Ted Cruz’s popularity among Republicans is waning at the worst possible time: just before the Indiana primary, where Cruz must score a victory if he still wants to stop GOP front-runner Donald Trump. The polls have confirmed Cruz’s downturn, and Cruz himself is radiating desperation, but a confrontation on Monday between the Texas senator and several Trump supporters foreshadowed the doom that awaits him in Indiana.
The whole uncomfortable exchange began with Trump supporters yelling at Cruz to, “Do the math!” Then, several people holding Trump signs descended upon the senator as he was greeting supporters at a campaign event in Marion, Indiana. “You asked Kasich to drop out — it’s your turn,” one man said. He went on, “Donald’s definitely going to get 1,237; he’s going to get more than 1,237.” Cruz, though, wasn’t having it.
Cruz: Let me ask you something. What do you like about Donald Trump?
Trump supporter: Everything.
Cruz: Give me one thing.
Trump supporter: Everything.
Cruz asked the man if he could maybe narrow it down a little. Then, finally, the man said, “The wall.”
“Okay, the wall,” said Cruz before launching into an explanation — citing the New York Times — about how Trump won’t fulfill his immigration promises. The Trump supporter interrupted Cruz’s monologue with, “Lying Ted!” and followed up with, “You are the problem.”
Undeterred, Cruz cited Trump’s history of hiring foreign workers. “Sir, with all respect, Donald Trump is deceiving you,” Cruz said. “He is playing you for a chump.”
But despite Cruz’s measured tone and arsenal of facts and statistics, he couldn’t get through to Trump’s backers, who asked him, “Where’s your Goldman Sachs jacket at?” as well as whether or not he was a Canadian citizen. “You’ll find out tomorrow,” one man said. “Indiana don’t want you.”
