While on The Hugh Hewitt Show yesterday, Sen. Ted Cruz was asked by Hewitt what he thought would be the effect of Donald Trump potentially skipping the next round of GOP debates. Cruz responded by suggesting that Trump does not want to debate because it is difficult for him to defend his record, especially when it comes to issues like religious liberty:
HEWITT: Now the next debate you’ve got with Fox, then we’ll be back on the stage again on March 10th. There is suggested that Donald Trump may be skipping these. What would the effect be of that?
CRUZ: Well, listen, he has a hard time in debates. He has a hard time, because it’s the only time he’s actually called to defend his record. You know, I think one of the most stunning moments of the debate last week was the question you asked on religious liberty and the Supreme Court. And as you’ll recall, Donald turned to me and said Ted, you know, I know a lot more politicians than you do, which he’s right. He has been supporting financially liberal Democratic politicians for 40 years. And he said you’ve got to be willing to compromise. You’ve got to be willing to work with others. And let me tell you right now. I’ll tell you this, and I’ll tell all your listeners this. I will never compromise away your religious liberty. I will never compromise away your 2nd Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. And what Donald told us is that he is running to be a Washington deal maker, and that when it comes to Justice Scalia’s replacement, Donald Trump intends to sit down with Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer and cut a deal. And any justice that Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid sign off on is going to be a liberal activist who will assault our religious liberty, and who will effectively erase the 2nd Amendment from the Bill of Rights. We don’t need a president who views the Bill of Rights as yet, and the Constitution, as yet another thing to be compromised away in Washington deals.
Thomas Valentine is a researcher for the American Principles Project and a junior at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
