Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) fired back on Saturday after Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump launched a lengthy, furious tweetstorm at him.
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Mr Cruz may not be filling stadiums like Mr Trump – but he packs a small rural venue to the rafters.
The pair also discussed what they thought “New York values” really meant.
Cruz’s statement prompted cries for an apology from many New Yorkers and he responded Saturday morning by going on the offensive.
Earlier this week, Cruz insulted Trump and his “New York values” – a dig that infuriated local politicians and inspired Daily News to declare “Drop Dead, Ted” on its Friday front page.
“I’m happy to apologize”, Cruz said.
Trying to prove Trump is not the conservative he says he is, Cruz’s campaign released a video entitled “Donald Trump’s New York Values” that linked to a 1999 interview Trump did on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in which Trump declared he favored a woman’s right to abortion and supported gay marriage.
“I saw something that no place on earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York”, Trump said. Even though there had been many high paying jobs just south in Pennsylvania, New Yorkers are denied the ability to provide for their families.
Shmuley Boteach, a New Jersey rabbi and former congressional candidate who has been introducing Cruz to New York Jews, told MSNBC he didn’t take the Texas senator’s “New York values” attack too seriously. “That’s a caricature, I would say, of a certain kind of Jew”. He added: “I would suggest we focus on who’s best prepared to be commander-in-chief, because that’s the most important question facing the country”.
But in response The New York Times released the audio of their editorial meeting with the candidate, in which Trump certainly does endorse a 45 percent tariff on Chinese goods.
Maybe it’s Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio who should be apologizing. Ted Cruz has made a name for himself as a conservative firebrand – not afraid to upset the Republican establishment.
Cruz has raised $490,600 from New Yorkers, his presidential campaign finance filings show.
Regarding the NY values crack, Cruz made a joking apology to the people of the city and state for having to bear the burdens of Democratic lawmakers.
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Although Cruz acquired American citizenship at birth through his mother, some have argued that as he was born overseas and to a Cuban father, he does not meet the constitutional requirement of being “a natural-born citizen” and is therefore ineligible to serve in the White House.
