Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a stern response to a reporter who asked him who is to blame for the deadly floods in central Texas that have killed at least 110 people.
Abbott took questions from reporters during a news conference where he updated the public on the devastation from the flood in Kerr County. As of Tuesday, 109 people were dead and another 161 were considered missing, Abbott said. CNN later reported the death toll had climbed to 110.
Questions about Texas's emergency preparedness systems have swirled since the flood began over the weekend. When a reporter asked Abbott who was to blame for the devastation, Abbot shot back.
"You ask, and I'm going to use your words, 'Who is to blame?'" Abbott said. "Know this, that's the word choice of losers."
Abbott then launched into a tirade about Texas's love for football, and how championship football players don't ask people around them who is to blame when things don't go according to plan.
"Every football team makes mistakes," Abbott continued. "Know this, the losing football teams are the ones who try to point out who is to blame. The championship teams are the ones who say, 'Don't worry about it, man, we got this. We're going to make sure we go score again and win this game.' The way that winners talk is not to point fingers, they talk about solutions."
Earlier in the day, USA Today reported that Kerr County was denied a $1 million grant by Texas's emergency preparedness department. The money would have gone toward improving its flood warning system.
"What Texas is all about is solutions," Abbot said.
You can watch the exchange here.