Ted Cruz calls Trump and Rubio 'liars' while emphasizing the importance of ethics

Sen. Ted Cruz tore into fellow Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio at a South Carolina press conference Wednesday while simultaneously patting his own campaign on the back for taking "the high road."
"Falsehoods have no place in American politics," the Texas senator said, calling out both Rubio and Trump for being "liars" after Trump called him a "liar" the day before.
To emphasize his point about the presidential race's lack of ethics, Cruz then brandished the cease-and-desist note that Trump's lawyers allegedly sent his campaign after it used politically damning archival footage of Trump in an attack ad. "I have to say, Mr. Trump, you have been threatening frivolous lawsuits for your entire adult life," Cruz said. "If you want to file a lawsuit... file a lawsuit." Cruz contends that there is no way that "repeating someone's own words" could be defined as defamation.
Subscribe to 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.
Even though Rubio isn't the one sending Cruz threats of a lawsuit, Cruz had some words for him, too: "Marco Rubio," Cruz said, "is behaving like Donald Trump with a smile."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs