Ted Cruz - I want to hear you say anti-semitic speech is protected by the First Amendment - 1A

Ted Cruz Dodges Direct Question on First Amendment Protections for Anti-Semitic Speech

"Not HATE speech," the reporter specified, "Anti-semitic speech." Is it protected?

Ted Cruz refused to answer the direct question - whether or not anti-semitic speech is protected by the first amendment. As of November 2025, Cruz is laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential bid.

Washington, D.C. – November 29, 2025

In a moment that's ignited fierce debate across social media and conservative circles, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) faced a pointed question: Does the First Amendment protect anti-Semitic speech? Rather than delivering a straightforward yes or no, the Texas lawmaker opted for a broader defense of free speech protections, leaving critics and supporters alike parsing his words for deeper intent.

"The First Amendment protects hateful speech," Cruz stated firmly, emphasizing that legal safeguards do not erase the "moral obligation to confront it with the truth."

The senator's reluctance to directly affirm or deny protections for anti-Semitic rhetoric has drawn sharp rebukes from free speech advocates and anti-Zionist voices. "Ted Cruz is saying that questioning Israel’s actions & Americans demanding answers is viciously anti-Semitic.

Cruz, a constitutional scholar and vocal defender of the Bill of Rights, has long championed expansive First Amendment interpretations. In a September speech at Politico’s AI & Tech Summit, he explicitly affirmed that the Constitution "absolutely protects hate speech," adding that while prosecution is off the table, societal pushback remains fair game. Cancel culture. Ted Cruz supports cancel culture. De-banking?

Fresh off a fiery keynote at the Republican Jewish Coalition's annual summit in Las Vegas on October 30, where he branded rising right-wing antisemitism an "existential crisis" for the party, Cruz has emerged as a leading voice against what he sees as toxic influences from figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes.

"I’ve seen more right-wing antisemitism than ever before," he told the crowd, urging Republicans to "stand up" without fear of backlash.

The speech, which avoided naming potential 2028 rivals like Vice President JD Vance, drew applause from pro-Israel donors but criticism from MAGA hardliners who view his stance as insufficiently isolationist.

Cruz's recent legislative push underscores this balancing act. In early November, he co-sponsored a bipartisan resolution with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that unanimously condemned "all forms of antisemitism" in a 100-0 Senate vote, framing it as a bulwark against millennia-old prejudices targeting Jewish equality.

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