In the video below, taken from the Republican debate on January 14, Ted Cruz quite arrogantly explains that New Yorkers have different values than the rest of the country.
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Asked if Cruz was making a subtle ethnic dig with his “New York values” comment, Trump said he didn’t know, adding, “probably you would have to ask him”.
The exchange between Trump and Cruz on Cruz being born in Canada occurred early in the debate and lasted for around seven minutes.
But “New York values” ends up signifying a whole lot more than “flip-flopper” ever did: “I think most people know exactly what New York values are”, Cruz suggested during the debate. “So, he has no trouble taking money from New York City, but he’s quick to insult our people and our values”.
“I also find it very ironic that Ted Cruz does not hesitate to come to New York City to raise millions and millions of dollars”.
“We rebuilt downtown Manhattan and everybody in the world watched and everybody in the world loved NY and loved New Yorkers”, he continued. “When the World Trade Center came down I saw something that no place on earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York”, Trump responded.
“Anybody who was AWOL from the battle on the Gang of Eight has no standing as a candidate now to say they will enforce the border”, Cruz said of the comprehensive immigration bill pushed by Rubio in 2013.
Cruz’s “apology” hit many more conservative issues.
However, the disclosures also call into question the story that Cruz often cites in stump speeches about liquidating his family savings of $1 million to fund a scrappy, beats-all-odds campaign against a wealthy establishment opponent, a story that plays well among populist audiences.
Cruz applauded Trump’s mention of the city’s response to 9/11 on Thursday, but was steadfast in his refusal to back down over his criticism of the city and state’s values. “He’s at the bottom of the pack, I’m at the top of the pack”, Trump said.
Mr Cruz is running neck and neck with Mr Trump in Iowa with less than three weeks until the state’s caucuses.
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“I believe 2016 is going to be an election like 1980, and help is on the way”, he said. I don’t think it’s effective and one of the problems Ted has in the course of this is there could be hypocrisy blowback. “And if he had any class, he would apologize to the people of NY”.
