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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was ripped online Wednesday after promoting the baseless claim that COVID-19 vaccines caused an 82% miscarriage rate among women vaccinated early in pregnancy — a years-old misreading of preliminary vaccine safety data that has repeatedly been debunked.
Cruz posted Wednesday on X, in promotion of an episode of his podcast, “Bombshell Data: Fauci Covered up that Covid Vaccine Produced 82% Miscarriage Rate. We now have the receipts: Dr. Fauci and Pfizer knew the second dose of the COVID vaccine carried an 82% risk of miscarriage for women in their first trimester.”
The senator was referring to texts from Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, and Dr. Vivek Murthy from January of 2021. Released this week, the messages show the three discussing theoretical concerns about miscarriage and vaccination. Fauci noted, importantly, that more than 10,000 pregnant women had already been vaccinated and that “no issues have arisen.” Subsequent research found no increased risk of miscarriage associated with COVID-19 vaccination, and the CDC later recommended vaccination during pregnancy.
The texts have become a major talking point for the GOP, though, with Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) alleging to Fox Business Tuesday that they are proof of Fauci’s “criminal” acts. The congresswoman also cited the same 82% statistic Cruz used, prompting the network to issue a correction Wednesday.
The study in question, from The New England Journal of Medicine in 2021, reported a 12.6% miscarriage rate among participants with completed pregnancies, consistent with expected rates. The 82% figure was reached by excluding 700 women who gave birth after being vaccinated in their third trimester while still counting early pregnancy losses — a calculation the data did not support.
Cruz was swiftly torched across the internet for the claim, with David French, a columnist for The New York Times, writing on X Wednesday, “Deeply, dangerously dishonest. He knows better.”
Read a sample of some of the reactions below:
It does not matter if the statistic is accurate (they know it is not). All that matters is whether it can be weaponized to mobilize your gullible army of knee-jerk partisans. https://t.co/WYWzWU89zH
— Jessica Riedl
(@JessicaBRiedl) August 13, 2026
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The post ‘Dangerous Disgrace’: Ted Cruz Ripped Online for Pushing Baseless Vaccine Claim first appeared on Mediaite.
