1) Trump didn’t say “he†doesn’t think Cruz is ineligible. He said he has heard that said by others and it could be a problem for the party. He was responding to a question by a reporter.
2) Trump did not say Cruz was eligible previously. He said various people have said that and be understand is has been checked out and therefore Cruz should be fine.
Both are different than what’s being reported. Imagine that.
Is it tactical of fair game to say “others are mentioning it� Absolutely. Is it fair game for Cruz to respond to it by saying other candidates are panicking or Trump “jumped the shark� Absolutely. Does it mean there’s a “rift†between the two? No. They’re both running for President and are 1 or 2 in most polls. They know they would make a good team but they also both want to be top dog. its the nature of the business.
Trump is addressing the dilemma republicans are creating for themselves by not being logically consistent. Many republicans/conservatives questioned Obama’s eligibility using a standard they now refuse to use with Cruz. Logical inconsistencies like that makes republicans/conservatives look like idiots.
Please note this article from 1/23/15 - ONE YEAR AGO -
Oldest reference I have found, and Trump raised it then, then again in the summer, said no problem in August, and recently again. This is a year in the making and you can paint it as innocent if it so fits your needs but facts are not on your side. He is trying to cast doubt on his closest competitor, like the others, without going full Alinsky which is why the right commentators got on him for the last time he attacked Cruz. I don’t care if he attacks Cruz but he could at least be HONEST.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Billionaire Donald Trump, the most prominent “birther†to question Barack Obama’s eligibility to serve as president, asserted Friday that Sen. Ted Cruz must clear up legal doubts about his own eligibility due to his birth outside the United States.
Related
“It’s a problem. It could be a difficult problem, but he admits that he was born in Canada,†Trump told reporters in Iowa on the eve of the first major gathering of 2016 presidential hopefuls.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/01/donald-trump-says-ted-cruzs-canadian-birth-could-be-a-difficult-problem-for-2016-bid.html/