Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says he is no “firebrand,” rejecting the moniker outright in an interview Tuesday with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
The 2016 Republican presidential candidate’s remarks came as the two discussed his White House ambitions and the Supreme Court’s recent rulings on the Affordable Care Act and same-sex marriage.
“Let me ask you a question that I’ve heard from a lot of people who knew you from — when you were part of the Washington cartel, when you were a lawyer and you represented John Boehner back in the ’90s, when you worked in the Bush administration, on the Bush campaign,” Tapper said.
“A lot of those people who knew you then don’t recognize you now as a, let’s say, firebrand,” he added. “I’m sure that’s a word you wouldn’t dispute. They don’t recognize you. Were you more moderate back then? Were you holding back your real feelings so as to go along to get along? Is this the real you? Help them understand.”
Cruz at first suggested that those who call him a “firebrand” should read his new book, “A Time for Truth,” adding that it explains his evolution as a lawmaker.
“I’m pointing to the book for a reason because, in the book, I tell my personal story. I tell my journey and my family’s story and I had been a passionate advocate for the Constitution and Bill of Rights for over 30 years, literally from when I was a teenager, when I was 13 and 14, touring the state of Texas, speaking about the Constitution,” Cruz said.
“You suggested firebrand. I don’t accept that term at all,” he added.
Tapper persisted, “You don’t? Okay.”
“In my time in Washington, to the best of my knowledge, I have never spoken ill of any senator, Republican or Democrat. What I’ve endeavored to do is two things, tell the truth and do what I said I would do. But in Washington, D.C., telling the truth is a radical act,” Cruz said.
“And I think people across this country, they are fed up with politicians in both parties who aren’t listening to the American people. You hear that from Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, “They’re not listening to me,'” he added.
Cruz has made headlines over the years for his unabashed opposition to President Obama’s agenda, most notably the White House’s health care agenda and its attempts to reform immigration policy.
