Why is Ted Cruz Fighting Big Bird?

Taking on Big Bird (yes, the big yellow bird from Sesame Street) seems to be the next big challenge for Ted Cruz. The Texas Senator seems to be focusing on the main issues of the U.S. and for Texans, fighting for what is right.

According to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker, Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death across the country for most of 2020. However, during  December 2020 and early 2021, the virus surged and briefly became the number one leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassing cancer and heart diseases during those months. For children, even though it isn’t as lethal as for older adults, it is still very dangerous, as it was the 6th leading cause of death among kids aged 5 to 14 during August and September. 

Luckily, vaccines have arrived for kids 5 years old and older. It is a big opportunity for them to continue with their education and social life in a safe way. This week, almost one million kids got their first shot and are on their way to recover their life pre-pandemic, thanks to the recent approval of the Pfizer vaccine. 

In order to encourage kids and parents to get the vaccine, the CNN Saturday morning townhall devoted their show to answering parents’ (and kids’) questions about the vaccine. In conjunction with this segment, Sesame Street joined in and Big Bird tweeted in order to reassure kids about the vaccine:

Instead of taking Big Bird’s vaccination tweet as an opportunity for kids around America to motivate themselves to get the vaccine, the Texas Senator saw it as an opportunity to score points with the Trumpist wing of the party, which he desperately needs for his future national ambitions, after all, he recently said on an interview that he is again considering running for President in 2024.

This isn’t the first time Big Bird is promoting healthcare for children, as some users reminded him on social media, but Cruz prefered to be polemic (as usual) and spread misinformation and distrust for the vaccine.