After Beto's AR-15 Pledge, He Sees a 'Death Threat'

Beto O'Rourke delivered one of the most talked-about lines of Thursday night's debate when he declared, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47." Now a Texas lawmaker is in the spotlight for his response, reports CBS News. "My AR is ready for you Robert Francis," wrote state Rep. Briscoe Cain in a tweet that has since been removed by Twitter. O'Rourke called it a "death threat" in a tweet of his own, and CNN reported that his campaign would be reporting it to the FBI. Cain then called O'Rourke a "child" on Twitter, and later wrote, "Come and take it!" per the Dallas Morning News.

Twitter agreed with O'Rourke that the original message was out of bounds, with a spokesperson saying it was removed because "you may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people." O'Rourke's comment during the debate was in reference to his proposal to institute a mandatory buyback program for assault weapons if he becomes president. The Morning News adds a bit of background on Cain, noting that he revealed last year on the state House floor that he has Asperger's. (More Beto O'Rourke stories.)