Trump backs Cruz, bashes O’Rourke as a ‘flake’ after feisty debate

close

Video

Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke clash in final debate in Texas

President Trump renewed his support Wednesday for Ted Cruz, saying the GOP senator “has done so much for Texas” and bashing opponent Beto O’Rourke as a “flake” after the candidates sparred in a feisty Senate debate.

“Watched the debate last night & Beto O’Rourke, who wants higher taxes and far more regulations, is not in the same league with Ted Cruz & what the great people of Texas stand for & want. Ted is strong on Crime, Border & 2nd A, loves our Military, Vets, Low Taxes. Beto is a Flake!” Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

Minutes later, he added: “Ted Cruz has done so much for Texas, including massive cuts in taxes and regulations—which has brought Texas to the best numbers in the history of the state. He watches carefully over your 2nd Amendment. O’Rourke would blow it all! Ted has long had my Strong Endorsement!”

The president’s tweet comes hours after the final, fiery debate between Cruz, R-Texas, and O’Rourke, who aggressively went after the incumbent for being “all talk and no action” in the Senate.

O’Rourke also seized on Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential primary campaign trail nickname for Cruz, openly calling him “Lyin’ Ted.”

“Senator Cruz is not going to be honest with you,” O’Rourke said Tuesday, after Cruz described O’Rourke’s voting record on environmental issues.

“He’s dishonest. It’s why the president called him Lyin’ Ted, and it’s why the nickname stuck, because its true,” O’Rourke said.

Cruz fired back, telling O’Rourke his universal health care plans didn’t make sense even using “elementary school math” and alluded to his declining odds at the polls.

The two also sparred over Cruz’s role in the 2013 shutdown of the federal government, which he largely spearheaded as a means of opposing the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare.

“You want to talk about a shutdown?” Cruz said. “With Congressman O’Rourke leading the way, [there’ll be] two years of a partisan circus and a witch hunt on the president.”

Cruz’s comment was a reference to O’Rourke’s past comments that he supported impeaching Trump. Cruz noted O’Rourke is “the only Democratic Senate nominee in the country who has explicitly come out for impeaching President Trump.”

O'Rourke's position on impeaching the president apparently has changed during the campaign. “Impeachment, much like an indictment, shows that there is enough there for the case to proceed,” O’Rourke has said, “and at this point there is certainly enough there for the case to proceed.” However, the 46-year-old has clarified that although he would vote for impeaching Trump, he hasn't been in favor of actually initiating impeachment proceedings.

O’Rourke is trailing behind Cruz in the latest polls, despite his record-setting $38 million in campaign funds last quarter.

The president previously endorsed Cruz, and is expected to hold a rally for him at the 8,000 seat NRG Arena in Houston on Monday. Trump seemingly moved past his rivalry with Cruz in 2016, when the GOP primary competitor famously declined to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention.

Fox News’ Gregg Re contributed to this report.