Sen. Cory Booker glared at Beto O’Rourke as he broke into Spanish to answer his first question at the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday evening.
Asked about a 70% individual marginal tax rate, O’Rourke began his answer in English straying away from the specific question. “This economy has got to work for everyone. Right now we know that it isn’t. It’s going to take all of us coming together to make sure that it does,” he said.
Then the former Texas congressman broke into Spanish, during which Booker gave him a stare that was instantly screen-grabbed and widely shared by amused Twitter users.
jajajaja pic.twitter.com/8eDjHaDXoh
— James Hitchcock (@JamesHitchcock) June 27, 2019
Cory Booker looking at Beto O’Rourke while he speaks Spanish like “This fuckin’ guy.” pic.twitter.com/JfReY5xuNu
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) June 27, 2019
Cory Booker’s facial expression when Beto starts speaking in Spanish#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/VrZiOh5Rzu
— Cate Martel (@CateMartel) June 27, 2019
— jordan (@JordanUhl) June 27, 2019
O’Rourke’s Spanish answer translated to: “We need to include everyone in the success of this economy. But, if we want to do this, we have to include everyone in our democracy. Every voter needs representation, and every voice must be listened too.”
O’Rourke finished his broad answer in English, then was given an extra 10 seconds by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to actually answer the question.
“I would support a tax rate and a tax code that is fair to everyone,” O’Rourke said. Asked about the 70% individual marginal tax rate again, O’Rourke declined to answer the question directly.
“Tax capital at the same rate you tax ordinary income. Take that corporate tax rate up to 28% and you generate the revenues you need to pay for the programs we are talking about,” he said.
