Senator Ted Cruz [1] (R-TX) is days away from midterm elections that promise to challenge his tight hold on his Texas Senate seat. In a race that has been shockingly competitive, Cruz has decided to echo President Trump’s tactics, attacking his opponent Democrat Beto O’Rourke and his supporters.
Cruz jumped on the fear train, railing against immigrants in the final days of his campaign. Cruz claimed, without any factual basis or support, that his opponent, Beto O’Rourke has used his campaign funds to illegally pay for the migrant “caravan” heading toward the southern border.
According to the Los Angeles Times [2], an estimated 7,000 migrants crossed from Guatemala into Mexico, in a matter of days, the group shrunk to around 4,000 people. It remains unclear how many migrants will actually make it to the United States. A similar “caravan last spring began with over 1,000 people, of that number, only a few hundred arrived at the United States border with Mexico. The migrants intend to seek asylum in the United States and remain weeks if not longer away from the United States.
The reality, that there is no threat posed to the United States by the desperate, impoverished, unarmed men women and children who are walking from Central America to the US, is not appealing to Republicans. So instead of talking about truth, the president and Cruz spread fear and lies.
Cruz linked to a right-wing website and made outlandish claims against O’Rourke. Cruz tweeted, “Two basic Qs every reporter should ask Beto today: (1) should the “caravan” be allowed to cross illegally into Texas? (Beto refuses to answer.) And (2) did your campaign dollars illegally fund their doing so?”
Two basic Qs every reporter should ask Beto today: (1) should the “caravan” be allowed to cross illegally into Texas? (Beto refuses to answer.) And (2) did your campaign dollars illegally fund their doing so? https://t.co/5HcePn3AGs [3]
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 2, 2018 [4]
During a campaign rally, Cruz said that the migrants heading through Mexico are not welcome in the US, but that if they do enter illegally, they should go directly to O’Rourke supporters’ homes for help. Purportedly talking to the migrants, Cruz said, “When you get here, we have identified homes, that are willing to take you in to give you free housing, free food, free health care.” Cruz continued, “And every one of these homes is self-identified with a little black and white sign that says Beto. Don’t bother knocking, just kick the door and they don’t believe in walls, so just let yourself in, and make yourself at home.”