Man Arrested After Throwing Beer Can at GOP Senator Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to discuss immigration at the southern border in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Police arrested a 33-year-old man who allegedly flung a beer can at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during a victory parade of the Houston Astros on Monday.

Cruz was on a celebration float with family after the baseball team won the World Series over the weekend when an unidentified bystander threw a beer can that “struck the Senator in the chest/neck area,” according to the Houston Police Department (HPD).

“Nearby HPD officers arrested the male without further incident. He was taken to jail and faces assault charges,” the department announced on Twitter later during the day, adding that it will release the suspect’s name and photo when formal charges are filed.

Video footage trending on social media shows the beer can narrowly missed Cruz’s face while both the senator and a security staff stretched out, trying to bat away the object.

The senator “did not require medical attention,” the police said.

“As always I’m thankful for the Houston Police and Capitol Police for their quick action,” Cruz said in a late Monday statement via Twitter. “I’m also thankful that the clown who threw his White Claw had a noodle for an arm,” the senator added.

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) took to Twitter to condemn the incident. “Don’t throw beer or commit violence against someone you politically disagree with. We are a country of voting not violence,” he wrote.

Monday’s incident comes amid concerns of political violence ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, especially after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) husband was attacked late last month with a hammer.