GOP Candidate Donald Trump Refers To Ted Cruz As A “Maniac”

Trump: Cruz “Frankly Like A Little Bit Of A Maniac.” On the December 13 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, Trump claimed Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz does not have the right “judgement” or “temperament” to be president, calling him “a little bit of a maniac”:

Donald Trump sharpened his criticism of Republican presidential rival Ted Cruz in television interviews broadcast Sunday morning, lambasting Cruz's approach to the Senate and expressing doubts about whether the senator's “temperament” is fit for the presidency.

The remarks came as new polling showed Cruz surging past Trump in Iowa and the two candidates have begun to more forcefully distinguish themselves from each other.

“I don't think he has the right temperament,” Trump said of Cruz on “Fox News Sunday.” “I don't think he's got the right judgment.”

Pressed to elaborate, Trump said, “You look at the way he's dealt with the Senate, where he goes in there like a, you know, frankly like a little bit of a maniac. You're never going to get things done that way.” [Washington Post, 12/13/15]

Conservative Talk Radio Hosts Come To Cruz's Defense

Rush Limbaugh Calls Trump's Comments “A Huge Mistake.” On the December 14 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, Limbaugh questioned Trump's comments and called them a “mistake.” He went on to claim a “genuine conservative” wouldn't attack Cruz “this way”:

RUSH LIMBAUGH (HOST): My questioning here about the way Trump has gone after Cruz here, calling him a maniac, refusing to work with people in the Senate. The reason I'm focusing on that, folks, because that's so unlike Trump. I mean, that's a huge mistake. But on paper it's a huge mistake. Trump gets away with his mistakes. Such is the bond of loyalty that his support base has for him that he gets away with them. And I don't think he's made that many. Don't misunderstand. But for any of you who are holding out hope that Trump is a genuine conservative. A genuine conservative, even in the Republican field, would not go after Cruz this way. So that just raised a red flag for me, made me somewhat curious. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 12/14/15]

Sean Hannity Cautions Trump Against Attacking “Loved” Ted Cruz. On the December 14 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show, Hannity acknowledged Trump's previous strategy of attacking candidates, but suggested it won't be as “efficient” with Cruz:

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): Here is the problem with going after Ted Cruz who is now rising dramatically in the polls from a Trump perspective. Ted Cruz is loved by the conservative base. Unlike, I think Ben Carson was and I think people gave him a real hard deep look and love him personally. And I think that his own campaign hurt him by putting out there that he wasn't up to speed on foreign policy especially now that foreign policy is playing such a big role in this campaign. But I think there's gonna be a difference in attacking Ted Cruz. Because Ted Cruz, when he did the filibuster in the Senate, that was loved by conservatives. They were cheering Ted Cruz standing up against what he calls the Washington cartel. So I'm not so sure that same strategy is going to be efficient as he's going up against a strong conservative in the field. And I don't think there's anyone that is viewed as strongly as a conservative in the field as Cruz is viewed, so I'm not sure if this is going to work. [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 12/14/15]

Mark Levin Slams Trump For Calling Cruz “A Maniac.” On the December 14 edition of Cumulus Media Networks' The Mark Levin Show, Levin criticized Donald Trump for calling Cruz a maniac, adding that he is a “straight talker,” but “doesn't like that about others”:

MARK LEVIN (HOST): I would encourage these candidates and Donald Trump to come back to us, because I'm not following him or anybody else to the left, I can tell you that right now. No way.

[...]

Now last week I pointed out, don't get caught up in this, Trump or Cruz. They want you two guys to fight. Why play games? Why do what the media tell you to do?

[...]

LEVIN: You know Donald Trump, it's Mitch McConnell is the maniac, it's McCain who is the maniac, it's Graham who is the maniac, it's not Cruz. The people of Texas, many conservatives, support Cruz. More and more conservatives are announcing for Cruz because of the way he's taken on the Republican establishment. There is no easy way to do it, you can't do it with mittens. And it's amazing to me to have to tell Donald Trump this. Does Donald Trump wear mittens? No. He is mal-treated by everything from Macy's and the PGA to hosts and others so forth and so on. Because he is a straight talker, and you like that about him. And yet, he apparently doesn't like that about others. [Cumulus Media Networks, The Mark Levin Show, 12/14/15]