Rival Republicans took aim at each other on a particularly contentious day of campaigning in SC yesterday, with Jeb Bush and his former president brother taking veiled shots at front-runner Donald Trump, and Trump lobbing bombs at Bush and Ted Cruz.
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But Cruz may have struck a nerve when he charged that the not-always-conservative Trump would appoint liberals to the Supreme Court.
“Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual”, said Trump in a statement, according to the Hill.
“I have never ever met a person that lies more than Ted Cruz”, he said. “His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous”, Trump said in the statement.
He claimed the Republican National Committee is defaulting on its pledge to treat him with respect because of crowds that have booed him during recent debates.
Trump said that Iowa Republican officials should revoke Cruz’s win in the February 1 Iowa caucuses because of his campaign’s shadowy tactics, including telling some caucus goers that Ben Carson was suspending his campaign when in fact he was not.
But though Trump and Rubio are joining forces in ganging up on Cruz, questioning the Americanness of others has been a staple of Trump’s presidential campaign – be it over Mexican immigrants, Muslims, or his fellow presidential contenders. Trump said at the press conference that he has already hired a lawyer.
Trump acknowledged to CNN that his brawl with Cruz might harm the eventual Republican nominee, whoever it is, “but I think we’ll get over it”.
Trump then proceeded to refute Cruz’s implied accusations one by one.
Mr. Cruz also blasted Mr. Trump’s sister, a USA federal appellate judge, calling her a “radical pro-abortion extremist” who should not be considered for the Supreme Court vacancy.
The former president has clearly kept abreast of the raucous 2016 campaign that has rewarded outsiders like Trump at the expense of politicians with experience, like his brother.
Friends say he’s remained engaged in his brother’s campaign behind the scenes and like their father, has struggled to comprehend how Trump has taken command of a party he once led.
Former president George W Bush won the 2000 and 2004 primaries in SC en route to victory.
“I think he’s an unstable person”, he said, later declaring: “He’s nuts”.
“If Cruz ever got the nomination, the Democrats are going to file the lawsuit”, Trump said.
Trump had previously said his commitment to the GOP was contingent on his being treated “fairly”.
Trump focused much of his rally speech on global trade.
Trump veered between his favorite topics at a rally in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, earlier Monday, including his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border.
Trump’s indictment also included Jeb Bush, who he says has also produced ads “that in many cases are false”.
The RNC obviously denied Trump’s claims and noted that each candidate had been given 100 seats to fill.
Fellow Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio launched a similar attack on Cruz Monday, blasting out an email titled, “Cruz BusTED On Lies”.
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“While he was building a reality TV show, I didn’t watch it, but I’m sure it was great, George Bush was building the security apparatus that still keeps us safe”, he said, defending his brother before he launched into his own stump speech. Mr. Trump, in a freewheeling, sometimes stream-of-consciousness style, spoke for more than 45 minutes, criticizing – and even threatening to sue – his rivals, squinting angrily at times and dismissing questions he did not like.
