Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz has labelled New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a “parasite sucking on the taxpayer” for collecting a federal paycheck—despite earning the exact same salary himself.
Cruz’s Fox News Tirade
Appearing on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show on Monday evening, Cruz warned viewers about the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections, targeting “radical extremists” like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Ocasio-Cortez. “The stakes are, do we hand over the Congress and the country to a bunch of radical extremists?” he asked.
Cruz specifically criticised Ocasio-Cortez’s recent comments about the American Revolution, which she described as a revolt against billionaires. He accused her of retelling history as a “Marxist revolution” and claimed she was either ignorant or ideologically driven.
A Different Take on History
Cruz offered his own version of American history, portraying it as a triumph of “American free enterprise capitalists.” He argued that the revolution was funded by wealthy individuals such as Robert Morris, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. “It was American free enterprise capitalists who invested in seeking freedom,” he said.
He then turned his attention to Ocasio-Cortez’s statement that it is impossible to earn a billion dollars. “Look, I recognise for her given that she was a bartender, that is probably true, and there is no disrespect to bartenders... But she went from that to being a government employee and a parasite sucking on the taxpayer,” Cruz said.
Salary Comparison
Members of the House of Representatives, including Ocasio-Cortez, earn an annual salary of $174,000—the same amount as senators like Cruz. The irony of Cruz’s attack was not lost on observers, as he too is a government employee drawing a taxpayer-funded salary.
Cruz continued his lecture by citing industrialists like Henry Ford and Elon Musk as examples of successful capitalists. He accused left-wing “zealots” of wanting to take everything from successful people and put Washington politicians in charge of their lives.
“If you’re a 25-year-old guy starting your career, or a 25-year-old woman starting your career, that is a horrible, dystopic future, and if they take over the Congress, God help this country,” he said.
Accusations of Ignorance
Cruz accused the left of harbouring “profound ignorance” and lying to young people, insisting that conservatives like himself and Hannity were the true “social justice warriors.” He argued that capitalism is the greatest enemy of poverty and that leftists are trying to destroy the system that enables the American dream.
The senator’s comments come amid growing Republican concern over the midterm elections. New Emerson College polling indicates Democrats hold a 10-point advantage, prompting the GOP to invest over $300 million in campaign funds. President Donald Trump has already raised allegations of fraud and threatened to deploy an “Election Integrity Army” to oversee ballot counting, echoing his unfounded claims about the 2020 election.
