Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is known more for his internet trolling and loyalty to former President Donald Trump than passing legislation.
Whether he's joking about abandoning his constituents as they went without power during a deadly winter storm, or praising the Russian Military at the expense of the United States, Cruz is no stranger to widespread social media disdain.
But in a Wednesday tweet, one tweet of Cruz's had people confused.
The Senator was reacting to the Biden administration's recent deal not to block the Nord Stream 2 pipeline stretching from Germany to Russia. The Administration sought to avoid souring relations with Germany on a project that, according to Biden, is "99 percent finished." The deal also secured funding from Germany to weaken Ukraine's dependence on neighboring Russia's natural gas exports.
While the decision not to block the 750 mile pipeline was met with criticism from members on both sides of the aisle, Cruz's opposition was oddly expressed.
\u201cBiden satisfies Putin.\u201d\n\n\n\nMaybe not the headline they were looking for. https://twitter.com/afp/status/1417917501296545794\u00a0\u2026— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1626898678
Cruz focused on a tweet from the AFP News Agency noting that the Kremlin was "satisfied" with the deal. He responded with an eggplant emoji—long used to connote a penis—and a clown emoji.
He concluded:
"Maybe not the headline they were looking for. 🤔"
People were confused.
what thehttps://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1626927444
what universe are we living in...https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— blob (@blob) 1626903303
There are not enough words in the English language for me to adequately verbalize my thoughts herehttps://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— Caleb Plott (@Caleb Plott) 1626903019
My imposter syndrome has suddenly evaporatedhttps://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— Rudy FunkMeyer (@Rudy FunkMeyer) 1626903297
why did ted say thishttps://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— west coast elite \u26c5\ufe0f\ud83c\udf10\ud83c\udf66 (@west coast elite \u26c5\ufe0f\ud83c\udf10\ud83c\udf66) 1626899122
how do you even respond to this like actuallyhttps://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— un-abel \ud83d\udc22 (@un-abel \ud83d\udc22) 1626907600
The sleaziness and immaturity of the tweet enraged others.
A sitting United States Senator, ladies & gentlemen. \n\nOur country is a seventh grade.https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— Matt Walton (@Matt Walton) 1626954718
If you ever do anything constructive to benefit your constituents while blazing on your path to self-fulfillment, it will be purely accidental. Of course, it wouldn't be something as significant as making sure we don't die while being exposed to the elements. Resign!https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— Tammy Marshall (@Tammy Marshall) 1626904894
A sitting United States Senator, ladies & gentlemen. \n\nOur country is a seventh grade.https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1417941946346188801\u00a0\u2026— Matt Walton (@Matt Walton) 1626954718
This isn't the first time Cruz has sparked backlash for lewdness on the internet. On September 11, 2017 Cruz's account "liked" a pornographic tweet, causing it to appear in others' timelines.
Judge Judy Eye Roll GIF
@elonmusk/X
Loop Home GIF by Homepoet.de
Solar Energy GIF by Nexamp
Shave Shaving GIF by Shawn Mendes
The Sandlot Wow GIF