Ted Cruz Blasts Reporter for Bringing Up His Daughters: 'Stop Playing the Nasty Washington Game'
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Monday angrily shut down a reporter who dragged Cruz’s daughters into the impeachment debate.
Cruz was speaking to the media during a break in the opening arguments from President Donald Trump’s defense team when reporter Brian Karem, who covers the White House for Playboy, sought to poke holes in the president’s defense that had been presented at Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate.
“None of the president’s attorneys mentioned one single possible crime that Hunter or Joe Biden are accused of,” Karem said.
“Basically, what they said is Hunter Biden got a job, his dad was vice president. If that’s a crime, I mean, shouldn’t half of your children be in prison?”
“My children are 9 and 11,” Cruz replied.
He then followed up with an angry rebuttal over the apparent attack on his children.
“I’m sorry you want to throw a 9-year-old in prison,” Cruz said. “But at this point, my third-grader plays basketball and softball at her school, so stop playing the nasty Washington game.”
“That’s not a nasty Washington game,” Karem responded.
“Attacking a 9-year-old?” Cruz shot back.
He then continued to speak to the media, but did not engage with Karem.
Many on Twitter supported Cruz:
A reporter of the Media just attacked US Senator Ted Cruz’s children, particularly both his 9 year old and a 11 year old. What is it with these media hacks and attacking children?
US Senator Martha McSally was right.— Christian Lamar (@christianllamar) January 27, 2020
Ted Cruz’s children should be off-limits to attacks. This is despicable. https://t.co/eXRDDlnEeS
— ThePoliticalInsider (@TPInsidr) January 28, 2020
Senator Ted Cruz was awesome dealing with disrespectful Fake News reporter bringing up his children. https://t.co/oPLTYN4l7W
— brooklynborn (@bklynborn1210) January 28, 2020
Cruz also said that he has no concern over the reported claims in a new book from former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
In his book, Bolton alleges that Trump did delay aid to Ukraine until it investigated issues regarding corruption, including the case of Hunter Biden, who was employed by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was vice president, according to The New York Times.
Senator why shouldn’t Bolton testify? The answer: pic.twitter.com/RfWVvWbGnw
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) January 27, 2020
“I get that the press loves to obsess over the latest bombshell,” Cruz said Monday.
“Listen, I don’t know what John Bolton’s book says or doesn’t say,” he added. “I’ve seen The New York Times coverage, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t impact the legal issue before this Senate. The legal issue before this Senate is whether a president has the authority to investigate corruption.”
“So the House managers built their entire case on the proposition that investigating Burisma corruption, investigating the Bidens for corruption, was baseless and a sham. The proposition is absurd.”
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