Ted Cruz Calls the Midterm Sweep a Watergate-Level Repudiation and Says Texas Is Blue for Now. Earn It Back.

The facts come first below. My opinion follows in the section marked as opinion.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called the Democratic midterm sweep a "Watergate-level repudiation" of Republicans, blamed high prices and a long Iran war for the pain voters felt, and said Texas "today at least, is blue" even as he promised the state would turn red again.

These accounts come from reports read Friday morning, Nov. 6, Central time. Cruz was not on the ballot this year.

NBC noted that more than 80% of voters in its exit polls said they were worried about the prices of necessities such as gas and diesel, food, utilities and healthcare. That is the backdrop for Cruz's pocketbook focus.

What Cruz said

On his podcast, Cruz described the result as an "ass-kicking" for Republicans and said, "It was not simply a bad 2006 midterm election, it was a Watergate-level repudiation," NBC News reported. He called the Democratic shift a "blue tsunami," NBC said.

Cruz said "understandably, people were pissed off," because "Republicans didn't do enough to address their very real pain," according to NBC. He pointed to tariffs raising costs and the Iran war dragging on for "too long," and said, "Food is too high, gas is too high, diesel is too high, insurance is too high, life is too high." He added, "Too many Republican politicians seem like they didn't understand or they didn't care."

USA Today reported that Cruz also wrote, "Texas is blue. That is a hard sentence to utter. But Texas, today at least, is blue," and said, "As we sit here today, I am the only statewide elected Republican who remains in Texas. That's not something I ever thought I would say." That line was Cruz's characterization as of his Nov. 5 remarks; final certifications of some statewide races were still finishing. USA Today said he blamed Trump's tariffs for "making everything too expensive" and said of the Iran war, "It should have been brief, decisive, and over," and "It needs to end, and we should never, under any circumstances, give the Ayatollah billions of dollars."

Texas and the road ahead

Cruz said he called Sen.-elect James Talarico to congratulate him and told him he looked forward to working together for Texas, NBC News reported. He also said, "Texas will be red again," and, "We have not suddenly become a bunch of tofu-eating, gun-banning, tutu-wearing pinko commie liberals. That ain't us. Texas is still Texas." He said Republicans "will rebuild as a true blue-collar party not by embracing socialism, but by being real free-market conservatives."

CBS Texas reported the same "Watergate-level repudiation" line and said Cruz wrote that "Tariffs have made everything too expensive, and the Iran war has dragged on too long." CBS Texas also quoted Sen. John Cornyn congratulating Talarico: "The voters have spoken, and I want to extend my congratulations to James Talarico on his election to the U.S. Senate."

For President Trump's own post-election comments, see Trump Congratulates Democrats, Says Iran Was Part of GOP Loss.

Opinion:

Cruz is right about the prices. He is right that a long war and high costs punish working people. A party that lectures voters while their grocery bill climbs should expect a hard night. Calling it Watergate-level is strong language. The point underneath it is plain: Republicans lost the trust of people who used to vote for them.

He is also right to congratulate Talarico. Losers who cannot shake a hand look small. That does not mean Texas should stay blue. It means Republicans have to earn Texas back with honesty about tariffs, energy, borders and war aims, not with slogans alone.

Scripture still measures rulers by their fruit: When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. If Republicans want rejoicing, they must relieve real burdens. Listen. Cut what hurts households. End what should never have been open-ended. Then ask for votes again.