The minute-long video was posted by the Independent Journal Review on YouTube and shows Cruz, in an open-collar shirt, at the Central Iowa Impact Gun Range preparing.
A new video released Monday shows presidential hopeful Ted Cruz cooking a few strips of bacon in a unique fashion — off the end of a semi-automatic rifle at an Iowa gun range.
“There is nothing I enjoy more than on weekends cooking breakfast with the family,” the Texas senator says in the video. “Of course in Texas we cook bacon a little differently than most folks.“
In a crowded GOP presidential primary, candidates are doing all they can to draw attention to themselves, especially with businessman Donald Trump sucking up so much of the campaign oxygen.
In the latest stunt, the minute-long video was posted by the Independent Journal Review on YouTube and shows Cruz, in an open-collar shirt, at the Central Iowa Impact Gun Range preparing the bacon.
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Instead of cooking in a skillet or oven, a handful of slices are wrapped around the barrel of the rifle and covered in aluminum foil. Cruz fires more than several rounds at a paper target at the range.
In the video, Cruz shoots four magazines of 5.56 ammunition and notes “there’s grease coming down” as it splatters onto the floor.
According to Cruz’s camp, the senator was using a Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport rifle with an EOTech sight.
Cruz seems to have an affinity for breakfast foods in his public life. He previously read Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham” on the Senate floor.
Now, the Texas senator appears to be the first Republican running for the White House who has fired up bacon with the business end of a semi-automatic rifle. However, Cruz isn’t the first gun enthusiast who has cooked with a firearm and posted it on YouTube.
As his video ends, Cruz eats the bacon with a fork off the rifle. “Hmm, machine gun bacon,” Cruz smiles and laughs.
It’s worth noting that Iowa — home of the Feb. 1, 2016, caucus that serves as the nation’s first presidential primary season voting — is also the nation’s leading pork producer.
As far as political stunts aimed at reaching out to rural Iowa voters, cooking bacon the Cruz way undoubtedly will draw increased attention to the junior senator from Texas.