Texas Senator Ted Cruz has found himself in the spotlight once again as his father, Rafael Cruz, was dragged into Donald Trump’s hush money trial over a fake JFK assassination photo published by the National Enquirer. The tabloid’s former publisher, David Pecker, testified about the magazine’s role in burying stories about Mr. Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign through “catch-and-kill” schemes.
The Enquirer ran stories about Mr. Cruz, including one that falsely linked his father to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy. When asked about the trial testimony, Mr. Cruz dismissed it as “ancient history” and criticized the Enquirer as a “tabloid full of garbage.”
During the 2016 campaign, Mr. Cruz had previously denounced the Enquirer’s smear tactics as coming from Mr. Trump and his allies. The publication ran headlines attacking Mr. Cruz, including false claims of extramarital affairs and scandalous behavior.
Despite the personal attacks, Mr. Cruz ultimately suspended his campaign and endorsed Mr. Trump, showing a willingness to put aside personal insults for the greater good of the GOP. Other Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham and JD Vance, have attempted to downplay the significance of Mr. Pecker’s testimony in the trial.
As the trial continues, Mr. Pecker is expected to delve into the Stormy Daniels chapter, which is the basis for Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment of Mr. Trump for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments. Mr. Trump denies the allegations, calling the case a “scam” and a “witch hunt” orchestrated by his political enemies.