Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) is facing backlash after claiming the phrase “Christ is King” has recently been used online as an antisemitic expression.
The Republican lawmaker made the remarks during an interview where he said he had become “really troubled” by how the phrase was being used in certain circles.
“I agree with the statement Christ is King,” Cruz said. “Although it is being used online in a way that is meant to say, ‘screw you, Jew.’”
Cruz argued that the phrase itself is a traditional Christian belief but claimed it has been weaponized by some individuals on the internet.
He said that in certain cases, the phrase appears at the end of attacks directed toward Jewish people.
“They’re attacking Jews and they end with ‘Christ is King’ to make it sound like somehow there’s a biblical basis for attacking Jews,” Cruz said.
The Texas senator said he had never heard the phrase used in his church growing up.
Cruz, who is a Southern Baptist Christian, said he discussed the issue with his pastor from Houston’s First Baptist Church because he was concerned about how the phrase was being interpreted.
“That’s almost an online code word,” Cruz said. “Christ is King is, ‘I hate the Jew.’”
He suggested Christians instead use phrases such as “Jesus loves you” or “Jesus saves.”
The remarks quickly sparked outrage across social media.
Many users rejected Cruz’s interpretation and insisted the phrase simply reflects Christian belief.
Alex Bruesewitz, a political adviser who worked on President Donald Trump’s election campaign, publicly criticized the senator.
“It’s not ‘antisemitic’ to say that Christ IS King,” Bruesewitz wrote. “It’s the truth.”
Other users echoed the same view, arguing that the phrase has long existed in Christian teaching.
“We say Christ Is King because he is,” one social media user wrote. “If that’s offensive, that’s the hearer’s problem, not the speaker.”
Another commenter accused Cruz of attacking Christianity itself.
“Now he’s showing how bigoted he is against Christians by denying that Jesus Christ is our one and only King,” the user wrote.
Some critics also mocked Cruz’s suggestion that the phrase originated on the internet.
“Soon he will declare Christianity antisemitic,” another user wrote.
The phrase “Christ is King” has appeared in recent years at political rallies and across social media, per the Daily Mail.
It has also been used by several conservative influencers and commentators.
Cruz argued that certain far-right internet groups have adopted the phrase in political messaging.
He specifically referenced so-called “groypers,” a loose online network associated with provocateur Nick Fuentes.
According to Cruz, the phrase sometimes appears alongside anti-Jewish insults.
“They’re using the Lord’s name in a way that I don’t think is right or biblical,” he said.
A 2025 report from the Network Contagion Research Institute claimed the phrase had occasionally been used online to promote antisemitic narratives.
During a hearing earlier this year, witness Seth Dillon told a federal religious liberty commission that the phrase had sometimes been followed by slurs directed at Jewish people.
Dillon said some groups were “using the Lord’s name in an abusive manner.”
Despite those claims, many Christians online continue to defend the phrase as a basic statement of faith.
The controversy has fueled a wider debate about religion, politics, and speech online.
