Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz trolled the Biden administration on Thursday after calling out a new Tom Hanks promotional video to celebrate the president’s first-year achievements as “The Simpsons” in real life.
“The Simpsons did it first!” Cruz tweeted alongside a post featuring a screenshot from “The Simpsons Movie.”
The included post read, “Oh my gosh it’s the Simpsons in real life.”
The Simpsons did it first! https://t.co/mYzpzq3FyS
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 20, 2022
The reference was made to the 2007 “The Simpsons Movie,” which included an animated cameo of the Hollywood star in its closing credits.
“Hello, I’m Tom Hanks,” the animated Hanks said in the meme. “The U.S. government has lost its credibility, so it’s borrowing some of mine.”
Hanks narrated the voice in Biden’s “Year One of the Biden-Harris Administration” video released on Thursday.
“It’s never been a good idea to bet against America. And, there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together. We are stronger today than we were a year ago,” the video’s description reads.
The two-minute video features Hanks reminding people that America is “the home of the brave” and features “achievements” of the Biden administration, including the millions of Americans who have received vaccines and a bounce back from pandemic job closures.
The video concludes with a brief appearance by President Joe Biden himself.
“I’ve long said it’s never been a good bet to bet against America,” the president noted. “I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future. There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together.”
The video was produced by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Axios reported the committee, “which was nominated for an Emmy, is spending several million dollars in leftover inaugural funds to air the ad on broadcast and cable TV today.”
In a statement to Axios, the committee noted, “In recognition of the President’s first year in office, the Biden-Harris Presidential Inaugural Committee believed it was important to celebrate the strength and perseverance of the American people in the face of extraordinary adversity, just as we did a year ago today.”
The video comes just one day after Biden gave a rare solo press conference in Washington, D.C., to celebrate accomplishments during his first year in office. The Daily Wire reported:
President Joe Biden was widely criticized online on Wednesday following his about two-hour press conference, the first press conference that he’s given in months, over his responses to a variety of questions.
Biden suggested during the press conference that a “minor incursion” by Russia into Ukraine might not elicit the same response from the U.S. as a full-scale invasion.
When asked about his struggles in office and whether he overpromised on the campaign trail, Biden responded, “I didn’t over-promise, but I have probably outperformed what anyone thought would happen.”
Cruz also criticized Biden’s speech on Twitter in multiple posts on Wednesday.
“Biden’s speech tonight was shockingly reckless and out of touch. He was either completely unaware of or indifferent to major issues impacting Americans today: empty grocery store shelves, record inflation, and authoritarian COVID mandates,” he said.
Biden’s speech tonight was shockingly reckless and out of touch.
He was either completely unaware of or indifferent to major issues impacting Americans today: empty grocery store shelves, record inflation, and authoritarian COVID mandates. 1/x
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 20, 2022
Cruz concluded, “Biden spent two hours trying to gaslight the American people to accept the Democrats’ radical proposals. It was shameful and disturbing.”
Biden spent two hours trying to gaslight the American people to accept the Democrats' radical proposals.
It was shameful and disturbing. 5/x
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 20, 2022