Posted on 03/12/2016 4:53:30 AM PST by jimbo123
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said on Friday that Donald J. Trump bore responsibility for “creating an environment” that encourages violence at his events.
Speaking to reporters at a local Republican dinner outside Chicago, where Mr. Trump had just canceled a rally amid fierce confrontations between his supporters and protesters, Mr. Cruz began by saying that the “protesters who took violence into their own hands” were responsible for the episode.
“But in any campaign, responsibility starts at the top,” Mr. Cruz continued. “And when you have a campaign that disrespects the voters, when you have a campaign that affirmatively encourages violence, when you have a campaign that is facing allegations of physical violence against members of the press, you create an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discourse.”
Mr. Cruz invoked the protests and violent police run-ins at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and predicted that future skirmishes were likely.
“When the candidate urges supporters to engage in physical violence, to punch people in the face, the predictable consequence of that is that it escalates,” Mr. Cruz said. “And today is unlikely to be the last such instance.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
All these Gope idiots should realize the same thing would happen to them too, if they were in the lead.
Do you suppose Trump is rethinking his condemnation of Pamela Geller?
I liked Crus...would have supported him. Seemed like a solid conservative. But then a small problem of facts started to emerge. He really is a snake.
Ted Cruz joined the fascist brown shirts in Chicago. He is a disgrace.
Very sad to see Cruz behave this way.
I have been donating but I’ve stopped as of the past few weeks. The path he is following now can only lead to bitter disappointment. I expected better.
Ted has decided blaming a fellow candidate will get him more votes.
I used to respect him but I can’t believe a guy who sides with those bent on assaulting people whose only crime is they have a different opinion.
What we saw last night was the ugly face of hatred, intolerance and thuggish violence of the totalitarian Left.
And Ted - FYI, there is no common ground between me and them.
I promise to extend my fist to them if theirs so much as gets near my face!
As they say...the truth hurts!
The PT Barnum Trump Circus act can be plenty entertaining.
The down side of The Trump Carnival is that all the nasty tweets, all the childish personal attacks, all the pornographic language & imagery, all the man-handling and threats of physical harm to protesters, and all the racist comments lends to a very polarized environment...violence is one outcome!
Trump will never win in this situation, which of his own making!
Trump reaps as he sows!
Of course. Trump never should of become a candidate. What was he thinking.
This is what happens when a cult like campaign run by a leftist posing as a conservative runs in the Republican primary.
Did Trump instruct his cult followers to punch protesters in the face or not?
Cruz is 100% correct the leftist protesters are to blame for the violence, but Trump also called for violence.
Trump and his cult followers are setting up for an election wipe out that conservatives will never recover from.
Goodbye wall, goodbye Supreme Court, hello amnesty.
Way to go Trump cultists.
What are you going to say when they target Cruz? He has engaged in their version of hate speech so he should be silenced too.
No, he is a coward and so are you. It may just be that violence is the answer for these animals.
From his opposition?
Talk about blaming the victim!
Sides with those assaulting people?
The Trump cult is as unhinged as the dear leader.
Cruz attacked those assaulting people and said they are to blame.
But the cult never lets facts get in the way, very leftist of them.
You’re just another BLM supporting leftist agitator on FR and a true enemy of the people and 1st amendment rights you Cruz supporting stooge. Your candidate can GTH with his establishment buddies. Thanks for outing yourself.
“When the candidate urges supporters to engage in physical violence, to punch people in the face, the predictable consequence of that is that it escalates,” Mr. Cruz said.
Both points are true. The protesters who disrupted the rally are wrong. But Trump also bears some responsibility, to this extent, that Trump said he'd like to punch a protester in the face--and then one of his rally-goers **does** punch a protester in the face--that Trump said he'd pay the legal bills of his rally-goers if they assault the protesters--when Trump whips up and incites that kind of anger . . . man, that's just stupid and irresponsible! Shows very bad judgment on Trump's part.
Does not encourage violence?
Lol, I guess it depends on the meaning of punch someone in the face or not.
If Obama said that, this site would light up correctly.
When the dear leader does it, no problem.
This is what happens when people leave conservatism for slavish cult worshipping.
Disgusting.
“Talk about blaming the victim!”
___________________________________
The Donald is not the victim...he alone has created a truly nasty political environment...this is now bearing fruit...the potential for violent protest!
Many Trump supporters on Free Republic are proudly practicing several of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals to attack Ted Cruz.
And many of them have in the past criticized Obama for doing the same thing Trump has been doing, that is, encouraging violence. Now that their god Trump is doing it, it is fashionable. LOL at these 2016 idiots.
Well I’m sure you’re a swell guy, BUT.......
You establishment types will be very disappointed as you sit this victory out. Just enjoy the new leftist company you keep.. Stand up Chuck!! You talk like Biden.
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