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Asked to address the men who rifled through his desk during unrest in Washington, D.C., Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) reiterated his condemnation of those who infiltrated the Capitol, saying they engaged in a “terrorist attack.”
“I think it was a terrorist attack on the Capitol, and it was despicable, and anyone who committed acts of violence should be fully prosecuted and should go jail for a long time,” Cruz said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Video captured by The New Yorker during the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 showed rabble-rousers including Cruz’s office in their raid for “evidence” to use against members of Congress — and concluding Cruz would have “wanted” them to do it:
He was gonna sell us out all along — look! ‘Objection to counting the electoral votes of the state of Arizona.’ ” He paused. “Oh, wait, that’s actually O.K.”“He’s with us,” an America Firster said.Another young man, wearing sweatpants and a long-sleeved undershirt, seemed unconvinced. Frantically flipping through
a three-ring binder on Cruz’s desk, he muttered, “There’s gotta be something in here we can fucking use against these scumbags.” Someone looking on commented, with serene confidence, “Cruz would want us to do this, so I think we’re good.”
Cruz had previously condemned the unrest, but failed to dissuade critics who have sought to blame him for the day’s events. Freshman Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said Sunday that she wanted to see “consequences” for members including Cruz for “stirring up” the unruly gathering.