US Senator Ted Cruz attributes tight midterm polls to 'left-wing transgender witches' mobilizing against Trump
On October 17, 2026, Republican US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas told Fox News that razor-thin polling margins in key midterm races across the United States were driven by high opposition turnout, claiming that “left-wing transgender witches hate Donald Trump” and are energized to vote. Speaking from Fairbanks, Alaska, alongside incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, Cruz contrasted this demographic with “ordinary, common-sense Americans” and urged conservative voters to turn out in force.
According to the British outlet PinkNews, Fox News anchor Aishah Hasnie asked Cruz why polls were showing dead heats in several Senate contests, including Alaska, where Sullivan is in a tight race against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. Cruz acknowledged that control of the Senate hinges on eight to ten battleground states: Republicans could either expand their majority to 57 seats or lose control to Democrats, dropping down to as few as 45. He linked this volatility to typical midterm dynamics in which the party out of power is deeply motivated by grievances against the current administration.
“This happens a lot in midterms, where the party out of power, they’re usually ticked off,” Cruz said during the broadcast. “And right now, if you’re a left-wing transgender witch, you hate Donald Trump, and you’re gonna show up. You’re energized. The question is: Does everybody else show up? Do conservatives show up? Do libertarians show up? Just common-sense Americans who are not lunatics, who don’t think communism and Islamism are a good idea. If regular, ordinary Americans show up to vote, Dan Sullivan’s gonna be reelected here in Alaska, and we’re gonna win Senate seats and House seats all over the country.”
The senator’s remarks drew swift pushback on social media and from civil rights commentators. Critics singled out his sensational rhetoric and accused Republican strategists of scapegoating a vulnerable minority group—accounting for less than one percent of the US population—to distract from voter concerns about the economy, inflation, and federal deficits. Meanwhile, conservative commentators viewed the remarks as political hyperbole aimed at boosting base turnout amid highly competitive electoral headwinds.
Ted Cruz has served as a US Senator representing Texas since 2013 and remains a leading voice within the Republican Party’s conservative wing. A contender in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, he has consistently championed traditional institutions in the legislature, supporting restrictions on medical gender transitions for minors and bans on transgender women participating in female sports divisions.
Transgender rights and cultural issues continue to serve as major flashpoints ahead of the November 2026 US midterm elections. Previously, Uránia reported on these cultural debates in coverage of the Texas US Senate campaign and remarks by US Vice President JD Vance at a campaign rally in Tyler.
