Sen. Ted Cruz painted over profanity targeting Charlie Kirk on a Houston freeway, saying he wanted to spare drivers from seeing what he called "hateful garbage." Cruz posted video of the act Sunday on X and said state transportation officials had been notified.
The spray-painted message, which included the word "F—k" and Kirk’s name, was on a stretch of the U.S. 59 freeway in Houston. "Some deranged bastard put this graffiti on the 59 freeway in Houston. TXDOT has been notified & I’m sure they will remove it expeditiously. But, in the meantime, Texans don’t have to look at this hateful garbage anymore," Cruz wrote on X as he shared the video, adding "Erasing evil." Businessman Elon Musk reacted with an American flag emoji to Cruz’s post, and State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reposted a Fox News tweet of the video applauding Cruz with clapping emojis.
Cruz said he took the action while waiting for the Texas Department of Transportation to remove the vandalism. The video he posted shows him covering the words with paint along the roadside. He has not said whether he coordinated his action with local authorities beyond notifying TXDOT.
The incident follows the assassination last week of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University. In a statement after Kirk’s death, Cruz called him a "close friend," describing Kirk as "courageous, brilliant, compassionate, and powerfully honest." Authorities in Utah are continuing their investigation into the shooting.
Cruz’s post and video drew attention on social media and were circulated by conservative commentators and outlets. Supporters framed his action as removing an offensive public message; others noted it came amid heightened tensions after a high-profile political killing.
The Texas Department of Transportation typically removes roadside graffiti and debris on an ongoing basis; local officials did not immediately comment on the timing of any official cleanup in this case. Cruz’s intervention came as communities and political figures reacted to Kirk’s death, a development that has prompted nationwide statements from public officials and conservative organizations.
Cruz has been a frequent presence on social media and in conservative media, and his actions in Houston were reported and shared widely within those networks. He has not indicated further plans related to the vandalism beyond his public statement and the video posted on X.