Ted Cruz has been on a social media tear over the withdrawal in Afghanistan, and he already got pelted with “Cancun” comebacks after tweeting (without doing any research), “America doesn’t leave Americans behind.” This led people to pounce upon him because no one will ever forget that he flew off to a sunny Mexico resort while Texas residents froze without power during a catastrophic ice storm. Well, Cruz is in more trouble for not doing his research. He retweeted (and later deleted) a video with a false caption (the original tweet can be seen at Mediaite, with Cruz writing, “This horrifying image encapsulates Joe Biden’s Afghanistan catastrophe: The Taliban hanging a man from an American Blackhawk helicopter… Tragic. Unimaginable.”
As tragic as that situation sounded, yes, it turned out to be “unimaginable” because the video was not the situation that Cruz (and fellow GOP lawmaker Dan Crenshaw) believed it to be. As Mediaite points out, the man does not at all appear as though he’s being hung, and other footage of the scene showed the man in good spirits after landing safely with both feet on the ground. Journalist Bilal Sarwary soon tweeted the truth of the situation, which is that a Taliban fighter was attempting a maneuver with a flag.
“Afghan pilot flying this is someone I have known over the years,” Sarwary tweeted. “He was trained in the US and UAE, he confirmed to me that he flew the Blackhawk helicopter. Taliban fighter seen here was trying to install Taliban flag from air but it didn’t work in the end.”
Afghan pilot flying this is someone I have known over the years. He was trained in the US and UAE, he confirmed to me that he flew the Blackhawk helicopter. Taliban fighter seen here was trying to install Taliban flag from air but it didn’t work in the end. https://t.co/wnF8ep1zEl
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 31, 2021
After Cruz was alerted to what had really happened, he deleted his falsely captioned tweet (and retweet) and attempted to make some amends (while spreading more falsehoods). “It turns out the post I shared w/ a video of Taliban ‘hanging a man’ from a helicopter may be inaccurate. So I deleted the tweet,” Cruz wrote. “What remains accurate is: – The Taliban are brutal terrorists. – We left them millions in US military equipment, including Black Hawk helicopters.”
It turns out the post I shared w/ a video of Taliban “hanging a man” from a helicopter may be inaccurate. So I deleted the tweet.
What remains accurate is:
– The Taliban are brutal terrorists.
– We left them millions in US military equipment, including Black Hawk helicopters. https://t.co/zOvNM5UXUW
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 31, 2021
At that point, people (even those who claim to support Cruz) lectured him about the dangers of misinformation, particularly because he decided to spread even more misinformation, this time about military equipment that was left behind but disabled. Maybe one day, he’ll listen.
Ted im with you most of the time but don’t ruin your credibility by retweeting things that you aren’t
percent on
— antny (@miomartino) August 31, 2021
So you took a video you saw and applied a made up story that fit your narrative?
Go figure…
— Christopher A Blaine (@CBlaine72) August 31, 2021
You shared misinformation from an unverified source & it took you almost a day to correct it. There’s no excuse for it & no “buts” are necessary.
— Democat Jorge
(@DemocatJorge) August 31, 2021
We disabled the equipment and you’re a shameless liar.
It’s easy to understand why everyone who works with you hates you, even all the ones on your team.
What an embarrassing black mark for Texas to elect someone like you. pic.twitter.com/TmPyqm49dh
— Khashoggi’s Ghost (@UROCKlive1) September 1, 2021
Hey, #FledCruz
Not sure where you get your information but did you hear what the Pentagon said?The USA was working in coordination with the Taliban getting American citizens to muster points where they were guided to the airport.
Lives saved.
Care to comment?—
Peacefully
Purple
(@TXByBirth) August 31, 2021
So you share it again instead of sharing the truth? Even when caught red handed peddling misinformation you choose to double down. Shameless.
— Kim (@KimComstock5) August 31, 2021
So you’re apologizing for lying by lying more.
Not “may be inaccurate” – was inaccurate.
We left equipment, owned by the Afghan military, but we demilitarized it. You know what’s missing from the videos of Taliban in Blackhawks? Guns on the Blackhawks.— Josh B (@avallach77) August 31, 2021
The last line is actually NOT accurate.
The equipment left behind is inoperable.
— PCR RitesGood (@pcrritesgood) September 1, 2021
Military equipment that was……wait for it…….disabled.
Gonna delete that inaccurate tweet too?
— NotafanofTrump
(@ducksinmypool) August 31, 2021
And here comes the “delete your account” request, which is practically obligatory.
Delete your account if we are going off accuracy
— nottryingtobeobviousbut (@therustedbolt) August 31, 2021
(Via Mediaite)