MAGA Christian crusader Ted Cruz has refused to back President Donald Trump in his “beef” with the pope.
Trump attacked the Chicago-born pontiff after he criticized his war in Iran. The president then essentially compared himself to Jesus Christ in a Truth Social post that has since been deleted.
Cruz is a devout Southern Baptist and an evangelical Christian who frequently discusses the role of faith in his life and politics. But he would not be drawn on his position in the holy war between Trump and Leo.
“I’m quite confident that both the pope and the president can speak for themselves,” he said when cornered by TMZ on the matter. “I understand you want to get me in the middle of that,” he added, when the new-look celebrity gossip site’s Capitol Hill reporters grilled him on the “beef” between the pontiff and Trump.
“I trust both of them to express their own views,” Cruz added. The reporter, however, refused to back down. He pressed for a more detailed answer.
“I’ve given you my answer,” Cruz said. “You can keep asking, you’ll get the same answer.”
The reporter asked about a “tweet [Trump] put out,” before Cruz interjected to try to end the questioning. “As I’ve said, I’ve given you my answer, so every way you ask the question, you’re going to get the same answer.”
The reporter eventually moved on to questions about California’s Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal. Suddenly, Cruz was much more forthcoming.
Cruz was born into a religious family. His father, Rafael, was Catholic when he came to the U.S. as a Cuban refugee, but became an evangelical Protestant in 1975 and started preaching. Young Ted grew up attending evangelical private schools.
Cruz has had a propensity to quote his dad on the campaign trail since running for Texas attorney general in 2009.
In 2013, Cruz junior said that, as a Christian, standing up for what’s right is paramount. “Believing is not simply sitting aside and doing a polite little golf clap,” he told the congregation at a Dallas Baptist church.
“Believing is putting everything you have, your heart, soul, life, putting everything (into) standing for what’s right.”
Trump attacked the Chicago-born pope, born Robert Francis Prevost, after the pontiff branded the American-Israeli war against Iran inhumane. Trump called the leader of the Catholic church “terrible” and “weak.”
In response, Leo said he had “no fear” of the Trump administration.
On Monday, Trump rankled Christians the world over when he posted an AI-generated image that appeared to depict him as Jesus. In the picture, he had glowing hands and was wearing a Christ-like robe.
He later deleted it and said he thought it depicted him as a Red Cross doctor. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better,” Trump said.
The Daily Beast has asked Senator Cruz to clarify his position.
