In 2014, McLaughlin was recruited for a Uvalde mayor run by the Uvalde Chamber of Commerce in an effort to make the city more "business friendly." During his mayorship, McLaughlin, a
Republican, made several media appearances on
Fox News. In September 2021, he appeared on
Tucker Carlson Tonight and described the
Biden administration's border policies a "clown show," and he has also expressed on the network that the Hispanic community, which composes 72% of Uvalde's population, was "fed up" with
Title 42. McLaughlin has been critical of Texas Governor
Greg Abbott, calling him a "fraud" on the website
The Texan, and endorsed Abbott's 2022 Republican primary opponent
Don Huffines. He also has been critical of Senator
Ted Cruz and Senator
John Cornyn because he has had trouble contacting them as an elected official. In an interview with
The Washington Post, McLaughlin said he frantically rushed to Hillcrest Funeral Home, located across the street from Robb Elementary School, where the shooting occurred, about 15 minutes after the first
9-1-1 call was made. Upon arrival, he describes having encountered a negotiator who was trying to call the shooter on the phone to no avail. McLaughlin reports not having known about the 9-1-1 calls being made by children in the school nor did he hear gunshots from his location across the street. (left) in May 2022 following the shooting Following the shooting, McLaughlin appeared on
Good Morning America and said that the issue was with mental health and not gun control; he said, "the city donated land. We’ve been trying to get this mental health hospital built here," but added, "when we have kids that are suicidal or kids that have thoughts like this or even adults, we have no place to take them." In July 2023, McLaughlin criticized local media releasing surveillance footage of the shooting before parents could see it. He described the situation as "one of the most chicken things I’ve ever seen." McLaughlin has been critical of the state's response to the shooting and has accused the
Texas Department of Public Safety, including its director Stephen McCraw, of providing a one-sided and incomplete account, in order to scapegoat local law enforcement as part of a coverup of the state's response. In 2022, a report was released by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center (ALERRT) at
Texas State University saying that a Uvalde city police officer had the shooter in his crosshair, but waited to gain permission from a supervisor, who either did not hear the request or responded to late. McLaughlin subsequently released a statement saying that "no Uvalde police officers had any opportunity to take a shot at the gunman;" furthermore, he added, a "Uvalde Police Department officer saw someone outside but was unsure of who he saw and observed children in the area as well" and that it "ultimately, it was a coach with children on the playground, not the shooter." McLaughlin has said that DPS officers were already on scene when the gunman entered the classroom where the victims were killed and stated, "the May 24 Department of Public Safety (DPS)/Texas Rangers investigation is a disservice to families who lost children or parents because the true facts need to come out once all investigations/reviews, which the City expects will be thorough and fair, are complete." A later legislative report found no evidence for the claim made about the Uvalde Police Department. == Texas House of Representatives ==