Fox News "Hannity" - Transcript: Ted Cruz: Kavanaugh Fights Shows Stakes in US Senate Races
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HANNITY: More Senator Susan Collins criticizing the partisanship throughout the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing, her hope that Justice Kavanaugh will restore confidence in our system.
Here with more reaction to today's major breaking news, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
Senator, I know in 32 days, you're on the ballot.
SEN. TED CRUZ, R-TEXAS: Yes.
HANNITY: You're going up against, what's his name, Beto O'Rourke, who apparently become -- I keep reading a cult figure. In spite of some pretty awful things he's written about women, A, and apparently according to a police report, he got a DUI and lied about leaving the scene of an accident, according to the report.
But how would he vote in the Senate, would he vote for Senator Schumer, would he have voted against Judge Kavanaugh?
CRUZ: Beto O'Rourke is a hard no on Brett Kavanaugh. He was a hard no before these allegations. He's a hard no afterwards.
He's running a had left campaign like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. And I think this Kavanaugh fight really underscores what the stakes are in U.S. Senate races across the country.
Today was a very good day. Tomorrow, Judge Brett Kavanaugh is going to become Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But we won by the slimmest of margins.
It's why this election matters. It's why it matters that we come out and stand up, because the smear campaign, we have seen, particularly in the last two weeks has been a new and disgraceful low for the United States Senate. And it's not acceptable to just go after and slander Judge Kavanaugh, slander his family, treat his kids to this kind of horrific abuse. It's not right.
HANNITY: Senator, I live in New York, rough and tumble, of New York. Probably a little more street wise than I should be in life. But I'd rather live in Texas, because you pay no state income taxes. And New York state --
CRUZ: And we'd love to have you in Texas, Sean.
HANNITY: Well, I just want to ask this. Look, you've been in rough and tumble races.
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: You and the president have disagreements. But you have supported the agenda of the biggest tax cut, securing our borders.
CRUZ: Absolutely. Yes.
HANNITY: Conservative originalists on the Supreme Court.
You are known for your knowledge of the Constitution. What do you make of the dangers, if this behavior were to be rewarded?
CRUZ: Well, what we've seen in the last two years is the extreme left, is just filled with rage, they're filled with anger, they're filled with hatred for President Trump. And it's spilling out, it's spilling out in nasty and angry protests during the Kavanaugh hearing.
The first day of the hearing, 70 people were arrested with the active complicity of Democratic senators. Just yesterday, 300 people were arrested at the Capitol. And we're seeing this anger, this bitterness. You know, this week, we had someone send white powder to our campaign office in Texas that ended up having HAZMAT and the FBI called in because the concern was that it was anthrax or something. It turned out to be negative.
But we're in this environment where there's an anger, a rage, a fury, and it's wrong. It is wrong to just smear someone's character like they have done on to Judge Kavanaugh. And for that matter it's wrong to do what the Democrats did to out Dr. Ford.
She asked that the allegations be kept confidential. And the congressional Democrats apparently didn't care, they outed her against her will. That is wrong. And we've got to find a way to disagree with each other but still engage with civility, treat each other with decency like human beings.
HANNITY: You know, look, you were in a very tough primary with President Trump. It's not beanbags.
CRUZ: Sure.
HANNITY: You gave, took. And you said in a debate recently that at the end of the day, you were asked, well, why did you make the decision to go along with the president. And you said because I'm here to represent the people of Texas.
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: It seems like that campaign, and I know the president is a disruptor, I know that he breaks a lot of dishes, but we see the results now, don't we. And you put the people of your state ahead. It did -- nothing ever has been this bad. I've never seen things this awful.
CRUZ: The anger, the fury, the frankly threats of violence are really disturbing.
HANNITY: Due process.
CRUZ: Senators, who people are showing up at their house, who are threatening their family. I mean it's not good for the country. And you know, you look at this hearing, I mean, the basic principles of due process, as you said, the basic principles of the presumption of innocence, that you're innocent until proven guilty.
You know, listen, once these allegations were made they were serious. They needed to be treated with respect. We needed to have a full and fair hearing, and we did. We needed to give Dr. Ford an opportunity to tell her story and treat her with respect and we did.
But we also need--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: But what's happening though, senator?
CRUZ: -- to give Judge Kavanaugh an opportunity to defend himself. And he should have been treated with respect and he wasn't. The Democrats couldn't, instead, they did theatrics and mock outrage. That they were shocked. Shocked that actually teenagers drink in high school and college. Goodness gracious.
And they were even more shocked that 17-year-olds say stupid things in their year books. I mean it was a ridiculous circus. And they were willing to smear a good man and his family simply for political ends. That's not America. That's not--
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: And no corroboration.
CRUZ: That's exactly right.
HANNITY: Senator, there was no corroboration.
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: And may I ask you this. I watched you and I know your wife, Heidi, I watch you get run out of a restaurant.
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: We've seen it happen to Secretary Nielsen. Pam Bondi it happened, to Sarah Sanders, Mitch McConnell.
CRUZ: Yes.
HANNITY: It's happening like on a daily basis. I don't think you should leave the halls of the Senate open. And I'm saying that for the safety, the protection of people we elect. I feel for everyone's safety at this moment.
CRUZ: There are a lot of senators who are having that conversation. You know, Monday night, Heidi was up in D.C. And the two of us went out about 9 o'clock at night to do a date night, just the two of us, we don't get to do that very often.
We showed up at a restaurant that we love. It's a delightful restaurant. Unfortunately, somehow the protesters were there waiting for us as we walked in, they surrounded us, they screamed at us, they basically shut down the restaurant and they made it impossible to have dinner.
And so Heidi and I got up to leave, they blocked her from getting out. When we left the restaurant, you know, this actually has not been reported, but we left the restaurant, we went out the door and around the back alley. And this mob of about 15 screaming leftist protesters chased Heidi and me down the alley screaming and yelling at us.
A waiter from the restaurant let us in the back door to the kitchen. And we took shelter in the kitchen with this screaming mob outside.
Now, I tell you a happy ending to that, so about 10 minutes later the police arrived and they removed the protesters. And I asked Heidi, I said, OK. Well what do you want to do now? Do you want to go somewhere else? She said no. I like this restaurant, let's go have date night. So we went back through the kitchen, sat down at the same table and we had a delightful romantic dinner. Just the two of us.
HANNITY: Good ending to the story. Senator, you've always stood up for the Constitution, these deeply held principles of due process. And presumption of innocence. And your election is important in 32 days. We wish you all the best. Thanks for being with us.
CRUZ: Thank you, Sean, and everyone come to TedCruz.org, stand with us, we're fighting for the country.
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