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Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was widely criticized after he suggested Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren might have a penis during a transphobic speech.
Speaking at the seventh annual Basque fry to support Republican Adam Laxalt’s challenge against Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto for the Senate in Nevada. in Nevada on August 13, Cruz recounted a story Warren told about a moment during her presidential primary campaign when a man told her that he would have voted for her if she had a penis.
You can hear what Cruz said in the video below.
\u201cHere's the video of Ted Cruz joking that Elizabeth Warren might have a penis. @lawindsor\u201d— David Edwards (@David Edwards) 1660493577
Cruz said:
“Elizabeth Warren told reporters that guy came up to her and said, ‘I would have voted for you if only you a had a penis.’ Now let me say two things about this.”
"Number one, that story is a lie. Produce this fictional person, because this human being does not exist. That’s not even 1/1024th true."
"But number two, in today’s Democrat Party, how do we know she doesn’t? Like for Democrats, how could you possibly know?”
[in a deeper voice] “Hi, my name is Elizabeth. Call me Bob. This is my beard.”
Cruz's joke was widely criticized and many said it amounted to both transphobia and sexual harassment.
\u201cSeriously?! @tedcruz is trash, plain and simple. #cancuncruz Try defending your wife for a change instead of denigrating another woman. Texas (and America) deserve WAY better.\u201d— Aaron Robert (@Aaron Robert) 1660671661
\u201cSeriously? Is he in high school?\u201d— Luba Howard \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Luba Howard \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660598443
\u201cChildish and disgusting.\u201d— Julia Conaway Bondanella \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Julia Conaway Bondanella \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660583815
\u201cMaybe @ewarren has a penis, maybe not. We all know @tedcruz has no balls.\u201d— Jason Blake \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Jason Blake \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660547421
\u201cThis is just sexual harassment. If Ted Cruz worked in a normal office and talked like this about his colleagues he\u2019d be the creepy guy who is always getting written up by HR.\u201d— Ari Drennen \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Ari Drennen \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1660573908
\u201cI guess he is trying out his new comedy routine in preparation for his upcoming career change.\ud83e\udd14Does the world of comedy really need another stand up comic who body shames and gender shames? I guess that's why they have a 2 drink minimum. This is just weird and offensive.\ud83d\ude44\ud83d\ude33\u201d— Marilyn Matthews (@Marilyn Matthews) 1660581447
\u201cTotally classless rhetoric from one of the softest so-called men.\u201d— Brother Lee Love (@Brother Lee Love) 1660592027
\u201cTry this bit out at your job tomorrow about a random female coworker and then report back on how long it takes for you to get fired.\u201d— Brian (@Brian) 1660529891
\u201cTed Cruz spreads hate and sows discord.\u201d— CajunBlueAZ\u2122 \ud83c\udf35 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@CajunBlueAZ\u2122 \ud83c\udf35 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1660536380
Cruz has been scrutinized for anti-trans rhetoric in the past.
For instance, the week of Associate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearings, Cruz was accused of grandstanding after he mocked transgender people's identities by asking if he as a Hispanic man could "decide" to be Asian, and inquired whether he would "have the ability to be an Asian man and challenge Harvard’s discrimination" in a dig at affirmative action policies designed to improve employment or educational opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Jackson responded she was unable to answer the question because Cruz was asking her about "hypotheticals." Cruz was chastised by Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, for going over his time limit.
After sparring with Durbin, Cruz sat back, took out his phone, and checked his Twitter mentions to see if the moment had begun to trend online, a move that was confirmed by reporters tasked with covering the hearings and that exposed him to widespread mockery.