Senator Ted Cruz demonstrated a staggering lack of self-awareness during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
Cruz blasted Democratic lawmakers for leaving the state to block a move by state Republicans to force a vote on restrictive new election policies. They left the state to prevent Republicans from obtaining the quorum necessary to hold the vote.
Cruz, who himself flew to Cancun earlier this year while many of his constituents were without power and struggling not to freeze, ripped into the lawmakers for leaving the state.
Cruz commented that it was "ironic" that they were:
"[...] getting on their private jet to fly to Washington, D.C., [...] almost surely had to show identification to get on that jet."
The Texas Democrats who have pulled this political stunt by flying to Washington, D.C. almost surely had to show ID to get on their jet, yet they\u2019re throwing a fit because they don\u2019t want basic election integrity steps strengthened in Texas. \n\npic.twitter.com/cHDQEMwqte— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1626185807
Twitter users didn't take long to start pointing out the hypocrisy.
Ted Cruz on Texas Democrats: "It's ironic. As they were getting on their private jet to fly to Washington DC, they almost surely had to show identification to get on that jet." (This is a false equivalency -- people have a right to vote but not a right to board jets.)pic.twitter.com/VXxZ6jMBiE— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1626183538
pic.twitter.com/6oSR4r3QEu— Trust Science - Trust Facts (@Trust Science - Trust Facts) 1626266910
Ted would never leave Texas in a panic, abandon the family dog and then blame it all on his kids, would he?— Michael Joseph (@Michael Joseph) 1626263987
Several people, including Texas Democrat Julián Castro, pointedly reminded Cruz that there is a difference between leaving to block harmful legislation and leaving for a vacation during an emergency.
Texas Democrats left the state to fight for voting rights.\n\nTed Cruz left the state to sip drinks on a Cancun beach.\n\nI\u2019d sit this one out, Ted.pic.twitter.com/aaePYLLzXs— Juli\u00e1n Castro (@Juli\u00e1n Castro) 1626184670
Says the guy who fled to Cancun while Texans were freezing to death. Man, these folks have ZERO shame or self-awareness.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1414942431917875207\u00a0\u2026— Chris Kocher (@Chris Kocher) 1626186793
The proposed legislation that caused 51 Democratic lawmakers to take such drastic steps to stop it would implement very restrictive voter ID laws, among other attempts to restrict ability to vote. Those Dems may have to stay outside of the state, most flew to Washington D.C., for several weeks as they await the end of the special legislative session.
Like many similar bills introduced throughout the country this year, it is predicated upon the false idea that widespread voter fraud is a real thing that happens in the US.
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