Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is getting slammed by both Republicans and Democrats after condemning the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection by supporters of former President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol, KTLA sister station KXAN reports.
In comments made Wednesday, Cruz said this year marked “the solemn anniversary of a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol.”
Last year, Cruz, along with Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, were chief among Republican leaders to object certifying the votes — despite several states recounting and certifying their ballots and state officials, in addition to the U.S. Department of Justice, saying there was no evidence of widespread fraud.
Democrats say Cruz’s comment is hypocritical, given his rejection of results certification, which the riots were meant to derail. Meanwhile, some in the GOP theorize Cruz is making a calculated effort to distance himself from potential legal ramifications and negative public opinion.
While both Cruz and Hawley (who famously raised his fist in seeming solidarity with the crowd) both rejected the deadly violence, they nonetheless refused certification later that night.
“It wasn’t a violent terrorist attack. So why are you telling us that it was, Ted Cruz?” Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson said Wednesday night. “And why are none of your Republican friends — who are supposed to be representing us and all the people been arrested during this purge — not saying anything?”
Twitter users, including political analysts, also weighed in with critical comments toward Ted Cruz, and speculated about his intentions.
“Ted Cruz is a co-leader of the coup,” wrote actress @AngelaBelcamino.
“Well, Ted Cruz can kiss his Presidential hopes and dreams goodbye,” tweeted @Jules31415. “It’s never a good idea to refer to your constituents as terrorists.”
“Ted Cruz voted against the certification of the 2020 election. He acted with 147 others to tell us our vote doesn’t matter,” writes @LesHailYes.
The Jan. 6 insurrection resulted in five deaths and dozens of arrests and over 70 sentencings for rioters. Meanwhile, former President Trump, who recently was subpoenaed by the New York Attorney General related to his business operations, has continued to spread the debunked allegation that the 2020 election was stolen.