There are so many Biden administration officials who have disgraced their positions, not to mention the country and people they serve, we've sort of lost count. From the old man himself down to the White House interns, we've been itching for consequences for any of them. But with a deadlocked Senate and a razor-thin majority in the House, we can't really imagine that Republicans will be able to make that happen for anyone in 2024. (There's also the fact that many Washington Republicans don't exactly have the firmest spines when it comes to dealing out justice, but that's another story.)
Still, every once in a while, we at least get to enjoy the savory experience when some of the more fiery Republicans have the opportunity to call out the corruption and incompetence of high-ranking Biden administration officials. That was the case yesterday when Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Texas Senator Ted Cruz took his turn to speak.
What followed was just under 10 minutes of such a thorough verbal beatdown, we were a little surprised that an ambulance wasn't needed to carry Blinken out of the room. Watch:
🚨WATCH: Senator Cruz RIPS Secretary of State Blinken for catastrophic foreign policy failures of Biden administration🚨 pic.twitter.com/g8hkgThS3u
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) May 21, 2024
Cruz, as usual, maintains mostly a calm and even keel throughout this verbal pummeling but there's no questioning his opinion when he begins his opening remarks by calling the Biden administration's handling of Israel, Hamas, and Iran (not to mention Russia and Ukraine) 'the worst foreign policy disaster of modern times.'
He then proceeds to itemize all of Blinken and Biden's failures, from the State Department's awful statement offering condolences to Iran on the death of the Butcher of Tehran Ebrahim Raisi to the administration's withholding of weapons from Israel to the payouts to Iran and that country's billions in oil sales over the past few years due to Biden not enforcing sanctions. Cruz even levels Blinken on his now-deleted tweets THE DAY AFTER October 7, urging a ceasefire.
Recommended
The. Day. After. Here is the deleted tweet:
Looks like the Secretary of State deleted this tweet and replaced it with below, removing the reference to advocacy for a cease-fire https://t.co/5ao9ntSkYT pic.twitter.com/roWlsCDV2P
— Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) October 9, 2023
Unbelievable.
In my 20 years in Washington, I’ve never seen a more withering and effective cross examination by a senator of an administration official than this one. If you have, please send me the clips. https://t.co/Qhr561MBsz
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) May 21, 2024
Few in Washington are as good at dressing down an adversary as Cruz. Mainly because of his demeanor but also because he brings the receipts, like the deleted tweet mentioned above or the statistics on Iranian oil production and sales during the Biden administration.
@tedcruz for the win: @SecBlinken can’t admit the directive to revive the Obama nuclear deal with the mullahs permitted Iranian exports to balloon from @300,000 bpd to @2,000,000–says sanctions worked under @realDonaldTrump because Iran’s nuclear program was “in a box”??? https://t.co/WqlllZ6AFW
— Victoria Coates (@VictoriaCoates) May 21, 2024
Blinken got offended when Cruz said straight up that Biden was responsible for the October 7 terrorist attacks. But everyone knows that Iran is the primary state sponsor of Hamas. And Cruz is correct when he states that between payments to the country and the oil sales. the current administration has funded Iran to the tune of $100 billion.
It's not difficult to draw the line of sight between the money and the attacks.
Holy crap. https://t.co/1DPP35VwsU
— The Mossad: Satirical, Yet Awesome (@TheMossadIL) May 22, 2024
Watch @SecBlinken squirm! It’s glorious. Thank you @SenTedCruz best opening of a can of whoop ass I’ve see in years. #Boom https://t.co/kVt9T5eTMy
— MaryAnnNotGinger 💋 (@MAnotGinger) May 22, 2024
We've seen questioning close to this devastating from Senators like Rand Paul and John Kennedy, but this was absolutely brutal from Cruz.
The stuttering and stumbling from the Secretary of State tells you everything you need to know.
— Benjamin Weingarten (@bhweingarten) May 21, 2024
Exit question: Did he perjure himself with regard to what intel the Biden admin has had on Hamas, and what it has shared with Israel? https://t.co/hGOUBIpYzS
Blinken flatly denied that the U.S. has withheld any intelligence from Israel, but Cruz (and The Washington Post) have sources on that, so it bears watching and DEFINITELY a follow-up investigation.
Thank you Senator!
— Nick Nikbakht (@nickbot21) May 21, 2024
Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken @ABlinken) is an evil serial liar. They issued condolences for terrorist leaders of regime in Iran & the statement never says that the world & Iranian people are better off with these terrorists gone! Shame👇@StateDept @EngageState pic.twitter.com/S4kcvAPLJU
The statement was truly disgraceful, as was Blinken's inability to condemn the United Nations lowering its flag to half-staff yesterday to 'honor' the death of Raisi.
Hey @TankerTrackers,
— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) May 21, 2024
Senator Cruz says there are currently over 400 tankers moving Iranian oil. Care to comment?
This was another moment of Cruz having the receipts and Blinken being completely clueless. Iran's 'ghost ships' moving oil have expanded from 70 to more than FOUR HUNDRED over the past three years.
At least 440, but who's counting?
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) May 21, 2024
Wow.
Ted Cruz exposes Biden’s abject failures regarding Iran. Under Trump Iran was selling 300,000 barrels of oil per day. Under Biden Iran is selling 2,000,000 per day. Iran’s Armada of oil ghost-ships in 2020 was 70 & today under Biden 400. Biden funded Hamas’ October 7th massacre. https://t.co/Z5bzPJYAZV
— I’m Your Huckleberry (@RossFairchild) May 21, 2024
None of this can be disputed, no matter how offended Blinken gets. HE certainly couldn't refute any of it.
I’ve never been a big fan of Ted Cruz but his argumentation skills are unmatched. The fact that he can do this without a single note in his hand is remarkable. https://t.co/AV1PxVvOlJ
— GayLumberjack (@gay_lumberjack) May 22, 2024
Cruz's preparation is impressive. What is equally 'impressive' is how unprepared Blinken was for this cross-examination.
It's almost like the Biden administration feels as though they don't have to answer to anyone, isn't it?
Senator Ted Cruz is exactly right. Secretary Blinken exhibits,
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) May 21, 2024
"The absence of American leadership."@tedcruz @SenTedCruz #AmericasTonyBlinken https://t.co/XxceYXF91R pic.twitter.com/ejiecoGYPV
The absence of leadership, the absence of accountability, and the absence of basic competence have all been on display for three years.
Masterclass - watch https://t.co/lLkqaQoq3f
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) May 22, 2024
I need a cigarette https://t.co/dVG94MWPPa
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) May 21, 2024
HA. We need one too.
What would be even more satisfying would be impeachment trials, but we'll have to settle for this verbal annihilation from Ted Cruz.
For now.
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