Texas senators widely criticized for their ‘crocodile tears’ after the shooting tragedy in Uvalde
Published: May 25, 2022 04:56 PM Updated: May 25, 2022 04:27 PM
A woman cries Tuesdayas she leaves the Uvalde Civic Center. At least 14 students and 1 teacher were killed after a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24. Photo: IC
A woman cries Tuesdayas she leaves the Uvalde Civic Center. At least 14 students and 1 teacher were killed after a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on May 24. Photo: IC


The shooting case at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday has killed 21 people, including 19 children. After the incident, Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and Michael McCaul, three Republican senators from Texas and long-time anti-China politicians, once again fell into the whirlpool of public opinion and became the object of many people's criticism.

Shortly after the shooting, Cruz quickly sent out a tweet saying that he and his wife were praying for the children and their families in the aftermath of the horrific shooting. "Heidi & I are fervently lifting up in prayer the children and families in the horrific shooting in Uvalde. We are in close contact with local officials, but the precise details are still unfolding. Thank you to heroic law enforcement & first responders for acting so swiftly." He wrote.

His post received more than 70,000 comments, with one of the highest ranked and most liked tweets sarcastically saying: "Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. I'll just leave this (a chart) here." The chart behind the tweet is a list of the top 20 members of the Congress who received money from gun rights groups in 2016, with Cruz topping the list with $360,727, twice as much as another infamous anti-China congressman, Marco Rubio, in second place.

According to CNBC, Greg Abbott, along with both of Texas' US senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, were scheduled to attend the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual convention in Houston on Friday, just days after the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

Politico then reported that a spokesperson for Cornyn said Cornyn wouldn't attend the meeting, citing an unexpected change in his schedule that occurred before the Uvalde shooting.

"These children were also murdered by the lawmakers who made a choice to let them die - and they keep making that choice," one netizen commented with a tag referring to John Cornyn.

"I'm very sure that Greg Abbot, John Cornyn and other Texas republicans will go home tonight, kiss their loved ones, have sumptuous dinners and sleep soundly as the rest of us are heartbroken and anxious as a result of mass gun murders of babies," another tweeted in anger.

Cornyn quickly followed up with three tweets expressing his regret over the shooting. "Today, the entire state of Texas is in mourning. Earlier today, a gunman entered an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and opened fire. The shooting at Robb Elementary School is every parent and teacher's worst nightmare." He said.

However, his regret was not well understood and supported by netizens.

"I bet he already had the statement ready. He knew this was going to happen every single time he voted against gun regulations. He probably feels horrible about that, but the $$ was in a no vote," a netizen commented under Cornyn's post.

"There have been 16 mass shootings in the last 10 days. I seriously doubt he feels horrible. If it makes him richer for children to die, he seems perfectly okay with that," said another.

"Each one of those children had a heartbeat. So did the teachers. What about a "heartbeat bill" for them or don't they count? @GovAbbott @tedcruz @JohnCornyn," a netizen questioned the infamous senators.

In addition to these two senators, Michael McCaul, another Republican politician who made himself a joke at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday by discrediting the Vietnamese delegation as the Chinese delegation, became another target of criticism.

After the shootings, he posted a tweet and expressed his condolences for the victims, but many Americans were not buying it, because McCaul has supported gun freedom all the time. His campaign funding over the years has also been supported by the NRA.

"I'd like to extend my prayers and deepest sympathies to the children, staff, and families affected by today's tragic shooting in Uvalde. My office is monitoring the situation and are thankful to our law enforcement officers for their swift action," he noted.

"You cannot call yourself pro-life while receiving endorsements from the NRA," a netizen responded to his tweet.

"Was the NRA endorsement worth the blood on your hands though?" asked another.

Global Times