Ted Cruz tweeted an attack against his opponent, Beto O’Rourke, during their debate Friday that people called a self-own for the history books.
“In Beto O'Rourke's own words,” Cruz tweeted along with a video of O’Rourke speaking out about the death of Botham Jean, a black man who was recently shot and killed by a police officer in his own home.
In Beto O'Rourke's own words #TXSenateDebate
“How can it be, in this day and age, in this very year, in this community, that a young man — African American, in his own apartment — is shot and killed by a police officer?” O’Rourke asked a crowd of supporters at the Good Street Baptist Church in Dallas earlier this month.
“And when we all want justice and the facts and the information to make an informed decision, what is released to the public?” O'Rourke asked. “That he had a small amount of marijuana in his kitchen. How can that be just in this country?”
“How can we continue to lose the lives of unarmed black men in the United States of America at the hands of white police officers? That is not justice. That is not us. That can and that must change,” O’Rourke said to the cheering crowd, many whom had risen to their feet in a standing ovation.
The tweet...backfired.
You literally just made him look better.... lol https://t.co/VhZeQsEW96
Wow. Ted Cruz posts a video of his opponent being cheered in a church for opposing unarmed black men being shot dead, in the hope it whips up a racist backlash against him in Texas. https://t.co/0qNXb7uW5A
Many people quickly called it out as racist.
It is so absurdly revealing that Ted Cruz thinks that this video of Beto O’Rourke saying that unarmed Black men shouldn’t be shot in their own homes by police officers for no reason...is somehow bad. https://t.co/Ll8dvVLyUX
Republicans like Ted Cruz get fake mad when anyone points out Republican politics is driven by appeals to race panic, and then pull unsubtle crap like this. https://t.co/P8J7y7uf5Y
@tedcruz Beto talks to black people, Don't vote for beto -this ad is brought to you by Ted Cruz
“Love to own my opponent by posting video of them getting uproarious applause for opposing extrajudicial killings of black men by white cops,” one person said.
love to own my opponent by posting video of them getting uproarious applause for opposing extrajudicial killings of black men by white cops. https://t.co/nW7GgCX3XI
Many joked that it read as a campaign ad for O’Rourke.
Beto O'Rourke is so good, even Ted Cruz is sharing campaign ads for him. https://t.co/LFzIvoU5VH
@tedcruz Beto is so inspiring! He even inspired Ted Cruz to share this incredible speech he gave in the community. When was the last time anyone jumped to their feet to applaud something Ted said? Maybe during his college mime days? Nah.
And some said it inspired them to donate or campaign for O’Rourke.
@tedcruz I just gave $100 to Beto. Thanks for the inspiration Ted.
@tedcruz Thanks for posting, @tedcruz! It was the push I need to start making calls for him from Tennessee. By posting this I’m assuming that you strongly support killing unarmed black men in their homes? Because they have marijuana there? Or just because?
“Just wait until he posts videos of Beto saving clubbed baby seals while reciting the Bill of Rights,” one person said. “That'll show ’em.”
Just wait until he posts videos of Beto saving clubbed baby seals while reciting the Bill of Rights....that’ll show ‘em. https://t.co/ficablaGFR
Cruz and O’Rourke's campaigns did not immediately respond to request for comment.