Democrats gave Beto O'Rourke a look when he started speaking in Spanish at the first 2020 Democratic debate

MSNBC

• Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas spoke in Spanish while answering his first question during the first 2020 Democratic debate in Miami on Wednesday and a still of the moment is being widely shared.
• Sens. Corey Booker of New Jersey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts were seen glancing at O'Rourke.
• Twitter users picked up on the moment and began giving it the meme treatment.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas spoke in Spanish when answering his first question during the first 2020 Democratic debate in Miami on Wednesday and spurred some glances from his opponents.

"This economy has to work for everyone. And right now we know that it isn't," O'Rourke said as he answered a question on changes to the US economy and the marginal tax rate. "And it's going to take all of us coming together to make sure that it does."

Sens. Corey Booker of New Jersey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts were seen glancing at O'Rourke as he continued answering in Spanish:

"Right now we have a system that favors those who can pay for access and outcomes," O'Rourke later added. "That's how you explain an economy that is rigged to corporations and to the very wealthiest"

Twitter users picked up on the moment and began giving it the meme treatment:

O'Rourke is fluent in Spanish and released some campaign advertisements in Spanish during the 2018 midterm election against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

The former Democratic congressman appeared in the MSNBC-hosted debate amongst nine other candidates, including Warren, Booker, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Gov. Jay Inslee, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan, former Housing and Urban Development secretary Julián Castro, and former Rep. John Delaney.