Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called out former President Donald Trump Wednesday for not funding the campaigns of pro-Trump candidates, despite raising over $100 million in funding.
Cruz called out the former president on his podcast “The Verdict,” saying that Trump should be using his $100 million of campaign funds from his Save America PAC to target midterm races that lost funding from Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell. In September, McConnell’s Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) PAC pulled funding for GOP candidates in Arizona and New Hampshire earlier this year. (RELATED: Mitch McConnell’s Super PAC Shells Out $18 Million To Boost GOP Senate Hopefuls)
“When Mitch McConnell only spends on the moderates and anti-Trump candidates, it would be nice if Trump would spend some of that $100 million dollars to help some of these candidates who Mitch is abandoning because they are pro-Trump. Those are the two pockets of money that are there and right now neither of them are spending in a number of these states,” Cruz said on the podcast.
Though Trump has not supported Masters and Bolduc through the Save America PAC, Trump has spent roughly $1.8 million through his other PAC, MAGA Inc., on Masters in Arizona. Trump also criticized McConnell for pulling funds away from the two candidates.
Trump funded Ohio and Pennsylvania Republican candidates Mehmet Oz and J.D. Vance through MAGA Inc. The PAC spent $135,650 on ads placed in Pittsburgh and $276,000 on ads in Columbus and Cleveland.
McConnell’s PAC canceled nearly $10 million in campaign ads for Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters in September and another $8 million from the candidate in October. Democratic candidate Mark Kelly has continued to outspend Masters.
A recent Fox News poll placed Kelly one point above Masters, and a New York Times/Siena College poll placed Kelly six points ahead.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): “I wish Trump was spending some of his money … It would be nice if Trump would spend some of that $100 million to help some of these candidates who Mitch [McConnell] is abandoning because they’re pro-Trump.” pic.twitter.com/5VqrlDwel2
— The Recount (@therecount) November 2, 2022
The SLF also pulled out of New Hampshire in September, opting to shift funding away from Republican candidate Don Bolduc and toward Pennsylvania candidate Mehmet Oz, The Hill reported. The PAC shifted nearly $6 million as Bolduc closed in on incumbent Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan.
“As the cycle comes to a close, we are shifting resources to where they can be most effective to achieve our ultimate goal: winning the majority,” Senate Leadership Fund President Steven Law said in a statement.
A recent Trafalgar Group/Daily Wire poll and a St. Anselm College poll both place Bolduc one point ahead of Hassan.
“Just don’t don’t piss off Trump because the races we lose are races where there’s a pissing match between the Republican candidate and Trump; it’s a self-inflicted wound almost every time,” Cruz said. “I wish Trump was spending some of his money. Trumps got $100 million dollars and he’s spending almost none of it to support these candidates. That is not ideal.”
Trump and the Save America PAC did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundations request for comment.
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