A heated Texas congressional race has taken a dark turn after a political ad mocked a disabled Air Force veteran who is running for Congress with the backing of President Donald Trump.

The attack came just days before Memorial Day, a moment when America honors fallen heroes, making the smear all the more offensive to veterans and patriotic voters across the country.

The controversy erupted after a mailer funded by the pro John Lujan PAC called Protect and Serve landed in voters’ mailboxes.

The ad went after Carlos De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, for his 100 percent disability status recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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The ad portrayed him as exploiting the disability system, referring to him as the “100 percent disabled kickboxer,” a jab that veterans called deeply disgraceful.

The ad implied De La Cruz used his disability rating to avoid property taxes, even quoting VA definitions of total disability as if to question the legitimacy of his service-related injuries.

The flyer made sure to note that De La Cruz ran a San Antonio kickboxing gym and volunteered as a carpenter, insinuating that his physical activity somehow negated his service-connected impairments.

FIRST ON FOX: Veterans erupt after a PAC aligned with Texas GOP candidate John Lujan sent mailers mocking Trump-backed Air Force vet Carlos De La Cruz as 'the 100% disabled kickboxer' — days before Memorial Day.

De La Cruz deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The ad questions his… pic.twitter.com/BZgVD80ew5— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) May 23, 2026

Veteran groups were quick to respond, condemning the mailer as abhorrent and un-American.

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Charlotte Neiner, a fellow Air Force veteran and member of the Wounded Warrior Project, said she was horrified by what she found in her mailbox.

“This is the most shameful thing I have ever pulled out of my mailbox,” she told Fox News Digital.

Neiner reminded voters that mocking a veteran’s disabilities right before Memorial Day “is a disgrace.”

Neiner, who said she personally understands the toll that service injuries take, did not mince words about her feelings toward Lujan.

“Career politician John Lujan's team is doing his dirty work, attacking a fellow veteran's wounds,” she said.

“He never wore the uniform a single day. He has no idea what these injuries cost, and he never will.”

Her remarks reflect the deep division and emotion this controversy has sparked within the Texas veteran community.

She also made a pointed statement about Lujan’s political future in light of the smear.

“A man with this little honor has no business anywhere near Congress,” she said.

Neiner went even further, promising to rally veterans to vote against Lujan.

“He will not get my vote, he will not get the vote of a single veteran I know, and I will personally make sure every veteran in this district knows exactly what he did.”

While Lujan’s campaign has remained silent on the controversy, the backlash is spreading fast among grassroots conservatives.

Veterans across Texas are expressing outrage on social media, questioning how any conservative campaign could stoop to mocking a man who sacrificed so much for his country.

Texas law allows fully disabled veterans to claim a total exemption from property taxes on their primary residence.

Over 164,000 Texas veterans currently benefit from that exemption, according to recent VA data.

De La Cruz, who received a 100 percent rating for his service-connected injuries, qualifies under that law.

Critics of the attack say the ad effectively mocked all disabled veterans who exercise their earned benefits.

De La Cruz, a father, small business owner, and combat veteran, has earned strong grassroots support in Texas’ 35th Congressional District.

His campaign has been boosted by an endorsement from President Trump, while his opponent John Lujan has the backing of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

In a heated primary earlier this year, Lujan narrowly led De La Cruz but failed to secure the 50 percent vote needed to clinch the nomination, forcing a runoff.

Many local conservatives see the choice in Tuesday’s runoff as a test of character more than policy.

De La Cruz’s supporters have described him as a man of integrity who understands the struggles of veterans and working families.

The attack ad, they say, reflects the desperation of Lujan’s political allies who see Trump-backed De La Cruz gaining ground among the GOP base.

The Protect and Serve PAC that paid for the ad has not responded to questions about its involvement.

Meanwhile, outrage continues to grow from the broader veteran community, which sees this mailer as crossing a moral line.

Many point out that conservatives hold deep reverence for military service and for those who have borne the physical and emotional costs of defending the nation.

It has also not gone unnoticed that this attack surfaced just as Democrats in the same district face their own meltdown.

Democratic candidate Maureen Galindo recently provoked outrage after calling for the imprisonment and castration of “American Zionists,” a statement that drew condemnation from House Democrats.

The race in Texas’ 35th has become a microcosm of just how toxic modern campaigns have become.

As voters head to the polls this week, the controversy is serving as a reminder of what kind of leadership Texans want representing them in Washington.

For many veterans, that decision will come down to integrity, honor, and respect, values that have been put to the test in this bitter and now very personal GOP showdown.

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