Trump mocked Beto O'Rourke for dropping out of the presidential race, saying he 'quit like a dog'
- US President Donald Trump on Friday mocked former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke after he confirmed that he would drop out of the race to become the Democratic presidential candidate in 2020.
- Speaking at a rally in Mississippi after O'Rourke announced he will no longer seek the Democratic nomination, Trump said O'Rourke "quit like a dog," and called him a "poor b******."
- O'Rourke had consistently failed to achieve poll numbers like those seen by frontrunners such as Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
US President Donald Trump on Friday mocked former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke after he confirmed that he would drop out of the race to become the Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, with Trump saying O'Rourke "quit like a dog."
O'Rourke told the New York Times Friday that he would no longer seek to win the Democratic nomination. O'Rourke had consistently failed to achieve poll numbers like those seen by frontrunners such as Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden.
"My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee," O'Rourke told The Times.
Trump mocked O'Rourke both on Twitter and at a rally in Tupelo, Mississippi Friday. The president and O'Rourke had clashed numerous times in recent years, with O'Rourke particularly critical of Trump's response to the deadly mass shooting in El Paso, Texas - O'Rourke's home town - in August, which left 22 people dead.
Speaking in Tupelo, birthplace of Elvis Presley, Trump called O'Rourke a "poor b******" and a "pathetic guy," according to a report from The Independent.
"He came out of Texas a very hot political property, and he went back as cold as you can be," Trump continued.
The ex-congressman was launched onto the national stage three years ago when he staged a competitive challenge to incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas - a state that has long been firmly held in GOP hands.
His narrow loss in that campaign had many Texans and national Democrats speculating as to whether he would make a second run at the upper house of Congress, but the El Paso, Texas-based O'Rourke instead mounted a presidential campaign.
Despite early attention, O'Rourke was not able to capitalize on the buzz and instead gradually fell in the polls.