Republican Sen. Ted Cruz doubled down on his New York values insult Wednesday, attacking Donald Trump and a string of “liberal Democrats” for policies and positions that have been “hammering” the state. Cruz had harsh words for Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo, Rep. Charles Rangel and even disgraced pols Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner in his soliloquy about all that is wrong with New York. Asked what he meant by “New York values,” a phrase he coined months ago in an attack on Donald Trump, Cruz defined the term as values held by liberal politicians who reject charter schools, school choice and support for fearless police officers.
“Those are the values, the values of the New York liberal politicians that have been hammering the people of this great state,” Cruz said after a campaign event in the Bronx. Cruz singled out de Blasio as the worst offender. “Every time there is a confrontation between criminals and cops he sides with the criminals, looters and rioters instead of the police officers.”
Cruz said he was proud of cops who turned their backs on de Blasio at a police officer’s funeral last year. “I cheered for those New York cops and people across America did,” Cruz said. Cruz also blasted de Blasio for trying to close charter schools in Harlem. “He is captive to the union bosses that control him,” Cruz said. Cruz said Trump has supported a number of the liberal politicians on his list, and shares the blame for their failed policies.
If you want to know what liberal democratic values are follow Donald Trump’s checkbook,” Cruz said. “Donald Trump has been funding those liberal democratic politicians.”Earlier Cruz got the Bronx cheer Wednesday during a campaign stop from protesters upset about his controversial immigration policy. The Cruz presidential campaign even took a page out of rival Trump’s book, removing one demonstrator from the Bronx event when the criticism got too loud. The heckler got the heave ho from Sabrosura restaurant on Westchester Avenue after shouting that Cruz had no business in the Bronx. “You’re running on an anti-immigrant platform, and you’re speaking in the Bronx,” the demonstrator said. “You should not be here.”
The demonstrator was cheered like a Yankee outfielder by fellow protesters after Republican party staffers removed him from the restaurant. Cruz was in the Bronx campaigning ahead of New York’s April 19 primary. Cruz insulted the city when he derided “New York values” in an attack on Trump.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. slammed Cruz Wednesday as a hypocrite — just hours before Cruz was set to meet with the borough president’s father in the Bronx. “Ted Cruz is a hypocrite. He not only offended New Yorkers, he offended Bronxites, and now he’s here today in New York and in the Bronx looking for money and votes,” Diaz said.“We in the Bronx know how offensive he’s been. We know the truth about our borough.” Cruz, a Texas Republican, drew the ire of New York Democrats after bashing the Bronx at an event in 2014. “I understand that Manhattan is very concerned with their security with the Bronx,” Cruz said “But it’s a little bit different on 2,000 miles of the Rio Grande.” Diaz said Cruz is out of line.
“Everything good we’ve done, we’ve done it with New York values. Our values are strong in New York and for him to come here looking for votes and coming for money is at the highest levels of hypocrisy,” Diaz said during a press conference of Latino lawmakers from the Bronx in support of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner. “Hopefully he’ll learn a lesson about how wrong his words are.” Cruz is counting on support from New York evangelicals, which is why he met with the borough president’s father, Ruben Diaz Sr., a state senator who is also a conservative minister. Ted Cruz stands by ‘New York values’ insult as he slams liberal Democrats including Mayor de Blasio after Bronx campaign stop