Former Minnesota Democratic Senator Al Franken took Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz to task after his tweet extolling the virtues of armed guards at banks aged poorly in the wake of a mass shooting inside a bank in Louisville, Kentucky.
On March 31, Cruz tweeted about the need for more armed police officers in schools to prevent mass shootings. In the tweet, he compared the protection of banks to children, questioning why banks would have armed police while schools would not.
An image Cruz shared along with his tweet reads:
"When you go to the bank and you deposit money in the bank, there are armed police officers at the bank. Why? Because we want to protect the money we save."
"Why on earth do we protect a stupid deposit more than our children? We have an opportunity right now to double the police officers on campus and keep kids safe."
You can see Cruz's tweet below.
\u201cYesterday, I reintroduced the Securing Our Schools Act and the Protect Our Children\u2019s Schools Act.\n \nSadly, Senate Democrats played politics and blocked these two critical school safety bills.\n \nhttps://t.co/jEAkAO6YH4\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
Just ten days after Cruz issued that tweet, a man used an AR-15 rifle he legally purchased to kill five people and injure eight others in a bank in Louisville. The incident occurred despite the presence of armed police officers in banks.
Calls for gun control have been renewed following the Nashville and Louisville shootings. Democrats and gun reform advocates have urged the passing of gun control legislation, such as “red flag” laws to keep firearms out of the hands of people deemed a risk to themselves or others, a ban on assault weapons, and stronger background checks.
One of the more prominent voices to speak out in the wake of the Louisville shooting was none other than Franken, who eviscerated Cruz's argument for armed guards with the following message:
"Ted, the guy who killed 5 yesterday at a BANK did it with an AR-15. Why on earth don’t we get rid of these weapons of war?"
You can see Franken's tweet below.
\u201cTed, the guy who killed 5 yesterday at a BANK did it with an AR-15. Why on earth don\u2019t we get rid of these weapons of war?\u201d— Al Franken (@Al Franken) 1681234386
Many concurred with Franken's response and criticized Cruz profusely.
\u201c@SenTedCruz Seriously? Ted - You're a pandering charlatan.\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
\u201c@SenTedCruz Worked out well, huh Ted? #Louisville\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
\u201c@SenTedCruz Well this is awkward.\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
\u201c@SenTedCruz Speaking of banks, funny story...\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
\u201c@SenTedCruz Because democrats know GUNS are the reason. Adding additional security guards will not change the reason. Stop grandstanding and truly try to solve the issue. Otherwise, sit down and hush up.\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
\u201c@SenTedCruz Your sickening, monetized allegiance to the NRA (and that of your like minded colleagues) cost 4 more lives today. At a bank. With armed guards and security cam. Care to comment on this one, Raphael?\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
\u201c@SenTedCruz Nice work Ted. Please resign there are smarter (much smarter) Republicans who should replace you.\u201d— Senator Ted Cruz (@Senator Ted Cruz) 1680293764
Cruz has a history of advocating for more guns after mass shootings.
After the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, he suggested having just one door in and out of schools, with armed officers guarding it. The Uvalde shooting saw 19 children and two teachers killed.
Cruz, who told Fox News it would be best to have just "one door into and out of the school and have ... armed police officers at that door" did not appear to comprehend the fact cutting down the number of exits in a school building would pose an even greater safety risk, as well as a significant fire hazard.
He went on to accuse Democrats of "empty political posturing," dismissing calls for comprehensive gun control measures.
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