I think Ted missed an opportunity. The 9/11 reaction was 100% AMERICAN, decidedly NOT the general New York response. Not to mention that the response was supervised by a GOP mayor AND governor—almost as rare in that city and state as a Bill Buckley.
Taking it to 911 was cheap and tawdry. An “it’s for for the poor starving children” liberal maneuver.
But, yeah. Cruz did say there are great New Yorkers.
After Trump pulled the 911 card, Cruz should have said, “On 911 we were all New Yorkers and were all Americans. And I will defend to the death the rights of my liberal fellow Americans and protect them and all Americans from our Islamofascist enemies”.
Something like that.
But letting Trump have the last word was magnanimous enough.