WATCH: Far right extremist Texas Lt. Gov. uses old anti-gay slur to try to smear Beto O'Rourke

In Texas the Lt. Governor has tremendous power. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, has used that power for years to wage war against LGBT people – especially same-sex marriage and transgender rights. He's also waged war against women's rights, immigration, ObamaCare, and Black Lives Matter, while defending Confederate monuments.

Now he's attacking fellow Texan Beto O'Rourke, the former Democratic U.S. Congressman who is running for president after almost unseating Senator Ted Cruz

Lt. Gov. Patrick has organized a boycott of businesses that allow transgender people to use restrooms according to their gender identity, supported wide-ranging anti-transgender legislation, and pushed for discriminatory, Indiana-style anti-LGBT "religious freedom" laws.

That's just a small sample of Lt. Gov. Patrick's activism.

And yet, even Fox News host Laura Ingraham – who's anti-LGBT herself –  was surprised when Patrick attacked Beto O'Rourke using an old anti-gay slur Monday night on her show.

After calling O'Rourke a "moron" with "no substance," Patrick – who also during the show said he doesn't like to name-call – called the former Democratic Congressman "light in the loafers."

“He is so light in the loafers he floats off the ground at times,” Patrick told a surprised Ingraham, as The Daily Beast reports.

At the end, Ingraham helped Patrick clean up his mess:

“You just meant not consequential, correct? You didn’t mean any pejorative, right?” Ingraham added, helpfully walking Patrick through his clean-up.

“No, no, no! What I mean is he flaps his arms a lot,” Patrick shouted as Ingraham noted “people might think something else.”

“I meant he’s a lightweight,” Patrick said as the Fox News host nodded along.

Patrick, apparently not satisfied by trying to slur O'Rourke, also claimed that racism barely exists in America.

Watch: