Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) repeatedly dodged a question from the moderator in his debate against Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) on Tuesday night.
Cruz is a longtime opponent of abortion who has been cagey about whether he supports exceptions for rape and incest.
During the debate, moderator Jason Whitely of WFAA in Dallas attempted to get some clarity from the senator:
“Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States,” the moderator noted. “There’s no exception for rape or incest, as you know. In 2021, you co-sponsored a bill in Congress that included those exceptions. But a year later, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, you said that you agree with the Texas law that has zero exceptions. So tonight, the question is, where do you stand on this? And we’re asking for your personal opinion as a Texan and as a father.”
Cruz responded with a filibuster.
“Well listen, abortion is an issue many Texans and many Americans care deeply about,” he replied. “And it’s an issue people of good faith can disagree. People are genuinely and deeply pro-life. People are genuinely and deeply pro-choice. And there are all sorts of positions in between. I agree with the United States Supreme Court that under our Constitution, the way we resolve questions like that, questions on which we have real and genuine disagreements it’s at the ballot box, is voting.”
The senator continued to dodge before claiming Allred is “extreme” on abortion. Allred accused Cruz of lying and then referenced Texas women who had complications from abortion and could not get care, as well as women who were forced to carry their rapist’s fetus to term.
After Allred concluded, Whitely gave it another go.
“Senator, you do not directly answer the question,” he said. “I wanna ask you again. Do you support or oppose exceptions for rape or for incest? Again, asking as a Texas and a father tonight.”
“So, I wanna be very clear,” Cruz began before evading the question a second time by bringing up Allred’s record again.
The congressman offered a rebuttal, and upon finishing, Whitely tried again.
“Senator, I wanna give you 60 seconds,” he said. “I wanna ask you again. Why is this an issue you won’t address, about saying whether you support or oppose exceptions for–”
Cruz, who was on the debate team at Princeton University, chuckled and decided to try a different strategy by attacking the moderator.
“Jason, I’m curious,” he said. “Why do you keep asking me that?”
Cruz then resumed his broadsides against Allred, and the debate moved on to another topic.
Polls have consistently shown Cruz leading Allred by between three to five points. On Monday night, Cruz went on Fox News where he pleaded with viewers to donate to his campaign.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
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