Chris Hayes: Ted Cruz Swiped at McConnell So Tucker Carlson ‘Will Tell Him He’s a Good Boy’

 

Chris Hayes pilloried Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) Wednesday after the senator appeared to take a swipe at Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) earlier in the day when talking about the Capitol insurrection.

On Tuesday, McConnell referred to it as just that, stating, “It was a violent insurrection with the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next.”

Hayes explained, “While McConnell is demonstrating something approaching, well, sense, common sense, if not outright courage, the sad senator from Texas is going in the opposite direction as per usual. You may remember when he thought it was politically safe – even advantageous to do so – Ted Cruz repeatedly called January 6th ‘domestic terrorism’ before Tucker Carlson called him out. And he made an utterly humiliating appearance on Fox to beg for forgiveness.”

Hayes rolled the infamous clip of Cruz groveling before Carlson, who has said the Capitol breach “barely rates as a footnote.” The senator said that calling the storming of the Capitol “domestic terrorism” was “sloppy” of him.

“I just don’t believe you,” said Carlson.

“Tucker, thank you,” Hayes mocked. “Thank you for calling me out and realizing how dumb I am.”

Hayes said Cruz has “learned his painful lesson,” which is why he took a dig at McConnell on Tuesday.

“Of course, today he is attacking Mitch McConnell, which is a point of all of this conditioning that those folks are up to, hoping Trump or Tucker is watching, and will tell him that he’s a good boy.”

He played a clip of a reporter reading McConnell’s “violent insurrection” comment to Cruz. The reporter asked him if he agreed.

“The word ‘insurrection’ is politically-charged propaganda,” Cruz responded. “It is happily used by Democrats and the corporate media… I think it is a mistake for Republicans to repeat the political propaganda of Democrats and the corporate media.”

Hayes reacted by saying, “You’re doing great Ted. Maybe he’ll have you on tonight.”

Watch above via MSNBC.

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Mike is a Mediaite senior editor who covers the news in primetime. Follow him on Bluesky.