Senator Ted Cruz Goes Viral After Heated Senate Showdown on Ukraine Aid—Watch the Explosive Exchange

Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Cruz is again at the center of a Capitol Hill storm, this time for single-handedly blocking bipartisan legislation aimed at shielding every American from data broker abuse, while simultaneously taking a leading role in the partisan brawl that triggered the first federal shutdown since 2018. Privacy clash in the Senate On Monday night, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden sought unanimous consent to pass the Protecting Americans from Doxing and Political Violence Act, a measure that would ban data brokers from selling personal information on ordinary citizens as well as public officials. Cruz objected, arguing the bill could hamper law-enforcement tracking of “sexual predators,” a claim Wyden called baseless. Because the Senate’s fast-track procedure requires all 100 members to agree, Cruz’s objection stopped the bill in its tracks. Why the privacy fight matters • The blocked bill would have extended protections already granted to members of Congress to roughly 335 million residents. • U.S. intelligence agencies buy location data from brokers without warrants; privacy advocates say that loophole would have closed. • A recent doxing-linked shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers heightened pressure on Congress to act. Government shutdown face-off Less than 24 hours later, Cruz found himself on the shutdown front line. Democrats refused to advance a GOP stopgap funding bill that also rolled back Affordable Care Act subsidies, sending federal agencies into partial closure just after midnight Wednesday. Cruz blasted Democrats’ stance as a “temper tantrum” designed to show they “hate Trump,” predicting they would “capitulate” once public anger mounts. Political calculus The Texas Republican’s twin moves feed into a familiar Cruz narrative: positioning himself as a guardian of conservative orthodoxy while courting the party base ahead of 2028. Blocking Wyden’s bill burnishes his small-government credentials, even as privacy and tech industry groups accuse him of protecting data-broker profits. On the shutdown, Cruz reprises his 2013 role, betting that voters will reward hard-line tactics over compromise. What’s next • Senate leaders plan renewed negotiations on a narrower privacy measure limited to public officials; Wyden insists he will keep pressing for universal coverage. • Republicans schedule another funding vote Thursday morning, daring Democrats to relent as paychecks for 1.9 million federal employees hang in the balance. • Cruz is expected to hit conservative talk shows this week, amplifying his message and fundraising off the dual fights. Bottom line Whether champion or obstructionist, Senator Ted Cruz has ensured that two headline issues—Americans’ digital privacy and the federal government’s ability to keep its doors open—now revolve around him. With Congress gridlocked and public frustration rising, the spotlight on the Texas senator is unlikely to dim anytime soon.