When lawmakers give interviews on cable news, they’re typically broadcast from the comfort of a hallway on Capitol Hill.
Not so for this congressman. As Hurricane Harvey bore down on the Texas coastline on Friday morning, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) stood on the edge of a sea wall in his home town of Corpus Christi, facing a TV camera and getting drenched with rain.
Local leaders worked “really hard to get ready” for the storm, Farenthold told MSNBC in a brief interview, rain falling visibly in the foreground. “The houses are boarded, the people in low-lying areas are evacuated. Now we’ve just got to hunker down and see what happens.”
[Complete coverage: Hurricane Harvey]
Farenthold said the sea wall “protected us through several hurricanes.” But he also warned constituents to stock up on supplies if they chose not to follow a recommendation to evacuate.
“I’m specifically worried that this storm comes ashore and stalls and we get rain after rain,” he said, adding, “… It’s not just getting through the few hours of the storm. It’s the days of continuing rain and the weeks without full services like electricity.”
Watching Farenthold from a New York studio, one MSNBC anchor couldn’t help but comment on his appearance. “Congressman, you are the picture of resilience standing there soaked, talking to us as an inspiration to your fellow Texans,” the anchor said.
Now that the interview has gone viral, we hope viewers heed Farenthold’s advice, even if they just click to see him soaked.
Watch the clip below:
Leave a comment