A lot of people suspected this, but now Ted Cruz has actually been secretly recorded saying it at a big fundraiser, in audio obtained by The New York Times: His campaign is based on a strategy of just waiting for Donald Trump and Ben Carson to fail — because the American people ultimately wouldn’t want either of those guys “having their finger on the button.”
“So my approach, much to the frustration of the media, has been to bear hug both of them, and smother them with love,” he told his donors, so that eventually “the lion’s share of their supporters come to us.”
And well, Donald Trump isn’t happy.
Friday morning, The Donald tweeted the following, with full bravado and gusto:
Looks like @tedcruz is getting ready to attack. I am leading by so much he must. I hope so, he will fall like all others. Will be easy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2015
.@tedcruz should not make statements behind closed doors to his bosses, he should bring them out into the open – more fun that way!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2015
And now Cruz has responded — with an attempt to totally back down from the fight into which he’s just gotten himself:
The Establishment's only hope: Trump & me in a cage match.
Sorry to disappoint — @realDonaldTrump is terrific. #DealWithIt
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 11, 2015
Sorry, that’s not going to work. Cruz has long said he wasn’t going to badmouth Trump. But now he has — and Trump is going to come right after him.
Update: We were waiting to see what Trump’s response would be to Cruz’s attempt at backpedaling. Then late Friday afternoon, The Donald did indeed respond — by retweeting Cruz’s message onto his own Twitter page.
Audio viaThe New York Times.
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