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Ted Cruz: “Iran has been actively killing Americans and has plans to…”

Featuring: Ted Cruz, Republican | U.S. Senate, Texas

Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz

Published March 22, 2026 | Video Starts at 46:49

Obama administration never articulated anything like it. And so I vocally opposed that military action because it didn't make America safe. Contrast this with Iran. Iran has been actively killing Americans and has plans to continue killing Americans. What is interesting when I say non interventionist hawk, I think there are two presidents in modern times that reflect that same philosophy. One is Donald Trump. (46:49–46:56)

CLAIM

Asserts that Iran is actively involved in killing Americans and plans to continue doing so.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Ted Cruz

“They [Iran] provide over 90% of the funding to Hamas, to Hezbollah, to the Houthis.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 02:10-10:43
“We've also taken out almost the entirety of the Iranian navy.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 09:02-09:08
“Obviously, the Ayatollah is gone.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 09:17-09:19
“During the four years of Joe Biden, the Biden administration flowed over $100 billion to Iran.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 12:18-12:27
“Under the Trump administration and Republican Congress, the price of gasoline basically cut in half.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 27:21-27:26
“Iran was rapidly building up its short and medium term missile stockpile, building over 100 missiles a month.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 32:57-33:06
“When Trump went into Venezuela and arrested Maduro and his wife, that had a profound impact.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 37:49-37:59
“This regime has been tried to murder Trump twice, hired hitmen to murder Trump twice.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 39:43-39:51
“He [Palmer Luckey] worries about our vulnerability to a bioweapon attack that we don't have nearly sufficient defenses to fight against.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 00:18-1:08:58
“When [Maduro] was arrested, he was surrounded by about 100 Cuban soldiers.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 00:50-1:03:21
“They [the administration] haven't articulated it because they are wary of using the words regime change.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 02:10-19:38
“I urged the President to launch this attack.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 06:25-06:28
“I think the regime [in Iran] is weaker than it ever has been, and we have an opportunity.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 06:57-07:04
“If we can collapse this [Iranian] regime, America will be much, much safer.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 07:03-07:10
“I don't believe they're [the Iranian regime] negotiating in good faith.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 07:27-07:30
“The administration has stated that the objective is to degrade the military so that they cannot strike out.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 08:22-08:29
“We've seen, number one, their [Iran's] air defenses essentially completely eliminated.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 08:35-08:40
“We've seen their [Iran's] short and medium range missiles all but completely eliminated as well.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 08:40-08:49
“We have near complete air dominance over Iran.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 09:09-09:14
“Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years, since the Islamic Revolution.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 10:19-10:26
“Iran, for the entirety of that time has been the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 10:32-10:38
“In a very real sense, the Biden administration was the most important funder for Iran.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 12:30-12:36
“Barack Obama has written in his memoir how when the Green Revolution was happening during Obama's presidency, that he made a very deliberate…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 13:04-13:20
“Estimates [of how many people the regime murdered] range from 10,000 to 40,000.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 16:13-16:16
“Of the 16 remaining candidates [in the 2016 Republican presidential primary], there were two and only two who opposed the Iraq war. Me and…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 17:19-17:28
“Saddam Hussein was a bad man. He was a monster. He was a tyrant. He was murdering his own people, but he was also killing terrorists.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 17:50-17:58
“We came in and we toppled Saddam Hussein, and the terrorists took over and began killing Americans.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 17:58-18:04
“We did the exact same thing in Libya. Gaddafi, again, a terrible man. America came in and toppled him. He was killing terrorists. Instead…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 18:07-18:17
“Iran is different because the Iranians are murdering Americans. They are waging war with us, whether the Democrats want to acknowledge it or…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 18:22-18:30
“Removing from power Islamists who are actively trying to kill Americans makes us safer.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 18:31-18:40
“The mission [in Iraq] became nation building, because the mission became put hundreds of thousands of boots on the ground for years at a…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 18:43-18:53
“I think democracy is great. I think we should advocate democracy. The bully pulpit. I am all for advocating democracy, but I'm not willing…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 19:06-19:22
“If you listen to Pete Heggs, Seth, if you listen to Marco Rubio, they're not embracing regime change. They're saying we want to degrade the…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 19:43-19:52
“The President's job is to be Commander in chief, focused on keeping Americans safe, protecting American lives.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 21:14-21:21
“If the election were held today, there would be a very good chance we would lose the House and we could lose the Senate as well.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 22:24-22:32
“There is a very real possibility in the next six months we could see new governments in Iran, Venezuela and Cuba.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 24:16-24:27
“The regimes there are weaker than they have been in our lifetimes.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 24:47-24:52
“The Europeans who are more impacted by the Strait of Hormuz closing than America is.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 25:46-25:51
“The price of gasoline is still significantly lower today than it was under Joe Biden.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 27:13-27:19
“Iran, when this military conflict started, began firing missiles at practically every one of its neighbors.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 29:30-29:37
“One of the reasons why I have been leading the fight to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is I believe the Ayatollah, if he had had a…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 29:59-30:13
