As you may have noticed, people on social media really like dunking on Ted Cruz, and that includes the star of his favorite movie. He makes it so easy, whether he’s in airports or participating in Supreme Court hearings. But maybe he enjoys the abuse? That’s what it seems like when he was caught checking his mentions — chock-full of people like Hellboy star Ron Perlman telling him to “f*ck” himself — soon after throwing one of his performative congressional fits.
On Wednesday, Cruz appeared to be dead-set on topping his feat from the day before, when he asked Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson if “babies are racist.” (Don’t worry, it doesn’t make much more sense in context.) While trying, like Josh Hawley, to accuse the seasoned judge of not offering stiff enough penalties for viewing child pornography (a claim debunked by no less than The National Review), Cruz got into a childish tantrum with Dick Durbin, who simply asked him to obey the rules.
Ted Cruz throws a huge, grandstanding fit. Look for clips of this tonight on Hannity. pic.twitter.com/IDUGhDol72
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 23, 2022
If it seemed, as reporter Aaron Rupar opined, that Cruz was simply setting up some out-of-context clips for Sean Hannity’s show later that night, then perhaps you’re right. Soon after his outburst, he was seen ignoring the hearing so he could tool around on his smartphone.
Ted Cruz looks like he’s checking his mentions after his back and forths with KBJ and Durbin. He’s had his head down during all of Coons’ testimony, even as Sasse and Tillis are clearly listening to their Democratic colleague and the nominee before them pic.twitter.com/Rrlud9FHov
— Nolan D. McCaskill (@NolanDMcCaskill) March 23, 2022
What was he looking at? Kent Nishimura, staff photojournalist for The Los Angeles Times, saw the answer: He was checking out what people were saying about him on Twitter.
Can confirm this. He was searching twitter for his name, this was right after his exchange with Chairman Durbin. https://t.co/pd7W6SHVPV pic.twitter.com/AKXoe4CYKK
— Kent Nishimura (西村賢一) (@kentnish) March 23, 2022
If obsessively reading mean things said about him is how Ted Cruz gets his kicks, we don’t want to shame him. But it is troubling that a senator may say and do inane — or, sometimes, disgusting and dangerous — things, in part so he can get attention. As they say, all press is good press. Although the person who coined that phrase probably never accounted for someone like the guy who tried to blame his notorious Cancún trip on his own daughters.
(Via Mediaite)