Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Ted Cruz
Public opinion and media debates around Ted Cruz—discover key moments of controversy.
Ted Cruz is an American politician and attorney currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas, a position he has held since 2013. As a member of the Republican Party, Cruz's political career includes his prior role as the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. He is known for his conservative views and has been a prominent figure in numerous political debates and legislative initiatives within the U.S. Senate.
2001: Cruz Compares Vandalism of Monuments to Taliban Destruction
In 2001, Ted Cruz compared the vandalism and destruction of monuments and memorials in the United States to the 2001 destruction of the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban.
2003: Lawrence v. Texas Case
In 2003, during Ted Cruz's tenure as Texas Solicitor General, the Texas Attorney General's office declined to defend Texas's sodomy law in Lawrence v. Texas.
2010: Cruz Criticizes the Affordable Care Act
In 2010, Ted Cruz was a vocal critic of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed under President Obama.
July 2012: Cruz disclosed loans on Senate financial disclosure forms
In July 2012, Ted Cruz disclosed the loans from Goldman Sachs and Citibank on his Senate financial disclosure forms, but not on the FEC form.
2012: Ethics Violation Allegation
In 2012, Time magazine reported that Ted Cruz might have violated ethics rules by failing to disclose his financial relationship with Caribbean Equity Partners Investment Holdings.
2012: Campaign Contributions from Oil, Gas and Coal Interests
Since 2012, Ted Cruz has received more than $2.5 million in campaign contributions from oil, gas, and coal interests.
2013: Cruz denied involvement in government shutdown
In 2013, Ted Cruz denied any involvement in the government shutdown, even though he cast several votes to prolong it and was blamed by many within his own party for prompting it.
2013: Leading role in government shutdown
In 2013, Ted Cruz played a leading role in the United States federal government shutdown, giving a 21-hour Senate speech to defund the Affordable Care Act.
2013: Cruz on same-sex marriage
In 2013, Ted Cruz said he wanted marriage to be legally defined as only "between one man and one woman", but also said that the legality of same-sex marriage should be left to each state to decide.
2013: Cruz on the Syrian Civil War
In 2013, Ted Cruz stated that the U.S. had no "dog in the fight" during the Syrian Civil War and that its armed forces should not serve as "al-Qaeda's air force".
2013: Cruz Voted Against Hurricane Sandy Federal Aid
In 2013, Ted Cruz voted against a bill providing federal aid to the Northern East Coast for recovery from Hurricane Sandy, citing unrelated pork and extraneous spending. This was disputed by The Washington Post and The New York Times.
2013: Cruz Voted Against Water Resources Development Act
In 2013, Ted Cruz voted against the Water Resources Development Act of 2013, which would have created the National Endowment for the Oceans and authorized over $26 billion in projects by the Army Corps of Engineers. He argued the bill neglected to reduce a substantial backlog of projects.
November 2014: Cruz accused Obama of destroying the Constitution
In a November 2014 Senate speech, Ted Cruz accused President Obama of being "openly desirous to destroy the Constitution and this Republic."
2014: Cruz on Immigration Issues During Border Crisis
During the 2014 border crisis, Ted Cruz took a "hard-line stance" on immigration issues and opposed comprehensive immigration reform. He advocates an increase in skilled foreign workers entering the U.S. using H-1B visas.
2014: Cruz Criticizes Obama Administration on ISIS Threat
In 2014, Ted Cruz criticized the Obama administration, stating that its foreign policy team "utterly missed the threat of ISIS" and was working to arm Syrian rebels that were fighting alongside ISIS.
March 2015: Cruz Rejects Climate Change Scientific Consensus
In March 2015, Ted Cruz rejected the scientific consensus on climate change, referring to some people as "global warming alarmists" and claiming satellite measurements showed no significant warming in 18 years.
July 2015: Cruz accused Mitch McConnell of lying
In July 2015, Ted Cruz accused Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of telling "a flat-out lie" over his intentions to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
August 2015: Cruz Criticizes Obama Administration on Law Enforcement
In August 2015, following the death of a Texas police officer, Ted Cruz accused President Obama and senior officials of vilifying law enforcement, citing Ferguson and Baltimore as examples, and asserted that this endangers public safety and security.
