'They know better': CNN busts Ted Cruz for his Jan. 6 riot flip-flop
On the day before the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot that sent lawmakers fleeing for their lives from supporters of ex-president Donald Trump, CNN's hosts took GOP lawmakers to task for diminishing the events of the day.
In particular, host Phil Mattingly busted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for turning tail on his own remarks right after the far-right insurrection that sought to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's win.
With Mattingly skeptically presenting an Associated Press headline that blared, "One attack, two interpretations: Biden and Trump both make the Jan. 6 riot a political rallying cry," the CNN host presented a montage of Republican lawmakers who once expressed disgust with the Capitol rioters and later walked their comments back to stay in the good graces of Trump.
Cruz capped off the clip, with CNN showing him stating, "We are approaching a solemn anniversary this week and it is the anniversary of a violent terrorist attack on the Capitol where we saw the men and women of law enforcement demonstrate incredible courage."
"That was the reality of that day," Mattingly asserted. "It was unequivocal, it was demonstrable, it is now political. Think that's an exaggeration? Remember those Cruz comments we literally just played for you? This was Ted Cruz the very next night."
ALSO READ: Five unresolved questions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack
What followed was a clip of Cruz being interviewed by former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, who asked, "You called this a terror attack when by no definition was it a terror attack — that's a lie. You told that lie on purpose and I'm wondering why you did."
"Well, Tucker, thank you for having me on," Cruz began. "When you aired your episode last night I sent you a text shortly thereafter and said, ''Listen, I'd like to go on because the way I phrased things yesterday, it was sloppy and it was frankly dumb."
Cutting back to the hosts, Mattingly bluntly stated, "The key point, they know better. They all know better."
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