‘SNL’ knocks Cruz for labeling Big Bird vaccine tweet ‘propaganda’

“Saturday Night Live” knocked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during the sketch comedy show’s latest episode for labeling a tweet by Big Bird about vaccines as “propaganda.”

The show opened with an episode of “Ted Cruz Street,” a parody of the children’s show “Sesame Street,” which, according to “SNL,” aired on “Newsmax Kids.”

Cruz, played by cast member Aidy Bryant, welcomed the audience to his eponymous show, quickly making note of his controversial opposition to Big Bird’s vaccine advocacy. Cruz made headlines last week when he said a tweet from Big Bird promoting the COVID-19 vaccine was “propaganda,” despite decades of the “Sesame Street” character promoting inoculations. 

“Hello, I’m Texas senator and the last one invited to Thanksgiving Ted Cruz,” Bryant’s Cruz said.

“You know, for 50 years, I stood by as ‘Sesame Street’ taught our children dangerous ideas like numbers and kindness. But when Big Bird told children to get vaccinated against a deadly disease, I said, ‘Enough,’ and I created my own ‘Sesame Street’ called ‘Cruz Street.’ It’s a gated community where kids are safe from the woke government,” he added.

The first character to make an appearance on the episode of “Cruz Street” was Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), played by cast member Cecily Strong, who walked onstage wielding an AR-15 gun.

Asked by Cruz what she was doing in the area, the congresswoman said she was “taking a break from releasing the phone numbers of Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill so they and their families get death threats.”

Strong’s Greene then said the episode of “Cruz Street” was sponsored by “Q, not the letter, the man,” adding that he will “reveal himself and help President Trump reclaim his rightful throne.”

Big Bird, played by cast member Kyle Mooney, was then introduced onstage. The fictional character said his feathers were falling out and that he didn’t feel well, potentially because of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Bryant’s Cruz then called for “Ted Cruz Street” resident medical expert Joe Rogan, played by cast member Pete Davidson, on set. Rogan, an outspoken vaccine skeptic, advised NFL player Aaron Rodgers after his COVID-19 diagnosis.

“I used to host ‘Fear Factor,’ and now doctors fear me,” Davidson’s Rogan said.

He then recommended that Big Bird take zinc and “horse medicine” for his ailments.

“Well, why would a bird take horse medicine?” Mooney’s Big Bird asked.

“I’m a human, and I took horse medicine,” Davidson’s Rogan responded.

Later in the fictional episode, Bryant’s Cruz teased that after a commercial break, the show would introduce the “Recount Count”, played by Aristotle Athari, to “find out how Trump definitely won the election.”

“I’m moving to Arizona,” Athari’s Count said, followed by laughs.

The Hill reached out to Cruz for comment.