Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Saturday weighed in on the shooting at a Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, while discussing how President Obama is “unwilling” to used the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism.”
“We saw the ugly face of Islamic terrorism in my home state of Texas — in Garland, where two jihadists came to commit murder. Thankfully one police officer helped them meet their virgins,” Cruz said.
“But when given the choice between free speech and the political correctness of refusing to acknowledge radical Islamic terrorism, it is a time for choosing where we stand,” he continued.
Two gunmen were killed last weekend when they opened fire on officers outside of the Muhammad cartoon contest organized by anti-Muslim activist Pam Geller.
Earlier in his speech, Cruz mentioned the religious freedom bills in Arkansas and Indiana, which were both modified after businesses expressed concern that the bills would permit discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Cruz praised both states for standing up “to defend religious liberty.”
“And the modern Democratic party, in a perfect storm, joined with big business to say their commitment to mandatory gay marriage in all 50 states trumps any commitment to the First Amendment,” Cruz said.
He then jabbed Republicans who did not weigh in on the controversy over the bill in Indiana.
“Indiana was a sorting moment,” he said. “There are candidates running in 2016, even candidates in the Republican field, who when Indiana was being battled, they were nowhere to be found.”
