‘How Pathetic’: Internet Erupts Over Ted Cruz Praising Trump’s ‘Lyin’ Ted’ Insult as ‘Genius’ 2026

Bulgaria News

Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) praise of President Donald Trump for saddling him with the “Lyin’ Ted” nickname triggered a merciless round of mockery online Thursday, including from critics who recalled just how ugly their 2016 rivalry became.

The Republican revisited his bitter presidential primary battle with Trump during an appearance on New York Post columnist Miranda Devine on her Pod Force One podcast Wednesday, conceding that the attack on his credibility had worked.

“Which I will admit was politically very effective. Look, the man has an instinctual genius,” Cruz said. “What was so effective about it was that my single strongest attribute was that the voters trusted me… The Jiu-Jitsu of Trump was to take my greatest strength and make an attack that goes right at it, and I think he does that instinctually in a very effective way.”

The praise quickly revived memories of a very different Cruz. During the 2016 campaign, he called Trump a “pathological liar” and “a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country has ever seen” after Trump amplified an unsubstantiated claim linking Cruz’s father to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and insulted his wife.

Conservative Trump critic George Conway resurfaced that history:

Some marveled at the take, branding Cruz “pathetic” and lambasting him for participating in his own “humiliation ritual”:

Influencer Spencer Hakimian trashed the senator as a “pathetic cuck” while introducing the video for his followers:

Others simply could not get past Cruz’s brightly colored suit, including former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews:

New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush offered: “make america grape again,” while MS NOW’s Matt Fuller noted: “Ted Cruz looks like he’s about to sell a town a monorail,” a reference to an old Simpsons gag.

Republican consultant Dan Bayens came in with the Paw Patrol reference, while menswear writer Derek Guy reminded Cruz that “lavender is a spring color”:

The post ‘How Pathetic’: Internet Erupts Over Ted Cruz Praising Trump’s ‘Lyin’ Ted’ Insult as ‘Genius’ first appeared on Mediaite.

‘How Pathetic’: Internet Erupts Over Ted Cruz Praising Trump’s ‘Lyin’ Ted’ Insult as ‘Genius’ 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-18 11:38:18 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law

БЪЛГАРИЯ НОВИНИТЕ – ИНФОРМАЦИОННА АГЕНЦИЯ 2009-2026 2026-09-18 11:38:18