Beto O’Rourke expressed regret Tuesday for launching his presidential bid on the cover of Vanity Fair.
O’Rourke caught flak for the March interview, in which he said he was “just born to be in” the race for the White House. The former Texas congressman’s comments prompted other Democratic 2020 candidates, such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, to criticize his apparent presumptuousness as a white man, adding “growing up in the ‘70s, in the middle of the country, I don’t think many people thought a girl could be president.”
“It reinforces that perception of privilege,” O’Rourke, 46, said during an appearance on ABC’s “The View.” “Nobody is born to be president of the United States of America — least of all me.”
O’Rourke went on to explain he was trying to convey that public service was his calling. He also said he deserved the scrutiny he received for joking that his wife Amy was raising their three children, “sometimes” with his help.
[Also read: Pete Buttigieg says he’s born to make himself ‘useful,’ not ‘born to run’ like Beto O’Rourke said]
“I have my work cut out for me to be a better person and ensure that I’m more mindful to the experiences that others have had different than the experiences that I’ve had,” the El Paso native said. “In a real ham-handed way I was trying to acknowledge that she has the lion’s share of the responsibility during this campaign.”
O’Rourke’s stop on the set of “The View” is one of a flurry of national television spots booked in the coming week after eschewing them during the first eight weeks of his campaign in favor of a hectic schedule of smaller, in-person events. His next notable appearance will be a CNN town hall on May 21, which will be broadcast from Iowa.
The change in O’Rourke’s strategy has been perceived as a reaction to his sagging poll numbers. He is currently averaging 4.2% support, according to RealClearPolitics data.
