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- Sen. Ted Cruz said Texas could secede from the US if Democrats "fundamentally destroy" the country.
- Cruz said that were the situation to become "hopeless," Texas should "take" NASA, the military, and the oil.
- He also joked that controversial podcaster Joe Rogan could become the president of the new state.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Texas could secede from the US if Democrats "fundamentally destroy the country."
Cruz was speaking at an event at Texas A&M in October when an audience member asked him about his views on Texas seceding, also known as "Texit." Cruz said he wasn't "there yet" when it came to the question of whether Texas should secede, but said he understood the sentiment behind the secessionist movement.
"If the Democrats end the filibuster, if they fundamentally destroy the country, if they pack the Supreme Court, if they make DC a state, if they federalize elections, if they massively expand voter fraud, there may come a point where it's hopeless," Cruz said.
"I think Texas has a responsibility to the country, and I'm not ready to give up on America. I love this country," Cruz said.
"We're not there yet, and if there comes a point where it's hopeless, then I think we take NASA, we take the military, we take the oil," he added.
Cruz also joked that conservative podcaster Joe Rogan could be president of Texas if it were to become independent of the US. Cruz did not give an explanation for why Rogan should be president of the state. The podcast host owns a multimillion-dollar property in Austin, and last July, Cruz extended a warm welcome to Rogan in a tweet announcing his move to the state.
Rogan has not publicly responded to Cruz's suggestion that he be made president of Texas. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
"Texit" is a real movement in the state that is working to make Texas an independent nation. According to the website of the Texas Nationalist Movement, its mission is to "secure and protect the political, cultural and economic independence of the nation of Texas and to restore and protect a constitutional Republic and the inherent rights of the people of Texas." The movement claims on its website to have more than 420,000 supporters.
The movement is currently organizing a campaign to "force the Texit question on the primary ballot in Spring 2022." The organization is calling for supporters to donate to the cause and sign a petition to have the question "Should the State of Texas reassert its status as an independent nation?" placed on the primary ballot next year.
In February, the Texas GOP even moved to endorse legislation to allow residents of the state to vote on whether to secede from the US.