ATLANTA — Republican presidential candidate Texas Sen. Ted Cruz avoided criticizing fellow GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump for insulting remarks the New York businessman made about Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly following the debate the network hosted Thursday night. Trump was disinvited to speak from the Red State Gathering after telling CNN’s Don Lemon that Kelly was unfair to him and “off base.”
“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes blood coming out of her — wherever,” Trump said.
Steering clear of the controversy, Cruz told reporters the decision to rescind Trump’s invitation was “Red State’s to make.”
He went on to say, “I think every candidate should treat everyone else with civility and respect. That is a standard that I try to follow. That is a standard I hope that all of us try to aspire to.”
He explained, “I also don’t think that we are not going to solve the problems in this country and you’re not going to defeat the Washington cartel by obsessing over the politics of personality. This is about real challenges facing the American people. This is about the bankrupting of our kids and grandkids and defending the Bill of Rights and restoring America’s leadership. That’s where my focus has been. And it’s where I intend to keep it.”
When asked by The Daily Caller if he was concerned that Trump seems to have a pattern of publicly describing women in a deleterious manner similar to what was demonstrated during Trump’s interview with CNN, Cruz responded, “I think Megan Kelly is a terrific journalist and I’m pleased to be on her show many many different times. In fact, I believe I was the very first guest very first day she launched her show.”
Cruz added, “And I think she does a great job and she did a very good job moderating the debate, and I’m not going to engage in the back-and-forth on personalities. I get the media loves that. That’s what you want to cover–is the soap opera of back-and-forth.”
The Texas senator attempted to steer reporters away from the Trump versus Megyn Kelly and Red State topic and talk about his disappointment with the administration’s Iran deal and his satisfaction with New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer who recently announced he would oppose it.