Sen. Ted Cruz said it is “absolutely” possible that President Trump will be defeated in 2020, putting the odds at about 50-50.
In an interview with PBS, the Texas Republican cited anger from “the far left” as a motivator for higher Democratic voter turnout.
“I personally handicap the 2020 election as a coin flip. I think it’s about 50-50. I want to see the president reelected, I’m working hard to help the president get reelected, and I think he certainly can get reelected,” Cruz said.
Donald Trump could “absolutely” be defeated in 2020, says Senator @tedcruz. “Anger is a powerful motivator,” he says. “They are enraged by Donald Trump and it means they’re going to show up.” Watch the full interview TONIGHT on @PBS. #FiringLineShowPBS pic.twitter.com/StsVvTz2Fn
— Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) July 19, 2019
Cruz, 48, said he thinks there will be “staggering Democratic turnout” and cited his recent 2018 midterm horse race against 2020 presidential contender and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke in his analysis. O’Rourke was able to mobilize voters to turn out in droves in reliably red Texas. Cruz won by a 3-point margin.
“It’s a crystal ball for what the country will look like. And what the Democrats did in Texas, they more than doubled Democratic turnout,” Cruz said. “And the reason is anger is a powerful motivator, and the far left is pissed. They are enraged by Donald Trump, and it means they’re going to show up, and the big open question is, ‘Does everybody else show up?’”
Cruz also said Trump’s rhetoric is energizing Democrats ahead of the 2020 election, but he wouldn’t say whether it would harm the president’s chances of being reelected. “The president regularly says and tweets things I wish he wouldn’t say,” he said.
