September 12, 2017

Ted Cruz Tries to Explain Why His Twitter Account Liked an Explicit Porn Video

“It was a staffing issue.”

Tom Williams/ZUMA

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

A late-night Republican Twitter happening is making headlines this morning—and it’s got nothing do with Donald Trump.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz became the subject of a series of awkward jokes—and collective revulsion—late on Monday, after his Twitter account was seen liking an explicit porn video from the account @SexuallPosts. The video, which is NSFW and can be viewed here, featured a woman walking into her sun-drenched home to discover two strangers casually having sex on a couch. The woman then proceeds to masturbate to the unexpected scene unfolding in her living room.

With the jokes pouring in, Catherine Frazier, a communications adviser for Cruz, took to her own account to say that the like had been removed and reported. Her statement appeared to suggest the activity was the result of a hack.

But many on Twitter questioned who would hack into an account merely to like such an explicit video. 

The overnight Twitter action comes with some irony: While serving as Texas solicitor general, Cruz argued in a long-running federal trial that the use of sex toys was tantamount to “hiring a willing prostitute or engaging in consensual bigamy.” While running for president in 2016, he decried Trump’s “New York values.”

Update, 11:30 a.m.: Ted Cruz told reporters that a “staffing issue” caused the controversy. He said, “It was inadvertent. It was a mistake, it was not a deliberate action.” 

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate