Sen. Ted Cruz, CNN host clash sharply over voter fraud, accepting election results: 'Ridiculous question'

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, clashed sharply with CNN host Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday over questions about voter fraud and whether he would pledge to accept the 2024 election results, accusing her of not holding prominent Democrats to the same standard.

"I think that’s actually a ridiculous question," Cruz said to Collins, who noted the Texas senator objected to certifying the 2020 election results on Jan. 6, 2021. "You ever ask a Democrat that?" 

Collins responded, "Of course," before Cruz pushed back and asked, "what Democrat?"

"I know, I know, I’ve been down this road many times," Collins responded. "You cannot compare the two situations. We have talked about that. We have seen the audio of that, when they protested on the Senate floor, but have you ever had a sitting president who refused to facilitate the peaceful transition of power?"

Sen. Ted Cruz and CNN host Kaitlan Collins clashed on Wednesday over whether the Texas senator plans to accept the results of the election. (Screenshot/CNN)

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Cruz pushed back again and said they did have a peaceful transfer of power between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, before arguing that Democrats objected to the 2000 and 2016 presidential elections. Trump has repeatedly claimed the 2020 election was illegitimate and is facing federal election interference charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, in addition to state election interference charges in Georgia.

Cruz took exception to Collins' line of questioning in a testy exchange with the anchor.

"So you‘re asking will you promise, no matter what, to agree an election is [legitimate], regardless of what happens," Cruz said. "And that would be an absurd thing to claim, like we have an entire election law system that people challenge elections, elections get overturned, voter fraud gets proven, that happens all the time, and the media engages in this weird game post-Donald Trump that you insist no voter fraud has ever existed."

She asked him again if he would accept the results, regardless of who wins in 2024. 

"Look, if the Democrats win, I will accept the result, but I’m not going to ignore fraud regardless of the result," Cruz said. 

Collins at one point claimed there was no voter fraud at all before Cruz challenged her on making such a blanket assessment. 

"You're saying zero voter fraud occurred," Cruz said.

"Nothing that would have changed the outcome of the election," Collins said.

"OK, but that's a different statement," Cruz replied.

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on May 21. (Michael M. Santiago/PoolAFP via Getty Images)

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Collins and Cruz went back and forth again over whether there was "zero fraud" in the 2020 election as Collins demanded Cruz answer the yes or no question and grew frustrated at his answers.

"I think the country would have been a lot better off with a determination of what evidence of voter fraud occurred. And instead, the media didn‘t want to hear it and insists voter fraud never occurs," Cruz said, explaining why he called for an election commission to investigate voter fraud in 2021.  

Collins shot back and said it was Attorney General Bill Barr who insisted there was no voter fraud, and said again her question was not answered. 

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"It was CNN that relentlessly pushed that propaganda," Cruz said. "That voter fraud doesn't exist and anyone who says it does is wearing a tinfoil hat. That is propaganda, and by the way, you never ask Hillary Clinton this, you never ask Stacey Abrams this, you never ask Al Gore this, and every one of them said the Republicans who won were illegitimate."

"My question was about 2024," Collins continued. "You did not answer it. But thank you for coming on the show."