AP mocked for report saying Beto O’Rourke spoke at rally ‘in his native Spanish’

The Associated Press has faced some mocking on social media after a report over the weekend originally said that former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) spoke “in his native Spanish” during a rally.

“O’Rourke also spoke at length in his native Spanish, eliciting loud and sustained cheers,” the original AP report from Saturday read. 

{mosads}The 2020 presidential hopeful, whose full name is Robert Francis O’Rourke, is fourth-generation Irish-American.

The report comes after O’Rourke officially launched his campaign in the border town of El Paso in a speech that focused heavily on immigration.

The AP coverage solicited a number of responses across social media mocking it for calling Spanish O’Rourke’s native language.

This is @AP coverage of the #Beto launch rally. … he “spoke at length in his native Spanish…”

Neato. pic.twitter.com/AOLWRa0I21

— David Martosko (@dmartosko) March 31, 2019

 

ICYMI @AP = Advancing Propaganda.
Beto shall now be known forthwith as #NativeSpeakerBeto  https://t.co/tN5UQ8AXhC

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) April 1, 2019

 

Ah, yes, the 4th generation Irish American from Texas, Robert Francis O’Rourke, speaking his ‘native Spanish’

So good, in fact, was his ‘native Spanish’ that the crowds actually thought they’d been magically whisked away to the Emerald Isle with the other native Spanish speakers https://t.co/tYvGF2hAuR

— Chet Cannon (@Chet_Cannon) April 1, 2019

 

Native Spanish? So, he can’t be POTUS, right??  Not the birth certificate thing again!!! https://t.co/OzRyfaJyN5

— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) March 31, 2019

 

He’s from Spain? Associated Press Says Beto Spoke in ‘His Native Spanish’ https://t.co/aUPSIPJTDL

— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) April 1, 2019

Native Spanish? The dude’s Irish! https://t.co/2QmtiZe4dH

— Phil Valentine (@ValentineShow) April 1, 2019

 

Just in case any of you still trust the AP for anything resembling real news…Robert Francis O’Rourke is 4th gen Irish American and Spanish is NOT his native language pic.twitter.com/wnBUDe9RCU

— Lars Larson (@LarsLarsonShow) April 1, 2019

The AP has since removed the word “native” in its online report to read, “O’Rourke also spoke at length in Spanish, eliciting loud and sustained cheers.”

O’Rourke, 46, ran a strong campaign to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) last fall, but ultimately lost in the deep-red state by 2.6 points. The race launched O’Rourke into the national conversation, however, with speculation of a presidential run beginning immediately after his loss. 

He has joined a Democratic field full of political heavyweights, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).