A day after trading barbs with New York City officials, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz held his own rally in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday, where he doubled down on his criticism of Mayor Bill de Blasio and other New York politicians. Bobby Cuza filed the following report.
Tuesday, Ted Cruz’s criticism of New York for ending police surveillance of Muslim communities drew a sharp rebuke from Bill de Blasio.
"It’s demagoguery," the New York City mayor said.
On Wednesday, Cruz wore the rebuke as a badge of honor.
"If Mayor de Blasio ever holds a press conference saying, 'I agree with Ted,' that will be the instant I hang it all up and realize I’ve gone terribly, terribly wrong," Cruz said.
Rallying supporters in Manhattan at the Women’s National Republican Club, Cruz continued bashing what he calls the liberal, left-wing values of New York politicians, even listing those he said Donald Trump has supported.
"Andrew Cuomo. And Hillary Clinton. And Anthony Weiner. And Eliot Spitzer. And Charlie Rangel," Cruz said.
However, he reserved special malice for de Blasio, even praising NYPD officers who turned their backs on him at two police funerals, saying they spoke for Americans across the nation.
De Blasio later told NY1 that Cruz was offering what he called cheap political gimmicks.
"Ted Cruz doesn't understand public safety," the mayor said. "Cruz's proposals would only alienate the very same communities we're trying to work to keep us all safe."
Cruz's proposal also earned condemnation elsewhere.
"It's wrong, it's counter-productive, it's dangerous," said Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton.
"I just left a country that engages in that kind of neighborhood surveillance. Which, by the way, the father of Senator Cruz escaped," Obama said.
Still, Cruz has been on a roll, winning the Utah caucuses and the endorsement of Jeb Bush, whom Trump promptly blasted on Twitter. This, after he reacted to an anti-Trump super PAC ad featuring his wife, Melania, by warning Cruz to be careful, or “I will spill the beans on your wife!”
"That’s gutter politics," Cruz said.
Cruz seems to be betting his bashing of New York liberal politics will play well with Republicans here in New York, where he says he’ll be competing hard in the April 19 primary, calling it a battleground in the fight for the Republican nomination.