Senator Ted Cruz has minced no words in his statement tonight about the events in Charlottesville, Virginia. He called out who and what, he (a lawyer by the way) gave no ground to the dumb theory it might have been a panicked accident, and he wants it investigated by the department of justice, as well as prosecutions.

This is a model for how to respond. It is clear as well as clear-eyed, direct, does not bandy terms. Republicans demand such statements from Democrats after terror attacks. We have criticized the Obama administration for years about calling terror what it is, and calling terrorists who they are. People need politicians to be forthright. Senator Cruz was honest, and what’s more he is obviously genuine and sincere.

Here is the text, followed by the tweet, which also has an image of the text, plus the urging of investigation.

“It’s tragic and heartbreaking to see hatred and racism once again mar our great Nation with bloodshed. Heidi’s and my prayers are with the loved ones of those killed and injured in the ongoing violence in Charlottesville. The First Amendment protects the rights of all Americans to speak their minds peaceably, but violence, brutality, and murder have no place in a civilized society.

The Nazis, the KKK, and white supremacists are repulsive and evil, and all of us have a moral obligation to speak out against the lies, bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred that they propagate. Having watched the horrifying video of the car deliberately crashing into a crowd of protesters, I urge the Department of Justice to immediately investigate and prosecute this grotesque act of domestic terrorism.

These bigots want to tear our country apart, but they will fail. America is far better than this. Our Nation was built on fundamental truths, none more central than the proposition ‘that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.'”

I urge the Department of Justice to immediately investigate and prosecute this grotesque act of domestic terrorism. pic.twitter.com/AwJLsfUEHl

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) August 13, 2017