Martina Navratilova drops 1-word reaction to Texas senator Ted Cruz's cheeky comment about COVID-19 vaccine
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova recently reacted to an exchange involving Texas Senator Ted Cruz about the origins of the COVID-19 vaccine. Reacting to a resurfaced conversation from 2020, the 68-year-old's response captured her sharp humor and disdain for Cruz’s controversial remarks.
The conversation began in 2020 when a Twitter (now X) user shared the news that Canada would provide the new COVID-19 vaccine to every Canadian who wanted it for free.
Senator Ted Cruz responded to the tweet with a hint of sarcasm, asking:
"That's great. Just out of curiosity, which country was it that developed the vaccine? Wonder why."
This comment was quickly met with a correction from another user, who pointed out that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was first developed in Germany by a pair of immigrant scientists from Turkey.
On December 27, 2024, a user revisited the old Twitter thread, sharing a screenshot of the exchange to mock Cruz’s initial comment. Martina Navratilova, a vocal critic of the Republican Party, couldn't resist joining in on the fun. She wrote:
"Lol."
Martina Navratilova slams Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott over mental health remarks after Texas mass shooting
In May 2023, Martina Navratilova voiced her frustration with Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott over their statements about mental health issues in response to the mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6.
The tragic incident, which occurred at a mall in Allen, Texas, claimed the lives of eight people, including two school students.
Following the shooting, Ted Cruz offered condolences to the victims on X (formerly Twitter), while Abbott attributed the violence to mental health problems in the country.
"Heidi [Ted Cruz's wife] and I are praying for the families of the victims of the horrific mall shooting in Allen, Texas. We pray also for the broader Collin county community that’s in shock from this tragedy," Cruz wrote.
"What Texas is doing in a big-time way, we are working to address that anger and violence but going to its root cause, which is addressing the mental health problems behind it," Abbott said during an interview on Fox News Sunday.
The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion criticized their remarks, sarcastically questioning why individuals with "Swastika tattoos" were not similarly labeled as "mentally ill" and barred from accessing firearms in the first place.
"Since Ted Cruz and Gov Abbott both claim this is a mental problem not a gun problem, it stands to reason that guys with Swastika tattoos are mentally ill and should not be allowed to buy guns. Or am I missing something?," Navratilova wrote.
Additionally, Martina Navratilova suggested that individuals wearing "Right Wing Death Squad" patches or tattoos should be treated similarly.