
FILE – In this Jan. 23, 2020 file photo, Sen. Ted Cruz R-Texas, speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 11:03 AM PT — Friday, May 8, 2020
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) slammed a Texas city council’s decision to label the phrase “Chinese virus” as hate speech.
The Texas lawmaker took to Twitter Thursday to call the move “nuts” just before the San Antonio City Council unanimously voted that anyone using the phrases “Chinese virus” or “Kung Fu virus” would be investigated for hate speech.
Cruz continued his criticism by suggesting that investigations should start with the New York Times or with CNN “who both repeatedly and rightly referred to it as the Chinese coronavirus.”
This is NUTS. SA City Council behaving like a lefty college faculty lounge, triggered by Chick-fil-A & the words “Wuhan virus.” If they want to investigate someone, start with NYT & CNN who both repeatedly (and rightly) referred to it as “the Chinese coronavirus.” #NoSpeechPolice https://t.co/a10BZAvleQ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 7, 2020
The city council members suggested the language encourages hate crimes against Asian Americans and immigrants.
“We’ve seen incidents that are clearly racist in nature all around this country and we’ve even seen some incidents here,” stated Mayor Ron Nirenberg, (I) San Antonio, Texas. “This is really about standing in solidarity with all the members of our community.”
Sen. Cruz ended his tweet by using the hashtag #NoSpeechPolice in a stand against the infringement of free speech or the First Amendment.