Donald Trump is back on the attack. After a humbling second place finish in the Iowa caucuses Trump is returning to attack mode and it all aimed at caucus winner Ted Cruz. In a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, Feb. 3, 2016, Trump accused Texas Senator Ted Cruz of voter fraud and stealing the Iowa caucuses after Cruz's campaign spread lies through emails during the caucuses that retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was suspending his campaign. Trump is now calling for a new election.
After his loss on Monday evening, Feb. 1, Trump was humble, "surprising generous" even congratulating Cruz on his victory. Starting his campaigning in New Hampshire, Trump even blamed himself for not participating in the last Republican debate for his second place finish. Now he is back to accusing his opponents especially, Cruz, who won despite polls indicating Trump was leading in the weeks before the caucus.
Trump is now accusing Cruz of fraud, and stealing a win in the Iowa caucuses. Trump tweeted Wednesday morning, "During primetime of the Iowa Caucus, Cruz put out a release that @RealBenCarson was quitting the race, and to caucus (or vote) for Cruz." Continuing Trump said, "Many people voted for Cruz over Carson because of this Cruz fraud. Also, Cruz sent out a VOTER VIOLATION certificate to thousands of voters." Then Trump asked for new caucuses or that the Iowa GOP disqualifies Cruz's results, "Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified."
Earlier in the morning, Trump tweeted that Cruz illegally stole the caucuses, "Ted Cruz didn't win Iowa, he illegally stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong any [sic] why he got more votes than anticipated. Bad!" Trump then erased that tweet a minute later before reposting without the word "illegally."
Trump is basing his accusation on emails the Cruz campaign sent out during the caucuses saying that Carson was dropping out of the presidential race. Cruz based his assumption on a CNN Monday evening report that said that Carson was going home to Florida after the caucuses before moving on to New Hampshire and South Carolina. CNN relayed that Carson "will go to Florida to rest and see his family," and "he wouldn't go directly to New Hampshire or South Carolina." Carson, however, was going home to pick up more clothes for the campaign trail, not to suspend his campaign.
Trump was not the not the only one to be upset by Cruz's emails; the Carson campaign was infuriated. Carson appeared Tuesday on Fox News and spoke to host Bill O'Reilly about what the Cruz campaign did. Carson said, "Here's the issue, a culture exists within the Cruz camp that would allow people to take advantage of a situation like this in a very dishonest way." Carson wanted Cruz to fire the staff that sent out those emails, "Let's see what in fact the Cruz campaign will do about those individuals who inappropriately disseminated this information knowing that the caucuses were not over. They were absolutely anxious to get it out there, weren't they?"
The incident forced Cruz to apologize to Carson, although he justified his campaign's actions. Cruz stated, "Last night when our political team saw the CNN post saying that Dr. Carson was not carrying on to New Hampshire and South Carolina, our campaign updated grassroots leaders just as we would with any breaking news story. That's fair game. What the team then should have done was send around the follow-up statement from the Carson campaign clarifying that he was indeed staying in the race when that came out. This was a mistake from our end, and for that I apologize to Dr. Carson."
Trump, who just months before was attacking Carson as he threatened him in the polls, now defended Carson's interests before his New Hampshire rally on Tuesday. Trump said, "[Ted Cruz] insulted Ben Carson… What he did to Ben Carson was a disgrace… and that it "certainly was dirty." Trump continued saying, "What he did to Ben Carson was terrible. When they said Ben Carson is out of the race and come vote for him, I thought it was terrible."
Trump is equating the Cruz campaign email on Monday night as fraud, spreading a lie trying to sway the caucus to Cruz's favor. Trump believes if Cruz would not have spread the rumor, that Carson might have gained more votes, however, polls; do not indicate that would have been the case. Trump's concern for Carson has selfish implications; if the Iowa GOP disqualifies Cruz Trump would be the winner of the caucuses.
Suggested Links
- Rand Paul drops out of Republican presidential race
- Clinton declared the winner of the Dem Iowa caucuses narrowest win in history
- Inevitability loses at Iowa caucuses Cruz wins, Sanders wins by tying Clinton
- Sarah Palin loses it explodes on Today show about blaming Obama for son's arrest
- Prediction Trump and Sanders could win Iowa caucuses according to last poll