Sen. Ted Cruz said his victory in Iowa was “really a victory for the grassroots” in an interview with CNN after the caucuses on Monday.
“I’m focused on our victory tonight and the fact that courageous conservatives across Iowa and across the country generated the most votes ever given to any Republican victor in a Republican primary,” Cruz told Dana Bash when asked whether he had taken votes from Sen. Marco Rubio. “That is unbelievable grassroots.”
Cruz pushed back when Bash said Iowa was “tailor-made” for a conservative candidate like Cruz. She asked how he would translate what he did in Iowa to other states without such a strong conservative electorate.
“You know, Dana, I have to admit I’m kind of amused hearing that Iowa’s tailor-made for us. Last night, I was watching the news and on every station, every media pundit was saying Cruz is gonna lose,” he said. “I heard that over and over and over again. Trump will win. Trump will win. Trump will win. Every media pundit. And then suddenly, when the grassroots proved the media wrong, then suddently, well of course it was a foregone conclusion. This is the power of the conservative grassrootes. There is a silent majority in this country.”
Looking to the next few primaries, Cruz said “I think it is entirely possible we’ll know our nominee by the end of March. If you look at the states, the states are front-loaded. A great many of the delegates are chosen by the end of March. Winning Iowa’s a good first step. You’ve gotta do more. That doesn’t do it on its own.”
