‘Thirsty’ Ted Cruz Roasted for Gushing Over Sydney Sweeney

Ted Cruz is back in the headlines—and not for the reasons Texas voters might hope.

This week, the 54-year-old senator was mercilessly mocked after publicly swooning over actress Sydney Sweeney, 27, on social media. Cruz jumped into the latest American Eagle jeans ad controversy to defend Sweeney, but the spectacle quickly turned into a viral sideshow, with critics across the internet blasting Cruz for his “embarrassing thirst” and questionable priorities.

It started when Cruz reposted a racy promotional image of Sweeney, best known for her breakout role in Euphoria. In a post that seemed more like fanboy gushing than senatorial leadership, Cruz wrote, “Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I’m sure that will poll well…”

His attempts at chivalry didn’t land. Instead, social media erupted with ridicule. One user responded, “There’s literally no reason for you to comment on this story.” Another piled on: “Ted Cruz is promoting leering at women half his age. How’s that family values agenda working out?” And Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell couldn’t resist: “Thirsty Ted will defend Sydney Sweeney but won’t defend his own wife against Trump’s smears.”

For many, Cruz’s history of awkward scandals only amplified the cringe. It’s a reminder of the infamous 2017 incident where Cruz’s official account “liked” a pornographic video on Twitter. At the time, Cruz tried to blame a staffer. But as one D.C. strategist put it this week: “For Ted, the internet is a minefield—and he keeps jumping in headfirst.”

The latest firestorm erupted around Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans commercial, which some far-right corners have bizarrely labeled as “Nazi propaganda.” In the ad, Sweeney talks playfully about her “jeans” and her “genes,” noting, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… My jeans are blue.”

What should’ve been an innocuous fashion spot instead turned into a culture war flashpoint. Right-wing trolls leapt on the clip, with one claiming Sweeney was “catering to the fetishes of white neo-Nazi men.” Others accused American Eagle of peddling “dog whistles” to the far-right—a claim the brand has not publicly addressed.

Even the Trump White House jumped in, with Communications Manager Steven Cheung blasting liberals for “cancel culture run amok.” Cheung posted on X, “This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bulls—.”

For many progressives, this is just the latest example of the Trump administration using manufactured outrage to distract from real issues. “Every time a new scandal pops up, MAGA Republicans would rather yell about jeans ads than talk about reproductive rights, climate change, or Trump’s latest legal drama,” said political analyst Michelle Rodriguez.

Cruz’s recent Twitter meltdown isn’t the first time he’s embarrassed himself on the national stage. Back in 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump ruthlessly attacked Cruz’s wife, Heidi, tweeting an unflattering photo and mocking her appearance. Cruz’s angry retort—“Donald, you’re a sniveling coward, and leave Heidi the hell alone”—became instant campaign trail drama. Despite that ugly episode, Cruz later became one of Trump’s most loyal allies in Washington.

For Sweeney, the controversy is nothing new. The actress has repeatedly faced accusations of cozying up to MAGA culture, though she’s kept mostly silent as the political crossfire intensifies.

While the nation faces mounting crises under President Trump, Republicans seem eager to change the subject to celebrity jeans ads and culture war clickbait. Meanwhile, Cruz’s latest blunder only reminds voters—especially Democrats—why many believe the GOP is out of touch with everyday Americans.

As one progressive activist put it: “If Ted Cruz spent half as much time fighting for working families as he does drooling over Instagram models, Texas might have a shot at better leadership.”