On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announced he is running for president, in a speech at Liberty University in Virginia. On Monday night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart celebrated, then got down to business. Item 1: Mocking Cruz for meticulously rehearsing every part of his speech, including waving and kissing his wife (here, Stewart had an assist from Samantha Bee and Jason Jones). Item 2: Noting that Liberty students had to attend the speech, or pay a fine.
Item 3 is Stewart's substantive critique, and it's pretty trenchant. In his speech, Cruz rang the libertarian bell, asking students to imagine a world where the government respected their privacy and didn't snoop on their cellphones. "We get it, you're a fan of John Lennon and small government," Stewart said. But Cruz's very next action threw his rhetoric into doubt. After promising a President Cruz would respect their privacy rights, Stewart said, he "told them if they cared about freedom, text your information to a mysterious address that collects your cell phone number for undisclosed purposes." Hmmmmm. —Peter Weber
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.
-
7 drinks for every winter need possibleThe Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
