‘Livid’ Greg Abbott Pressed on Earlier Praise of Police Response to Uvalde Shooting: ‘Yes, I Was Misled’

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) said he was “misled” about the police response to the massacre in Uvalde, and he is “livid” about it. The governor had initially praised the efforts of first responders.

Abbott held a press conference with state and local leaders Friday afternoon to help victims of the tragedy find assistance, should they need it. He concluded with remarks about where food and mental health care assistance can be found. Some in attendance asked questions.

One man in the audience asked Abbott a question, which a video feed carried by CNN was unable to pick up.

Eventually, the man was handed a microphone. He demanded to know why Abbott praised cops who responded to Robb Elementary School amid Tuesday’s school shooting. Nineteen children were murdered, as were two adults.

“[You said] officers had acted with amazing courage,” the man said. “Today, we learned that 19 officers stood in the hallway of that school for nearly an hour… which goes against the way they have been trained.”

The man asked, “Did you know these facts at the time, or were you attempting to create a favorable narrative?”

After some back and forth, the governor answered the question. Abbott said:

Let me answer your question. So your question. No, I remember it. Short answer, yes. I was misled. I am livid about what happened. I was on this very stage two days ago, and I was telling the public information that had been told to me in a room just a few yards behind where we’re located right now. I wrote down hand notes in detail about what everybody in that room told me.

…

When I came out here on this stage and told the public what happened, it was a recitation of what people in that room told me. Whether it be law enforcement officials or non-law enforcement officials. Whatever the case may be. And as everybody has learned, the information that I was given turned out in part to be inaccurate. And I’m absolutely livid about that.

Abbott added he expects law enforcement officials to conduct an accurate investigation, and to relay accurate information to families whose “lives have been destroyed.”

“They need answers that are accurate, and it is inexcusable that they may have suffered from any inaccurate information whatsoever,” Abbott added. “And it is imperative that the leaders of the investigations about exactly what happened get down to the very second of exactly what happened with 100% accuracy, and explain it to the public, but most importantly, to the victims who have been devastated.

Abbott praised first responders on Wednesday.

“As horrible as what happened [was], it could have been worse. The reason it was not worse is because law enforcement officials did what they do,” he said.

The country has since learned officers at the school essentially sat on their hands for roughly an hour as children were murdered.

Watch above, via CNN.