Ted Cruz labels alleged Planned Parenthood shooter ‘transgendered leftist’
The Presidential hopeful said pro-life activists are not to blame for the shooting.
Senator Ted Cruz has claimed that the suspect in the shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado was a “transgendered leftist activist”.
Robert Lewis Dear was arrested on Friday night after allegedly opening fire inside the clinic – killing three people and injuring nine others.
It was initially thought the Dear was a pro-life activist, and had attacked the clinic as he disagreed with abortion.
However, Senator Cruz – who has accused Planned Parenthood of being an “ongoing criminal enterprise” – rejected the suggestions as “vicious rhetoric”, before calling Dear “a transgendered left activist”.
His comments follow the revelation that Dear was listed as a woman on his voter registration form – leading America’s right-wing press to make the assumption that he is transgender.
Speaking with reporters after a campaign event in Iowa, Cruz took issue with “the left blaming those who are pro-life.”
After he was informed that the suspect allegedly made a comment about “baby parts” after the attack, Cruz stated: “It’s also been reported that he was registered as an independent and a woman and transgendered leftist activist, if that’s what he is.”
“We know that he was a man who was registered to vote as a woman,” he said.
“The media promptly wants to blame him on the pro-life moment when at this point there is very little evidence to suggest that.”
Ironically, the infamously homophobic Texas senator suggested that the press should “wait for the facts” before jumping to conclusions.
“It was a multiple murder of what appears to be a deranged individual. And it was horrific, it was evil and we will find out more about the facts, but I don’t think we should jump to conclusions.”
The right-wing candidate is known for his notorious anti-LGBT views, and in recent weeks he’s even ducked calls to condemn a pastor he shared a stage with, who repeatedly said gay people should be put to death.
He is also one of four Republican Presidential candidates to sign a pledge to void same-sex marriage should he be elected to The White House.