Businessman and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday that Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is “very strident” and that Mr. Cruz’s “hit on New York” was “disgraceful.”
“I don’t know that he’s a nice guy. I think he hurt himself last night,” Mr. Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “You know, he’s a good debater, but he’s very strident and a lot of people aren’t going to like that. He’s a very strident kind of a guy, and I thought it was inappropriate.”
“I thought that Ted did not have a good night last night, and I thought his hit on New York was disgraceful, frankly, and I guess a lot of people are saying that, from what I hear, because I haven’t been to sleep yet,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Cruz had said in a recent radio interview that Mr. Trump “embodies New York values.”
“I think most people know exactly what New York values are,” Mr. Cruz said at Thursday’s debate. “There are many, many wonderful working men and women in the state of New York. But everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal, are pro-abortion, are pro-gay marriage, focus around money and the media.”
“And I guess I can frame it another way: Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I’m just sayin’,” he said.
SEE ALSO: Donald Trump embraces ‘angry’ label; Ted Cruz dismisses birther talk in Republican debate
That appeared to be an allusion to a line Mr. Trump has taken to saying on the campaign trail that not a lot of evangelicals come out of Cuba, where Mr. Cruz’s father is from.
Mr. Trump responded by saying that New York is a great place with wonderful people, and that everybody in the world loved New York and New Yorkers in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
“I have to tell you — that was a very insulting statement that Ted made,” he said at the debate.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.