Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) met with the small group of truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates around Washington on Tuesday and told a story that many people thought sounded suspiciously similar to tall tales often recalled by former President Donald Trump.
Cruz claimed: “Almost without exception, every time I’m on an airplane, either the captain or a flight attendant will come up to me, will hug me and say, ‘Thank you for fighting for us.’”
Watch the video here:
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during meeting with D.C. trucker convoy:
— The Recount (@therecount) March 8, 2022
“Almost without exception, every time I’m on an airplane, either the captain or a flight attendant will come up to me, will hug me and say, ‘Thank you for fighting for us.’” pic.twitter.com/27eoBrBlMb
Critics were highly skeptical.
And to many, the braggadocio sounded like Trump’s highly embellished recollections about people becoming emotional in his presence.
Did they do it on the flight to Cancun? https://t.co/a9qr4MLGat
— Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (@FullFrontalSamB) March 8, 2022
No one has ever hugged Ted Cruz https://t.co/0JTb4wtWS9
— Joe Flood (@joeflood) March 8, 2022
It almost sounds like a DJT sir story, e.g.:
— riwoche རི་བོ་ཆེ་ (@riwoche) March 8, 2022
"Sir, even though we are told you have no friends you are a truly exceptional Senator."
Exceptional as in the exception to Senators who have friends.https://t.co/AcVJIVYmgk
Not on the flight from DC to Chicago on which I was sitting next to him, a couple of years ago, they didn't. But sample size n=1, so, who knows, maybe this isn't the complete BS it sounds like?
— Neil McRoberts (@UnderGardener1) March 8, 2022
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) March 8, 2022
"You don't know these pilots and flight attendants, they go to school in Canada"
— Dr. Ohmskyy 🇺🇲🌊🇺🇦 (@HereToRebuild) March 9, 2022
“Almost without exception” doing a lot of work here. https://t.co/zTpSZBcyC2
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 9, 2022
You would think, with all this hugging and fawning of public figures, someone would have memorialized just one of the occasions in pics or videos. Anyone seen any? 🙄
— Maudi63 🌻 (@maudi63) March 8, 2022
“Sir,” they said. Big, strong men, crying. “Sir, thank you, sir. Thank you for fighting for us sir.” https://t.co/u6i22ptuy9
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 8, 2022
"Thank you for fighting for unmasked, violent passengers to come onboard the airplane and endanger us all Mr. Cruz," said no flight attendant ever.
— CK (@HRCDemocrat) March 8, 2022
Maybe they hugged him because of the frequent trips to Cancun, but even then… https://t.co/pRFRP7nkEl pic.twitter.com/85TMa1cK7V
— Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair (@harrisonjaime) March 8, 2022
Did they call him "sir", with tears in their eyes, too?https://t.co/3c2l4DPS2q pic.twitter.com/jbMeOKW5Ab
— 🌊Shush🗽WearADamnMask😷💉💉💉 (@ShushOrchid) March 9, 2022
Narrator: But the truth is, no one ever hugged Ted Cruz, which is how he became Ted Cruz... https://t.co/JVvPrvzosC
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) March 9, 2022
I was a flight attendant for 43 years and I can assure everyone that this never happened.
— Sandra Gordon (@DuchyLG) March 8, 2022
This never happened. https://t.co/iAAMoPfyrE
— Hart Hanson (@HartHanson) March 9, 2022
1. This doesn’t happen
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 9, 2022
2. If it has, it’s because the captain or flight attendant lost a bet https://t.co/sPTXdrF4mf
see you know this is a lie because no one willingly touches Ted Cruz https://t.co/VY5pN2LgAM
— shauna (@goldengateblond) March 9, 2022
If you believe that flight attendants & captains hug Ted Cruz all the time, I have two tickets to Cancun to sell you. https://t.co/OCrVpsi7me
— 🌻 Emily Brandwin 🌻 (@CIAspygirl) March 9, 2022
"Thank you for fighting against vaccine mandates," said the vaxxed, working flight attendant.
— Donna vaccinated pro-Democracy, puppy lover 🐕 (@dkshop60) March 8, 2022
Even if this is true - and @tedcruz is a congenital liar - it's, what, less than 100 people a year? Including crews working the Cancun run? https://t.co/5YIgxhjmdr
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 9, 2022
Almost without exception, every time I go into any shop or restaurant or cab, someone will come up to me, throw their arms around me while sobbing and through their tears say, “Why does Ted Cruz make up such absurd stories?!” https://t.co/pd87go1uKd
— Tom Coates (@tomcoates) March 9, 2022
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