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Sen. Cruz rides with ‘People’s Convoy’ truck to D.C. as Beltway protest enters fourth day

Texas senator is riding in the lead truck, which organizers say will head into D.C.

By Ellie Silverman, Karina Elwood and Dana Hedgpeth
Today at 9:29 a.m. EST | Updated today at 10:55 a.m. EST

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) visited the “People’s Convoy” at the Hagerstown Speedway on Thursday and rode shotgun in the lead truck, with plans for the vehicle to head into to Washington for a news conference, while the rest of the convoy circles the Capital Beltway to protest pandemic health restrictions aimed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. ... “The convoy is not [going into D.C.],” Brian Brase, the group’s organizer, said from inside the lead truck. “The convoy’s going to continue its normal operation. This truck will be going into D.C.”

Though many pandemic-related restrictions at the federal and local levels have been blocked or rescinded, the convoy organizers have rallied supporters by calling mandates an infringement on their freedoms. ... “There ain’t no ignoring a senator riding in the lead truck,” Brase told the crowd at the Hagerstown Speedway earlier. “That’s basically an endorsement of what we’re doing.”

“Your voice is being heard,” Cruz told the crowd as truckers, drivers and supporters held up their phones and cameras to capture his speech. “What the men and women want here is for the government to leave you the hell alone. ... That is the most American sentiment you could imagine.” ... Brase said the convoy will continue to protest until mandates for health workers, federal employees and military personnel are eliminated, but he warned the convoy against heading into the capital.

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Law enforcement authorities in Virginia and Maryland said there have been no reported incidents from the convoy’s circling of the Beltway other than some minor congestion. The convoy said it was joined by another 150 cars and trucks when they reached Hagerstown Speedway. ... There have been no arrests, towed vehicles or infractions as a result of the convoy, officials said. ... It is not exactly clear when the convoy plans to leave the D.C. region. Brase, a 37-year-old trucker from Ohio, had said at one point they planned to stay in Hagerstown through at least Saturday but has also said they may stay longer to get more meetings with politicians.

By Ellie Silverman
Ellie Silverman covers protest movements, activism and local news. At The Post, she has also covered local crime and courts. She has previously reported on retail, breaking news and general assignment stories for the Philadelphia Inquirer, her hometown paper. She graduated from the University of Maryland, where she reported for the Diamondback. Twitter https://twitter.com/esilverman11

By Karina Elwood
Karina Elwood is an intern covering local politics and government on the Metro desk. Twitter https://twitter.com/karina_elwood

By Dana Hedgpeth
Dana Hedgpeth is a Washington Post reporter, working in the early morning to report on traffic, crime and other local issues. She joined The Post in 1999. She's American Indian and an enrolled member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe of N.C. Twitter https://twitter.com/postmetrogirl