Texas Sen. Ted Cruz accused communists and Islamists of staging a hostile takeover of the Democratic Party. He made the accusation in a video posted on X, targeting Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. His remarks drew criticism from those who argued that Republicans had undergone a hostile takeover instead.
“What’s happening right now is not normal,” Cruz declared, warning about the direction of the Democratic Party. He pointed to Mamdani’s reported desire to “seize the means of production” as evidence of his concerns. The senator linked the phrase to Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto, describing it as a word-for-word quote. He argued that Mamdani meant exactly what he said.
Turning to Michigan, Cruz targeted El-Sayed, whom he called the “Jihadist Leprechaun.” He also claimed the Democratic nominee had spoken of an “obligation to follow Sharia law.” The senator then joked about receiving a cease-and-desist order from the Irish American Society over the nickname.
Ted Cruz Faces Backlash Over Democratic Party Takeover Claims
The responses challenged Cruz’s political priorities, his language toward Democratic candidates, and the direction of his own party.
“It’s the hostile takeover of the GOP by corrupt authoritarians that matters Ted,” one commenter wrote. Another criticized his remarks about religion, stating, “Reducing political opponents to religious slurs and manufactured communist conspiracies is the work of a desperate fearmonger, not a serious public servant.”
Others questioned the senator’s political priorities. “We are witnessing constant fear mongering by maga republicans because they have absolutely zero solutions for anything,” one response stated. Another pointed to his attention to Michigan, writing, “You spend more time worrying about MI than your own constituents in TX.”
However, some responses supported Cruz’s concerns about the Democratic Party. “The old D party openly embraced & touted it all. The takeover was successful. Not a single D fought back,” one commenter argued.
Another defended the Republican Party’s position, writing, “The party opened the door, put out snacks, and asked Mamdani to please seize the means of production nicely. Trump and the GOP are the only firewall left.”
Cruz did not identify any formal Democratic Party leadership change in his remarks. The disagreement remains over whether his examples justify describing the party’s direction as a hostile takeover.
