures from Joshua Tree.

— Wendy Molyneux (@WendyMolyneux) March 13, 2019

the real contest for the obama nostalgia vote is between beto and biden imho; do you pick the guy who appears to most closely approximate obama's bearing and demeanor OR the guy who, by nature of having breathed near obama a lot, has the highest no. of obama molecules in his body

— Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) March 13, 2019

Thanks to Beto’s savvy strategy of staying out of the race long enough for me to get bored with the other leading contenders I’m now feeling the Betomania that I found baffling back in December.

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) March 13, 2019

It's January 23, 2021, and Beto O'Rourke, newly minted U.S. president, stands in front of Lincoln Memorial.

"Now, I want to play you a lil cover. This one's called 'Car,' by Built To Spill"

? You get the car, I'll get the night off. You'll… ?

(U.S. enters recession) pic.twitter.com/YQz1GGhiXY

— maxwell (@maxwellstrachan) March 13, 2019

Beto on @AOC:

“She does not seem to me to be afraid of making a mistake, or not saying it perfectly, and in the process says the most important—I think some of the most important—things anyone can be talking about right now. She’s freed herself from fear.”

Couldn't agree more.

— Nate Lerner (@NathanLerner) March 13, 2019

“How can I be more unlikable?”

“We’ll do a magazine cover with ‘vanity’ in the title and have you leaving a sad dog in order to pursue something you think you’re entitled to have. We’ll call it Beto’s Choice.”

“Perfect!”

*fist bumps* pic.twitter.com/z6mNtz8KwF

— Lisa De Pasquale (@LisaDeP) March 13, 2019

BREAKING:

Beto O'Rourke is OFFICIALLY running for President. I like many of our candidates thus far, but THIS guy has that…something.

This race is exciting!#Beto2020 https://t.co/c7kxPeoE3n

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) March 13, 2019

Sorry you haven’t seen other men, people who are horny for Beto

— Sophia Benoit (@1followernodad) March 13, 2019

FYI it’s entirely possible to think Beto was a good candidate for TX Senate and yet not a good candidate for President of all of these United States.

— Shannon ?? (@TheStagmania) March 13, 2019

Since it looks like Beto O’Rourke is going to run for president, I’m once again suggesting that someone make this into a real t-shirt pic.twitter.com/LbPBPHRn77

— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) March 13, 2019

So if I understand this correctly, Beto was successfully drafted into a campaign for president not because he has any particular policy agenda, but because he has various vague cultural/generational traits that certain people find weirdly attractive. K, sounds great

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) March 14, 2019

beto is currently listening to i won’t back down by tom petty

— beto o’rourkes spotify (@betospotify) March 14, 2019

The allure of Beto is that he wasn’t ‘born to it.’ This Messiah-esque tone will not serve him well.

— G O L D I E. (@goldietaylor) March 13, 2019

Things are really tough. But the future of our country DOES NOT BELONG to Donald, Mitch, or any of the other mean old men of the GOP. It belongs to people like @BetoORourke @KamalaHarris @PeteButtigieg @AOC and all the incredibly diverse & inspiring young voters waiting for 2020!

— Ken Olin (@kenolin1) March 14, 2019

What is Trump’s nickname for Beto O’Rourke going to be?
If he calls him “Beta Beto” in a tweet, I am packing my stuff and immigrating to the US

— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) March 14, 2019

Even if you’re not a Beto fan, if you’re reading this article right now, you’ll probably enjoy how threatened the right is by the latest Democratic candidate.

Every single Beto piece is written by the same unemployed English major from NYU overlooking a Brooklyn alleyway in which a bum is pissing into a trash can https://t.co/Q2lnCOixvi

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 13, 2019

Does Beto even have a job at the moment? pic.twitter.com/shPSTK632T

— Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec) March 13, 2019

So… Democrat Socialist #Beto whose real name is Robert who happens to be Irish but is using the name Beto to pander to Hispanics for votes is running for President?

Got it ??

— Kambree Kawahine Koa (@KamVTV) March 13, 2019

Hate Beto all you want, I know I can’t stand him. But you should fear him a lot more than you do. Tireless campaigner with resources and charisma to create a cult-like following. Nobody can beat Trump as it currently stands, but we could have President Beto in 2024.

— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) March 13, 2019