Ted Cruz Sex Scandal

Trending News: The Internet Is Going Nuts Over A Possible Ted Cruz Sex Scandal

Why Is This Important?

Because this couldn't come at a worse time for a presidential candidate.

Long Story Short

The latest issue of the National Enquirer contains a thermonuclear bombshell: Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has had at least five confirmed extramarital affairs. The Enquirer is a shaky source, but others are beginning to corroborate.

Long Story

Show me someone who says there's no such thing as bad publicity, and I'll show you someone who's never been caught dicking women who aren't his wife while running for office. That's (possibly) the situation Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz finds himself in, fresh off a Twitter catfight with Donald Trump in which he demonstrated a shocking lack of self-awareness. According to the National Enquirer, Cruz has had extramarital affairs with at least five different women.

Bill when he opened up Twitter this morning #CruzSexScandal pic.twitter.com/RaSHnXJF7F — Chow (@chow3) March 25, 2016

Now, it's true that the National Enquirer is best known for keeping you apprised of Batboy, the human-bat hybrid's whereabouts in the grocery checkout line, but there's a big precedent for them doing some real investigative journalism: John Edwards. In December 2007, the Enquirer began a series of reports claiming that Senator Edwards — then a Democratic presidential candidate — had a secret lovechild with former campaign worker Rielle Hunter. The allegations turned out to be 100% true, and are credited with derailing his campaign for the 2008 election. The Enquirer, against all odds, was nominated for a Pulitzer for their efforts in 2010.

Washington Times reporter confirms at least 2 women in #CruzSexScandal #TheThing — Elisabeth (@10thAmendment) March 25, 2016

Of course, one claim to legitimacy doesn't negate all the Batboy stories, but running the truth (however scandalous it may seem) is a lot cheaper than settling defamation lawsuits. And let's be real, this is not out of the realm of possibility for a man in a powerful position like Cruz's. Politicians, athletes and other high-profile people aren't exactly known for resisting all of the extra attention that comes with their status.

The most amazing thing about the #CruzSexScandal is that he found five women who were willing to sleep with him. — Mike Edge (@ItsMikeEdge) March 25, 2016

Real talk.

What's more, a strange move from July — when a Cruz super PAC "donated" $500,000 to a Carly Fiorina super PAC — may now have some context: One of Cruz's alleged affairs was with Sarah Isgur Flores, a staffer for Fiorina's failed presidential campaign. The Washington Post noted that the exchange was odd at the time, but the Enquirer (and the internet) now claim that it was essentially hush money.

.@benshapiro a bit concerning that not 1 person in #cruzsexscandal has tweeted today. — Kevin Mackie (@Kevin_Mackie) March 25, 2016

Is it true? Who knows, but I think anyone who loves a juicy scandal (so, everyone) desperately wants it to be. We love sensational stories, and lots of people like the schadenfreude of seeing a politician running on a platform of virtue and piety revealed as a huge hypocrite. Right about now, the big news outlets are likely scrambling to find someone, anyone who can confirm that they've had an affair with Ted Cruz, or at least have knowledge of one. But as of now, it's still the Enquirer's word against a (suspiciously) silent Ted Cruz. We've yet to prove that he's not the Zodiac Killer, after all, so anything is possible.

Someone who doesn't think it's true is Texas-based reporter Erica Grieder. Check out her full timeline for some compelling arguments.

20. So, overall: those of you hyping #CruzSexScandal are pushing a smear against 5 innocent woman. That's pathetic & you should be ashamed. — EricaGrieder (@EricaGrieder) March 25, 2016

I'll update when/if we learn more. Until then, I apologize for making you think about Ted Cruz having sex for this long.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Would this end his presidential campaign, if true?

Disrupt Your Feed

This election is now officially better than any reality TV show.

Drop This Fact

As Solicitor General of Texas, Ted Cruz became both the first Hispanic SG in Texas and the youngest person to assume the position in the U.S.