Donald Trump walks back calling Ted Cruz a 'maniac' with 'wrong temperament' to be president

Donald Trump pats Ted Cruz on the back and says he has a &quot;wonderful temperament&quot; — (Image credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Two days ago, Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said that GOP rival Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) has acted like "a little bit of a maniac" in the Senate and doesn't have "the right temperament" or "the right judgment" to be president. CNN's Dana Bash asked Trump about those comments at Tuesday's GOP presidential debate, and Trump totally took it all back. "Let me tell you, as I have gotten to know him over the last three or four days, he has a wonderful temperament, he’s just fine, don't worry about it."

So, feud over, cage match averted. But when Bash noted that Cruz has chosen not to attack Trump in public, Trump growled out a light-hearted "You'd better not attack" at Cruz. So keep an eye toward Iowa.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.