Celebrities

Ted Cruz ripped for trying to pick fight with Mr. T over vaccine, masks

By
Social Links for Emily Crane
Published April 7, 2022
Updated April 7, 2022, 12:22 p.m. ET

Sen. Ted Cruz has been slammed for trying to pick a fight with Mr. T on Twitter after the 1980s icon said he would still wear a mask even though he’s had a second COVID-19 booster shot.

Cruz (R-Texas) took aim at Mr. T, whose real name is Lawrence Tureaud, on Wednesday after the actor and professional wrestler started trending on Twitter over his vaccine statement.

“I just received my 2nd Moderna booster vaccine, and I feel good! I am still going to wear my mask and keep my distance because the virus ain’t over, Fool! Grrr,” the star of “The A-Team” tweeted.

Cruz quickly called out Mr. T’s stance as “bizarre” in an apparent bid to shame Hollywood’s elite.

“535 Members of Congress can attend the State of the Union without wearing masks, but it’s still not good enough for Hollywood,” Cruz said.

UNITED STATES - APRIL 5: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., back left, are seen in the U.S. Capitol during a senate vote on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.
Sen. Ted Cruz said Mr. T’s stance was “bizarre.” Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The backlash against the senator was swift, with Twitter users accusing him of shaming Mr. T for exercising the “freedom” to choose whether he masks up — an argument the Texas senator repeatedly used during the height of the pandemic.

“It’s called personal freedom. You should try it some day,” one user tweeted.

“This seems like a fight you should definitely not pick, particularly based on your sob stories over personal freedoms to spread the virus,” another wrote.

“Let the people have personal freedom. I know. I know. It goes against the GQP rules but most of us prefer freedom as WE see it. Not as the GQP sees it,” another user said, referencing a term used to describe Republicans who support QAnon.

Mr. T attends a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Dallas Wings on September 19, 2021 at
Mr. T said he would still wear a mask even though he’s had a second COVID-19 booster shot. Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images

Another person tweeted: “You are about personal liberties. Let people choose what they wish.”

Meanwhile, others seized on Cruz picking a fight with a former professional wrestler, tweeting: “Fled Cruz trying to start a fight with Mr. T? I’d love to see how this plays out!”

Cruz has made his stance on masks clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

At one point, he refused to wear a face covering in the Capitol building after receiving his vaccine in April last year. He also slammed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that July over its “absurd” recommendation to still require masks for vaccinated Americans indoors.