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Ted Cruz’s closing statement: “Hey, you should really go see the new Michael Bay movie.”

Paramount Pictures

Cruz is something of a film buff, as we know from his interminable performances of scenes from The Princess Bride in America’s favorite diners. He began the debate by referencing the indie horror movie It Follows, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he ended with a plug for Michael Bay’s Benghazi movie Thirteen Hours. (Official New Republic editorial policy requires that I refer to Thirteen Hours as Beard Team Six, so I will do that for the remainder of this short post.) 

Cruz’s It Follows reference was almost clever—his Beard Team Six reference was totally extraneous. It was vaguely tied to discussing his respect for the military, but it was hardly a grace note. So it prompts a number of questions. Has Michael Bay endorsed Ted Cruz? Has Ted Cruz seen Beard Team Six? Is Ted Cruz’s campaign actually part of the marketing campaign for Beard Team Six? Or is Beard Team Six part of Ted Cruz’s campaign? Time will tell.