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Home · News

Ted Cruz Tried To Capitalize On Anniversary Of ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech And Twitter Was Not Here For It

The U.S. Senator from Texas touted equality, justice, and humanity in his tweet. Twitter users were quick to point out his hypocrisy.
Ted Cruz Tried To Capitalize On Anniversary Of Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech But Twitter Was Not Here For It
By Tanya A. Christian · Updated October 23, 2020

Ted Cruz, the U.S. Senator from Texas who lost to Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries, and narrowly won back his Senate seat in the 2018 midterms, decided to “honor” the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the August 28 anniversary of his “I Have A Dream” Speech.

But things don’t always go as planned.

Wednesday marked 56 years since the late civil rights leader spoke his momentous words at the March on Washington. Cruz attempted to capitalize on the occasion with a tweet touting “equality,” “justice,” and “humanity,” and Twitter essentially told the longtime politician to miss them with the BS.

“On this day, 56 years ago, Dr. King gave his mighty I Have a Dream speech from the steps on the Lincoln Memorial,” Cruz tweeted. “His vision—of equality, of justice, of humanity—resonates today with trembling power. Today, listen again to the entire historic speech.” Cruz also included a link to the audio version of King’s delivery.

On this day, 56 years ago, Dr. King gave his mighty I Have a Dream speech from the steps on the Lincoln Memorial. His vision—of equality, of justice, of humanity—resonates today with trembling power. Today, listen again to the entire historic speech: https://t.co/wD22sT9s7e pic.twitter.com/e0aNYxwgEn

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 28, 2019

Within moments of Cruz’s post going live, Twitter users began to call out the Senator for supporting Trump, a man whose actions go against many of the values MLK held. The hypocrisy led one user to say, “Don’t believe Dr. King would approve of concentration camps or voters suppression. Don’t believe he would approve of destroying public education. Denying healthcare with pre-existing conditions. You preach a lot Ted but you don’t practice much.” 

Though commentators pretty much agreed that King’s words were still significant today and needed to be remembered at a time like this, most of them wanted Cruz to keep MLK’s name out of his mouth —or keyboard for that matter.

You dare quote MLK when you support openly racist people in your own party, including the POTUS who is a stated White Supremacist. You are lower and more pathetic than I anticipated.

— Scott Munn (@Scott_Resist) August 29, 2019

You support an overt Racist who regularly denigrates women of color who hold positions of power. Has called Mexicans rapists and criminals, called African countries shitholes, and gleefully takes migrant children from parents & locks them in cages. MLK would be disgusted w/you.

— Elizabeth Burke 🌊 (@BurkesLawNYC) August 29, 2019

keep mlk's name out ur keyboard

— pfire☔#QueenOfPopCulture #CivilWrites (@firefire100) August 28, 2019

MLK Jr would like to say, from the grave, that he does not give Ted Cruz permission to quote him and that Ted Cruz looks like a large adult baby.

— Karles Huxley (@9th_Amendment) August 28, 2019

So don’t you dare to claim MLK’s legacy when you promote hatred, racism, and xenophobia

— Ian Sayeedi (@IanSayeedi) August 28, 2019
TOPICS:  Martin Luther King Jr Ted Cruz Twitter
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