Rep. Beto O’Rourke admitted Thursday that he went “too far” in Tuesday’s Texas Senate debate by calling Sen. Ted Cruz “Lyin’ Ted” and leveling attacks against the Republican incumbent.

When pressed during a CNN town hall Thursday night why he went on the attack despite repeatedly decrying the pettiness in politics, the Texas Democrat said that he didn’t “feel totally comfortable” invoking President Trump’s past nickname for Cruz. He said that he decided to bring up the name after Cruz started the debate with “another lie.”

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