Cruz, Trump Supporter Wage Seven-Minute Exchange

“I’m going to treat you with respect and civility, even if not everyone in this process does. I tell you, this election matters, it matters a lot,” Cruz told the crowd, which stood face-to-face with the Texas senator and touted pro-Trump signage.

“[This election] does matter,” one man said. “It matters! Do the math!”

Cruz attempted to pitch his platform but only enraged protesters, who confronted him about the mathematical odds of his being the Republican nominee and called him “Lyin’ Ted,” Trump’s favorite nickname for Cruz.

“We don’t want you,” one protester said in response, and later said that Trump was sure to get the 1,237 delegates necessary to be the Republican nominee. “Do the math! You know, you asked Kasich to drop out, it’s your turn, take your own words.”

The same protester told Cruz he liked “everything” about Trump, but pointed specifically to the wall Trump promised to build on the border with Mexico. When Cruz attempted to debunk the wall claim by pointing to a New York Times interview in which Trump reportedly flip-flopped on immigration, the protester echoed Trump’s pejorative name for the Texas senator.

“Lyin’ Ted!” he said. “You are the problem, politician, you are the problem.”

Cruz then tried to discredit the view that Trump is an outsider, but to no avail.

“Why is it that the mainstream media so desperately wants Donald Trump to be the Republican nominee? And why is it that John Boehner supports Donald Trump?” Cruz said. “With all respect, Donald Trump is deceiving you. He is playing you for a chump.

The protester persisted and asked Cruz where his “Goldman Sachs jacket” was, referring to his wife’s time as managing director at the bank.

“[Trump] is the only one that’s going to put us where we need to be,” the protester said.