Cruz: After Uvalde shooting, law enforcement didn't tell Texas leaders the truth

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz told CBS 11 on Friday that law enforcement officers in Uvalde didn't tell him and other Texas leaders the truth about how they responded to the deadly mass shooting that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers.

"They did not tell us the truth the day after the shooting," Cruz said. "In fact, almost everything they described happened turned out to be fake."

When asked if the law enforcement officers lied to him Cruz said, "I was sitting at the table, sitting there with Greg Abbott and John Cornyn and everything they said was about that day proved false."

Senator Cruz made his comments during an interview while attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

He also criticized the law enforcement response to the shooting itself.

There were 376 law enforcement officers who responded to Robb Elementary School, but they waited for more than an hour before pursuing and killing the gunman.  

The U.S. Justice Department is among those investigating the response. 

Cruz said, "It is utterly unacceptable, there is no good law enforcement explanation."

Since the shooting May 24, families of the victims in Uvalde have demanded the full truth to come out.

When asked what he would do to make sure that happens Cruz said, "I'm going to continue to press for fair and objective investigations at the state level and the federal level, both are on-going. It's important to look back and learn from the mistakes the law enforcement response in Uvalde."

Cruz addressed conservatives at CPAC and urged them to vote in November. 

"If you look at what's happening with Washington, everything is going wrong," Cruz said. "We've got out of control inflation; everything is going through the roof."

Earlier this week, voters in Kansas, a Republican state, rejected a measure that would have removed abortion protections from the state's constitution.

The vote took place more than one month after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

On Aug. 25, the new Texas law that bans most abortions takes effect.

There are exceptions to save the mother's life.

Jasmine Crockett, the Democratic nominee to succeed Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson in the 30th Congressional District said at a news conference Friday she hopes the Kansas vote will resonate here in Texas this November.

"I'm hoping Texas does the exact same thing and surprises the world with push back against our Governor because our Governor was one of those leading the way," Crockett said. "Listen, I believe what's going to happen in November, I think we're going to see not just a red wave, but a tidal wave."

He cited the economy and the situation at the southern border as reasons for Republicans to capture three Congressional seats in the Rio Grande Valley.

Dallas-area Democrats held a news conference Friday morning where they said extremism is on display at CPAC. 

Democrats condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who they call authoritarian and who recently complained Europe was becoming "mixed-race."     

Orban was welcomed as a speaker at CPAC Thursday.  

Congressman Colin Allred, D-Richardson said at the news conference, "I condemn his presence in Dallas. I condemn his presence coming to the United States and try and spread his authoritarian ideology in this country."    

State Representative Rhetta Bowers, D-Garland said, "Republicans are putting on one of the most grotesque displays of far-right ideology that we have ever seen in Texas."     

In response to whether there were extremist views at CPAC Senator Cruz said, "Joe Biden's top priority is passing Bernie Sanders' socialist budget, you look at the Democrat party, the Democrats used to say they were for border security. Today, they're for open borders."

In addition to Cruz, a number of other Texas Republican leaders addressed the conference, including Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton.     

Former President Donald Trump will be the main attraction when he addresses the thousands of conservatives Saturday afternoon.