Republican presidential candidate Texas Senator Ted Cruz argued fellow GOP candidate Donald Trump can’t beat Democratic candidate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because he “agrees with Hillary Clinton and can’t take it to her” during Thursday’s GOP presidential debate on CNN.
Cruz said, after stating he would release his tax forms, and that if Trump is being audited, it gives more of a reason for him to release his tax returns, because the voters should know if there is fraud, “[I]n the last 10 polls on Real Clear Politics he’s [Trump’s] lost to Hillary on eight of them. In the last 10 polls on Real Clear Politics, I either tied or beat Hillary, and this is an example. You know, the mainstream media’s laying off Donald now. They’re going to pick apart his taxes. They’re going pick apart his business deals. And let’s take, for example, one of Hillary as great vulnerabilities, the corruption at the Clinton Foundation, the fact she had CEOs and foreign companies giving her money, while she was secretary of state. The next Republican nominee needs to be able to make that case against Hillary. And if Donald tried to did it, Hillary would turn to Donald and say, but gosh, Donald, you gave $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation. I even went to your wedding.’ He can’t prosecute the case against Hillary, and we risk another four years of these failed Obama policies by nominating someone who loses to Hillary Clinton in November.”
Trump said he contributed to many politicians, and has said so from the beginning. He then stated he was beating Cruz in almost every poll, and cited a Bloomberg poll and the results in South Carolina and Nevada, in addition to a USA Today poll and a Quinnipiac poll which show him beating Hillary “badly.” He continued, “And I will — I haven’t even started on her. I only had one little interchange, and that was four weeks ago, when she said I was sexist, and believe me, they had a rough weekend that weekend between Bill and Hillary.”
Cruz then stated, “Donald went on an extended tirade about the polls, but he didn’t respond to any of the substance. He has yet to say — he can release past years tax returns. He can do it tomorrow. He doesn’t want to do it, because presumably, there’s something in there that is bad. If there’s nothing, release them tomorrow. They’re already prepared. the only reason he’s not releasing them is because he’s afraid that he will get hit.”
Cruz then referenced the lawsuit against Trump University, saying, “It’s a fraud case. His lawyers have scheduled the trial for July. I want you think about, if this man is the nominee, having the Republican nominee on the stand in court being cross-examined about whether he committed fraud. You don’t think the mainstream media will go crazy on that? And on substance, how do we nominate a candidate, who has said Hillary Clinton was the best secretary of state of modern times, who agreed with her on foreign policy, who agrees with Bernie Sanders on healthcare, who agreed with Barack Obama on the Wall Street bailout. If — we’ve got to win this election, and we can’t do it with a candidate who agrees with Hillary Clinton and can’t take it to her, and beat her on the debate stage, and at the polls.”
Trump then said, “I’m beating him awfully badly in the polls.” Cruz then cut in, “But you’re not beating Hillary.”
Trump responded, “[I]f I can’t beat her, you’re really going to get killed, aren’t you? So, let me ask you this, because you’re really getting beaten badly. I know you’re embarrassed and I know you’re embarrassed [points to fellow candidate Florida Senator Marco Rubio], but keep fighting, swing for the fences.”
He continued, “The Trump University case is a civil case. … [I]t’s a case that is nonsense. it’s something i could have settled many times, I could settle it right now, for very little money, but i don’t want do it out of principle. the people that took the course, all signed — most, many, many, signed report cards saying it was fantastic, it was wonderful, it was beautiful. As — and believe me, I’ll win that case. That’s an easy case, a civil case. Number two, as far as the taxes are concerned, I’m being audited. it’s a very routine audit, and it’s very unfair, because i’ve been audited for, I think over 12 years, every year, because of the size of my company, which is very, very large, I’m being audited, which is a very large company. i’m being audited ,12 years in a row least. now, until that audit’s done and i don’t think anybody would blame me, i’m not giving it.”
Cruz then asked, “What about the years you’re not being audited, would you release those years?”
Trump answered, “I’m being audited for those years.”
Cruz then asked, “Which years?” Trump responded, “Four or five years.”
Cruz asked, “You don’t know what years you’re being audited for?”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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