Republican presidential candidate Texas Senator Ted Cruz got fellow candidate Donald Trump’s portion out of the way by saying, “[L]et me say, I’m a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat, and ugly, and Ben, you’re a terrible surgeon” at Thursday’s second GOP presidential debate.
Cruz stated, “[L]et me say, I’m a maniac, and everyone on this stage is stupid, fat, and ugly, and Ben, you’re a terrible surgeon. Now that we’ve gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way, I want to thank everyone here for showing the men and women of Iowa the respect to show up and make the case to the people of this state and the people of the country why each of us believe we would make the best commander-in-chief.”
Cruz was then asked, “[F]or six months…you praised Mr. Trump, as somebody who you thought was an effective voice against the Washington cartel. You said you were glad that he was running as a Republican, but when he started to criticize you, your message changed, and you suddenly started to portray him as the voice of the Washington cartel, and suggested he would do the Democrats’ bidding. Which is it?”
He answered, “[I]f Donald engages in insults or anybody else, I don’t intend to reciprocate. I have not insulted Donald personally and I don’t intend to. I am glad Donald running. I’m glad he has produced enormous enthusiasm, and every to Donald Trump voter or potential voter, I hope to earn your support. I know everyone else on this stage hopes to earn your support. Now, there is a difference between personal insults and attacks, between going into the mud with ad hominems, and focusing on issues and substance. I think issues and substance, policy and vision and record should be the meat of politics. That’s fair game, but that’s where I’m going to focus. That is how I focused from the beginning of the campaign and it’s how I intend to continue going forward.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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