Sen. Ted Cruz’s Tweet on Police Truck Incident Draws Scrutiny

August 28, 2023 – Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas generated controversy with a tweet regarding a recent incident in which a police truck drove into a peaceful climate protest blockade. The tweet from Cruz read, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Let me offer you some free advice: don’t try this in Texas.”

Cruz’s comment was in response to a tweet by Climate Defiance, which stated, “Words fail. Words utterly fail. Today a police truck PLOWED INTO a peaceful climate blockade. These are the people ‘entrusted’ to keep us safe. These are the people we have granted a monopoly on the use of force. How is this ok?”

The tweet has drawn attention and criticism from some who interpret it as advocating or endorsing violence against protesters.