Overview

• The remark occurred Sept. 30 during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Trump administration’s response to crime in U.S. cities.
• C-SPAN footage shows Cruz saying, “How about we all come together and say, ‘Let’s stop attacking pedophiles,’” a line Snopes verified as an accurate but mistaken quote.
• Cruz did not correct himself and immediately pivoted to praising National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C., citing drops in robbery (57%), homicide (58%) and sex abuse (40%).
• A spokesperson said it was a verbal slip, explaining he intended to call for opposing pedophilia and added a stray word while speaking.
• The clip drew wide online attention, with critics linking the gaffe to continuing fights over releasing Jeffrey Epstein–related records and noting Cruz’s prior vote against a disclosure amendment.