Ted Cruz Vows To ‘Utterly Destroy ISIS’ As President

Senator and GOP Presidential candidate Ted Cruz says, if elected President, he’ll take a page from Ronald Reagan when it comes to fighting ISIS. “We win. They lose.”

He then went on to say, “We will utterly destroy ISIS. We won’t degrade them. We won’t weaken them. We will utterly destroy them.”

In an exclusive interview on Breitbart News Daily, Cruz tells host Steven K. Bannon he’d start by using overwhelming air power. He likened the effort to the carpet bombing of the Iraqi army during the first Persian Gulf War. He called what Obama is currently doing “pin prick,” or “photo op foreign policy,” given the low number of air sorties a day – from 10 to 20. During the Gulf war the U.S. was flying as many as “1,100 in a day,” Cruz notes.

Cruz also said he’d arm the Kurds.

“They are actively fighting ISIS on the ground right now. They are having significant successes. But ISIS is using American military equipment that they seized in Iraq. The Kurds unfortunately are using outdated equipment and Obama refuses to arm them because of political concerns about Baghdad.” Cruz maintained the Kurds would act as “boots on the ground” but also said that to the extent further military troops are required “We should do whatever is necessary to utterly and completely destroy ISIS.”

When asked if he’d look to form a Bush-like coalition in the battle, “Absolutely,” said Cruz, saying it was “particularly important” to include other Middle eastern countries “that have a direct security interest in stopping ISIS.” Cruz blamed Obama’s “ineffectual” effort against ISIS for the limited buy in we’re seeing from Middle Eastern allies right now.

When asked about any key differences he saw between him and fellow Senator Marco Rubio, the two have been exchanging some political fire lately, Cruz cited Rubio’s effort to “pass a massive amnesty” with the now infamous Gang of 8, saying border security is also a part of national security and the effort would not have sealed the border, as well as giving Barack Obama broad authority to allow in refugees, including those from Syria. “At a time of massive threat, that is profoundly dangerous,” said Cruz.

The entire extended interview can be heard below: