Ted Cruz names the time, place for his 'mano a mano' debate with Donald Trump


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."
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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.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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