Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently took an expletive-laden swipe at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during the recording of his audio narration for an upcoming memoir, Axios reported Thursday evening.
JOHN BOEHNER’S new book has a name, a cover and a release date -- and it’s all as delicious as you would’ve hoped.
— Carolina Ron (@coffeeownsme) September 22, 2020
-- “ON THE HOUSE: A Washington Memoir” will be released April 13, 2021. $29.99 on Amazon. @politico pic.twitter.com/YlLLqKb9Rs
The retired Republican’s book, titled “On The House: A Washington Memoir," is to be released on 13 April, published by St. Martin’s Press.
A press release touts the volume as “filled with fascinating anecdotes from a colourful career” and a “reminder of the time when the adults were firmly in charge of Washington”.
However, during the audiobook recording, Boehner, who resigned from Congress in 2015, veered off script on a number of occasions, say sources cited by Axios.
At one point the Ohio Republican exclaimed:
"Oh, and Ted Cruz, go f--- yourself."
No specific context of Boehner's remarks was offered.
However, Boehner, who represented Ohio’s 8th congressional district for almost 25 years, recently tweeted that he had been reading his book for the recording with "a glass of something nice" in-hand. The tweet, posted on 25 February, suggested that the off script reported diatribes could be blamed on his beverage of choice.
Poured myself a glass of something nice to read my audiobook. You can blame the wine for the expletives. #OnTheHouse #13Apr2021 pic.twitter.com/5uN709ipOs
— John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) February 25, 2021
There has not been any comment from Ted Cruz's office.
Responding to the tweet, netizens applauded Boehner’s “retirement goals”.
John Boehner (minus his politics) is my future retirement goals.
— Rebecca Lynn (@Bex_Lyn) February 25, 2021
I never much agreed with your politics, but if had to pick a former member of Congress to listen to stories with over a beer, you'd get my vote. I hope retirement is treating you well!
— Daron Absher (@AbsherD88) February 25, 2021
Why do I get the feeling that John Boehner could write "Poured myself a glass of something nice to [insert every activity]" all day long?
— square1 (@square1_NYC) February 25, 2021
Booze nose say what?
— Bowwow4now (@BowWow4Now) February 26, 2021
Two words for Cruz & it ain't "Let's dance."
“Poured myself a glass of something nice to read my audiobook. You can blame the wine for the expletives.” https://t.co/PEbo2YVCS0
Other Twitter users wished Boehner was “still in the House”.
I wish you were still in the house. Man they need balanced politicians like you.
— Jerry Smith (@hiscollarship) February 25, 2021
You got out at the right time, man. Conversely, we need more principled men like you again. I agree with your assessment of grandpa Munster 🤣
— The Festimal (@BellaFestiva) February 26, 2021
Some netizens seemed to share John Boehner’s opinion of the Texas Senator.
That's ok. At least you told Ted Cruz where to go, and what to do.
— Charles (@Charles59177374) February 26, 2021
Boehner’s previous colorful epithets targeting Ted Cruz made headlines in April 2016 when he referred to the Republican presidential candidate as "Lucifer in the flesh" and a "miserable son of a b***h" in an interview at Stanford University.
Earlier, after freshman senator Ted Cruz met with House members of the conservative Freedom Caucus in 2013 to prompt them to fight to defund ObamaCare – something that led to a government shutdown – media reports suggested Boehner slammed Cruz as a “jack**s” over the issue.
John Boehner’s book is ostensibly to offer a glimpse into “battles won and lost”, and interactions with Presidents ranging from Gerald Ford to Donald Trump.
“I’ve never really been interested in doing your typical political memoir kind of book. This is going to be a book people might want to actually read, no matter where they’re coming from politically, or where they’re coming from in life,” said Boehner in the press release.
