The Columbus Dispatch

Cruz mocks AOC, Cancun trip at CPAC

- Tim Balk

Sen. Ted Cruz taunted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-cortez as he addressed the Conservati­ve Political Action Conference on Friday, making a joke out of the New York Democrat’s fears of the deadly riot at the Capitol last month.

In his remarks, Cruz, R-texas, said the U.S. faces “dark times” with Democrats controllin­g both chambers of Congress, adding dramatical­ly that “Bernie is wearing mittens, and AOC is telling us she was murdered,” his voice reaching a high pitch.

The reference to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ sartorial choices at President Joe Biden’s inaugurati­on and Ocasio-cortez’s account of the Capitol chaos came toward the beginning of a theatrical 16minute speech from Cruz.

He made light of his widely panned escape from frigid, blackout-plagued Texas to Cancun, Mexico, this month, and he finished the speech by promising GOP successes to come and yelling: “In the immortal words of William

Wallace: FREEDOM!!” The outburst was a reference to the film “Braveheart.”

The four-day convention kicked off Thursday in Orlando, Florida, and Trump is expected to give the final speech Sunday night.

Ocasio-cortez has said she feared for her life during the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. She was in the Cannon House Office Building, part of the complex, during the siege, and said on Instagram later she “did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive.”

Her recollecti­on of the day prompted false accusation­s that she had misstated where she was that day.

Ocasio-cortez’s office didn’t immediatel­y respond to a request for comment on Cruz’s barb.

Cruz was recently criticized for taking his family to Cancun, Mexico, while millions of Texans shivered in their unheated homes during the disaster. Cruz later said the trip was a mistake.

“Orlando is awesome,” he declared. “It’s not as nice as Cancun. But it’s nice.”

 ?? SAM THOMAS/AP ?? Sen. Ted Cruz, R-texas, jokes about offending liberals during a speech at the Conservati­ve Political Action conference Friday in Orlando, Florida.
SAM THOMAS/AP Sen. Ted Cruz, R-texas, jokes about offending liberals during a speech at the Conservati­ve Political Action conference Friday in Orlando, Florida.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States