Washington – On August 4, 2019, the day after a gunman who had posted a hateful tirade against Hispanics fatally shot 23 people at an El Paso Walmart, a leader of a “Tea Party” group in Texas said on Facebook: “You are not going to demographically replace strong and proud people without receiving a consequence.”
His wife, the group’s founder, in suburban Fort Worth in Tarrant County, added in a comment: “I do not approve of the actions, but I certainly understand where they come from.”
Ten days later, amid backlash over Fred and Julie McCarty’s comments, the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party released an undated testimony from Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, wishing the group a happy 10th anniversary as it renamed itself. as “True Texas Project” (TTP).
“Thank you for the incredible work you do,” Cruz said, in the only endorsement by an elected official posted on the group’s Facebook and YouTube pages to mark the occasion. “Julie, Fred, thank you for your passion.”
A Washington Post review of True Texas Project activities and social media shows that Cruz has continued to support the group, even as his nativist rhetoric and divisive tactics have alienated some other conservative elected officials. Cruz’s father, a frequent campaign surrogate for his son, spoke at a group meeting shortly after the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill, at a time when the group’s leadership was defending the pro-Trump mob on social media. social.
A spokeswoman did not respond to a request for an interview with the senator or specific questions about the True Texas Project. “The senator is not aware of all tweets, posts or comments from activists in the state of Texas,” spokeswoman Erin Perrine said in a statement. “If you want to know what he thinks on any subject, don’t hesitate to consult his decades-long track record. Senator Cruz is unequivocal in his denunciation of any form of racism, hatred or intolerance ”.
In 2019, Cruz condemned the El Paso shooting as “an egregious act of terrorism and white supremacy.” The gunman’s manifesto had criticized a “Hispanic invasion of Texas,” and many of those killed or injured were Hispanic.
Cruz’s ongoing ties to the True Texas Project contrast with the group’s strained relationship with much of the Republican establishment in Texas. The group has lashed out at Republicans it considers too moderate, including Texas Senator John Cornyn and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and has backed candidates against officials it once helped elect. “We are not here to be the best friends of our elect,” Julie McCarty said in a recruiting video.
In a sign that some conservatives continue to seek the group’s support, Attorney General Republican Ken Paxton attended a TTP fundraiser last week, an event that drew hundreds of people according to images posted online. social. But many elected officials are no longer active in the group, according to Rick Barnes, chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party.
“We have to accept that to grow the Republican Party, we cannot use rhetoric that most people find offensive,” Barnes said.
James Riddlesperger, professor of political science at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, said Cruz appears to have “turned a blind eye” to the group’s more extreme rhetoric. Many Cruz supporters would not view the group’s messages as racist, he added.
“From a political standpoint, there is probably no disadvantage for him if he supports this group because they represent a large segment of the Republican Party in Texas,” he said. “So Cruz does not see any inconvenience, but he does see the positive side because they have organization and can contribute votes.”
Fred McCarty, the group’s PAC chair, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Julie McCarty, the group’s executive director, initially agreed to speak with a Post reporter, but later did not answer the phone at the scheduled time and did not respond to subsequent calls and emails.
In a recent TTP newsletter, Julie McCarty said The Post was writing a “hit story” and urged members not to speak to the newspaper. “The truth is that our reputation and integrity stand up for themselves,” he wrote.
Like many of the Tea Party organizations that emerged during President Barack Obama’s first term, the group in North Texas initially crusaded against federal spending and government overreach, particularly “Obamacare,” as critics they called the president’s signature health legislation.
In 2012, the group endorsed Cruz, who had never been elected to public office, over acting Lieutenant Governor, Republican David Dewhurst, in a race for an open Senate seat. Cruz won and the group became a must stop for Republican politicians courting the right wing. (The Washington Post)
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