The proverbial you-know-what is reportedly hitting the fan between disgraced former President and scandal-ridden 2024 candidate Donald Trump and his one-time rival turned ally turned apparent rival again, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
Recently, the New York Times published a piece titled, How Trump Has Used Fear and Favor to Win Republican Endorsements. The article as a whole takes a deep dive into Donald Trump’s disturbing relationships with people who are supposed to be on “his side” — including his deep-seated, narcissistic manipulation and fear-mongering tactics that just do to show that no one really “supports” Donald Trump, they’re just terrified of him.
But, of particular interest in the NYT piece was Donald’s apparent specific anger with the Texas senator, whom he went head to head with as Republican presidential candidates in 2016.
Back in 2016, Trump infamously went no holds barred with senator, even going so far as to attack Cruz’s wife during the primaries. The Times noted past remarks from Donald Trump, in which he said of potential supporters, “They always bend the knee,” after enough fear mongering from the big guy himself. With regard to 2016, Cruz did eventually, in fact, bend the knee and, much like his South Carolina counterpart Lindsey Graham, devolved into one of the biggest Trump sycophants the world has ever seen.
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However, when it comes to the 2024 race that’s closing in on us with each passing day, it seems that ole Ted Cruz will not be bending that knee for a second time — and Trump is furious about it.
Cruz has consistently refused to publicly endorse Donald Trump or Donald’s biggest Republican competition, FL Gov. Ron DeSantis, for the 2024 presidential election, claiming that the polarized and highly publicized feud between the two Republicans positions Cruz to alienate a good half or more of his own supporters, no matter which side he takes. Unsurprisingly, this is unacceptable for the former president.
NYT reports, “And Mr. Trump is privately ranting about and workshopping nicknames for other holdouts, like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.”
The publication spoke with a source who heard Trump say of his 2016 opponent, “Ted — he shouldn’t even exist. I could’ve destroyed him. I kind of did destroy him in 2016, if you think about it. But then I let him live.”
Donald Trump is so very used to using his bullying tactics to force those around him to bend to his every well and whim. Frankly, it’s always worked quite well for him. But none other than the likes of Ted Cruz is refusing to play ball this time, and Donald J. Trump can’t handle that.
Read the full, in-depth piece from the New York Times here.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
