'Simpsons Did It First!' Ted Cruz Rips Tom Hanks Cameo in Joe Biden Ad

A video commemorating the first year of Joe Biden's presidency was released Thursday, featuring narration and an appearance from actor Tom Hanks.

The actor's cameo in the Biden ad drew the mockery of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who compared it to Hanks' short but memorable role as himself in The Simpsons Movie from 2007.

"Hello, I'm Tom Hanks. The U.S. government has lost its credibility, so it's borrowing some of mine," Hanks' animated character says in the movie while appearing in an ad.

At the end of the in-movie ad, his character reintroduces himself and asks "if you're going to pick a government to trust, why not this one?"

Cruz tweeted "The Simpsons did it first!" in response to another post that included a captioned photo of Hanks' cameo in the animated film.

In the two-minute video posted by the Biden Inaugural Committee, Hanks speaks about the challenges of the last two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and how Americans have been "brave enough to pull ourselves up again and again."

"Like with our economy. It isn't all the way back, but it's getting stronger," Hanks says.

He describes various accomplishments achieved by the Biden administration in its inaugural year, such as the reopening or recovery restaurants, shops and businesses, job creation and the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

"We may be entering year three of a pandemic none of us wanted or expected, but we're moving," Hanks says.

The video concludes with a brief appearance from Biden, who says that "it's never been a good bet to bet against America."

"I've never been more optimistic about America's future. There's nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together," he adds.

Cruz wasn't the only person who trolled or criticized Hanks' involvement in the ad. Sean Hannity, a talk show host and conservative political commentator, referenced Hanks' 1998 film Saving Private Ryan in a tweet Thursday that read, in part, "SAVING PRESIDENT BIDEN."

"Tom Hanks Narrates Biden Video, Making Joe Look Good Will Be His Greatest Performance Yet," Hannity tweeted.

Byron York, a correspondent with the Washington Examiner, a conservative news website and magazine, had a more succinct response.

"Well, if Tom Hanks says so…" he tweeted.

This wasn't the first time that Hanks has been linked to the Biden administration. The actor hosted a prime-time TV special celebrating the president's inauguration on January 20, 2021, exactly one year to the day before the video featuring his voice was released Thursday.

In a statement sent to Axios, the Biden Inaugural Committee wrote, "In recognition of the President's first year in office, the Biden-Harris Presidential Inaugural Committee believed it was important to celebrate the strength and perseverance of the American people in the face of extraordinary adversity, just as we did a year ago today."

"Through the voices of those Americans—including some who participated in last year's celebration—the video also highlights the progress that's been made over the last year."