Posted on 11/30/2015 10:47:24 AM PST by GonzoII
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) reiterated at a town hall in Iowa on Monday that he doesn't believe Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential nominee, as the rising Texas Republican moves against the GOP front-runner he was once loathe to criticize.
The Huffington Post reports:
.@tedcruz - "I don't believe @realDonaldTrump is going to be our nominee, I don't think he will be our president." pic.twitter.com/idXBixu1rbâ Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) November 30, 2015
Cruz has repeatedly declined to criticize Trump, acknowledging that he's going after the same primary voters who have been energized by Trump's outsider bid.
"I think in time, I don't believe Donald is going to be the nominee and I think, in time, the lion's share of his supporters end up with us," Cruz said in October.
At the Monday event, The Texas Tribune reports, Cruz said the media would like to see a "cage match" between the two, but that he has "consistently declined daily invitations" to go after Trump.
Citing a Krauthammer column, a man presses @tedcruz on why he has not called out @realDonaldTrump.â Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) November 30, 2015
Still, there are signs that Cruz is preparing to make his move against Trump with only two months to go before the Iowa caucuses.
Last week, Cruz split with Trump after the real estate mogul openly mulled a national registry for American Muslims.
"I'm a big fan of Donald Trump's but I'm not a fan of government registries of American citizens," Cruz said in Iowa, according to Politico. "The First Amendment protects religious liberty, I've spent the past several decades defending religious liberty."
And on immigration, Cruz told the Associated Press earlier this month that "tone matters" and that "there some in the Republican Party whose rhetoric is unhelpful with regard to immigration."Â
Cruz did not mention Trump specifically in that interview, but said again that he doesnât believe Trump or retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson will be the party's nominee.
Buzzfeed on Monday flagged an interview with a Texas radio host from a couple of weeks ago in which Trump said he and Cruz have a âgood relationship.â However, Trump also sought to diminish Cruz by saying that he "backs virtually everything that I said."
"He's a good man," Trump said. "He's a conservative guy. He's doing pretty well. Heâs doing pretty well. Fortunately, he's not doing as well as I am, but these are minor details. He's doing pretty well and he's said wonderful things about me and he actually backs anything I do, because we have similar views."Â
"He's not doing this out of a weakness, he's doing this out of a strength," Trump continued. "He backs virtually everything that I said - wouldn't you say? I mean, virtually everything that I've said he's backed."Â
The jockeying comes as Cruz has been on a steady upward trajectory in the polls.Â
Cruz has surged into third place in Iowa, cutting into Carson's lead among Evangelicals in the state, and moving into third place at 18.3 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
You mean like?
There is an important spiritual principle: to whom much is given, from much is expected.
Cruz is the out-there, neon sign Christian. Trump is pretty nominal about it, yet touts Christianity as a positive for America.
The devil is not going to be coming in force for Trump so much as for Cruz. Cruz had better keep a leash on his own pride (forget Trump’s) or he will step on his own je ne sais quoi.
If he didn’t think this he would suspend his compaign.
I liken presidential races to horseraces. It’s hard to tell who is gonna win until the main stretch. Watch one of secretariat’s wins some time. Very educational.
Best darn source, beside the Politico for unbiased information.
Go Cruz!
5.56mm
Yep, my thoughts. Last week Trump stated he would go to war with Cruz if he looked like a threat. Now this. I think the battle has begun, and it is going to get really ugly here at FR.
Jiminy Christmas.
The man is running against Trump.
What on earth is he SUPPOSED to say?
you mean like SS, gun licenses, census, auto licenses, Obamacare, birth, marriage, death, Ellis Island....etc etc
What on earth is he SUPPOSED to say?
Exactly.
This is non-news of a high order...
How could he not say that?
What exactly does this Presstitute expect Cruz to say? Umm, er... the race is over... I will never be the nominee, Trump will?
There go Cruz’s donors and voters. I mean... seriously?
Look at the venue. Of course it's packed. If Trump was doing rallies of that scale they'd call him a failure.
Obvious conclusion. Once the RINO herd was thinned, you would eventually have to have a battle of the Titans.
Hahahahahahahahaha
Yes indeed. Whatever ‘battle’ Cruz and Trump engage in, if any, it will pale to the war already begun here.
He COULD do it a bit classier that, by the grace of God, he HOPES to be both the GOP nominee and the next President.
Too much pride will kill your grace and prayer power.
But it will only be for Iowa..Trump will win the war.
“I’m a big fan of Donald Trump’s but I’m not a fan of government registries of American citizens,”
BUT, aren’t these ‘refugees’ ‘non-American’ citizens ?
Don’t expect any conflict between them until the South Carolina primary at the earliest.
Though the media will be running “let’s you and him fight!” stories constantly.
Yeah, it’s a big bunch of nothing.
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