Ted Cruz likens Democrats to the Terminator, and 6 more notable moments from the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference

Friday's portion of the Faith & Freedom Coalition's conservative conference — "the nation's premier pro-faith, pro-family event" — in Orlando, Florida featured appearances from Republican lawmakers like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and former Vice President Mike Pence. Naturally, things were said.
To start, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) mixed up the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem, erroneously claiming "woke, rich football players" are kneeling for the former instead of the latter.
When Cruz arrived on stage, he said he was going to do something "radical" — tell the truth. Such radical truth telling included statements like "George Washington was an American hero," writes The Washington Post's Dave Weigel. Cruz also admitted his prepared remarks originally used the phrase "a call to arms," but a member of his team told him to remove it for fear of media "numbskulls" misrepresenting his words as a call to violent action.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He even asserted that Democrats, much like the Terminator, "are soulless, have no brain, and red eyes."
Next up was Graham, who appeared to dabble in what The Recount dubbed "stand-up comedy."
And, for his part, Rubio doubled-down on a frequent conservative critique of the term "equity," as well as "social justice," during his stint in front of the crowd.
Pence's time in the spotlight was decidedly less grand — hecklers could be heard shouting over the former Vice President as he spoke, calling him a "traitor." Previously, Pence broke with Trump and his base after certifying the results of the 2020 election as legitimate.
All in all, just another day in GOP paradise.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
13 potential 2028 presidential candidates for both major parties
In Depth A rare open primary for both parties has a large number of people considering a run for president
By David Faris
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DOGE: Have we passed 'peak Musk'?
Feature The tech billionaire suffered a costly week after a $25 million election loss in Wisconsin and Tesla's largest sale drop on record
By The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US