It seems as though Ted Cruz is getting just as much mileage out of Donald Trump's decision to skip the Fox News debate on Thursday as the Donald himself.
Trump announced Tuesday night that he would not attend the debate, and shared on Wednesday that he made his decision after Fox News sent out a "childish" press release mocking him. On Tuesday, Cruz quickly challenged Trump to a "mano a mano" debate during an appearance on The Mark Levin Show, and then told Trump on Wednesday it was time for him to RSVP, because he already booked a room at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City on Saturday, The Guardian reports.
"I would propose that our campaigns evenly divide available seating/ticketing," Cruz wrote in a letter to Trump. "Our teams can jointly work on the logistical details." He also recommending having Levin, Sean Hannity, or Rush Limbaugh serve as moderator, and said "if none of these proposed individuals are acceptable to you, I suggest that instead we alternate in fielding direct questions from the audience. I look forward to your timely response."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cruz also started offering a very familiar looking cap in his online store — a sendup of Trump's "Make America Great Again" hat that says "Make Trump Debate Again." It can be yours for a $25 donation to the Cruz presidential campaign.
-
7 sweet experiences for chocolate loversThe Week Recommends Treat yourself with chocolate experiences, both internal and external
-
Scientists have developed a broad-spectrum snake bite antivenomUnder the radar It works on some of the most dangerous species
-
Codeword: November 5, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
