Sen. Ted Cruz sparked the ire of the internet on Monday after trying to smear Democrats as the party of racism.
The Texas Republican took to Twitter to attack Senate Democrats for holding hearings on the history of racist laws passed in the Southern United States intended to discriminate against Black Americans.
“Impressive candor for Senate Dems to hold a hearing on the history of Jim Crow laws,” Cruz wrote on Monday. “Bull Connor, Nathan Bedford Forrest (founder of KKK), George Wallace, Robert Byrd — ALL Democrats. Dems wrote Jim Crow. Sadly, they’ve got a lot of expertise in bigotry and discrimination,” he added.
Cruz’s tweet was met with fierce pushback from Twitter users who reminded Cruz that Republicans are the ones protesting the removal of monuments dedicated to racist figures.
check some of the responses below.
Impressive candor for Senate Dems to hold a hearing on the history of Jim Crow laws.
– Bull Connor
– Nathan Bedford Forrest (founder of KKK)
– George Wallace
– Robert Byrd
ALL Democrats.
Dems wrote Jim Crow. Sadly, they’ve got a lot of expertise in bigotry & discrimination. https://t.co/4ckhRXrSCw
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 19, 2021
You realize by today’s standards and beliefs, those “Dems” would be republican right?
— Sleepius (@Sleepius) April 19, 2021
Continuing with your constant gaslighting, eh Tedward? For those who don't already know, Jim crow era Dems are now the current day Republicans, keep up with history lest you repeat mistakes of the past. pic.twitter.com/47KtrQv7fn
— 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖 (@dariameetsworld) April 19, 2021
If they created Jim Crow, then why are you speaking out against them for wanting to get rid of their laws?
— Exo (@DATguy_Danimal) April 19, 2021
Can you explain why all the states these men hail from are now all Republican strongholds? The parties flipped, not the people in these states.
— Terence Begley (@TerenceBegleyNJ) April 19, 2021
It's just terrible when a party grows with the times.
— Roastmaster General (@TempleOfJames) April 19, 2021
I'm sure your pea brain can't grasp the concept, but party platforms has switched over the years. Because by your reasoning, you should be fighting for voter rights, and we all know where you stand on THAT.
— KathleenAllison (@TexasBluebon) April 19, 2021
I admire people who admit past mistakes and work to rectify them. You’re criticizing Dems for past racism while you’re actively part of a party that condones racism right now. How do you fail to see that stunning hypocrisy?
— Mandy J. Moore (@mandyjmoore) April 19, 2021
Which party fights to keep statutes to Nathan Bedford Forrest up today, Teddy?
— Attorney@Law (@TheGlare_TM) April 19, 2021
In 1964, Texas had two senators, one Democrat, one Republican.
The Democrat voted for the Civil Rights Act.
The republican voted against it… pic.twitter.com/I0c7KYEnBl
— Hugh G Merriman MD (@merriman_md) April 19, 2021
Man, republicans really are going to surf on their party’s good deeds from 150+ years ago, as if the last 60 years of racist policies from the GOP never happened.
— Cuck Norris (@statelypenguin) April 19, 2021
Ted, stop being deliberately obtuse and pretending you don’t know about the Southern Strategy.
— Jacqueline Rubio (@JRubio1982) April 19, 2021
Do you think that if you talk about where the Dems were 60 years ago we'll forget that your party is on the wrong side of voting rights & equality today?
But on the subject of the Civil Rights Movement, can you remind me which party passed & signed into law the CRA and the VRA?
— Miranda Yaver, PhD (@mirandayaver) April 19, 2021
Impressive intellectual dishonesty for Ted Cruz to argue that today's Democrats, not today's Republicans, are the inheritors of segregation and the KKK, as if the parties didn't completely reverse on race and Nixon's southern strategy didn't happen.
— Michael Rosenberg (@MJRosenbergDad) April 19, 2021
Ted, please stop pic.twitter.com/UJWGWOR1XQ
— sam deutsch (@samdman95) April 19, 2021