Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Ted Cruz

Public opinion and media debates around Ted Cruz—discover key moments of controversy.

Ted Cruz, born Rafael Edward Cruz, is an American politician and attorney. He has served as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013, affiliated with the Republican Party. Prior to his senatorial role, Cruz was the Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to 2008. He is a prominent figure in American politics, known for his conservative views and impactful presence in the Senate.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

1997: Michael Wayne Haley arrested for stealing from Walmart

In 1997, Michael Wayne Haley was arrested for stealing a calculator from Walmart. This case later involved Ted Cruz as Solicitor General.

2001: Comparison of vandalism of monuments to Taliban destruction

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.

2005: Audio recording release

In October 2005, after the audio recording of Trump was released and several Republicans retracted their endorsements, Cruz reaffirmed his support for Trump, calling Hillary Clinton "manifestly unfit to be president".

2008: Medellín v. Texas Case

In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Texas has the right to ignore an order from the International Court of Justice directing the U.S. to review the convictions and sentences of dozens of Mexican nationals on death row. Cruz frequently mentioned his role as counsel for the State of Texas in Medellín v. Texas.

2010: Critic of Affordable Care Act

In 2010, 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 loans on his Senate financial disclosure forms, which he had previously failed to report on Federal Election Commission disclosure statements.

2012: Ethics violation report

In 2012, after Time magazine reported that Ted Cruz might have violated ethics rules by failing to publicly disclose his financial relationship with Caribbean Equity Partners Investment Holdings during the 2012 campaign, he said his failure to disclose the connection was inadvertent.

2012: Campaign Contributions

Since 2012, Cruz has received more than $2.5 million in campaign contributions from oil, gas, and coal interests.

2013: Tax and Minimum Wage Stances

In 2013, Cruz proposed abolishing the IRS and implementing a flat tax system that would allow Americans to fill out taxes on a postcard. He is also adamantly opposed to a higher minimum wage.

2013: Syrian Civil War Stance

In 2013, Cruz stated that the U.S. had no "dog in the fight" during the Syrian Civil War and should not serve as "al-Qaeda's air force".

2013: Vote against Hurricane Sandy aid bill

In 2013, Cruz voted against a bill to provide federal aid for recovery from Hurricane Sandy, stating that it was filled with "unrelated pork".

2013: Vote Against Water Resources Development Act

In 2013, Cruz voted against the Water Resources Development Act, which would have authorized over $26 billion in projects by the Army Corps of Engineers. He stated that the bill neglected to reduce a backlog of projects and lacked adequate measures for state participation.

2013: Comments on same-sex marriage

In 2013, Ted Cruz expressed his desire for marriage to be legally defined as being "between one man and one woman", but also stated that the legality of same-sex marriage should be left for each state to decide.

2013: Federal government shutdown role

In 2013, Ted Cruz played a prominent role in the federal government shutdown. He aimed to pressure Congress and President Barack Obama to defund the Affordable Care Act.

November 2014: Cruz accuses Obama of wanting to destroy the Constitution

During a Senate speech in November 2014, Ted Cruz accused President Obama of being "openly desirous to destroy the Constitution and this Republic" and invoked the speeches of Cicero against Catiline to denounce Obama's planned executive actions on immigration reform.

December 2014: Criticism of Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy

In December 2014, Cruz criticized the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States on Fox News, calling the thaw in relations a "manifestation of the failures of the Obama-Clinton-Kerry foreign policy" and a "tragic mistake".

2014: Hard-line Stance on Immigration

During the 2014 border crisis, Cruz took a "hard-line stance" on immigration issues and opposes comprehensive immigration reform. He advocates an increase in skilled foreign workers entering the United States using H-1B visas.

2014: Criticism of Obama Administration on ISIS

In 2014, Cruz criticized the Obama administration for missing the threat of ISIS and arming Syrian rebels allegedly fighting alongside ISIS. He called ISIS "the face of evil".

2014: Editorial on Auditing the Federal Reserve

In 2014, Cruz wrote an opinion editorial in USA Today stating that auditing the Federal Reserve System was a top Republican priority in 2015 and that he supported legislation allowing the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.

March 2015: Climate Change Views

In March 2015, Cruz rejected the scientific consensus on climate change, referring to some as "global warming alarmists." Citing satellite temperature measurements, he claimed there had been no significant warming in 18 years, contrary to NASA's analysis.

