Donald Trump dubbed Ted Cruz “Lyin’ Ted” when they were both running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He also insulted his wife and basically called him a “p*ssy.” But once he stopped seeing the Texas senator as a threat, Trump gave him a more flattering nickname. “He’s not Lyin’ Ted anymore, he’s Beautiful Ted,” he told ABC News in 2018. “I call him Texas Ted.” (UT Longhorns fans would prefer Leave Texas Ted.)
So much for that: the New York Times reports that Trump is “privately ranting about and workshopping nicknames for other holdouts, like Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.” He’s allegedly furious that Cruz hasn’t backed his 2024 bid for the White House, and is letting people know it.
“Ted — he shouldn’t even exist,” Mr. Trump said recently of Mr. Cruz, a 2016 rival, according to a person who heard the remarks and recounted them soon after. “I could’ve destroyed him. I kind of did destroy him in 2016, if you think about it. But then I let him live.”
Trump, who apparently talks like a cartoon super villain in private company, has also been boasting about receiving an endorsement from Representative Tom Emmer. “They always bend the knee,” he said.
Back to Ted. Remember 2016? It feels like 50 years ago:
Ted Cruz in 2016: Donald Trump is a “pathological liar.” pic.twitter.com/IpX4Acn25r
— The Beat with Ari Melber
(@TheBeatWithAri) January 2, 2024
(Via the New York Times)