Ted Cruz
Role at the time: U.S. Senator (R-TX)
Condemned
Statement summary
Sen. Ted Cruz called Bo French's post "idiotic" and said he wished it hadn't been sent, without characterizing it as racist.
“Look, it was an idiotic tweet that he sent. I wish he hadn't sent it. And I got to say, I am celebrating every student at UT, and I was proud to be there in Austin, and it was a hell of a win. Hook 'em horns.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Ted Cruz comments on Bo French UT Austin post
Reports Cruz's first public comment on French's post, made outside a Senate Judiciary hearing; corroborated by Mediaite.
Why we used this label
Cruz directly criticizes the post as "idiotic" and says he wishes French had not sent it. He does not call it racist or ask French to apologize or withdraw it, so his criticism is milder than Cornyn's or Burrows's.