NEW YORK — Texas Sen. [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore] claimed that if nobody manages to earn the needed 1,237 delegates prior to the Republican National Convention, he will win the nomination “one way or the other” at the convention.
Cruz rallied supporters at the Women’s National Republican Club in midtown Manhattan Wednesday afternoon in an effort to win over New York voters. Although the Texas Republican received cheers for the shots he took at New York Democrats, he was later asked by reporters how he could possibly smooth over relations with Empire State residents after describing Donald Trump as having “New York values” at a debate last month.
“Coming from New York, you all have seen first-hand the disasters that come from liberal democratic policies that are foisted on the people of New York. And Donald Trump over and over again has been supporting Andrew Cuomo and Hillary Clinton and Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer and Charlie Rangel,” Cruz told his supporters.
“So next time you think about all the disastrous policies that have been foisted on the people of New York, you can thank Donald Trump for bankrolling those efforts,” he said, later noting that the New York primary, a contest of 95 delegates, is a “battleground” state for him and that he plans to compete here “vigorously.”
Is he concerned about receiving backlash over his “New York values” remark? Cruz responded, “I’m not worried at all because the people of New York understand first hand the liberal left-wing values of New York politicians. The people of New York have suffered under the liberal left-wing values of New York politicians and they experience it first-hand.”
He added, “It is men and women in Upstate New York or Western New York who would like to work and have high-paying jobs, but liberal politicians prohibit fracking, so they don’t get the same high-paying jobs the people in Pennsylvania get.”
Former New York Gov. George Pataki met with Cruz following the event and told reporters Cruz’s “New York values” comment is being misinterpreted.
“He wasn’t referring to the responders of Sept. 11. He wasn’t talking about those who ride the subway, or the police, or the firefighters. He was talking about somebody like Donald Trump, who uses political influence and lawsuits to get his way,” said Pataki. The former New York governor did not say if he plans to endorse Cruz.
Cruz informed reporters he expects a showdown between him and Trump in Cleveland if either one fails to reach 1,237 delegates before convention time.
“If nobody gets 1,237, then the delegates will decide between me and Donald Trump. Under the RNC rules, we are the only two candidates whose names will be on the ballot. John Kasich has no pathway. It’s mathematically impossible for him to win the nomination because you have to have won 8 states,” said Cruz, referencing a convention rule eligibility standard added in 2012 at the urging of the Romney campaign.
“The only two people to meet that test are Donald Trump and me. And then, if no one has 1,237 by then, the delegates who are elected by the people will vote, and we will win that vote one way or the other. I believe we are going to win this nomination, and the reason is 65 to 70 percent of Republicans realize Donald Trump would be a disaster.”