Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) took a page out of President Barack Obama’s playbook Friday, heading to the late-night television circuit and slamming the Affordable Care Act, calling it the “biggest job killer in this country.”
Cruz made his late-night debut, appearing on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Leno and the Tea Party darling discussed a host of issues ranging from the government shutdown to the gridlock in Washington, D.C. But while Cruz and Leno disagreed on some topics, it was the Texas conservative’s argument against Obamacare that garnered massive support from the audience.
“My focus has been jobs and economic growth, and particularly Obamacare. And Obamacare, it’s the biggest job killer in this country,” Cruz said as the audience exploded into applause. “And you know, it’s interesting.”
Leno pressed Cruz on why shutting down the government was the necessary course of action when the same issues with President Obama’s signature healthcare law would have emerged regardless.
“Listen, Jay, I’m one of the many people who was not a fan of shutting down the government,” Cruz said.
“Well you sure looked like a big fan from where I was standing,” Leno responded. “I must say, by golly, reading that Dr. Seuss thing…”
Cruz also received a bevy of support from the audience as the duo addressed Congress’s dismal 12 percent approval rating.
“I think Americans are deeply frustrated that Washington is broken. And I think it’s a bipartisan problem,” the 2016 hopeful said. “I think the biggest divide we have is not between Republicans and Democrats, it is between entrenched politicians in both parties in Washington and the American people.”
Watch the first part of Cruz’s interview below.
