U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz faced loud and relentless booing at the Formula One race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, according to video from the event and eyewitness accounts.
The Republican lawmaker, who served as the trophy presenter at the F1 U.S. Grand Prix, was met with jeers as he stood on the podium to present the first-place trophy to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Once Cruz handed the trophy to Antonelli, the boos turned to cheers, leaving little room for doubt about the disapproval’s intended target.
“Midterms are coming up; people are already voting with their voice,” Formula 1 commentator David “Crofty” Croft said on Sky Sports during the live broadcast of the event.
Although Cruz isn’t on the midterm ballot and hasn’t confirmed plans to run for president a second time, he appears to already be campaigning for the nation’s highest office, according to political observers.
The senator was also booed when he was announced as a dignitary attending the F1 event, according to social media posts from eyewitnesses in the crowd.
In his Sunday tweet about the race, Cruz didn’t mention the boos, only referring to the event as an outing with his daughter Caroline.
“Incredible day at the Austin Grand Prix with Caroline. Perfect Dad-daughter afternoon,” Cruz wrote on X. “The eyes of the racing world were on Texas. Congrats to Kimi Antonelli on a huge win. It was an honor to present the championship trophy.”
This is becoming a trend for Cruz, who was booed during his interview on ESPN’s College Game Day ahead of the Sept. 12 Texas Longhorns football game against Ohio State.
Cruz appeared in person on the show to promote the “Protect College Sports Act,” a bill that’s since been passed by the Senate but awaits final approval in the House. Critics say the bill caps how much student athletes can earn and prevents them from unionizing or engaging in collective bargaining, among other concerns.
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