Ted Cruz Is Under Investigation For Possibly Leaking Classified Information During Debate

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:40 pm

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Sen. Ted Cruz is under investigation after he potentially revealed classified information during the CNN Republican presidential debate.

Ted Cruz is under investigation for this exchange with Marco Rubio during CNN’s Republican presidential debate:

CRUZ: Well, you know, I would note that Marco knows what he’s saying isn’t true. You know, Mark Levin wrote a column last week that says that the attack ads his Super PAC is running that are saying the same thing, that they are knowingly false, and they are, in fact, Alinsky-like attacks like Barack Obama.

And the reason is simple. What he knows is that the old program covered 20 percent to 30 percent of phone numbers to search for terrorists. The new program covers nearly 100 percent. That gives us greater ability to stop acts of terrorism, and he knows that that’s the case.

RUBIO: Dana, may I interject here?

BASH: Senator — Senator — Senator Rubio, please respond.

RUBIO: Let me be very careful when answering this because I don’t think national television in front of 15 million people is the place to discuss classified information. So let me just be very clear. There is nothing that we are allowed to do under this bill that we could not do before.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) said, “I’m having my staff look at the transcripts of the debate right now. Any time you deal with numbers… the question is ‘is that classified or not’ or is there an open source reference to it.”

Ted Cruz gave a specific number, and it is possible that the information Cruz blurted out on national television was classified information.

If Cruz leaked classified information on national television, he might have committed a federal crime. The fallout from Cruz’s remarks could be even worse for him because his Senate colleagues are not likely to cut the unpopular Texan any slack.

How could the American people trust Ted Cruz to be Commander In Chief when he can’t keep classified information to himself during a presidential debate? The CNN debate was a showcase for not ready for primetime candidates in the Republican Party. The Republican field ranges from candidates who are out of touch (Jeb Bush), untrustworthy (Cruz) to unfit to be Commander In Chief (Trump and Carson). However, if Cruz leaked classified information, he would move to the top of the Republican incompetence heap.

Ted Cruz’s loose lips may not only sink his bid for the White House; they may lead him to face potential criminal charges. Forget the Oval Office, because Cruz has shown that he doesn’t belong in the US Senate.

UPDATE (5:18 PM ET): “The Committee is not investigating anything said during last night’s Republican Presidential debate,” Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee said in a joint statement.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association