Texas Senator Ted Cruz staged himself in full outrage mode at the border and released a ranting video that purports to show him defending truth against the multitude of “lies” contradicting his viewpoint. (See below for a different video showing a fuller exchange than what Cruz produced.)
In the Senator’s version, Cruz lashes out at a reporter who had asked him a question, and responds vehemently saying to the reporter: “You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Cruz’s team cut the video so that it does not include the reporter’s question, and features only Cruz’s reply, which begins: “The talking point of the Democrats which this media reporter happily parrots is ‘gosh, the problem can’t be fixed.'”
Cruz goes on to say that “There’s one little problem with that — it’s an utter and complete lie.”
Cruz asserts that U.S.-Mexico cross-border traffic was at its lowest in “45 years” when Joe Biden took office, without mentioning the global pandemic gripping the world at that time.
Joe Biden inherited the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. Then he made the political decision to cause this problem on the border. Biden:
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 12, 2023
❌Brought back catch and release
❌Halted construction of the wall
❌Ended the Remain in Mexico policy#BidenBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/HUr36y47lb
Though viewers don’t get to see or hear the question in Cruz’s video, it is clear from his response that the reporter had asked Cruz what he had done to stop the border crisis.
“You asked what I’ve done,” he says to the off-camera reporter, “I’ve championed the people at border control, I’ve championed securing the border, I’ve championed Remain In Mexico, and we turned this problem around and solved it,” Cruz asserts.
In the comments, Cruz’s self-proclaimed champion status is not affirmed. Most of his former supporters who comment express the opinion that Cruz is, in a damning Texas phrase, “all hat and no cattle.”
Quit talking and start doing Senator… signed your constituent 🤡
— The Tesla Cowboy (@TeslaCowboy1) May 12, 2023
Tesla Cowboy speaks for many when he says: “Quit talking and start doing Senator… signed your constituent.” Those aligned against Cruz politically believe there is a party telling lies in the exchange, and that it is not the Democrats.
Below is a video featuring more of the exchange between Cruz and reporters. This version is not one that Cruz and his team edited into a Cruz monologue, but rather a video with blowback and multiple voices.
You deflected from the original question.
— R5_2_Philly (@R5Philly) May 12, 2023
At one point there was a bipartisan plan on the table ….you guys refuse to do any work to compromise.https://t.co/DlBHXIwafh
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