CNBC Reporter to Ted Cruz: Why Should People Listen When Your Facts Are Wrong?

Thursday on CNBC, in an a 10-question interview, with the network’s John Harwood, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) hit back at the  “left-wing” editorial writers’ “yellow journalism,” who “literally fact-checking a joke” to try and attack him.

Harwood asked, “You’ve said a few things that don’t necessarily comport with the facts, like, ‘125,000 I.R.S. agents, send ’em to the border.’ They’ve only got 25,000 agents or something like. You’ve talked about the job-killing nature of ObamaCare. We’re adding jobs at a very healthy clip right now. Why shouldn’t somebody listen to you and say, ‘The guy’ll just say anything – doesn’t have to be true?'”

Cruz responded, “There is a game that is played by left-wing editorial writers. It’s this new species of yellow journalism called PolitiFact. Colloquially I was referring to all the employees as agents. That particular stat is in a joke I used. So, they’re literally fact-checking a joke. I say that explicitly tongue in cheek.”

“The second point is more significant. You talked about the job creation that has occurred. The simple reality is millions of Americans are hurting right now under the Obama economy. Yes, some jobs are being created, but not nearly as many have been destroyed. The rich, the top 1% today earn a higher share of our income than any year since 1928. Big business does great with big government. It gets in bed with big government. Median wages have stagnated. So, if you’re a single mom waiting tables, if you’re a teenage immigrant washing dishes like my dad was when he came from Cuba to America, your life under the Obama economy has gotten harder and harder and harder.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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