Anti- and Pro-Trump Guests Join Forces on CNN to Roast Ted Cruz Over ‘Masculinity’

Pro- and anti-Trump CNN guests joined forces in a moment of unity to roast Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) for attacking Senate candidate and Texas state Rep. James Tallarico’s (D) “masculinity.”

On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN NewsNight, anchor Abby Phillip hosted a panel that included Adam Mockler, Caroline Sunshine, Sabrina Singh, T.W. Arrighi, and L.Z. Granderson.

When Granderson began slamming Cruz with examples of behavior that he found not masculine on Cruz’s part, Sunshine — a former Trump spokesperson — chimed in with some Cruz barbs of her own:

PHILLIP: In many cases, the attacks are homophobic, transphobic, and rely on easily disproven cases. Others are based on parts of Talarico’s own comments.

But the truth doesn’t appear to be the point of any of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRUZ: I got to say, if you were making a list of 1,000 adjectives to describe this guy, masculine would not be one of them. I mean, this guy, if a stiff breeze came by, it would blow him over like a feather.

STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR POLICY: To nominate their first transgender Senate candidate, who’s clearly transitioning into a female. You know, when Talarico goes in for a blood test when he gets a physical, blood doesn’t come out. Instead, soy milk comes out.

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Did you know that he looks prepubescent? These are the notes you took? Did you know that he looks like the guy that leaves an apple on the teacher’s desk? He’s also 37 and not married.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: The candidate that believes in six genders, and he takes hits at Jesus Christ, and he was wearing a mask six months ago.

And he’s a vegan. He’s a vegan in Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: So, L.Z., you were just talking about the problems that Democrats have with masculinity and how they’re portrayed. I mean, do you think that that’s why Republicans are going down this route, and will it work?

GRANDERSON: Well, absolutely this is why they’re going down this path. It’s just the messengers. I just can’t — it’s just — Ted Cruz talking about masculinity? I mean, I’m gay, right? If you talk smack about my husband, you probably got some issues with me, and I’m not going to be easy about it. He rode over it pretty easy, you know, politically speaking, and I’m just like —

PHILLIP: When Trump attacked his wife.

GRANDERSON: When Trump attacked his wife and he attacked his family and attacked his character and there he is, still right there. And so I’m looking at him, and it’s like my definition of masculinity has a lot to do with what’s on the inside, integrity, things like honesty, civic duty, a sense of something greater than yourself, a provider–

SUNSHINE: Not fleeing Texas to go to the Four Seasons Cancun–

GRANDERSON: –not leaving your dog behind as you do that.

SUNSHINE: –and then blaming your teenage daughter.

So, you know, when I think about masculinity, I think, you know, try not to cheat on your wife, and if you do, you apologize, and not cheat on her the second, and if you do, apologize or not. You know, so those are the things that I consider masculine as a gay person. But as I said, I’m gay, so maybe I don’t know. Maybe masculine means something else.

PHILLIP: Any of the straight guys at the table —

MOCKLER: Well, look I agree. My definition of masculinity definitely precludes people who shill for somebody that offended their wife, as you said. It definitely precludes people who dipped out of their own state in order to avoid a natural disaster. It definitely precludes people who cheat on their wife with a porn star or cheat on their wife overall, like Ken Paxton.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s honesty. It’s civic duty. It’s the ability to be genuine and to care about those around you. Masculinity isn’t sending endless dollars overseas while refusing to take care of the people that voted for you. That’s to Ted Cruz and to Donald Trump.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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