Poli Alert Political & Civics
Related Articles
On Wednesday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson called out Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) over remarks he made regarding the January 6 attacks.
During a hearing with the head of the United States Capitol Police earlier that day, Cruz acknowledged the “solemn anniversary” of what he called a “violent terrorist attack on the Capitol where we saw the men and women of law enforcement … risk their lives to defend the men and women who serve in this Capitol.”
Carlson took issue with Cruz calling it what it was, a “violent terrorist attack” and accused Cruz of echoing Democratic talking points.
“What the hell’s going on here?” Carlson said. “You’re making us think maybe the Republican Party is as worthless as we suspected it was. That can’t be true. Reassure us, please, Ted Cruz.”
On Thursday, Cruz said he asked to come on Carlson’s show to better explain himself.
What follows is seven minutes of Cruz essentially pleading with Tucker, and his audience, for forgiveness.
“The way I phrased things yesterday, it was sloppy and it was frankly dumb,” Cruz said before Carlson cut him off and said he didn’t believe him. Cruz then stammered through an absurd bit about how he wasn’t talking about the “patriots across the country supporting President Trump,” only those who assaulted police officers, and that he’s always described anyone who assaults a cop as a terrorist.
Here's the full clip. After Cruz says he used "sloppy phrasing" when he called 1/6 a "violent terrorist attack," Carlson says his explanation "doesn't even make sense." Quite the back and forth here as Cruz essentially pleads with Tucker and his audience for forgiveness. pic.twitter.com/0GYxn1yOLC
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 7, 2022
CARLSON: If somebody assaults a cop, he should be charged and go to jail, I couldn’t agree more. We have said that for years. But the person is still not a terrorist. How many people of been charged with terrorism on January 6th? Like, why did you use that word? You’re playing into the other side’s characterization, that as Joe Kent just explained, allows them to define an entire population as foreign combatants. And you know that.
So why did you do it?
CRUZ: So, Tucker, let me answer you directly. The reason I used that word — for a decade, I have referred to people who violently assault police officers as terrorists. I’ve done so over and over and over again. If you look at all the assaults we’ve seen across the country, I’ve called that terrorism over and over again.
That being said, Tucker, I agree with you, it was a mistake to say that yesterday. And the reason is what you just said, which is we’ve now had a year of Democrats and the media twisting words and trying to say that all of us are terrorists, trying to say you’re a terrorist, I’m a terrorist.
And so, look, I don’t like people who assault cops. And I stand up and defend cops. And the reason I used that word is that’s the word I’ve always used for people that violently attack cops.
But in this context, I get why people were angry because we’ve had a year of the corrupt corporate media and Democrats claiming anyone who objected to the election fraud — and by the way, remember what was happening during those protests —
CARLSON: Wait, wait, wait, can I just ask? Hold on, you work in the Senate — I just — I guess I just don’t believe you.
And I mean that with respect, because I have such respect for your acuity and your precision. And I’ve seen that on display. I’ve covered you as a reporter. I know how you speak.
And you have sat there for a year and watched people use language to distort the events of that day intentionally. Insurrection, coup, terrorism.
CRUZ: I get it. Of course, it wasn’t an insurrection. Saying it’s an insurrection is a political term, it’s a lie. I’ve repeatedly denounced it.
And when it comes to — look, I was focusing on what I normally say. That — what you aired was a little 15-second snippet. What I normally say is violence is wrong, peaceful protest is right. If you engage in violence, you should be prosecuted. If you’re speaking, you have a right to speak.
CARLSON: All right.
CRUZ: I say that all the time. I didn’t say in that snippet.
CARLSON: And I agree.
So, who is Ray Epps, by the way, since you are a senator? Like there — he and this other guy are clearly encouraging the crowd to commit crimes. Neither one has been arrested or charged. What is that, do you think?
CRUZ: So, I think that is a very good question. I don’t know who Ray Epps is. I’ve seen that video multiple times. It’s disturbing. He’s clearly urging the crowd to violate the law.
When you see the crowd start chanting “Fed, fed, fed”, for him to appear on the FBI’s most wanted list and come off it, it certainly suggests he was working for the FBI. That’s not conclusive but that’s the obvious implication. And the attorney general and the Department of Justice won’t answer the question.
Tucker, I can tell you, I joined with a number of other senators trying to get the Biden DOJ to answer the question, why so many January 6 prisoners are in solitary confinement, why are they being treated so much worse than the Antifa rioters and the people who committed firebombing and a year of riots across the country. And this Biden DOJ won’t go after them.
But let me also make a quick point, Tucker, remember, while thousands of people were standing up to defend this country on January 6th, at that exact moment, I was standing on the Senate floor objecting to the election results, demanding that we impanel election commission to consider evidence of voter fraud, and I brought together 11 senators to join me in supporting getting to the bottom of that.
So, of course, it would be ridiculous for me to be saying that the people standing up and protesting to follow the law were somehow terrorists.
I was talking about people who commit violence against cops. And you and I both agree, if you commit violence against cops, you should go to jail.
CARLSON: Yeah, but you’re not a terrorist, you know? You’re not. You’re a guy — you’re a guy who assault a cop, OK? So, that — there’s a — there’s a legal difference, as you well know better than I do since you were actually in the running for the Supreme Court, and there’s a moral difference between a guy, you know — right, big time.
CRUZ: So, but, Tucker, the reason I’ve used that word is for a decade, I’ve used that word for people that violently assault cops. I used that word all in 2020 for the Antifa and BLM terrorists that assaulted cops and firebombed police cars.
