When NE was working on this story, they would likely have contacted each of the alleged mistresses and the Cruz campaign for comment. Cruz therefore would have known it was coming, and if they contracted Pierson, Trump may have known it was coming. Trump stayed away from it, though. When his wife was attacked, he said he would “spill the beans” on Heidi, not on Ted. Presumably, that had to do with her ties to Goldman Sachs or her breakdown on the freeway, or something like that. Maybe even scandalous behavior, we don’t know what Trump had in mind. But this story is something different, something that the press and some insiders apparently have been aware of for a while.
You are 100% correct.
It was discussed at polls March 15.
When I researched this, I found more than one reference on line and an audio interview. The interviewee stated that inquiring phone calls were being generated from the tabloids, asking questions about rumors. At the time I thought the reference was to only one alleged mistress. Not five. And the word alleged was used many times. Believe me, Cruz has known it would not go away.