Donald Trump is a “fringe candidate” running “scared,” rival Ted Cruz charged Monday.
The Texas senator hit back at Trump’s scornful claim that Cruz’s new alliance with third-placed Gov. John Kasich is a “desperate” move.
It is, Cruz countered, not just a way to prevent Trump from winning the Republican nomination, but also is designed to defeat the Democrats in November.
Cruz, campaigning in Indiana Monday, said forging a tactical alliance with Kasich is “a decision, an allocation of resources, that makes a lot of sense.”
“Donald Trump is in real trouble. Why? Because he cannot earn the support of a majority of the delegates elected by the people,” Cruz said. “Donald has been a minority candidate, a fringe candidate. Now he’s benefitted early in the race by having a multitude of opponents where the opposition to Donald was diffuse, but what we have seen happening over the last month is the Republican Party uniting behind our campaign.”
The Texan’s remarks, as the primaries reach the final nominating contests, contrast starkly with his previous claim of, “I like Donald Trump.”
Cruz said Trump was afraid of coming to Indiana to face him and the voters.
“We need a president in the spirit of Mitch Daniels and Mike Pence. That is exactly what this campaign is based on,” Cruz said, referring to Indiana’s Republican governors. “I get that the Trump campaign is scared. They’re scared of Indiana. If Donald wasn’t scared, he’d show up in Indiana and have a debate.
“But he’d much rather hide in Trump tower. He’d much rather stay in northeastern states that tend to be more liberal than actually come to the Midwest, come to the heartland, and defend his policies.”
Cruz will campaign in Indiana on Monday ahead of next week’s Republican primary in the Hoosier State. Trump is campaigning in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania ahead of those state’s contests on Tuesday.
