Ted Cruz backtracks on his 'New York values' insult while campaigning in the Bronx

Ted Cruz didn't make a lot of friends in the Empire State when he attacked Donald Trump in a January debate for his "New York values."

"Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage. Focus [is] around money and the media," Cruz argued during the Fox Business debate. Now, as Cruz jockeys to rob Trump of the delegates necessary to clinch the Republican nomination, the Texas senator seems to have suddenly warmed to the idea of New York values — just in time for the state's primaries on April 19.

During a rally in the Bronx Wednesday, Cruz explained that in his derogatory "New York values" remark, he hadn't meant all of New York. He'd meant "liberal Democratic" values.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

"Let's be clear, the people of New York know what those values are," Cruz told reporters after the rally, according to Talking Points Memo. "The values of liberal Democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Anthony Weiner, like Eliot Spitzer, like Charlie Rangel, all of whom Donald Trump has supported, given tens of thousands of dollars to throughout the years."

Cruz also said he would advocate for the "police officers and firefighters and first responders... who risk their lives to keep us safe," slamming New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in the process.

"Those values are American values," Cruz continued to backtrack. "They are the values of the people of New York who are frustrated with liberal Democratic politicians who keep hammering the people of this great state."