“You informed that lie on goal, and I’m questioning why you probably did,” Carlson stated.
Cruz, a possible 2024 candidate who has argued he’s well-positioned for the Republican presidential nomination after ending second behind Donald Trump in 2016, additional tried to defend himself.
“What I used to be referring to are the restricted quantity of people that engaged in violent assaults towards cops. I feel you and I each agree that should you assault a police officer, it is best to go to jail,” Cruz stated. “I wasn’t saying the hundreds of peaceable protesters supporting Donald Trump are in some way terrorists. I wasn’t saying the thousands and thousands of patriots throughout the nation supporting Trump are terrorists.”
“What you simply stated doesn’t make sense,” Carlson fired again, accusing the senator of taking part in into Democrats’ narratives. Through the section, the present’s chyron learn: “TUCKER TAKES ON SENATOR TED CRUZ.” (There have been murmurs that Carlson, too, may run in 2024.)
Whereas Carlson has highlighted Cruz’s feedback twice this week, the senator’s use of the phrase shouldn’t be new. The Texas senator launched a press release after Congress reconvened to certify the election on Jan. 6 final 12 months, calling the day a “despicable act of terrorism.”
The FBI defines home terrorism as “violent, legal acts dedicated by people and/or teams to additional ideological objectives stemming from home influences, equivalent to these of a political, non secular, social, racial, or environmental nature.”
Cruz went on to remind Carlson that he was one of many Republican senators who objected to the 2020 presidential election outcomes.
“So in fact, it will be ridiculous for me to be saying that the folks standing up and protesting to comply with the regulation have been in some way terrorists. I used to be speaking about individuals who commit violence towards cops,” Cruz stated, including that he is used the phrase to explain individuals who assault cops for many years.
“That being stated, Tucker, I agree with you. It was a mistake to say that yesterday, and the reason being what you simply stated, which is we’ve got now had a 12 months of Democrats and the media twisting phrases and attempting to say that every one of us are terrorists. Attempting to say you’re a terrorist, I’m a terrorist.”
The backwards and forwards continued for nearly 10 minutes. At one level Carlson was exasperated, slicing Cruz off.
“I assume I simply don’t consider you,” Carlson stated. “And I imply that with respect.”