Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is changing his tune after previously calling the Jan 6 Capitol Riots a “violent terrorist attack” in a heated interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Carlson berated Cruz through the interview. He called Cruz’s comment “a lie” and said he, “told that lie on purpose.”
Cruz responded by saying he was only referring to “the limited number of people who engaged in violent attacks against police officers … I wasn’t saying that the thousands of peaceful protestors supporting Donald Trump are terrorists.”
Carlson did not accept Cruz’s justification saying he “couldn’t agree more” that someone should be arrested if they assault a cop, “but that person’s still not a terrorist.”
Cruz said that he has often referred to those that attack the police as terrorists in the past, but that didn’t stop Carlson from aggressively questioning him. He eventually relented and said that his comment was a “mistake.”
The Texas senator was one of the Republicans that objected to the 2020 election results, something he maintained in this interview when he said that Jan 6 protestors disputing the election were “protesting to follow the law.”
Cruz is likely walking back these comments now because he is considering a 2024 Presidential run, and would benefit from good standing with Fox News viewers and powerful individuals in the Trump circles. If this interview is any indication, Cruz is certainly not in good standing with Carlson himself.
The host eventually cut Cruz off mid-sentence to tell his guest, “I guess I just don’t believe you.”
