Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is being criticized on social media this week after sharing an article that argued Catholic thinkers and activists are exerting growing influence over the Republican Party.
"READ every word of this. It's the best & most comprehensive explanation of what we're fighting," Cruz wrote in a post on X with a link to the article, which described what it characterized as a "ten-year project" aimed at "the replacement of evangelical Protestant political theology" with a Catholic framework.
The article also warned of "a party with different gods" if evangelical Christians were displaced as the foundation of the American right.
Cruz's post quickly prompted backlash online from a number of Catholic commentators and conservative political figures, including some with ties to President Donald Trump's orbit.
"A U.S. senator sharing a nearly 10k word AI-generated anti-Catholic screed," said Daily Caller Editor in Chief Amber Duke.
Turning Point USA's Gabe Guidarini wrote, "The mask of 'principle' slips off and reveals the ugly, archaic anti-Catholic resentment within."
Former Federal Trade Commission senior adviser Jon Schweppe, who served in the Trump administration, wrote: "Get this [expletive] out of here. You should be embarrassed."
He added: "I guess @tedcruz wants to divide the GOP base even further. What a total piece of lard."
Others criticizing Cruz include Joshua Charles, a former speechwriter for former Vice President Mike Pence, and Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, who wrote, "Ted Cruz promoting a convoluted and lengthy article here that takes major shots at Catholics, specifically Catholic integralists, and bizarrely aligns them with Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson."
"Remarkable to see Ted Cruz so directly attack Catholics," said Christopher Hale, a former delegate to the Democratic National Convention who served in the Obama administration. "MAGA anti-Catholicism knows no bounds."
A number of other Catholics on social media also accused Cruz of promoting "anti-Catholic bigotry."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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