Democrat Beto O'Rourke gets a national television audience today for his campaign for the U.S. Senate. O'Rourke is expected to be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, thanks largely to a viral video in which O'Rourke defended the rights of football players to kneel during the national anthem. DeGeneres went on social media to laud his speech and declare her hopes to meet O'Rourke. Her top-rated talk show is in its 16th season and, according to the Hollywood Reporter, had a 7 percent year-over-year growth among women 25-54 -- a key demographic group in the midterm election cycle. In the pre-recorded interview already viewable on her website, O'Rourke told DeGeneres he "just gave the answer of what was on my mind." While the national anthem video has brought O'Rourke notoriety, his opponent Sen. Ted Cruz has also made an issue of it in hopes it will motivate conservative voters who disagree. O'Rourke said he's gotten blowback from some people he respects to the video. He said a veteran from El Paso he considers a friend called him and told him he was disappointed with his answer. O'Rourke said it was difficult to hear but said they are still friends. DeGeneres made clear she's a big O'Rourke fan. "I think that you're a brilliant man," she told O'Rourke. Meanwhile, Cruz put out a campaign ad featuring a Vietnam veteran who lost his legs in battle who objects to NFL players kneeling during the anthem. Cruz meanwhile is blanketing conservative media following the first day of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Cruz was on Fox News with Shannon Bream talking about his support of Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court and criticizing Democrats for how they handled the hearing. "I didn't see any Democrats landing a punch on Judge Kavanaugh today," Cruz said. Cruz also used the moment to slam O'Rourke whom he compared to Bernie Sanders. "We have a real fight back in Texas," Cruz said. Jeremy.Wallace@chron.com Twitter.com/JeremySWallace<doc-sep>Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) is lauding Ellen DeGeneres, saying the daytime talk show host is “what this country needs right now.” “You are kindness, you are joy,” O’Rourke, who is running for Senate, tells DeGeneres in a preview clip from his Wednesday appearance on “Ellen.” ADVERTISEMENT DeGeneres said she had asked O’Rourke — who’s challenging incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzGOP senators introduce resolution condemning antisemitic violence amid 'horrific' spike in attacks O'Rourke considering Texas governor bid: report Cruz planning resolution to support arms sales to Israel MORE (R) in a tight race — to come on her show after seeing a video of the congressman defending NFL players who kneel in protest during the national anthem. The clip quickly went viral. While DeGeneres, who's spoken out before against President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE, called O’Rourke a “brilliant man,” the lawmaker heaped even more praise back on her. “If you don’t mind me saying, to me, you embody so much of what that country needs right now,” O’Rourke told DeGeneres, when asked about his decision to accept her invitation. “You are meeting difficulty and disappointment with a power and joy of connecting with people and bringing the best out of people,” O’Rourke continued. Plus, O’Rourke said, he was scoring brownie points with his wife with the DeGeneres sit-down. “And so, if there's a way that we can connect with what you are doing with the viewers who watch this show; if I can make my wife, Amy, who’s here, even happier, right there, then I’m going to do it,” said O’Rourke. “I think that’s what the country needs right now — the ability to have conversations about the things we are excited for, the things we want to do,” O’Rourke, 45, continued. “Not so much the things that were afraid of, not the smallness or the littleness or the paranoia of the moment. The bigness and I feel that with you.” Polls consistently show a tight race between Cruz and O'Rourke in deep-red Texas. A survey released last week indicated that only a single point — well within the margin of error — separated the two.<doc-sep>Texas congressman and Senate hopeful Beto O’Rourke visited Ellen for Wednesday’s episode, with the former punk rock bassist discussing his Election Day battle against Ted Cruz, his stance on the NFL players’ anthem protests and Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Texas, where the president will voice his support for his frequent punching bag Cruz. “First of all, we welcome the president to Texas and we are glad that he’s coming,” O’Rourke told Ellen DeGeneres. “Texas is the most diverse state in the country. It’s the defining immigrant story and experience. We should, Republicans and Democrats together, be able to lead the way. Not only to stop taking kids from parents, not only to free dreamers from the fear of deportation and make them U.S. citizens on that same day, but to lead in a bold, ambitious