AUSTIN, Texas — As Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spoke at his inauguration Jan. 15, there was a familiar face smiling behind him: "Walker, Texas Ranger."
In addition to a 19-gun salute and military flyover to honor Gov. Greg Abbott and Patrick at the inauguration, Chuck Norris joined in on the festivities.
"First of all, when you have an event like this, you need some extra security," Patrick said. "So I said, 'You know what, can you put a Texas Ranger behind me?'"
The Texas Ranger beamed.
"So I called on Cordell Walker. You know him as Chuck Norris," Patrick said.
Patrick then asked Norris to stand up, and the Texas Ranger stood up to greet the crowd and wave.
The lieutenant governor said Norris has been a longtime supporter of himself and of the governor.
The actor isn't a stranger at the Texas Capitol. In 2017, Norris -- an Oklahoma native -- was made an honorary Texan. And that came years after former Gov. Rick Perry named him an honorary Texas Ranger.
Patrick told the crowd he asked Norris recently what his favorite "Chuck Norris joke" is. "When the boogie man goes to sleep at night he checks his closet to see if Chuck Norris is in there," Patrick recalled Norris answering.