Ted Cruz has won six more years in the Senate, and while that’s a blow to progressive hopes in Texas, no one seems more disappointed than his own family. A clip of Cruz’s victory speech has now gone viral for his teenage daughter’s hilarious reaction as she cringes in the background.
On the evening of November 5, while the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was still a toss up, Cruz won his third term against Democratic challenger, former civil rights lawyer Colin Allred. Cruz took to the stage, surrounded by his family, to deliver his usual fever dream of right wing talking points, but one moment in particular caught the internet’s attention.
Related
In the midst of a national nightmare, who can blame the gays for dreaming?
“I believe… and I hope and pray that Donald Trump will be reelected as president of the United States,” Cruz said in a now viral TikTok clip. The user zoomed in on the senator’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Caroline Cruz, who visibly grimaced at his mention of Trump.
Culture, unfiltered
Our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
As the crowd roared with cheers and applause, she could be seen mouthing something, which internet sleuths have translated as: “Don’t clap for that.”
At the time of writing, the clip has over 2.3 million views, and viewers are living for this small show of familial rebellion. “Caroline Cruz is that girl,” said one commenter.
“She didn’t even try to hide it,” laughed another.
“Omg she’s trouble,” said another. “Love this for him.”
This isn’t the first time Caroline Cruz has made the news for demonstrating opposition to her father’s politics. In 2022, the then thirteen-year-old posted a (now deleted) video on her (now private) TikTok account where she discussed what it is like being the daughter of a famous, right wing senator.
“A lot of people judge me based upon him at first glance,” she explained. “But I really disagree with most of his views.”
One notable point of difference: Caroline Cruz had identified as bisexual in her bio and had listed her pronouns as she/her. In another video, one user asked whether her father knew about her identity. “I haven’t told him yet,” she responded. “I’m kinda nervous to tbh but I don’t think he would be mad about it.”
It remains to be seen whether the Cruzes have had that conversation. But one thing is clear: Caroline is not shy to oppose her father’s views on the national stage.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