July 2015: Cruz accuses McConnell of lying

In a Senate floor speech 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: Comments on police treatment

In August 2015, following the death of a Texas police officer, Cruz stated that police officers are "feeling the assault from the President" and other senior officials, citing Ferguson and Baltimore as examples. He said this was endangering safety and security.

2015: Vote for USA Freedom Act

In 2015, Cruz voted for the USA Freedom Act, which reauthorized the USA Patriot Act with some reformed provisions.

2015: Opposition to Iran Nuclear Agreement

In 2015, Cruz was an adamant opponent of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Iran nuclear agreement), calling it "catastrophic" and "disastrous".

2015: Republican Priority

In 2015, according to an editorial in USA Today by Cruz, auditing the Federal Reserve System was a top Republican priority.

2015: Response to Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage

In 2015, after the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Ted Cruz called the decision "the very definition of tyranny", accused the court of judicial activism, and described it as "among the darkest hours of our nation".

January 2016: Report on undisclosed loans

In January 2016, The New York Times 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, as required by law.

March 2016: Argument against considering Obama's Supreme Court nominee

In March 2016, Ted Cruz argued that the Senate should not consider President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, claiming that the decision should be left to the people in the upcoming presidential election.

June 2016: Cruz blames Obama administration for Orlando nightclub shooting

In June 2016, Ted Cruz blamed the Obama administration for the Orlando nightclub shooting, arguing that it did not properly track the perpetrator Omar Mateen while he was on the terrorist watch-list.

September 2016: Support for Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia

In September 2016, Cruz backed the Obama administration's plan to sell over $1.15 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

2016: Hard-right Immigration Stances

According to McClatchy, Cruz staked out "hard-right immigration stances" during his 2016 presidential campaign.

2016: Denunciation of outsourcing during presidential campaign

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Ted Cruz strongly denounced the outsourcing of American jobs to other countries, claiming politicians who allowed it were betraying their constituents, and promised to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.

2016: Former presidential campaign chair denounces Cruz

In 2016, Chad Sweet, the chair of Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign, denounced Cruz for "assault on our democracy" after Cruz objected to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes. Several corporations halted donations to Cruz and other Republicans who voted to overturn the election based on Trump's false claims.

January 5, 2017: Vote on UN Security Council Resolution 2334

On January 5, 2017, Cruz voted in favor of a House resolution condemning UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemned Israeli settlement building in occupied Palestinian territories.

January 2017: Meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen

In early January 2017, Cruz met with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen and criticized the People's Republic of China for asking members of Congress not to meet with her.

June 2017: Co-sponsorship of Israel Anti-Boycott Act

In June 2017, Cruz co-sponsored the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, which would make it a federal crime for Americans to encourage or participate in boycotts against Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

December 2017: Mocking of net neutrality supporters

In December 2017, after the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality, Ted Cruz mocked supporters of net neutrality as "snowflakes" who were misled by "online propaganda".

2017: Letter Urging Withdrawal from Paris Agreement

In 2017, Cruz was one of 22 senators who signed a letter addressed to Trump, urging him to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

2017: Efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act

In 2017, during the first year of Trump's presidency, Cruz sponsored legislation to repeal the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and was part of the group of 13 senators that drafted the unsuccessful 2017 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act replacement proposals of the AHCA.

2017: Endorsement of Roy Moore

In 2017, on 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: Opposition to DREAMers legislation debate

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 (undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children).

August 2018: Urging Sanctions Against Chinese Officials

In August 2018, Cruz and 16 other lawmakers urged the Trump administration to impose sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang.

December 2019: Warning to Allseas on Nord Stream II

In December 2019, Cruz and Senator Ron Johnson warned Allseas about sanctions if they did not suspend work on the Nord Stream II pipeline.

July 13, 2020: Sanctioned by China

On July 13, 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned Cruz and three other U.S. politicians for "interfering in China's internal affairs" by condemning human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

August 10, 2020: Additional Sanctions by China

On August 10, 2020, the Chinese government sanctioned Cruz and 10 other Americans for "behaving badly on Hong Kong-related issues".

September 2020: Support for 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 resulting from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, less than two months before the presidential election.

