fact-check-130.png: Dark background with red border. Five white stars at top. Red box contains claim text in bold white: '[Implicit] The elevated terror threat is caused by Biden's border policy and the DHS shutdown, not by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.' Below, gray box with red italic header 'This is misleading.' followed by white body text explaining that Cruz identifies two causes of the heightened terror threat (Biden's border policy and the DHS shutdown) but never mentions Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026, which Cruz himself advocated. The text details how U.S. intelligence officials have explicitly linked the elevated threat to this conflict, including FBI alerts about potential Iranian drone attacks on California, intercepted encrypted communications, attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities, and warnings about retaliation for killing Khamenei. Text is truncated with ellipsis.
fact-check-131.png: Dark background with red border. Five white stars at top. Red box contains claim text in bold white: 'The Department of Homeland Security, its central purpose is to prevent acts of terrorism. And the Democrats are saying defund DHS when we're facing a massive risk of terrorism.' Below, gray box with red italic header 'This is misleading.' followed by white body text explaining that while DHS was created in 2002 with counterterrorism as a primary mission, saying Democrats want to 'defund DHS' is a mischaracterization. Democrats have proposed funding every DHS component except ICE and CBP while negotiations continue over immigration enforcement reforms. ICE and CBP already received more than $70 billion in the 2025 reconciliation bill, and ICE's own acting director testified the shutdown would not significantly impact enforcement operations. The word 'defund' carries rhetorical baggage from 'Defund the Police' and is used to create a misleading impression. Text is truncated with ellipsis.
fact-check-132.png: Dark background with red border. Five white stars at top. Red box contains claim text in bold white: 'Every single Democrat except John Fetterman has voted over and over again to shut down the Department of Homeland Security.' Below, gray box with red italic header 'This is needs context.' (apparent typo in original) followed by white body text explaining the claim is technically accurate in the narrowest sense. Senate Democrats (except Fetterman) have repeatedly voted to block the House-passed DHS funding bill, and DHS has been in partial shutdown since February 14, 2026. The most recent vote on March 13 failed 51-46 with Fetterman as the lone Democrat voting to advance. However, Democrats blocked the bill because it includes full funding for ICE and CBP without reforms demanded after federal immigration agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens. Democrats offered to fund TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard, and CISA while negotiations on ICE and CBP continue. Republicans blocked those proposals. Text is truncated with ellipsis.
fact-check-135.png: Dark background with red border. Five white stars at top. Red box contains claim text in bold white: 'Biden's open borders were basically an open invitation to every terrorist, every Hamas and Hezbollah and IRGC terrorist come to America.' Below, gray box with red italic header 'This is misleading.' followed by white body text explaining Cruz implies a direct causal chain from Biden border policy to specific terrorist incidents. However, neither incident supports this claim. The Austin shooter, Ndiaga Diagne, entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2000 during the Clinton administration, obtained a green card through marriage in 2006 under the Bush administration, and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2013 under the Obama administration. The NYC bomb suspects, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, were both U.S. citizens from Pennsylvania. Balat's parents were born in Turkey and naturalized in 2017; Kayumi's parents are from Afghanistan and naturalized between 2004 and 2009. Neither crossed a border illegally under Biden. Text notes CBP recorded 388 encounters with watchlist individuals and is truncated with ellipsis.
Cruz: America is "much safer" after killing the Ayatollah.
Cruz 8 days later: Terror threat highest in decades.
Pick one, Ted. Full fact-check in the carousel.
#TedCruz #FactCheck #DHS #PoliticalHypocrisy