Ted Cruz defended a parent who used a Nazi salute during a school board meeting, Wednesday, while speaking with Attorney General Merrick Garland at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Cruz and other Republicans were attacking Garland’s request that the Justice Department investigate a rise in violent threats against educators.
Cruz explained that the parent was during the salute ironically to imply that the teachers were supporting oppressive policies, likely referencing mask mandates or critical race theory.
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“My God! A parent did a Nazi salute at a school board because they thought the policies were oppressive,” Cruz said. “General Garland, is doing a Nazi salute at an elected official, is that protected by the First Amendment?”
“Yes, it is,” Garland replied.
Garland also explained that his memo to the Justice Department was in response to “public reports of violence and threats of violence.”
Later, Cruz continued to defend the parent on Twitter writing that, “Lefty journos are either (1) dishonest or (2) not very bright (or both). The parent was doing the Nazi salute because he was calling the authoritarian school board Nazis—evil, bad & abusive. And yes, calling someone a Nazi is very much protected by the First Amendment.”
[Via]