Donald Trump Dares Ted Cruz To Criticize Him In Public

TPM ^ | 12/11/15 | Caithlin MacNeil

[VinL]

One day after a report that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) questioned Donald Trump's "judgement" in a private event, Trump called out Cruz for criticizing him behind close doors but refraining from negative comments in public.

Looks like @tedcruz is getting ready to attack. I am leading by so much he must. I hope so, he will fall like all others. Will be easy!

.@tedcruz should not make statements behind closed doors to his bosses, he should bring them out into the open - more fun that way!

Cruz has so far refrained from bashing Trump in public. After Trump announced his proposal to ban Muslims from coming to the United States, Cruz disagreed but stopped short of condemning Trump's remarks.

But the Texas senator spoke about Trump and Ben Carson during a Manhattan fundraiser on Wednesday, according to the New York Times.

"Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that’s a question of strength, but it’s also a question of judgment. And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them," Cruz said of Trump and Carson.

Cruz has started gaining on Trump in the key primary state of Iowa, which may be making Trump uneasy. The real estate mogul has a habit of attacking his Republican rivals when they rise in the polls, as both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal noted this week. Trump may have released his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country in an attempt to boost his support with evangelical voters in Iowa.

[okie01]

Because the Egyptian military had just overthrown the Muslim Brotherhood (terrorist) government and Cruz wanted to punish them for it.

I call BS on that claim, jp.

Have you any evidence?

[Axeslinger]

thank you for beautifully proving my point

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Thank you very much, Reegs.

Informative post about Cruz — well done! Will copy that in ‘Digging Deep’ resesearch thread.

But here’s the difference with Trump — he makes the vetting cheaper and safer. Muslims are far too much of a risk, especially muslim refugees. [Note Post 201]

More fundamentally, Trump draws a line in the sand — are you for the American people? Or do you place muslim immigrants above them? This is an excellent patriotism test for all politicians, and there’s still time for Cruz to change his mind.

I believe that educated muslims could be vetted carefully, but that’s just a finer point on the overall question.

[corbe]

Will someone please explain to me what an Iowa Evangelical is?

An individual that prays that Washington does not end Ethanol subsidies.

[kabar]

But he did lead opposition that thwarted comprehensive immigration.

The Gang of 8 bill passed the Senate 68-32 with 14 Reps voting for it. Cruz didn't stop anything. Nor is he the conservative leader on immigration in the Senate. Jeff Sessions is.

[FreeReign]

What Cruz said at the fundraiser wasn’t all that bad, IMHO. What bothers me is that he won’t own up to what he did say.

It was a private meeting. All the candidates and everybody in general have private meetings. When somebody gives out information from a private meeting they are betraying a confidence.

Cruz or anybody has no obligation to give out information about what they said at a private meeting.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Cmon guys, STOP IT

Hillary, PC and Dems et al are the real opponents

Get after them. PLENTY of material, just like was had vs Obama and BillyBoy

This is why they want . . .division amongst us, politicians and public. Don’t let them get away with it this time

[Charles Henrickson]

"You look at Paris, you look at San Bernardino, it's given a seriousness to this race, that people are looking for: Who is prepared to be a commander in chief? Who understands the threats we face? Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that's a question of strength, but it's also a question of judgment."

Cruz is saying here that people will naturally have questions in their mind about Trump's judgment and about Carson's judgment--as they will about the judgment of all the candidates--with regard to the serious threats that we face. All Cruz is saying is that he, Cruz, will fare better with the voters on those questions that would Trump or Carson, i.e., that they will trust Cruz's judgment better.

Well, of course Cruz can say that. Any candidate should be able to say that, or else they shouldn't be running. This is hardly an "attack." It's just a candidate saying he thinks voters will trust him more on these matters than his opponents.

Much ado about nothing.

[ifinnegan]

Hey, I am not meaning to start a fight. I’m sorry if I was too insulting.

I am not arguing about the importance of Iowa for a presidential race.

I will try to be clear. I addressed this passage:

___

People that care only about how many times you’ve been to church, how many bible verses you can recite, and if you are as big of fans of Benny Hinn as they are.

They also will toss their vote to whomever kisses their rear hard enough.

___

It sounds as if you have contempt for “Iowa Evangelicals”.

[lodi90]

You obviously didnt follow Texas politics if you think Cruz is an establishment insider.

---

And Rubio was once a TP candidate. They are all careerist climbers saying whatever they think will advance their political career at that moment.

[Duchess47]

http://www.libertyconservatives.com/ted-cruzs-biggest-flip-flops/

[springwater13]

Cruz supporters are so sensitive. Face it. Cruz is running a smarmy cynical mini-me campaign parroting Trump’s talking points, while hoping Grandpa Trump dies so he can inherit his supporters. He’s been trailing Trump around like a puppy dog for months. It’s undignified.

Trump isn’t attacking. He’s tweaking Cruz so the media news cycle will pay more attention to Cruz’s smarmy tendencies. He says one thing behind closed doors to his owners and is all lovey dovey to Trump in public. He even mentions his cynical strategy of bear hugging Trump and Carson while waiting for them to fail.

[kygolfman]

You can give anecdotal evidence.

But Trump in the general election against Hillary is going to have the same gender gap problem that McCain and Romney had.

Let’s look at the ONLY poll trump leads Hillary listed in the RCP average poll...http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_clinton-5491.html#polls

The most recent Fox News poll
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2015/11/20/fox-news-poll-2016-matchups-syrian-refugees/
Around page 25

Trump is behind 11 pts to Hillary among women voters!!!

That is worse than any other Republican candidate in that survey!!!
BTW Cruz is only 7 pts behind with women to Hillary

[FreeReign]

"Cruz was meeting with his Wall Street owners ohh donors in a Madison Avenue million dollar condo."

Million dollar condos are evil? Then Trump is Satan, right?

Cut the class warfare crap, ncalburt.

Theo, this is their principle in a nut shell.

Big Trump Money is good. Everybody else's Big money is bad.

[lodi90]

Hillary, PC and Dems et al are the real opponents

---

Nope. Progressive statists no matter the party are the opposition. Who needs Pelosi when Ryan essentially rubber stamps Obama’s agenda?

[kabar]

No, it has not been documented to me that Trump supports amnesty. He wants to deport them all and allow the "good ones" to come back legally thru the existing process. The vast majority would never qualify for even a tourist visa let alone permanent immigrant status.

Cruz on the other hand has not said he will deport all of them, just the criminals.

[xzins]

I agree, CH. And you probably wrote it better than I did. :>)

If Cruz doesn’t think he’s the best choice, then why run? And if he doesn’t claim to people that he’s the best choice, then why run?

It’s hardly an attack. And it being at a private meeting is additional evidence that it wasn’t conceived as an attack. I wouldn’t consider “I’m the best choice.” to be an attack if said in public. This was said in private.

[No Dems 2016]

I really hope that Ted and Donald don’t go at each other. I think they have more in common than most of the candidates. I still think a Trump/Cruz ticket is a possibility.

[Jane Long]

[kabar]

Once the audio is released, it is nonsense not to admit that is what you said.