Ted Cruz vs. Van Jones Epic Battle Royale! (VIDEO)

by Austin Petersen

Clash of the Titans!

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) faced off with progressive activist Van Jones on CNN’s Crossfire Thursday night. They debated the government shutdown and debt ceiling talks, both trading body blows over who is responsible for the chaos in Washington.

Van Jones lashed out at Cruz, asking him if he thinks he owes his party an apology for leading them astray on Obamacare. “Do you feel like you owe your party an apology? Listen, you have people who believed in you, they believed that you were somehow going to be able to defund Obamacare, they believed the strategy of shutdown might have a chance,” Jones said. “They followed you into a ditch. And now, there’s obviously there’s no chance Obamacare will be defunded and we’re on the brink of a horrific default. Do you think that in the reflection of your own heart, you might say, ‘You know what? I’m a new kid here, I think I owe you an apology?’” Jones added.

In fine fighting form, Cruz laughed it off, “Van, I know you desperately want to change the topic from Obamacare. Democrats in this town do not want to discuss Obamacare,” Cruz says. “Why? Because it isn’t working.”

Watch the feisty exchange below.

Austin Petersen is a homegrown Missourian with a lifelong passion for liberty. He grew up on a horse farm in Peculiar, Missouri and went on to attend Missouri State University, graduating with a degree in the Fine Arts. After developing a career in media in both New York City and Washington, D.C., he returned to Kansas City, MO, the city he now calls home. In 2016, Petersen appeared on the national stage as a candidate for president of the United States. He took second place in the crowded Libertarian primary behind Governor Gary Johnson and ahead of cyber security maverick John McAfee. During his campaign, Petersen earned many high-profile conservative endorsements, including Mary Matalin, Erick Erickson and Leon Wolf of RedState.com. Petersen also brings decades of professional experience in a wide variety of fields, from content production and media to business and political activism. He is the owner and chief executive of Stonegait LLC, a consulting firm specializing in photo and video services. He was also the director of production at FreedomWorks and an associate producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Freedom Watch” on the Fox Business Network. Additionally, Petersen has a national following as a commentator and professional pundit. He is the founder of The Libertarian Republic, a powerful online news source for the public that receives an average of 1 million unique visits monthly and whose podcast, The Freedom Report, receives an average of one million monthly downloads. He is also a frequent contributor on television, appearing on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC and on dozens of local radio shows.