Ted Cruz was confronted by some Trumpist protesters today in Indiana. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/watch-ted-cruz-face-off-with-protesters-in-indiana-677849667944
The following written account is pieced together from three sources, CNN, The New York Times, ABC.
Cruz was finishing up a campaign stop at a restaurant alongside a river in a small town northeast of Indianapolis when he heard half a dozen men chanting “Lyin’ Ted” and other slogans across the street.
The Texas senator made his way toward the men surrounded by a swarm of his supporters and members of the media, then debated the men, one of whom told him, “We don’t want you.”
“What do you like about Donald Trump?” he asked.
“Everything,” said the man in the sunglasses, who later refused to give his name.
“May I ask you something?” the Texas senator said. “Out of all the candidates, name one who had a million-dollar judgment against them for hiring illegal immigrants. Name one. Donald Trump.”
“Self-funding,” the man replied.
“O.K.,” Mr. Cruz said, “so you like rich people who buy politicians?”
The man asked Mr. Cruz where his “Goldman Sachs jacket” was, alluding to the employer of Mr. Cruz’s wife, Heidi, who took a leave from her job for the campaign.
Mr. Cruz responded that he had attracted more than a million campaign contributions, with an average of $60. He was interrupted sporadically by shouts of “Lyin’ Ted” from the protester’s peers.
“If I were Donald Trump, I wouldn’t have come over and talked to you,” he said. “You know what I would have done? I would have told the folks over there, ‘Go over and punch those guys in the face.’ That’s what Donald does to protesters.”
The catcalls of “Lyin’ Ted!” returned.
“O.K., stop,” Mr. Cruz said. “What word did I say was a lie?”
“About Donald telling people to punch people,” the man said.
“O.K., let me ask you, sir,” Mr. Cruz responded. “Just go home and Google ‘Donald-punched-in-the-face-protester.’ This is on national television.”
The man ignored him to make a conjecture of his own: “You’ll find out tomorrow. Indiana don’t want you.”
“A question that everyone here should ask,” he began.
“Are you Canadian?” another protester cut him off.
“Do you want your kids,” Mr. Cruz continued, “repeating the words of Donald Trump?”
“I will tell you this, sir,” Cruz said, “America is a better country --”
“Without you,” one of the protesters interrupted.
“Thank you for those kind sentiments,” Cruz replied. “Let me point out, I have treated you respectfully the entire time. And a question that everyone here should ask --”
Cruz went toe-to-toe with the man for about seven minutes -- one of the longest confrontations he's had on the campaign trail with a single voter -- as a crowd of supporters, reporters and a few protesters gathered around. The senator asked the man to name one thing that he liked about Trump.
When the man named "the wall," Cruz said: "Hold on. He told the New York Times editorial board he's not going to build the wall or deport anyone."
"Lyin' Ted!" the man shouted in his face.
As the men shouted in his face, Cruz...“Civilized people don’t just scream and yell,” Cruz said. “I’m not yelling at you.”
Moments later, when the cameras cleared out, the man strolled east, crossing railroad tracks with his peers in tow. He reached for a cigarette.
Mr. Cruz’s nerve had surprised him, he allowed, but failed to impress him.
“Anything that Donald Trump talks about,” he said, “that’s what I’m about.”
The following written account is pieced together from three sources, CNN, The New York Times, ABC.
Cruz was finishing up a campaign stop at a restaurant alongside a river in a small town northeast of Indianapolis when he heard half a dozen men chanting “Lyin’ Ted” and other slogans across the street.
The Texas senator made his way toward the men surrounded by a swarm of his supporters and members of the media, then debated the men, one of whom told him, “We don’t want you.”
“What do you like about Donald Trump?” he asked.
“Everything,” said the man in the sunglasses, who later refused to give his name.
“May I ask you something?” the Texas senator said. “Out of all the candidates, name one who had a million-dollar judgment against them for hiring illegal immigrants. Name one. Donald Trump.”
“Self-funding,” the man replied.
“O.K.,” Mr. Cruz said, “so you like rich people who buy politicians?”
The man asked Mr. Cruz where his “Goldman Sachs jacket” was, alluding to the employer of Mr. Cruz’s wife, Heidi, who took a leave from her job for the campaign.
Mr. Cruz responded that he had attracted more than a million campaign contributions, with an average of $60. He was interrupted sporadically by shouts of “Lyin’ Ted” from the protester’s peers.
“If I were Donald Trump, I wouldn’t have come over and talked to you,” he said. “You know what I would have done? I would have told the folks over there, ‘Go over and punch those guys in the face.’ That’s what Donald does to protesters.”
The catcalls of “Lyin’ Ted!” returned.
“O.K., stop,” Mr. Cruz said. “What word did I say was a lie?”
“About Donald telling people to punch people,” the man said.
“O.K., let me ask you, sir,” Mr. Cruz responded. “Just go home and Google ‘Donald-punched-in-the-face-protester.’ This is on national television.”
The man ignored him to make a conjecture of his own: “You’ll find out tomorrow. Indiana don’t want you.”
“A question that everyone here should ask,” he began.
“Are you Canadian?” another protester cut him off.
“Do you want your kids,” Mr. Cruz continued, “repeating the words of Donald Trump?”
“I will tell you this, sir,” Cruz said, “America is a better country --”
“Without you,” one of the protesters interrupted.
“Thank you for those kind sentiments,” Cruz replied. “Let me point out, I have treated you respectfully the entire time. And a question that everyone here should ask --”
Cruz went toe-to-toe with the man for about seven minutes -- one of the longest confrontations he's had on the campaign trail with a single voter -- as a crowd of supporters, reporters and a few protesters gathered around. The senator asked the man to name one thing that he liked about Trump.
When the man named "the wall," Cruz said: "Hold on. He told the New York Times editorial board he's not going to build the wall or deport anyone."
"Lyin' Ted!" the man shouted in his face.
As the men shouted in his face, Cruz...“Civilized people don’t just scream and yell,” Cruz said. “I’m not yelling at you.”
Moments later, when the cameras cleared out, the man strolled east, crossing railroad tracks with his peers in tow. He reached for a cigarette.
Mr. Cruz’s nerve had surprised him, he allowed, but failed to impress him.
“Anything that Donald Trump talks about,” he said, “that’s what I’m about.”