CNN host Chris Cuomo confronted Sen. Ted Cruz for mocking his Democratic challenger, Rep. Beto O’Rourke, for using his nickname instead of his given name.
Cruz’s campaign released an ad Tuesday mocking O’Rourke’s use of “Beto” instead of his given name Robert so that he could “fit in.”
“You go after Beto for his name. Beto is obviously a nickname. Why?” Cuomo asked Cruz.
Cuomo pointed out that Cruz didn’t like when President Trump called him “Lyin’ Ted” during the presidential campaign.
“Your name is Rafael, you go by Ted but your middle name is Edward, that’s a more Anglicized version of it,” Cuomo continued. “He went the other way and has a more ethnic version of his name — why go after him? You’re both doing the same thing.”
“You’re absolutely right, my name is Rafael Edward Cruz,” Cruz responded, adding that he was named after his Cuban immigrant father.
Cruz then said people should have a sense of humor about the jingle.
Chris Cuomo asks Sen. Ted Cruz why he’s criticizing his Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke for going by the childhood nickname ‘Beto’ when Cruz’s real name is actually Rafael: “You’re absolutely right. My name is Rafael Edward Cruz.” https://t.co/tkyhJy6DXk pic.twitter.com/l90lFsvNjf— CNN (@CNN) March 7, 2018
