Speaking at a Christian college in northwest Iowa, Trump suggested that “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?”.
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“If everything was fine, I’d vote for Ted Cruz”, Trump said.
Trump has previously boasted about the devotion of his fans, but the new comment is the most extreme example of such a remark.
In his speech, which ripped into Donald Trump as much as it gushed about Cruz, Beck said Trump had to “apologize” to the conservative movement for being arrogant and self-centered and for clashing with the Tea Party.
“As citizens who happen to be black, we support Mr. Trump because he shares our values”, she wrote.
“We need a new George Washington”, Beck said.
“I can actually sit at a table with a man who says, ‘Yes, I’m a socialist, and yes, I don’t like what we are doing, we should be more like Denmark”.
The warning has emerged as Cruz’s closing argument in the early voting states, where the Iowa contest increasingly looks like the senator’s best shot at halting Trump in the near term.
Cruz responded by saying “Listen, I will let Donald speak for himself”.
The news comes at the end of a rough week in Iowa for the Cruz campaign, as Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad called for the defeat of Cruz because of his pro-oil industry stance, which was compounded by former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Donald Trump.
“I’d like you to hold onto that”, he said, giving Cruz the compass, “to make sure your compass is square and you stay true [to your ideals]”.
Mr Cruz, running close with Mr Trump in Iowa polls, was nearly entirely focused on the billionaire in his event in Ankeny, Iowa, yesterday. “I believe I have found him”.
The Trump campaign could not immediately be reached for comment.
ColumnFiller: Who should be Trump’s vice president?
Cruz has outlined several fronts for policy contrast with Trump in recent days – on bank bailouts, the Iran nuclear deal and Obamacare, in particular.
In Sioux Center, Trump ridiculed suggestions that he used to be more liberal. It is not a sign of strength when you say that a POW was a loser because they got caught.
Another Republican candidate, Florida Sen.
The timing of Kaufmann’s decision to take the stage with Trump wasn’t meant to send a message in favor of the NY businessman or against Cruz, aides said.
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During this election cycle, Kaufmann has introduced seven other GOP candidates – Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio and Rick Santorum – at campaign events, Szold said.
