Cruz dodges – Sen. Ted Cruz faced a pointed yes-or-no question from a TMZ DC reporter about whether Jan. 6 rioters should be eligible for money from the Justice Department’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” but Cruz repeatedly redirected to “weaponization” by
Sen. Ted Cruz didn’t walk into the exchange expecting a clean question. On Tuesday, a TMZ DC reporter pressed him on the Justice Department’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” and asked whether violent Capitol rioters should be “eligible” for a payday.
The confrontation played out in real time, with the back-and-forth tightening as the reporter insisted on a yes-or-no answer.
In the clip, TMZ DC reporter Charlie Cotton challenged Cruz with the money pot’s premise: if taxpayer funds are used to pay claims tied to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, should those convicted or charged in the violence be able to collect? Cruz answered with a pivot.
“You know, I’m not surprised you’re worried about that, but I’m curious, were you worried at all when Joe Biden was weaponizing the Department of Justice—” Cruz began.
Cotton cut in: “I don’t want to talk about Joe Biden.”
“I know you don’t!” Cruz shot back, adding, “I understand you got a political agenda.”
“No, I don’t. I just don’t want to pay Jan. 6 rioters,” Cotton said.
Cruz’s response landed like a deflection wrapped in a demand for control: “Look, look, look. I get — you get to ask the question, I get to give the answer.”
Cotton pushed again: “Are you going to answer it?”
“I’m giving you my answer,” Cruz replied.
When the reporter reiterated the core question, Cotton later asked again, “Do you think Jan. 6 rioters should be eligible for this money? Yes or no?”
Cruz didn’t deliver the direct answer, instead continuing to talk about Biden’s “weaponization” of the DOJ and accusing Cotton of not being “remotely concerned” about it.
The stakes behind the reporter’s insistence are grounded in what critics call a “slush fund” for Trump allies. The money pot was created in exchange for Trump dropping his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. and it has drawn concern that taxpayer resources could be used to pay claims by the 1. 500 rioters who were charged or convicted for their role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.
The exchange also echoes a broader line of attack that Vice President JD Vance has used, as critics argue the DOJ fund is designed to reward Trump supporters rather than just address legal exposure.
Cruz, however, framed his position in terms of what should happen to different categories of people. Even as he refused the yes-or-no framing, he offered his views on who should face consequences and who should be protected.
In his remarks, Cruz suggested that, in his words, those who engage in violent acts should be “prosecuted and face consequences,” while “peaceful protesters” should be “protected under the First Amendment.”
Still, Cotton kept returning to the central issue: eligibility for this specific money.
As the clip continued, Cruz appeared to search for an escape route. He slid into an elevator as another chance to answer the question closed behind the elevator doors.
Cotton pushed the question toward him as he moved, and Cruz’s final visible response—captured at the moment the doors began to close—was telling. He offered a faint smile.
It wasn’t the answer the reporter asked for. It was, instead, another round of Cruz turning the focus to Biden.
Ted Cruz TMZ Charlie Cotton anti-weaponization fund Department of Justice Jan. 6 rioters slush fund IRS lawsuit Trump JD Vance Biden weaponization First Amendment