If you know it is a setup, then you can go on the show and do what Sen. Cruz did here, show the average viewer that it is a setup while politely dissing the inquisitor.
It goes back to something Sun Tzu said: if you know yourself and you know your enemy, you will win 100 of 100 battles; if you know yourself and not your enemy, you will win 50, if you don't know either, you will never win.
Most Republicans don't know their enemy, and the establishment types don't know themselves--if they did, they would be "moderate Democrats," not Republicans. That is why the establishment types lose every time, and the usual conservative loses half the time. Cruz knows himself and he knows the media enemy, and he can win in battles with them 100% of the time.
Cruz knows how to deal with liberal elites - most of our guys don’t have a clue... that’s an important difference.