Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) captured the public’s imagination on Thursday with what many people have described as an uncharacteristic takedown of fellow Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the GOP and the Trump administration.
Footage of Bennet on the chamber floor accusing Cruz of shedding “crocodile tears” for federal workers who are currently going without pay during the government shutdown went viral, and appeared to resonate even more after political reporters noted he was usually “mild-mannered.”
Michael Bennet, usually a pretty congenial guy, very very angry about the shutdown @SenatorBennet https://t.co/dlYEmS9DFJ
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) January 24, 2019
Michael Bennet is a mild-mannered guy and doesn’t raise his voice much - if at all - but he’s downright yelling in anger and frustration over the shutdown and Ted Cruz on the usually tame Senate floor https://t.co/xxEgnjE7ML
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 25, 2019
Following the speech, Cruz chastized Bennet for “attacking me personally.” Cruz also claimed he would never have “bellowed or yelled at a colleague on the Senate floor.”
Twitter users, however, had Bennet’s back:
LEFT: Ted Cruz before Colorado Senator Michael Bennet took to the floor.
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) January 25, 2019
RIGHT: Ted Cruz after Colorado Senator Michael Bennet took to the floor. pic.twitter.com/XlwUTGB556
— Ron (@ronissocool) January 25, 2019
The dam junior senator from Texas pic.twitter.com/WBiMIpPRQ7
— rhema craib (@dayesrhema) January 24, 2019
I feel like Michael Bennet just yelled on behalf of everyone who’s felt like they’re going completely insane for the past few years. https://t.co/3PBjRmXItm
— Rachel Heine (@RachelHeine) January 25, 2019
This guy when Michael Bennet dragging @tedcruz pic.twitter.com/9e6xrwEMp1
— Jerry James Stone (@jerryjamesstone) January 25, 2019
Watching Ted Cruz get so totally roasted is the only ok thing about this week https://t.co/KPvIa0QbdA
— Adam ⚡️ Sneed (@atsneed) January 25, 2019
I found a pamphlet for you @tedcruz pic.twitter.com/BO4YzmKo7q
— A. Koford ˢᵉᵉ ᵖᶦⁿⁿᵉᵈ ᵗʷᵉᵉᵗ (@apelad) January 25, 2019
It's not all that difficult to make Ted Cruz look bad, but still, this is really well done. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/IMppfxBgkv
— Adam Green (@theAdamGreen) January 25, 2019
Yeah, @tedcruz is the absolute worst. He has spent his career doing everything he can to oppress LGBTQ+ people. His actions and rhetoric are greatly damaging. So, this is great. https://t.co/vqHEjQVt9r
— Ellen Page (@EllenPage) January 25, 2019
this is the most incredible thing i’ve ever seen
— Jonathan Deesi̓̐ͦ̄ng (@Deesing) January 25, 2019
Ted Cruz, the Freedom Caucus, Paul Ryan, trump, and the entire GOP roasted for 25 jaw dropping minutes https://t.co/MdWXiCJWtg
Thank you @SenatorBennet for saying what thousands of us would have loved to say about Ted Cruz who single handedly shut the government down last time & who is now enabling Donald Trump to shut down the govt again. You passionately spoke truth about American citizens https://t.co/KcAsN4yHV1
— Bonnie Fuller (@BonnieFuller) January 25, 2019
I highly recommend watching this all the way through. @SenatorBennet of Colorado helpfully reminds the junior Senator from Texas, @tedcruz, how he triggered a previous government shutdown to help boost his own presidential prospects, the suffering it caused, and the stakes now. https://t.co/jruttiFiYd
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 24, 2019
Look, we all know how easy it is to dunk on Ted Cruz...but sweet Xenu. Bennett leaves nothing, not even a smoking, greasy hole in the desert. https://t.co/pGJ1LWfvew
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 24, 2019
— Ray Silva (@rayrynofan) January 24, 2019
Michael Bennet is all of us right now, approaching “Network” level apoplexy. https://t.co/ljStuALMPk
— Scott Smith (@changeist) January 25, 2019
— izzy (@isthbel) January 24, 2019
Senator, may we borrow your spine? It would appear the rublican party may have lost theirs?
— Geneva Marie (@BlueGenWhite) January 24, 2019
Check out Bennet’s full address here:
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