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Even though Beto O'Rourke delayed an announcement on entering the presidential race, that hasn't kept President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans from attacking the former El Paso congressman.
The president took his first shots at O'Rourke during his failed Senate race against Ted Cruz. And Trump's criticisms reached a pitch when O'Rourke and the president led dueling rallies in February in El Paso.
One Republican group considered O'Rourke enough of a threat to Trump — even before an announcement — that they began running ads against him in Iowa, Politco reported.
What Trump said about Beto during the Senate race
During a surprisingly close midterm Senate race in the Republican stronghold of Texas, Trump announced he would hold a rally for Cruz in Houston. Trump tweeted, "His opponent is a disaster for Texas — weak on Second Amendment, Crime, Borders, Military, and Vets!"
WHO IS BETO O'ROURKE? Facts about the El Paso Democrat
Trump weighed in on the second debate of the Senate race — praising Cruz's performance in the debate and his work in the Senate. He also wrote, "O'Rourke would blow it all."
In his critique of the two candidates' performances, Trump said, "Watched the debate last night & Beto O'Rourke, who wants higher taxes and far more regulations, is not in the same league with Ted Cruz & what the great people of Texas stand for & want."
Trump signed off with "Beto is a Flake!"
As the October rally neared, Trump tweeted about O'Rourke again, calling him "a total lightweight." He said, "He will never be allowed to turn Texas into Venezuela!" suggesting O'Rourke was a socialist.
Trump, Beto clash before 2020 primary announcement
After the November election, which O'Rourke lost by less than 3 percentage points, and as rumors built about a possible O'Rourke presidential campaign, Trump continued to goad the Congressman.
In December, O'Rourke promoted a video opposing Trump's plans for a border wall; hours later, the president said during a bill-signing ceremony, "I thought you were supposed to win before you run for president."
After mentioning El Paso, Texas, in his State of the Union pitch for a border wall, Trump planned a rally in O'Rourke's home town. Trump again brought up O'Rourke's loss in the Senate race.
MORE:Beto DWI, burglary charges stem from 1990s incidents, came up in past campaigns
Trump talked about the crowded Democratic field running for president and said some of them he had never even heard of — including a "person who was a mayor of a city who was defeated."
"How about Beto?" he continued as the crowd booed. "Beto was defeated, too. But he suffered a great defeat. Watch what the news does tomorrow, though, they won't mention the disparity. ... They'll say, Beto O'Rourke — that's his last name, right? O'Rourke? — Beto O'Rourke had a wonderful rally, of about 15 people."
The size of the crowds at the rallies was widely fact-checked in the next days.
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Trump and his had mocked O'Rourke and the crowd he would draw early during their El Paso visit.
"We were all challenged by a young man who lost an election to Ted Cruz, and then they said, 'Hey, you're supposed to win in order to win,' " the president said before introducing visiting Texas politicians, including Cruz, at his El Paso rally.
"A young man who's got very little going for himself except he's got a great first name," Trump continued. "He challenged us, so we have let's say 35,000 people tonight, and he has 200 people, 300 people. Not too good. What I would do is I would say that may be the end of his presidential bid, but he did challenge us."
Earlier, the president's son son Donald Trump Jr. spoke and mentioned O'Rourke's rally after starting a cheer of "USA! USA!."
"If you were at the 50-person Beto rally down the road, and you chanted that … If you chanted 'USA' at that rally, I don’t know what would happen. It wouldn’t be good."
Republican attacks on Beto
During the Senate race, Cruz and the Texas GOP launched a series of ads intended to describe O'Rourke as too liberal and too irresponsible to represent Texas.
However, Politico reports that the prominent conservative group Club for Growth has begun airing ads in Iowa attacking O'Rourke — from the left. The 2-minute commercial accuses O'Rourke of "white male privilege" and attacks his family connections.
MORE:Beto O'Rourke's family has always called him 'Beto', here's why
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