Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who is considering a bid for the Republican nomination for president, took a step outside the typically friendly environment at Fox News and onto the set of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Co-hosts Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, and Mika Brzezinski are regular critics of Cruz for his confrontational and often controversial tactics in Congress.
Cruz on Monday defended Republican senators who recently sent a letter to Iran regarding U.S. negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear development program, he said he’d be willing to compromise with Democrats on tax reform and he maintained that he is still considering a run for the White House.
Scarborough was largely sympathetic with Cruz’s views but Brzezinski repeatedly challenged him on the letter to Iran.
“It just seems extremely destructive, sir,” Brzezinski told Cruz.
Cruz pushed back, asserting that Congress should have a role in foreign negotiations that involve the U.S. government.
“I’m looking at it very seriously,” Cruz said about a possible presidential run. “The support we’re seeing around has been phenomenal.”
Cruz said he’s “measuring” the support he sees from voters and that “right now, it’s very encouraging.”
