Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) had a few things to say about the White House’s statement on China’s zero-COVID policy, which has caused unrest and uprisings to break out across the country as citizens fight back. Americans looking for the Biden administration to issue a strong rebuke of the CCP’s inhumane treatment of its citizens, and some reassurance that these tyrannical policies wouldn’t start rearing their ugly heads here in the U.S., were disappointed. RedState’s Sister Toldjah called the statement “tone deaf.” Ted Cruz called it “pitiful.”

And he was just getting started, adding:

“At a potentially historic inflection point, Dems shill for the CCP. Pure weakness from the Biden administration. It’s almost as if Biden wishes he was driving a tank in Tiananmen Square.”

He’s referring, of course, to pro-democracy demonstrations back in 1989 that led to a bloody crackdown on dissenters, as represented by a lone citizen facing down a tank in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Cruz is not-so-subtly implying that Joe Biden would prefer being on the trigger end of such a showdown. And he’s spot on.

Pitiful. At a potentially historic inflection point, Dems shill for the CCP.

Pure weakness from the Biden administration.

It’s almost as if Biden wishes he was driving a tank in Tiananmen Square…. https://t.co/rTx5kkABg4

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 28, 2022

A few hours after his tweet, Cruz issued a more detailed statement, saying:

“The Chinese Communist Party has since the beginning been desperate to cover up the origins, nature, and consequences of COVID-19. They lied and continue to lie to the world, and as a result millions of lives were lost and immense suffering was caused.”

He noted that “The people of China are not to blame for the CCP’s actions. In fact, many of them were already protesting the CCP’s handling of the pandemic, and now those protests have escalated into open criticism of the regime. They are bravely standing up for their rights.”

Then he put his sights squarely back on the Biden administration and their tepid reaction to the human rights violations currently taking place, at the hands of the government, in China:

“The Biden administration’s response has been worse than expected. The CCP should know that one way or another, in the coming months or in the coming years, the United States will hold accountable each and every CCP official responsible for atrocities against these protesters.”

Other Republicans joined with Cruz in condemning China’s lockdowns and the Biden administration’s response, with current GOP Majority Lead Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) vowing to “reckon with” China when his party takes control of the House of Representatives in January.

The Chinese Communist Party’s lockdowns have imprisoned people against their will—many have died. As Chinese citizens bravely protest, Joe Biden & the corporate class shrug. 

Our Select Committee on China will do what Biden refuses—finally reckon with the pariah that is the CCP.

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 28, 2022

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) tweeted: “We have seen the terrible human toll and economic devastation of lockdowns on a society. The Chinese people deserve our support and solidarity as they fight for freedom by protesting President Xi’s tyrannical and totalitarian regime.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said, “God Bless the brave protestors in China. Don’t take for granted what we have in the USA.” His colleague, Rep. Andy Biggs, added, “China has had enough of the COVID tyranny. These types of draconian lockdowns are ineffective and crumble societies.”

In the wake of the criticism lobbed at the administration, an unnamed spokesperson for Biden’s National Security Council tried — and failed — to take a tougher stand. Via Politico:

“As we’ve said, we think it’s going to be very difficult for the People’s Republic of China to be able to contain this virus through their zero Covid strategy,” the spokesperson said in the statement, adding that measures such as boosting vaccination rates were more useful. “We’ve long said everyone has the right to peacefully protest, here in the United States and around the world. This includes in the PRC.”

Well, we know that’s an outright lie. During our own draconian WuFlu lockdowns, parents were not only arrested for peacefully protesting at school board meetings across the country, they were likened to “domestic terrorists” by Biden’s DOJ and had their names turned into the FBI. Any weak-worded reassurances this administration attempts to give about lockdowns and protesting ring hollow, as their dismal record in that area makes obvious. Ted Cruz is correct. It’s pitiful.