Threats against Democrats shouted during a speech by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at the GOP midterm convention shocked onlookers as the video circulated online.
Cruz called Democrats "evil" during his Thursday speech at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, when the crowd started yelling, "He should be shot!" The threat was directed at the Democrats Cruz was mentioning.
The Bulwark reported that the threat rang out three times as Cruz mentioned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Online, people were shocked by the flagrant calls for violence and that Cruz didn't react to them.
"This is actual threats of political violence," noted Missouri congressional candidate Fred Wellman.
"This is like literally a crime and violation of free speech to incite violence," national opinion columnist Sophia Nelson similarly warned.
"Hey @SecretService—I’d like to report a death threat if not multiple death threats," wrote journalist Morgan J. Freeman.
"They're not just letting guys in off the street," pointed out journalist Nick Field. "Someone sitting that close to the stage has a lot of money and connections to get there."
"Holy s—," reacted political strategist Kelsie Taggart. "You're telling me Ted Cruz didn't hear this."
"You can tell Ted hears the last one and just doesn't have the cojones or integrity to do the right thing," political commentator and former GOP operative Tim Miller posted.
"Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico are decent, honest people with integrity who are trying to make the lives of their constituents better," commented baseball writer Danny Abriano. "Their reward? Vitriol and lies being spewed about them that just led to death threats."
"On the same day Republicans pretend to denounce political violence because of Charlie Kirk, we have a Republican calling for violence against a Democrat at their convention," blasted author and activist Hemant Mehta.
"But, ya know, left wing violence is the issue," film and TV critic John Rocha mocked, making the same point and adding three eye-rolling emojis to his comments.