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Actor Ron Perlman Gets Into a Twitter Beef with Spineless Ted Cruz and Amoral Matt Gaetz

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | June 15, 2020 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | June 15, 2020 |


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OK, let’s see here. How did this started? Last week, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by police and the protests around the country that still continue today, the U.S. Soccer Federation lifted a three-year ban on players kneeling during the National Anthem (like, WTF? Why did that ban even exist? We thought you were better than that, soccer). Anyway, after it lifted, Florida Representative and Rejected gator chum Matt Gaetz felt “triggered” by the news and announced that he would propose legislation to compel the USSF to reverse that policy change or face financial consequences.

Look: All of this ultimately is part of a larger game for Republicans and Trump to take focus off police violence and the pandemic. For the President, it has thus far failed miserably. But Ron Perlman had a really good time with it, and then Ted Cruz got involved, and it devolved into an old-fashioned Twitter war between the unlikeliest of opponents. Let me see if I can follow all of its tentacles. Here’s where it starts:

Gaetz shot back, which merited a response (and a reaction from Ava Duvernay):

Good on Perlman, and especially good on Perlman for not getting into an argument over semantics (his SoA character wasn’t a white nationalist, but he definitely was both an asshole and a racist). The exchange continued here:

Not to get all Petr on you, but really, the problem are the systemic policies that benefit the wealthy, like Gaetz and many in Hollywood, to the detriment of the poor, of which people of color make up a disproportionate number. Also, the racism.

Well, OK: Perlman is definitely right about one thing: Matty Gaetz used his father’s money, nepotism, and opportunistically kissing Trump’s ass to win his seat in Florida, but to be fair to Gaetz, it’s not because of gerrymandering. Gaetz is like that overeager anti-Semite who was just waiting for someone like Hitler to come along, but so is much of his district. The Florida panhandle is the dumbest, most racist part of Florida. Gerrymandering is not necessary. Ever been to Pensacola? Holy shit. They voted overwhelmingly for George Wallace for President back in the day. GEORGE WALLACE. Joe Scarborough — the MSNBC host — used to represent this district, and he must have been seen as a deep intellectual.

So, two points Perlman here, but half a point for Gaetz for being right about the gerrymandering, but losing that half a point immediately because, yeah, basically, the panhandle is Alabama, Florida (hence their love of George Wallace).

Here, I assume that Perlman is talking about “ugly on the inside,” because there’s nobody uglier than Jim Jordon, who looked the other way while hundreds of his college students were molested by the team doctor.

This exchange, however, brought out Ted Cruz. Welcome to the party, Ted.

Game, set, match: Perlman?

Ted Cruz, however, did come back with this weak rejoinder, and I feel like the more attention that is focused on Jordan’s wrestling career, the better.

Evergreen reminder: At least 177 male student-patients were molested by Ohio State University’s Dr. Richard Strauss, many of whom during Jim Jordan’s tenure as a coach of their wrestling team. Many of his former students have said that they told Jordan about the abuses and that he looked the other way.



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