December 2020: Blocking the Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act

In December 2020, Ted Cruz blocked the Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act, which aimed to grant Hong Kongers refugee status, citing concerns about potential spying by China. He characterized the law as an attempt by Democrats to advance their immigration law reform agenda.

December 2020: Akademik Cherskiy Continues Pipeling

In December 2020, the Russian pipelaying ship Akademik Cherskiy continued pipelaying for Nord Stream II.

2020: Backed Failed Appeal to Overturn Election

In 2020, Ted Cruz backed a failed appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Pennsylvania. The appeal was filed by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly. Cruz later led an effort to refuse to count Pennsylvania's Electoral College votes.

2020: Concerns about rigged election

In 2020, according to Cruz, 39% of Americans believed the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Cruz made this claim during the debate about whether Congress should accept Arizona's electoral votes on January 6, 2021.

2020: Sought to Nullify Election Results

In 2020, as part of attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Ted Cruz agreed to argue a suit filed by Texas attorney general Ken Paxton with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to have election results in four states nullified. Cruz also garnered support for a plan to delay the January 6 electoral vote certification.

2020: 2020 presidential election

In 2020, the presidential election took place. Ted Cruz would object to the certification of the results in 2021.

January 6, 2021: Debate on Arizona's Electoral Votes

On January 6, 2021, during the debate about accepting Arizona's electoral votes, Ted Cruz noted that a significant percentage of Americans believed the 2020 presidential election was rigged, but stated that he was not arguing to set aside the election results. Some observers believed Cruz's statements were misleading for political gain.

February 2021: Cancun Trip During Texas Winter Storm

In February 2021, during a historic winter storm that left millions of Texas residents without power and water, Ted Cruz and his family were spotted on a plane heading to Cancún, Mexico. They planned to stay at the luxury Ritz Carlton hotel. Cruz requested a police escort through the airport.

May 2021: False assertions about the For The People Act

During a Senate Rules Committee hearing in May 2021, Ted Cruz falsely claimed that the House Democrats' For The People Act was designed to encourage people to break the law by registering ineligible non-citizens to vote and would automatically register anyone interacting with the government, regardless of immigration status. The bill clearly states that only U.S. citizens are permitted to register.

May 28, 2021: Voted Against Riot Investigation Commission

On May 28, 2021, Ted Cruz voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6th riot. This action contributed to ongoing debates and controversies surrounding the event.

June 4, 2021: Completion of Nord Stream 2 first line pipelaying

On June 4, 2021, Putin announced that the pipelaying for first line of the Nord Stream 2 was fully completed.

September 2021: Completion of Nord Stream 2 second line pipelaying

In September 2021, the laying of the second line of Nord Stream 2 was completed.

October 2021: Criticism of Australia's Vaccine Mandates

In October 2021, Cruz posted a tweet criticizing Australia's Northern Territory's vaccine mandates, leading to a viral response from the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.

2021: Objected to certification of Joe Biden's victory

In 2021, Ted Cruz objected to the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election, adding to the controversy surrounding the election results.

May 2022: Response to Robb Elementary School shooting

In May 2022, after the Robb Elementary School shooting, Cruz attributed mass shootings to factors like declining church attendance, violent video games, prescription drugs, cyberbullying, and social isolation. He voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

2022: Criticism of China over Detention of Mark Swidan

In 2022, Cruz sharply criticized the Chinese government for its detention of Houston resident Mark Swidan.

2022: Vote against Inflation Reduction Act

In 2022, Cruz voted against the Inflation Reduction Act.

2022: Vote against measure to fund semiconductor manufacturers

In 2022, Ted Cruz voted against Bernie Sanders's proposed measure for the United States Innovation and Competition Act, which aimed to fund semiconductor manufacturers amid a shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This measure would have also blocked funded manufacturers from outsourcing jobs and discouraging union formation.

March 2023: Vote against Repealing AUMF in Iraq

In March 2023, Cruz voted against repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq.

2023: Vote against Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 2023, Cruz was among the 31 Senate Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

September 2024: Promotion of racist hoax regarding Haitian immigrants

In September 2024, Ted Cruz posted an image on Twitter that reiterated a false claim by Donald Trump alleging that Haitian immigrants steal and consume American citizens' pets, resulting in widespread condemnation for perpetuating a racist hoax.