September 2015: Cruz concerned Boehner cut deal with Pelosi
In September 2015, Ted Cruz expressed his concern that before resigning Boehner might have "cut a deal with Nancy Pelosi to fund the Obama administration for the rest of its tenure".
2015: Cruz Opposes Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
In 2015, Ted Cruz was a vocal opponent of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the international nuclear agreement with Iran, calling it "catastrophic" and "disastrous".
2015: Cruz criticizes Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage
In 2015, after the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional, Ted Cruz called the decision "the very definition of tyranny", accused the court of judicial activism, and said it was "among the darkest hours of our nation".
January 2016: Report on undisclosed loans
In January 2016, it was reported that Ted Cruz and his wife had taken out nearly $1 million in low-interest loans from Goldman Sachs and Citibank but failed to report them on Federal Election Commission disclosure statements.
March 2016: Cruz Argues Against Supreme Court Nominee Consideration
In March 2016, Ted Cruz argued that the Senate should not consider President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, stating that "this should be a decision for the people" and the decision should be left to the election.
June 2016: Cruz blamed Obama administration for Orlando nightclub shooting
In June 2016, Ted Cruz blamed the Obama administration for the Orlando nightclub shooting, reasoning that it did not track the perpetrator Omar Mateen properly while he was on the terrorist watch-list.
2016: Cruz's Hard-Right Immigration Stances During Presidential Campaign
According to McClatchy, Ted Cruz staked out "hard-right immigration stances" during his 2016 presidential campaign.
2016: Cruz Denounces Outsourcing During Presidential Campaign
During his 2016 presidential campaign, Ted Cruz strongly denounced outsourcing American jobs, promising to return manufacturing jobs to the U.S.
2016: Cruz Faces Calls to Resign After Election Objections
Following the January 6th Capitol riot, which occurred after objections to the 2020 election results, the Texas Democratic Party called for Ted Cruz's resignation in 2016, accusing him of inciting sedition and treason. Calls for his resignation or expulsion also came from the Houston Chronicle, the San Antonio Express-News, and thousands of lawyers, while corporations halted donations and his communications director resigned. President-elect Biden and Senator Toomey accused Cruz of complicity in spreading false claims of voter fraud.
January 2017: Cruz Meets with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen
In early January 2017, Ted Cruz met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and later criticized the People's Republic of China for its reaction to the meeting.
December 2017: Cruz Mocks Net Neutrality Supporters
In December 2017, after the Republican-controlled FCC repealed net neutrality, Ted Cruz mocked supporters of net neutrality as "snowflakes" who were misled by "online propaganda".
2017: Cruz Sponsored Legislation to Repeal Obamacare
In 2017, Ted Cruz sponsored legislation to repeal the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and was part of the group of senators that drafted the unsuccessful 2017 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act replacement proposals of the AHCA.
2017: Cruz Urges Trump to Withdraw from Paris Agreement
In 2017, Ted Cruz was among 22 senators who signed a letter urging President Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
2017: Cruz endorses Roy Moore for U.S. Senate
In 2017, the same day that an audio clip resurfaced of Alabama Judge Roy Moore calling Obergefell "worse" than the 1857 ruling that upheld slavery, Ted Cruz endorsed Moore for U.S. Senate.
February 2018: Cruz Opposes Motion to Debate DREAMers Legislation
In February 2018, Ted Cruz was the sole senator to oppose a Republican motion to begin debate on legislation intended to resolve the question of what to do with DREAMers.
July 13, 2020: Chinese Government Sanctions Cruz for Condemning Xinjiang Abuses
On July 13, 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned Ted Cruz for "interfering in China’s internal affairs" by condemning human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
August 10, 2020: Chinese Government Sanctions Cruz for Actions on Hong Kong
On August 10, 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned Ted Cruz for "behaving badly on Hong Kong-related issues".
