U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz Grovels on FOX for Calling Jan. 6 Insurrection a 'Terrorist Attack'

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is used to making enemies on the left, but now, it appears he’s enraged his allies on the right.

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Cruz denounced the day’s events as a “violent terrorist attack.” But the word “terrorist” got him in trouble with FOX News host Tucker Carlson, who invited Cruz on the show to bend over for a verbal spanking.

Carlson wanted to know why Texas’ junior senator had characterized the insurrection, which culminated in numerous injuries and at least one death, as a terrorist attack. Ever the semanticist, Cruz insisted that he wasn’t actually calling the thousands of “peaceful protestors” there that day “terrorists.”

“What I was referring to are the limited number of people who engaged in violent attacks against police officers,” Cruz insisted, also saying that his word choice during the Senate committee hearing had been “sloppy” and “frankly dumb.”
Carlson wasn’t having it. After more back-and-forth bickering, the conservative host cut to the chase: “I guess I just don’t believe you.”

But you don’t have to take Carlson’s word for it. Let’s roll back the tape and fact-check Cruz’s FOX claims against, well, himself.

“We are approaching a solemn anniversary this week, and it is an anniversary of a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol, where we saw the men and women of law enforcement demonstrate incredible courage, incredible bravery, risk their lives to defend the men and women who serve in this Capitol,” he said Wednesday. “We are grateful for that courage. We appreciate the selfless sacrifice of the men and women who keep us safe.”
If you’re like us, you might be straining your eyes to try to find where Cruz says he’s only calling the cop-assaulters “terrorists.” (Don’t bother: He didn’t.) Plus, Cruz had also dubbed the Capitol attack as a “despicable act of terrorism” the day after it occurred.

Back on FOX, Carlson’s Cruz-lashing continued for another several minutes. The Texas conservative squirmed in his chair and laughed nervously while he took his lumps.

This isn’t first time Cruz has knelt and kissed the ring, though. He famously endorsed former President Donald Trump, even though Trump had made fun of his wife’s looks.

During a CNN segment about Cruz’s latest televised groveling session, host John Berman asked a salient rhetorical: “It’s like 7:28 a.m. Ted Cruz: Do you know where your spine is?”