'The internet can be a strange place': Ted Cruz confronts 'weather modification' conspiracy theories
'To the best of my knowledge, there is zero evidence of anything related to anything like weather modification,' Cruz told reporters at a briefing on Monday. 'Look, the internet can be a strange place. People can come up with all sorts of crazy theories.'
Cruz's comments came in response to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who said on Saturday she would introduce legislation to ban 'weather modification.'
'I am introducing a bill that prohibits the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals or substances into the atmosphere for the express purpose of altering weather, temperature, climate, or sunlight intensity,' Greene wrote on X.
Greene said that she's been 'researching weather modification' and spent months preparing legislation that would prohibit the 'deadly practice of weather modification and geoengineering.' The Georgia lawmaker has promoted the idea that the government can control the weather for a while. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024, Greene likewise took to X.
'Yes they can control the weather. It's ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can't be done,' Greene wrote.
Greene has also at times embraced the concept of 'weather modification,' suggesting that 'they' could have used cloud seeding technology to quell the wildfires in California earlier this year.Amid ongoing flash flooding, hundreds of rescues, and a growing death count — 89 people were confirmed dead as of Monday afternoon — Cruz was forced to rebut conspiracy theories promoted by some members of his own party.
Kandiss Taylor, a Georgia state politician and 2026 congressional hopeful, called the flooding in Texas happens when 'weather is manipulated.'
'Fake weather. Fake hurricanes. Fake flooding. Fake. Fake. Fake,' Taylor wrote on X.
With Republicans controlling all three branches of government, Cruz is scrambling to dispel conspiracy theories as well as more credible claims that cuts to agencies like FEMA and the National Weather Service played a part in the severity of the disaster.
'There's a time to have political fights. There's a time to disagree. This is not that time,' Cruz said.
The post 'The internet can be a strange place': Ted Cruz confronts 'weather modification' conspiracy theories appeared first on Salon.com.
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