Ted Cruz has never been known for his on-point pop-cultural references. There were the times when he entirely botched Watchmen and Fight Club. He also, as a proud The Princess Bride superfan, feuded with Cary Elwes, and Stephen King won’t even waste fancy words on Ted while responding to the Texas lawmaker’s swing against the horror legend.
Then there’s Ted pulling a Sarah Palin this week while addressing what he sees as the ultimate blind devotion of the Left for Joe Biden. He must have forgotten that Donald Trump once bragged that his voters wouldn’t abandon him even if “I shot somebody.” Still, Ted would like to reserve those kinds of claims for his political enemies, which apparently include Pat Benatar.
While speaking with syndicated conservative radio host Joe Pags, Cruz declared, “I don’t think Senate Democrats, if you had video of Joe Biden murdering children dressed as the devil under a full moon while singing Pat Benatar, they still wouldn’t vote to convict.”
Ted Cruz: “I don’t think Senate Democrats, if you had video of Joe Biden murdering children dressed as the devil under a full moon while singing Pat Benatar, they still wouldn’t vote to convict.” pic.twitter.com/0a83AxV5RD
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) June 15, 2023
Was this out of left field? Maybe or maybe not, but the 1980s fans out there began to rally around one of their own, especially because Benatar happened to kill a bunch of Nazis in a music video.
What the hell did Pat Benatar do to Ted Cruz??? https://t.co/6fScOcbQxn
— Chris Lavoie (@RadioGuyChris) June 16, 2023
Some asshole from Texas about to find out exactly how much everyone else in his generation loves Pat Benatar. Nobody gets to come for her. Sorry.
— Heidi McDonald (@Death_Bow) June 15, 2023
> Looks up why Pat Benatar was trending
This whole thing gets funnier when you remember that she has a music video centered around killing nazis. pic.twitter.com/J7cDJnZtZo
— Painted Outlaw (@CoralianRainbow) June 15, 2023
In the 80’s Pat Benatar shot down a bunch of Nazi planes which likely explains why Ted Cruz doesn’t like her music pic.twitter.com/g1elsTkeDo
— JSWilliams1962 (@jswtreeman) June 16, 2023
Hey Ted Cruz, if that was your Best Shot, you Better Run, because I’m sure the great Pat Benatar & Joe Biden are All Fired Up and Invincible to your petty fucking nonsense because we progressives Live For Love even in the Shadows Of The Night. What a fucking asshole you are.
— TheNoirPoetographer (@NoirPoetograpy) June 16, 2023
There’s also the possibility that Ted may not have been firing random shots but, instead, intended to slam Benatar while interpreting her “Hell Is For Children” song, which was part of her advocacy on behalf of abused children.
Wait a minute. Despite being an ’80s man I don’t know a lot about Pat Benatar, but didn’t she have a song called “Hell Is For Children,” about child abuse?
(Checks)
Yes; she and her co-writer/husband also started foundation for abused kids.
Of all the dumass names to drop- pic.twitter.com/Upvx650YUr
— Benjamin Allen Varkentine (@Varkentine) June 16, 2023
Whatever the case, it’s funny as hell, as one user pointed out, “that, in a spontaneous moment, the most sinister and satanic rock & roller Ted Cruz could think of was Pat Benatar.”
Obviously, the funniest part is that, in a spontaneous moment, the most sinister and satanic rock & roller Ted Cruz could think of was Pat Benatar. https://t.co/dlMWH85viS
— Jay Michaelson (@jaymichaelson) June 16, 2023
He didn’t even reach for a Black Metal band or two. C’mon, Ted.