Friday evening, Ted Cruz sat down with Regent University founder and President Dr. Pat Robertson as part of the school’s presidential forum series.
Unlike Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump the day before, Cruz didn’t hold back in his criticism. Continuing to hammer away at the businessman’s conservative credentials, he told Robertson he expects Super Tuesday I to set the stage for a head-to-head race to the finish for the GOP nomination.
“If we get to a head-to-head choice between Donald and a proven conservative, we will win,” he said. “And I believe Super Tuesday will set that up.
“The next four days are critical. Super Tuesday, I believe, will be the most important day in this entire presidential election. It is possible that Donald Trump will steamroll through with massive victories and be unstoppable. I hope that does not happen. I think that is a very dangerous outcome.”
Like Trump, who spoke on Thursday, Cruz was afforded the opportunity to make a stump speech before he sat down with Robertson for a question-and-answer session. The Texas senator wasted no time in addressing the packed house.
“There are many issues to discuss, many challenges facing this country in this election,” he said, before immediately turning his discussion to the passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. “One more liberal justice and the court will overturn Heller and conclude that not a single one of us has the individual right to keep and bear arms.”
Cruz also attacked Obamacare, telling the audience his father’s story is why he is so passionately opposed to the health care law. He said his father would have either been laid off or been unable to earn a livable wage under President Obama’s signature health care policies.
“I think our focus for everyone should be easing the means of ascent up the economic ladder, empowering them, what I’ve called opportunity conservatism, that every focus should be on individual responsibility, on helping people climb the economic ladder,” he said.
His criticisms of Obama didn’t end there. Asked by Robertson what he would do first if elected, Cruz promised to launch a criminal investigation of Planned Parenthood, claiming it is protected by “some political hack in the White House.”
“I don’t think there’s anything wonderful about Planned Parenthood,” he said. “And like anyone else, they would be prosecuted if they violated the law.”
