Ted Cruz seemingly asleep during Biden address draws online mockery
"Texas, are you watching?" one Twitter user wrote of the Republican Cruz. "He is supposed to be working for you!"
Republican Senator Ted Cruz appeared to have fallen asleep during President Joe Biden’s first address to Congress Wednesday night, immediately earning the scorn of social media users.
“Texas, are you watching?” one Twitter user wrote. “He is supposed to be working for you! You should be embarrassed!”
The video in circulation shows Cruz struggling to keep his eyes open and closing them for an extended period during a moment of the 65-minute address when cameras cut from President Biden to the audience.
“Of course Ted Cruz is SLEEPING,” Meena Harris, author and niece of Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted.
“Ted Cruz is sleeping as soundly now as he did in the Ritz Carlton while Texans were freezing to death,” another user wrote.
Comedian Noel Caster posited that “Ted Cruz wasn’t really falling asleep. He was acting, he’s a troll and wanted the viral clip.”
Of course, the Texas Senator used the video by sharing it and adding the caption: “#BoringButRadical.”
Read More: In address, Biden says ‘knee of justice’ is on the neck of Black Americans
Cruz also appeared on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s show Wednesday night, saying, “I think the speech tonight, you could sum up in three words: boring but radical. The speech tonight, by design, was calm and dulcet tones … I challenge you to remember a single line from the speech.”
He later added: “This is the most radical first hundred days of any president in the history of this country. This makes Barack Obama look mild and moderate.”
Read More: Black Twitter drags Sen. Tim Scott for saying America is ‘not a racist country’
Earlier on Twitter, however, one speech watcher seemed to capture much of the essence of those in attendance: “Ted Cruz is sleeping. Joe Manchin is doodling. Lauren Boebert is rolling her eyes. Biden doesn’t care about their theatrics. He’s moving forward and getting sh*t done while Republicans play games with the future of America.”
Only 200 lawmakers and other government officials were allowed in the Capitol instead of the normal 1,600 guests due to COVID-19 protocols, meaning those in attendance requested to be present or were invited.
Days before the address, Lindsey Graham told CNN, “I want to hear the President. I think we should go if we can out of respect for the office and him.”
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