Updated at 3:45 p.m.: Revised to include additional information from O'Rourke's appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Beto O'Rourke and liberal-leaning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres took turns lavishing each other with praise in an episode that aired Wednesday, cementing the Hollywood status of the El Paso Democrat's upstart campaign against Sen. Ted Cruz.

O'Rourke became a celebrity sensation last month after a video went viral of him defending NFL players who protest police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem.

DeGeneres was among the TV, movie and sports stars to praise O'Rourke's take, which thrilled his supporters in Texas and beyond while also serving as fodder for Cruz's attacks on his challenger as an elitist liberal out of touch with conservative Texas sensibilities.

The talk show host then went further by inviting O'Rourke to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

"It was a brilliant answer," DeGeneres gushed to O'Rourke, later giving him a custom-made harness affixed with fans to keep him cool while he campaigns in the Texas heat. "Everything you said was amazing."

O'Rourke's campaign isn't likely to succeed or fail because of an appearance on daytime TV — where he didn't end up dancing with DeGeneres, as former President Barack Obama, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and others have done at the host's behest.

The interview also covered little new ground, though it did focus on O'Rourke's viral video, President Donald Trump's plans to stump for Cruz in Texas and O'Rourke's arrest record.

Indeed, O'Rourke looked as eager to tout DeGeneres as she was to praise him. The Democrat said the host embodies "so much of what the country needs right now," thanking her for the opportunity to "connect with what you are doing with the viewers who watch this show."

"You are kindness, you are joy," he said. "You are meeting difficulty and disappointment with a power and joy of connecting with people and bringing the best out of people."

But the centerpiece of O'Rourke's interview was the response he gave last month to a question about the contentious NFL protest, explaining then that he doesn't find players' taking a knee during the national anthem disrespectful.

"I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights, anytime, anywhere, in any place," he said at a town hall event in Houston.

Basketball icon LeBron James tweeted about the video clip. So did NFL Hall of Famers Tony Dungy and Kurt Warner. So did actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. So did actor Kevin Bacon. And so did DeGeneres, whose talk show has become a frequent waypoint for celebrity politicians.

"Everything you said was just beautiful," she said during Wednesday's episode.

Beto raising big $$ from Hollywood by supporting NFL protests of the national anthem. But in Texas? Vast majority of Texans stand for the flag, honor our veterans, and support the brave men & women of law enforcement. People can protest without disrespecting the flag. https://t.co/edvin6ButL — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 23, 2018

Cruz and his supporters have had a different reaction, with the Republican calling O'Rourke's take "markedly out of step with the vast majority of Texans."

The senator, writing on Twitter, accused O'Rourke of "raising big $$ from Hollywood by supporting NFL protests of the national anthem." He further went after his opponent by releasing an ad featuring a retired Marine sergeant who lost both legs in the Vietnam War.

"Protesting the national anthem and the flag, protesting law enforcement ... is inconsistent with where most Texans are," Cruz said late last month.

O'Rourke told DeGeneres that "some people were upset" with his thoughts on the NFL protests. He recalled that an El Paso Vietnam veteran — an "all-time hero of mine" whom he's worked with on many veterans issues — told him he was disappointed by the answer.

"That hurt me to hear that," O'Rourke said. "And yet, it's important for me to hear that. ... It's hard to think of a major or important or significant change that we've made as a country that wasn't painful, that didn't require these difficult conversations."

The Ellen appearance did cover some other ground, reflecting the reality that O'Rourke is giving Cruz a real challenge despite Texas' standing as a GOP stronghold.

O'Rourke welcomed Trump's planned visit to Texas on Cruz's behalf, signaling how the president has the ability to fire up partisans in both political parties. The Democrat also reiterated that he had made a "terrible mistake" by driving drunk in 1998, leading to his arrest.

"There's no explanation or justifying that," he said.

The incident has drawn renewed scrutiny since the Houston Chronicle highlighted police reports that showed it was possibly more serious than previously known. O'Rourke received deferred adjudication and completed a court-approved diversion program, and the charges were dropped.