GOP Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday stormed out of an interview with a British reporter after being asked why school shootings only happen in America.
Cruz, who is among the Republicans vehemently opposed to proposals from Democrats on expanding background checks on gun sales, was attending a vigil Wednesday for the victims of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, when he was asked by Sky News reporter Mark Stone why mass shootings happen “only in America.”
Cruz responded by saying, “You know, it’s easy to go to politics.”
“But it’s important, it’s at the heart of the issue,” Stone replied.
“I get that that’s where the media likes to go,” Cruz said.
The Sky News reporter replied that that was not the case, saying many of the people he spoke with at the vigil also had gun control on their minds.
“The proposals from the Democrats and the media inevitably, when some violent psychopath murders people …” Cruz said, before he was cut off by Stone. The journalist said that the alleged shooter was “a violent psychopath who’s able to get a weapon so easily — an 18-year-old with two AR-15s.”
Cruz ignored him and continued: “If you want to stop violent crime, the proposals the Democrats have — none of them would have stopped this.”
But Stone pressed on, asking: “Why does this only happen in your country? …. Why only in America? Why is this American exceptionalism so awful?”
That’s when Cruz fired back: “You know, I’m sorry you think American exceptionalism is awful. You’ve got your political agenda. God loves you.”
As Cruz attempted to walk away, Stone said he just wanted “to understand why you do not think that guns are the problem.”
“It is just an American problem,” the journalist said to Cruz.
At the end of the exchange, an annoyed Cruz accused Stone of pushing propaganda.
“Why is it that people come from all over the world to America? Because it’s the freest, most prosperous, safest country on Earth,” the senator said. “Stop being a propagandist.”
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