Patrick Invited to Town Hall With Obama

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is heading to the White House to participate in a town hall discussion on race relations with President Barack Obama.

The event comes in the aftermath of the shooting at a protest in Dallas that left five police officers dead and seven wounded. Patrick spokesman Keith Elkins said the lieutenant governor will be among those interacting with the president at the town hall, which will be broadcast Thursday evening on channels including ABC and ESPN. 

Patrick drew national attention after the shooting for a TV interview in which he labeled demonstrators in Dallas "hypocrites" for seeking protection from the same police they were protesting. He has since expressed some regret for the comment, saying he "could've chosen a better word."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday that ABC was "working hard to ... organize a diverse audience that represents a variety of points of view."

"I think the president is hopeful that those kinds of interactions will both illuminate a variety of perspectives for the American people to see," Earnest said, according to a transcript of his daily briefing with reporters. "I also think he’s hopeful that it will illustrate what can happen when people open up their hearts to a different perspective."