Ted Cruz Snaps When CNN Host Tries to Shame Him for Trump Support — Unleashes Viral Rant

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Sen. Ted Cruz did not take kindly to being lectured about his support for President Donald Trump during a live appearance on Wednesday on CNN.

The video: Anchor Chris Cuomo started the interview by pressing Cruz, a Texas Republican, to denounce Trump’s remarks about the Proud Boys during Tuesday night’s presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

The two men went on to engage in a 20-minute showdown on “Cuomo Prime Time” that saw them attack each other personally and professionally.

On the media:

  • “The press is partisan in this regard. Ten years ago, 2010, Joe Biden gave a eulogy for [West Virginia Democratic senator] Robert Byrd who was a Grand Cyclops of the KKK …” Cruz said, after noting Trump had condemned white supremacists in a Wednesday presser.
  • “You’re going to go with this weak-*ss argument here? Byrd, who had a complete enlightenment about how hate was wrong, who changed his life, who spoke about it,” replied Cuomo.
  • “Have you ever eulogized a klansman? I haven’t,” said Cruz, who was on the show to promote his new Trump-endorsed book about the Supreme Court.

On CNN:

  • “Chris, there was a time when CNN cared about being journalistic and talking about facts. Donald Trump broke you guys. I mean, your entire show, your entire network now is just how much you hate Trump,” said Cruz.

On Trump:

  • “When you were in the campaign — do you want me to read through some of the things you said about Donald Trump?” said Cuomo, referring to Cruz’s feud with Trump when they were competing for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination.
  • “You want me to talk about somebody who had a chance to talk about policy but just stuck with the person? Nobody did it more than you did. That’s why he gave you the nickname he did {“Lyin’ Ted”] and beat you down with it. The idea that you’re going to put that on the media.”
  • Cuomo later brought up Trump’s insult of Cruz’s wife’s looks.
  • “Chris, fine, you hate the president. I get it,” Cruz said. 
  • “I do not hate the president,” said Cuomo, who seems to hate the president.

On COVID-19:

  • “There is something disgusting that Democrats are doing, that Joe Biden does, and you do, which is you try to blame the people who have lost their lives on your political enemies, and that’s just not right. … It’s particularly not right, Chris, when your brother has presided over the state with the highest death rate in the country,” said Cruz, singling out New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s March 25 advisory ordering nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients. 
  • “New York’s record will stand for itself,” the younger Cuomo said.

The reaction: The emotional exchange quickly made headlines and went viral on social media.

  • Twitter users on the left and the right found different moments to cheer, with both sides’ favored clips racking up millions of views.

Liberal activist Majid Padellan deemed Cruz a “grade A punkass” who deserved to get “shredded” for his deference to the president.

NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck said Chris Cuomo’s emotional performance proved he’s not a real journalist but rather part of CNN’s “crew of juvenile Mean Girls.”

  • “It’s really pathetic and embarrassing how condescending and hateful they are,” Houck said.

Why so mad?: Trump triggered bipartisan condemnation with how he responded when asked during Tuesday’s debate to denounce white supremacists.

  • The president readily agreed to do so and then said, “Proud Boys, stand down and stand by” — which critics saw as an endorsement of the self-styled gang started by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes.
  • On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he was unfamiliar with the Proud Boys and reiterated previous condemnations of white supremacy, saying, “You have to denounce it.”
By We'll Do It Live