Texas Sen. Ted Cruz did not back down from a fight over the true nature of “New York values” in a radio interview on Friday. Cruz made it clear: he wants this fight.
Cruz offered a staunch defense of his disparaging comments about Donald Trump’s “New York values” on the Sean Hannity radio show despite calls from several Democratic politicians — including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — that he apologize. The Texas senator instead offered an “apology” that he said he thought New Yorkers needed to hear.
“I have heard their demands and I am happy to give them an apology. I apologize to the millions of New Yorkers that have been abandoned by liberal politicians,” Cruz said. “I apologize to the working men and women of New York who were denied jobs, jobs that are plentiful just south in Pennsylvania, because Governor Cuomo bans fracking. I apologize to all the pro-life, pro-marriage, pro-2nd Amendment New Yorkers who Governor Cuomo brazenly told have no place in the state of New York because that’s not who New Yorkers are.
“I apologize to the African-American kids that Mayor de Blasio tried to throw out of charter schools that were giving them a lifeline to the American dream. And I’ll tell you Sean, I especially apologize to the cops and firefighters and the heroes of 9/11 who had no choice but to stand and turn their backs on Mayor de Blasio because over and over again he sides with the looters and criminals instead of the brave men and women in blue.”
The Texas senator’s comments were buttressed by Hannity’s response: “Wow, that is a powerful statement.” But the comments may not have been as impromptu as the format would lead listeners to believe. While Cruz finished his remarks onstage in South Carolina just before the interview aired, Cruz campaign spokeswoman Alice Stewart tweeted that the senator would talk more about “New York values” in the upcoming Hannity radio hit.
Cruz ranks first in the Washington Examiner‘s newest GOP presidential power rankings.