September 2020: Cruz Supports Immediate Vote on Trump's Supreme Court Nominee
In September 2020, Ted Cruz supported an immediate vote on President Trump's nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, less than two months before the next presidential election.
2020: Cruz Acknowledges Doubts About Election Integrity
In 2020, Ted Cruz acknowledged that 39% of Americans believed the 2020 presidential election was rigged, but said that he was "not arguing for setting aside the result of this election".
2020: Cruz Backs Failed Appeal to Overturn Election
In 2020, Ted Cruz supported a failed appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Pennsylvania, citing claims of unconstitutional voting procedures. He later led a group of Republican senators in an attempt to reject Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes, alleging unsubstantiated fraud, and criticized those who challenged his actions.
2020: Cruz Supports Lawsuit to Nullify Election Results
In 2020, Ted Cruz supported efforts to overturn the presidential election results. He agreed to argue a Texas lawsuit before the Supreme Court that sought to nullify election results in four states and supported a plan to delay the electoral vote certification on January 6 to allow Republican legislatures to submit pro-Trump electors, based on false claims of widespread voter fraud. Cruz stated he was "leading the charge" against Biden's certification.
January 6, 2021: Cruz Addresses Election Rigging Concerns
On January 6, 2021, during the debate on Arizona's electoral votes, Ted Cruz acknowledged public concerns about the 2020 presidential election being rigged. Cruz said he was "not arguing for setting aside the result of this election". However, some observers believe that Cruz was aware that claims about fraud were inaccurate and that his speech and earlier statements were attempts to mislead for political gain.
February 2021: Cruz Travels to Cancún During Texas Winter Storm
In February 2021, during a severe winter storm that left millions of Texas residents without power and water, Ted Cruz and his family traveled to Cancún, Mexico. They planned to stay at a luxury hotel to escape the freezing conditions in their home. Cruz requested a police escort through the airport.
May 2021: Cruz Makes False Claims About For The People Act
During a May 2021 Senate Rules Committee hearing, Ted Cruz falsely asserted that the For The People Act would "direct" people "to break the law" and register ineligible non-citizens to vote.
May 28, 2021: Cruz Criticized and Apologizes for Calling January 6 Riot a "Terrorist Attack"
On May 28, 2021, Ted Cruz voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6th riot. He was later criticized by Tucker Carlson for calling the riot a "violent terrorist attack". Cruz apologized on Carlson's show, calling his earlier comment "dumb" and "sloppy", despite reports indicating he had used similar language multiple times in the past year. He faced condemnation from pro-Trump Republicans for his remarks.
October 2021: Cruz Criticizes Australia's Vaccine Mandates
In October 2021, Ted Cruz posted a tweet critical of Australia's Northern Territory's vaccine mandates, leading to a viral response from the Chief Minister.
2021: Objected to certification of Biden's victory
In 2021, Ted Cruz contested the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election.
May 2022: Cruz on Mass Shootings and Gun Reform
In May 2022, following the Robb Elementary School shooting, Ted Cruz attributed mass shootings to societal factors and voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun reform bill.
May 2022: Supreme Court sided with Cruz in FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate
In May 2022, the Supreme Court sided with Ted Cruz in FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate, allowing him to ask donors to help repay $555,000 he loaned to his campaigns.
2022: Cruz Votes Against Measure to Block Semiconductor Outsourcing
In 2022, Ted Cruz voted against Bernie Sanders's proposed measure for the United States Innovation and Competition Act, which aimed to prevent semiconductor manufacturers from outsourcing jobs.
2022: Cruz Voted Against Inflation Reduction Act
In 2022, Ted Cruz voted against the Inflation Reduction Act.
March 2023: Cruz Voted Against Repealing Iraq AUMF
In March 2023, Ted Cruz voted against repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq.
2023: Cruz Voted Against Fiscal Responsibility Act
In 2023, Ted Cruz was among the Senate Republicans who voted against the final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
September 2024: Cruz tweets racist image
In September 2024, Ted Cruz tweeted an image macro perpetuating a false and racist claim about Haitian immigrants, which drew widespread condemnation and accusations of hypocrisy.
