The Friday speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was a doozy. Among other points, Cruz joked about abandoning his constituents in the middle of deadly weather and flying to Cancun, belittled a recent account from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) of the trauma that she went through during last month’s Capitol rioting, “joked” about shooting (and presumably killing) so-called “rioters” in connection to Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and more. Eventually, Cruz ended his speech by literally screaming the word “freedom,” which aptly sums up the state of right-wing politics.
Apparently, Cruz’s strategy of “owning the libs” involves a glaring disconnection from the basic reality of what’s going on around him. Discussing the so-called riots, Cruz said as follows:
‘I remember there were reports that riots were gonna come, into suburban — mostly peaceful, fiery but mostly peaceful — there were reports riots were gonna come into the suburbs. I gotta tell you, in Houston where I live, there weren’t any rioters because let’s be very clear — if there had been, they would discover what the state of Texas thinks about the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.’
Watch below:
Cruz on last summer's Black Lives Matter demonstrations: "In Houston where I live, I have to tell you, there weren't any rioters because let's be very clear, if there had been, they would discover what the state of Texas thinks about the 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms" pic.twitter.com/uZDkzBI3xa
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 26, 2021
What on earth is Cruz even talking about, exactly? The idea that there were “reports” that riots were going to “come to” suburban America does not reflect reality. Donald Trump and fellow Republicans pushed the idea that riots were going to unfold in the suburbs in some sort of race-based fearmongering ploy, and sure, these comments were reported on, but Cruz seems to be implying that there was some kind of secret plan for suburban riots that was suddenly revealed, which is… just not accurate. In addition, pretending like the many, many peaceful protests that unfolded across America are just imaginary or something is mind-numbingly ridiculous — no isolated instances of rioting somehow erase the fundamental reality of the numerous, very real, and actually peaceful protests.
Meanwhile, Cruz included his mockery of Ocasio-Cortez’s account of her experience during the deadly Capitol rioting and his “joke” about his controversial trip to Cancun earlier in his unhinged remarks. During her discussion of the trauma of the Capitol rioting, Ocasio-Cortez publicly revealed that she was a victim of assault. The institutionalized Republican response is to mock her. There is something deeply wrong with the Republican Party.
"Bernie is wearing mittens. And AOC is telling she was murdered!" — Ted Cruz mocks Democrats pic.twitter.com/K9d01yDVsF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 26, 2021
Check out the end of Cruz’s whacked out remarks, featuring his screaming, below:
A CPAC speaker is now pushing the big lie about the 2020 election pic.twitter.com/171QBmRmNf
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 26, 2021
