The worst part of Sen. Ted Cruz’s interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson wasn’t the “abject humiliation” to the Texas Republican, according to Cruz’s former communications director.
In an essay for the conservative website The Bulwark, Amanda Carpenter argued the evidence of Cruz’s “radicalization” as he apologized for calling the Donald Trump-incited U.S. Capitol riot a “violent terrorist attack” was actually far more frightening.
Carpenter said she understood “the urge to dunk on Cruz,” but “what happened on Carlson’s show is more than just an example of Cruz’s weaselly pleading being worthy of a laugh. It’s ultimately not funny at all.”
“Cruz once strove to convey that he cared about justice and truth,” she continued. “He used to believe that violence was violence, and that the rule of law (and the rules of language) should be equally applied.”
But that is “no longer the case,” Carpenter lamented. “What he did on Jan. 6th himself last year and what he said on Carlson’s show last week goes far beyond pandering. Cruz’s humiliation is hardly the point. His radicalization is far more frightening.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
