Ted Cruz Doesn't Like Beto O'Rourke Dropping F-Bombs, Says His Rallies Are No Places for Kids

In a new TV ad by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, his opponent, Democratic Congressman and senatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke, is featured using the F-bomb five times and suggests that O'Rourke's rallies are no place for kids.

"Beto O'Rourke wants to be a senator," the ad starts with, followed by a short clip of O'Rourke saying "f**k that" at a campaign event. The ad continues, broken up in certain parts by four more short clips of O'Rourke cursing at various speaking events on the campaign trail.

"So, he's showing up across Texas, sharing his wit … his wisdom … and his character," the ad says. "If Beto shows up in your town, maybe keep the kids at home. Beto O'Rourke, he's showing the f**k up."

O'Rourke and his campaign could not immediately be reached for comment by Newsweek on Tuesday morning about his opponent's new ad.

It's not the first time that Texas Republicans have taken a political jab at O'Rourke's character.

The Texas Republican Party released a mugshot of O'Rourke for a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrest from 1998. The decades-old picture was posted by the state party's Twitter account with the caption: "There's always the chance that Robert 'Beto' O'Rourke won't debate Senator Cruz because he got into a hazy situation..."

O'Rourke, 26 years old at the time, was allegedly speeding when he crashed into a truck. The impact sent his vehicle across the median and into oncoming traffic where he then reportedly attempted to leave the scene, according to what a witness told police and is documented in local and state police reports obtained by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.

O'Rourke had talked about the arrest in the past, but the details about the crash only recently became public. In a statement last week, O'Rourke called the arrest a " serious mistake for which there is no excuse."

The case was reportedly dismissed after he took driving classes as part of a court-approved diversion program.

While Texas has historically been a safe haven for Republicans, especially for a well-known incumbent like Cruz, O'Rourke is seen as a credible candidate who could potentially pull off an upset victory come November. An Emerson College poll released last week had the Democratic candidate just one point down. An NBC News/Marist poll released earlier in August had O'Rourke within 4 points of Cruz.

Both candidates were nearly exactly tied in campaign fundraising as of late August, according to OpenSecrets.org. Cruz had raised $23,365,836 with O'Rourke close behind him at $23,332,950.