Senator Ted Cruz continued cozying up to Donald Trump on Fox News last week.
Washington Post columnist Philip Bump theorized several weeks ago that the reason Ted Cruz has defended Donald Trump when other Republican candidates have blasted him is because Cruz wants to scoop up Trump’s supporters if and when he bails. That theory still holds up in light of Cruz’s ongoing support for Trump which was displayed on Fox’s Your World show last week.
“Do you think that Trump is going too far?” host Neil Cavuto asked in an interview with Cruz.
”Look, Donald Trump is a friend of mine,” Cruz said. “I like and respect Donald. He speaks in a colorful way. …I commend him for focusing the attention of the country on the problem of illegal immigration, on the problem of sanctuary cities, on the problem of the Obama administration releasing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens with criminal convictions.”
Cavuto did not seem to be quite so fond of Trump. “All those other candidates agree with you on that. They say that he’s all but become a farce. You don’t agree with that. Your criticisms have been at best tepid, and I wonder why?” Cavuto asked.
”I’ve been leading the fight against amnesty, leading the fight for securing the borders,” Cruz boasted. He said the other candidates have decided to “take a stick and smack Donald Trump. I ain’t going to do it. I believe in Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment (not to speak ill of other Republicans). I’m not going to attack him personally or impugn his character.”
”He doesn’t believe that,” Cavuto said testily, referring to that 11th commandment. “Say what you will of Donald Trump, he obviously doesn’t share that Ronald Reagan commandment.” He complained it has “obviously been violated here, right?”
Cruz said, “Scripture teaches that if someone visits evil upon you, you should repay them in kindness.” Therefore, in regards to criticizing Trump, Cruz said “I ain’t gonna do it.” He never said whether he thought Trump was visiting evil upon him or anyone else.
“I am going to sing the praises of every Republican candidate in this field,” Cruz promised, “and I am going to focus on the issues the American people care about, which is jobs and growth and opportunity, which is securing the border, protecting our national security, defending our Constitutional rights and restoring America’s leadership in the world.”
There was applause, presumably from his crowd of supporters off camera, to end the interview.
Watch it below, from the July 23 Your World.