JF in the News: Ted Cruz Still Wants to be President

Truncated – photo and article courtesy of NBC News

Some see Cruz as being the most ready to take charge post-Trump. But others argue that he can’t overcome the damage Trump inflicted on him during the primary fight in 2016. And still, more are dejected by how Cruz handled himself after Biden won, leading election objections and recently softening his remarks about Capitol rioters’ being terrorists.

It was that most recent episode, which played out on Fox News, that left some Republicans in Washington cringing and wondering whether Cruz has his finger on the pulse of voters.

On the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Cruz referred to the riot as a “terrorist attack” — a comment he had made more than a dozen times previously. But this time, he faced an onslaught of criticism in conservative media. On Fox News’ most-watched program, Tucker Carlson assailed him.

The next day, Cruz appeared on Carlson’s program, saying he had made “a mistake” and calling his phrasing “sloppy” and “frankly dumb,” adding that he meant to describe only those who assaulted police officers as terrorists.

But it was unlikely to be enough to win over the most fervent of Trump’s backers.

“America First Deplorables would never vote for Ted Cruz,” said John Fredericks, the chair of Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns in Virginia, as well as a host on the right-wing Real America’s Voice platform. “Especially after the way he threw Trump under the bus and called those people that went to the rally [terrorists] and all that. I mean, the guy’s done. Forget it.”

Cruz defended his appearance.

“Look, I needed to do that interview,” Cruz said, adding that his original comments “were being taken out of context.”

A former Cruz aide, who made a point to express how enjoyable it was to work for Cruz, said the walk-back was “a huge miscalculation” that disheartened many.

“Funny enough, people still operate in fear,” this person said. “I guess it’s less about Trump and more about his voters.”

Read the full article here: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/ted-cruz-still-wants-be-president-can-he-win-over-n1288215

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