{"id":42627,"date":"2026-08-13T07:04:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T02:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=42627"},"modified":"2026-08-13T07:04:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T02:04:31","slug":"dangerous-disgrace-ted-cruz-ripped-online-for-pushing-baseless-vaccine-claim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=42627","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Dangerous Disgrace\u2019: Ted Cruz Ripped Online for Pushing Baseless Vaccine Claim"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5695098\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5695098\" class=\"wp-image-5695098 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cruz-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"Ted Cruz\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-5695098\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francis Chung\/POLITICO via AP Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sen. <strong>Ted Cruz<\/strong> (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 \u2014 a years-old misreading of preliminary vaccine safety data that has repeatedly been debunked.<\/p>\n<p>Cruz <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tedcruz\/status\/2087557490917462062?s=20\">posted<\/a> Wednesday on X, in promotion of an episode of his podcast, &#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The senator was referring to texts from Dr. <strong>Anthony Fauci<\/strong>, Dr. <strong>Rochelle Walensky<\/strong>, and Dr. <strong>Vivek Murthy<\/strong> from January of 2021. Released this week, the messages show the three <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/media\/news\/meghan-mccain-explodes-demands-handcuff-perp-walk-for-fauci-after-release-of-covid-vaccine-miscarriage-texts\/\">discussing<\/a> theoretical concerns about miscarriage and vaccination. Fauci noted, importantly, that more than 10,000 pregnant women had already been vaccinated and that \u201cno issues have arisen.\u201d Subsequent research found no increased risk of miscarriage associated with COVID-19 vaccination, and the CDC later recommended vaccination during pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>The texts have become a major talking point for the GOP, though, with Rep. <strong>Lisa McClain<\/strong> (R-MI) alleging to Fox Business Tuesday that they are proof of Fauci&#8217;s &#8220;criminal&#8221; acts. The congresswoman also cited the same 82% statistic Cruz used, prompting the network to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/media\/tv\/gop-rep-falsely-claims-82-of-women-vaccinated-in-first-two-trimesters-miscarried\/\">issue a correction<\/a> Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>The study in question, from <em>The New England Journal of Medicine<\/em> 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 \u2014 a calculation the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajenda.substack.com\/p\/no-the-covid-19-vaccine-does-not\">data did not support<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cruz was swiftly torched across the internet for the claim, with <strong>David French<\/strong>, a columnist for <em>The New York Times<\/em>, writing on X Wednesday, &#8220;Deeply, dangerously dishonest. He knows better.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Read a sample of some of the reactions below:<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"71bdf15be758022aa79235afeb79a4e5\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Deeply, dangerously dishonest. He knows better. Yet here we are. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UXMmnpNSbv\">https:\/\/t.co\/UXMmnpNSbv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; David French (@DavidAFrench) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DavidAFrench\/status\/2087674784079609945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"fa76dfc2fdbd585744b8b887148765d1\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What an utter dishonest and dangerous disgrace is Ted Cruz <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8gvPPEfrq9\">https:\/\/t.co\/8gvPPEfrq9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NormOrnstein\/status\/2087701656435614203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"9482bf3343779302b25a3178a03d31ac\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ted Cruz has been better than a lot of Republicans, but as it turns out even \u201cbetter\u201d is pretty bad. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AAEaEINybq\">https:\/\/t.co\/AAEaEINybq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RichardHanania\/status\/2087661744890196176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"51e563e2bfb1efdb2439c1e2a80e21fd\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Somehow Ted Cruz is currently the most plausible Reaganite candidate for 2028. This is suboptimal. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JQyJahSxH3\">https:\/\/t.co\/JQyJahSxH3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Gregg Nunziata (@greggnunziata) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/greggnunziata\/status\/2087679388036759666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"a9738832cadb8b6afc5d77a2884bcb3b\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ted Cruz is more than bright enough to know that this claim is absurd and irresponsible.<br \/>He&#039;s also evil enough not to give a shit. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lJNYEwhHyU\">https:\/\/t.co\/lJNYEwhHyU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jay Bookman (@jaysbookman) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jaysbookman\/status\/2087580644465393988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"8cf0f5f1e07ccde04a44f6155d8d9172\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Shame on you <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/tedcruz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@tedcruz<\/a>. This is a bald faced lie. You are lying. You are purposely lying. You are purposely spreading malicious &amp; dangerous disinformation. How the fuck do you live with yourself? Shame on you. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1s040cuCAZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/1s040cuCAZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WalshFreedom\/status\/2087669884809511002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"7a4b96df601407c109aadb00da15d4ab\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">People sometimes ask me: \u201cHey, Trump hater! Can\u2019t you name a single thing Trump has gotten right? Not even ONE?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well sure I can.<\/p>\n<p>He called Ted Cruz \u201cLyin\u2019 Ted.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/avRFAlxaAD\">https:\/\/t.co\/avRFAlxaAD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Patterico (@Patterico) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Patterico\/status\/2087702726453166100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"3824ee1950078eeb73a4fb7b6b0da06f\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is a disgusting, disgraceful, reckless statement from Senator Cruz.<\/p>\n<p>Not only are these statistics and claims totally, objectively wrong and false. <\/p>\n<p>The data he&#039;s referencing was NEVER &quot;covered up&quot; by Dr. Fauci.<\/p>\n<p>It&#039;s been public since its 2021 publication in NEJM. <\/p>\n<p>And\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/i99Oh2sWFq\">https:\/\/t.co\/i99Oh2sWFq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Brad Polumbo (@brad_polumbo) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/brad_polumbo\/status\/2087654292094386206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"a5d544532641594fb30b2e655db68581\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">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. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WYWzWU89zH\">https:\/\/t.co\/WYWzWU89zH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jessica Riedl <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f9c0.png\" alt=\"\ud83e\uddc0\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/17.0.2\/72x72\/1f1fa-1f1e6.png\" alt=\"\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6\" class=\"wp-smiley\" style=\"height: 1em;max-height: 1em\" \/> (@JessicaBRiedl) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JessicaBRiedl\/status\/2087700601626939539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"8ea2978d4bc74b5de6547078abab73c7\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">He will say absolutely anything won\u2019t he. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/843pOkWErF\">https:\/\/t.co\/843pOkWErF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; S.V. D\u00e1te (@svdate) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/svdate\/status\/2087658369855148400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"e587e4f7825f1d85714807b148f3b4ed\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is an outright lie, and a dangerous one. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jMDBU0cN70\">https:\/\/t.co\/jMDBU0cN70<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Christian Schneider (@Schneider_CM) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Schneider_CM\/status\/2087570521512702130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed_container\" id=\"fc4d510c9c92bdbd1d2cfbd7fb786841\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What&#039;s horrifying is that a U.S. senator would push a lie like this that is so ridiculous that anyone who thought about it for even a second would realize that number couldn&#039;t possibly be correct. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tXSAHy7nyG\">https:\/\/t.co\/tXSAHy7nyG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/fawfulfan\/status\/2087694778523636000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\/online\/dangerous-disgrace-ted-cruz-ripped-online-for-pushing-baseless-vaccine-claim\/\">\u2018Dangerous Disgrace\u2019: Ted Cruz Ripped Online for Pushing Baseless Vaccine Claim<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediaite.com\">Mediaite<\/a>.<\/p>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Francis Chung\/POLITICO via AP Images 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 \u2014 a years-old misreading of preliminary vaccine safety data that has repeatedly been debunked. Cruz posted Wednesday on X, in promotion of an&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/am12.mediaite.com\/med\/cnt\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cruz-scaled.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}