way that makes the most out of all of us including those that choose to be here.” DeGeneres told O’Rourke that she became aware of the Democrat and his Senate hopes following his response to a question regarding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem; the corresponding video went viral with over 44 million views and prompted Ellen to immediately invite O’Rourke on the program. DeGeneres said of O’Rourke’s response, “Just to answer that and then to go on and say everything you said was just beautiful.” “We visited every single one of the 254 counties of Texas and then this question comes up about kneeling at these NFL games to call attention to the deaths and the shootings of unarmed black men in this country,” O’Rourke said. “And so, I just gave the answer that was on my mind. Had never been asked the question before. Tried to be honest and that’s what came out. And, I hope, if nothing else, we’re able to give the people of Texas our honesty and have the courage of our convictions on the issues that matter most.” O’Rourke also used the Ellen visit to confront his DUI over 20 years ago, a charge that Cruz has leaned on frequently in the lead-up to Election Day. “Twenty years ago I drove drunk… a terrible mistake. There’s no explanation or justifying that. Since then, I have gone on with friends to start a business, with Amy to raise a family, serving my community in the United States congress. And, in many ways, that mistake did not define me. I was able to go on and do these things,” O’Rourke said. “But I know to some degree, that’s a function of the fact that I’m a white man in this country. I know that if I were African American, if I had been arrested with marijuana, it might be very hard for me to then get a job. I’d have to check a box on an application form; I couldn’t finance my student loans. That might very well narrow my choices and options in life. As it does for so many in a country that has the largest prison population on the face of the planet. One that is disproportionately brown and black. I want to make sure that everyone has a second chance. That’s a lesson that I take in this and something I want to use as motivation to make things better for others who may have made mistakes in their lives.” O’Rourke also recently spoke to Rolling Stone about his old band Foss with future Mars Volta rocker Cedric Bixler-Zavala.<doc-sep>
During Wednesday's show, Ellen referred to Beto O'Rourke's viral kneeling protest comments as "beautiful," "brilliant" and "eloquent." TEXAS — Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke appeared on the Ellen Show Wednesday after she invited him via twitter Aug. 22. Ellen DeGeneres first tweeted at O'Rourke after watching the viral Now This video of his comments on NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, saying "I would like to meet you." RELATED: During Wednesday's show, DeGeneres referred to his viral comments as "beautiful," "brilliant" and "eloquent." PHOTOS: Beto O'Rourke goes on the Ellen Show 1/6 2/6 3/6 4/6 5/6 6/6 1 / 6 O'Rourke said when he was first asked the question about kneeling at NFL games to call attention to the deaths of unarmed black men, he gave the answer that was on his mind. "I tried to be honest and that’s what came out. And, I hope, if nothing else, we’re able to give the people of Texas our honesty and have the courage of our convictions on the issues that matter most." DeGeneres also asked O'Rourke tough questions regarding his take on Trump's support for Sen. Ted Cruz and O'Rourke's past DUI. In response to Tump's tweet supporting Cruz, O'Rourke said he welcomes Trump to Texas and that he's glad that he's coming. "Texas is the most diverse state in the country. It’s the defining immigrant story and experience. We should, Republicans and Democrats together, be able to lead the way. Not only to stop taking kids from parents, not only to free dreamers from the fear of deportation and make them U.S. citizens on that same day, but to lead in a bold, ambitious way that makes the most out of all of us including those that choose to be here." After DeGeneres gave O'Rourke an opportunity to talk about his DUI, he referred to it as a "terrible mistake," but said that he did not let it define him. O'Rourke said, "I was able to go on and do these things. But I know to some degree, that’s a function of the fact that I’m a white man in this country. I know that if I were African American, if I had been arrested with marijuana, it might be very hard for me to then get a job." He added, " I want to make sure that everyone has a second chance." In case you missed the episode, DeGeneres also tweeted, "I think you'll be hearing a lot more from Beto O'Rourke" with a clip from the show. I think you’ll be hearing a lot more from @BetoORourke. pic.twitter.com/Z0VPbOwvOq — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) September 5, 2018 O'Rourke is set to face Cruz in the November election. Early voting begins Oct. 22 and ends Nov. 2. Election day is Nov. 6.