Protesters heckled Ted Cruz and his wife out of a DC restaurant, and Beto O'Rourke has come to their defense
- Rep. Beto O'Rourke defended Sen. Ted Cruz after protesters forced Cruz and his wife, Heidi Cruz, out of a Washington, DC restaurant on Monday.
- Protesters opposed to Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court surrounded the senator, chanting, "We believe survivors" - a reference to the women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.
- "The Cruz family should be treated with respect," O'Rourke tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the Texas Democrat mounting a formidable challenge to Sen. Ted Cruz's seat, came to the defense of his opponent on Tuesday, condemning protesters who prompted Cruz and his wife, Heidi Cruz, to leave a Washington, DC restaurant on Monday night.
"Not right that Senator Cruz and his wife Heidi were surrounded and forced to leave a restaurant last night because of protesters. The Cruz family should be treated with respect," O'Rourke tweeted Tuesday morning.
The protesters approached the senator and his wife with questions about whether the Republican lawmaker would support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, whose confirmation is in jeopardy following two allegations of sexual misconduct.
"Cancel Kavanaugh - for women's rights and for the rights of every marginalized community," one protester called out.
As the couple sat down at a table in the upscale restaurant, protesters began chanting, "We believe survivors!" The senator ignored questions about his Supreme Court vote and he and Heidi exited the restaurant through a side door.
While Cruz, along with the majority of Republican lawmakers, has staunchly supported Kavanaugh's nomination, he conceded earlier this month that the misconduct allegations are severe enough to warrant attention.
"The allegations ... are serious, and they deserve to be treated with respect," Cruz said during a debate with O'Rourke last Friday.
Cruz is not the first Republican to face heckling while dining in the Washington area. In June, Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was confronted at a Mexican restaurant in the nation's capital by protesters critical of the administration's zero-tolerance immigration policy.
And White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied service at a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, because of her work in the Trump administration.
David Choi contributed to this report.