MGREGOR — Ted Cruz is visited Central Texas Monday as part of a three-day tour through 12 Texas cities to kick off the Republican Senator's 2018 reelection campaign.
Cruz visited Schmalreide farm in McGregor to speak about the need to support local farmers and small businesses. Gun control was a big topic Monday. The crowd of nearly 200 people cheered as Cruz spoke about his support of the second amendment. He says he thinks the right approach to gun control is a bill he introduced in 2013 which focuses on violent criminals, but at the same time protects the rights of the citizens.
“If the democrats had not filibustered it, it would have mandated the department of justice to audit every federal agency, to make sure the convictions are in the background system. If the democrats would not have filibustered, it the conviction in the Sutherland Springs shooter would have been there and he would not have been able to buy the gun,” said Cruz.
He also responded to president Donald Trump’s tweets saying how DACA is now dead.
“When it comes to immigration, my approach is the approach of the vast majority of Texans,” said Cruz. “I think we have to end illegal immigration to get serious about securing the borders, and at the same time we can do while welcoming and celebrating legal immigrants."
Sen. Cruz began the day in Beaumont, which is still recovering from Hurricane Harvey. At 3:30 p.m., he spoke at Schmalreide Farm in McGregor, where he discussed the strength of agriculture in Texas and vowed to support local farmers -- especially during times of need.
Online, Cruz revealed his new campaign slogan: "Tough as Texas" -- a concept he highlighted in Central Texas while talking about how the state came together in the aftermath of tragedies like Hurricane Harvey and the Sutherland Springs shooting.
The crowd became very engaged when Cruz discussed his support for the Second Amendment.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, of El Paso, is challenging Cruz for Senate.
While in Beaumont, Sen. Cruz tried to draw distinctions between O'Rourke and himself, promising to fight for Texans who want lower taxes and fewer government regulations, according to media reports.
O'Rourke's campaign took to Snapchat to mock Cruz for his 2016 presidential campaign.
"Ted Cruz visited 99 of Iowa's 99 counties. When's the last time he listened to Texans in Beaumont?" the Snapchat filter said.
Cruz came back swinging on Twitter.
"Gosh Beto O'Rourke," Cruz tweeted. "I’ve been to Beaumont 4 times in the past year, including 3 times in the days following Hurricane Harvey. As best I can tell, you’ve been there once for a drive-by campaign event on Feb 9. Maybe that’s why you lost Jefferson County in the Dem primary...."
Around lunchtime, Cruz stopped in Tyler, where he described the Lone Star State as "America on steroids."
Texas is America on steroids: https://t.co/fMstbwBx7F #ToughAsTexas #KeepTexasRed #txsen #CruzCrew pic.twitter.com/cagdEcMjxB