“Bill Clinton administration was negotiating with Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's dad, and cut a deal. And they said, okay, if you don't develop…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 30:32-30:50
“They took the billions of dollars, they turned around and developed nuclear weapons.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 30:52-30:57
“North Korea claims they have missiles that can go. In fact, Austin, Texas has been one of the targets they have identified as a nuclear…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 31:08-31:17
“The administration was concerned that they would get such an overwhelming stockpile of missiles that it would be extremely expensive in…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 33:07-33:22
“There's a reason the Ayatollah referred to Israel as a little Satan and America as the Great Satan.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 35:52-35:59
“When Joe Biden came into office, there was peace and prosperity across the globe.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 36:30-36:35
“Russia invaded Ukraine, and we had October 7th and the Gaza war that unfolded.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 36:38-36:43
“I think both of those were in a very direct way caused by Joe Biden's weakness.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 36:43-36:48
“When Biden withdrew from Afghanistan, in an absolute debacle of incompetence that, among other things, cost the lives of 13 American…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 36:47-37:01
“The odds of Russia invading Ukraine have just increased tenfold, and the odds of China invading Taiwan have increased tenfold.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 37:06-37:15
“Our enemies have looked to the Oval Office. They've taken the measure of the commander in chief, and they've concluded that he's weak and…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 37:14-37:22
“Donald Trump Our enemies are terrified of him.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 37:24-37:27
“Appeasement increases the chances of military conflict.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 37:32-37:37
“Virtually every foreign policy and national security decision Trump has made I agree with.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 47:15-47:21
“Reagan...bankrupted the Soviet Union, and won the Cold War without firing a shot.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 47:33-48:02
“There is a very real pro Hamas contingent of the Democrat Party.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 49:21-49:26
“In the last 18 months, I've seen more antisemitism on the right than I have at any point in my life.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 49:46-49:54
“Tucker Carlson has said he doesn't know that Hamas is a terrorist organization.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 51:01-51:05
“Tucker Carlson had the President of Iran on and did this fawning interview, asked no difficult questions whatsoever.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 51:16-51:27
“Tucker Carlson interviewed Nick Fuentes and nodded when Fuentes said his mission was to defeat global Jewry.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 51:54-52:03
“Tucker Carlson hates President Trump. He opposes everything about his foreign policy.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 52:45-52:51
“I don't think this will be a long standing military conflict. I expect it to be a matter of weeks and not extended.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 54:03-54:13
“America supports Israel because it is unequivocally in America's national security interest to support Israel.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 55:44-55:52
“The Mossad is an incredibly effective intelligence agency, and they share that intelligence with us.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 55:54-56:01
“The Iranians had built their nuclear weapon research facilities in the base of a mountain precisely because Israeli munitions couldn't take…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 56:21-56:31
“The only country that had bombs big enough to do that was the United States.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 56:30-56:34
“We sent our B2s over, delivered those bunker busters, took out the nuclear weapons facilities and left.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 56:34-56:40
“Hamas terrorists cross over into southern Israel. They target civilians, they go house to house. They murder the elderly, they murder…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 58:32-58:49
“It was one of the largest terrorist attack on Americans in U.S. history.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 58:48-58:53
“In World War II are you rooting for the Nazis? Like at the end of the day there is a difference between targeting civilians and murdering…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 59:22-59:44
“For the first four decades, [Cuba] was dependent upon, and in many ways a satellite state of the Soviet Union.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:02:38-1:02:46
“Cuba became dependent on Venezuela. And, and the Faustian bargain they cut with Venezuela is that Venezuela would provide Cuba with oil and…”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:02:54-1:03:11
“When we arrested Maduro, what that did is it removed the lifeline of oil that was coming to Cuba from Venezuela.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:03:24-1:03:36
“Mexico stepped in to the breach and was providing oil to [Cuba].”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:03:38-1:03:42
“President Trump quite rightly leaned on Mexico and said, stop it. Cut off the oil.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:03:42-1:03:47
“Cuba right now, their economy is an absolute free, free fall.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:03:47-1:03:52
“The public transportation [in Cuba] has been shut down.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:03:52-1:03:55
“They've run out of jet fuel [in Cuba].”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:03:54-1:03:56
“The economic pressure [on Cuba] is massive.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:04:15-1:04:18
“If you actually had a government in Cuba that was democratically elected...you could see in Cuba what Hong Kong was in the 1990s.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:06:10-1:06:27
“Palmer Luckey...came and had lunch with all the Republican senators.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:07:17-1:07:24
“Palmer and Elon Musk are the two most important tech entrepreneurs in the country.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:07:31-1:07:36
“Covid shut the world's economy down for a year and inflicted trillions of dollars of economic harm.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:09:14-1:09:20
“I think it is overwhelmingly likely that the COVID virus escaped from a Chinese government lab.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:10:52-1:10:58
“I think it is likely, although I wouldn't say overwhelmingly likely, that it was bioengineered in that lab.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:10:59-1:11:06
“I think the Chinese government, in fact, I know the Chinese government affirmatively covered it up and, and was complicit in its spread.”
Why I Told President Trump to Attack Iran - Sen. Ted Cruz | Uploaded March 22, 2026 | 1:11:44-1:11:53