O’Rourke had sought to share the story as an example of the harsh realities of income inequality in the U.S. during Tuesday evening’s debate.
Asked whether he believed a wealth tax would be “the best way” to address income inequality, O’Rourke said he believed a tax that would make the ultra-wealth pay more could be “part of the solution.”
“I think we need to be focused on lifting people up,” O’Rourke, a former Texas representative said, before telling the story of a mother he had met in Las Vegas, who might benefit from such support.
“She’s working four jobs, raising her child with disabilities, and any American with disabilities knows just how hard it is to make it and get by in this country already,” he said.
“She wants to know how we are going to help her, how we’re going to make sure that her child has the care that she needs, that we strengthen protections for those with disabilities, that she just has to work one job because it pays a living wage,” he said.
While O’Rourke had shared the mother’s plight to highlight why U.S. taxpayers need a clear understanding of what presidential candidates’ tax plans will be before they head to the polls, apparently the realities of income inequality in the U.S. were so shocking to some that they could not believe the story might be true.
O’Reilly, for example, was so taken aback by O’Rourke’s account that he took to Twitter to cast doubt on the story, saying outright: “I don’t believe him.”
“Beto says he met a woman working FOUR jobs. And raising a special needs child. I don’t believe him. Sorry,” O’Reilly said.
In an eviscerating response, O’Rourke tweeted out a photo of himself standing with the mother, Gina, and her daughter Summer, during their meeting in Las Vegas.
“This is her. Her name is Gina. Her daughter’s name is Summer,” he said.
“The problem with our economy is she has to live in her car—while a disgraced TV host like you makes millions,” he told O’Reilly.
Meanwhile, Rob Flaherty, the former Texas representative’s digital director, also came to the Democratic candidate’s defence, sharing the same photo and saying: “I was there…Here’s their picture. A*****e.”
In the hours after O’Rourke and Flaherty’s tweets, many social media users shared their own stories about how income inequality affects their own lives.
One woman posted a photo of her daughter, Savannah, who she said was disabled before describing how her “also-disabled husband” works three jobs, while she works from home, to keep their family afloat.
“This is normal in the disability community,” she said. “Mr. O’Riley needs to spend some time with actual disabled people.”
