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Ted Cruz slammed for congratulating new Capitol Police graduates, Internet ‘can't believe the nerve’ he has

Cruz led a high-profile objection to the counting of Electoral College votes citing debunked claims that widespread voter fraud led to Joe Biden winning the presidency

Senator Ted Cruz reportedly played a role in amplifying the false claims of voter fraud that was one of the reasons that drove insurrectionists to the Capitol Hill building on January 6. Cruz led a high-profile objection to the counting of Electoral College votes citing debunked claims that widespread voter fraud led to Joe Biden winning the presidency. 

Seven Senate Democrats had filed an ethic complaint against Cruz on Thursday, January 21, 2021, asking for the body's Ethics Committee to investigate whether the Republican contributed to inciting the deadly Insurrection. On Friday he tweeted out a response congratulating the new Capitol Police officer graduates that evoked flashbacks of the insurrection that was believed to be fuelled in part by his statements at the time.

Ted Cruz congratulates new Capitol Police recruits

Acting United States Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Yogananda Pittman's statement was tweeted out from Capitol Police's official Twitter account. "Congratulations to the graduates of Recruit Officer Class 211! 'Policing is a noble profession and I am proud of each of these graduates for their perseverance to achieve their goals,'" the tweet read. 

Quote tweeting the message, Cruz wrote, "Congratulations to all of the new Capitol Police officer graduates! I look forward to seeing you all around the Capitol. I can’t thank you and your families enough for your service."

'You have some nerve' 

Responding to Cruz's tweet, an angry user tweeted, "I agree. It isn’t possible for you to offer adequate thanks for the Capitol Police, given that one died in the Jan. 6 insurrection you incited and several have died since. #ResignTedCruz." Another user pointed out the "irony" in Cruz's tweet, highlighting the fact that the Senator kept talking about the election being stolen. "It's ironic that you are giving a well-deserved shout out to the DCCP, but kept reinforcing the big lie about the steal. Which of course ended in tragedy. You need to rethink your position, Senator Cruz," the tweet read. "Holy crap, my irony detector just imploded," read another tweet. 

Another Twitter user noted that Cruz's tweet was a "lie". The tweet read, "Well, THAT is lyin' Ted straight up." Another user quoted Steve Irwin in their tweet, "Crocodiles are easy. They try to kill and eat you. People are harder. Sometimes they pretend to be your friend first." Another user tweeted, "You have got to be kidding me. The Capitol police need more officers because of you and Trump I can't believe the nerve you have after people died on January 6 If I was the girlfriend of Officer Sicknick I'd be pissed as hell that you're still in Congress You are a disgrace."

Ted Cruz's statement claiming action against voter fraud allegations

On January 2, a joint statement was released by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Senators-Elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). It said, "Voter fraud has posed a persistent challenge in our elections, although its breadth and scope are disputed. By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes. And those allegations are not believed just by one individual candidate. Instead, they are widespread. Reuters/Ipsos polling, tragically, shows that 39% of Americans believe ‘the election was rigged.' That belief is held by Republicans (67%), Democrats (17%), and Independents (31%)." 

The statement further said, "Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission's findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed."