OT: In his first day as nominee, Trump revives unsubstantiated accusation against Cruz's father CLEVELAND - Donald Trump on Friday revived an unsubstantiated accusation that Sen. Ted Cruz’s father met with the man who killed president John F. Kennedy, swiftly casting aside the uncharacteristically restrained persona on display when he accepted the GOP presidential nomination one night before.
The celebrity mogul set about - unprompted - to refute charges put forward by Cruz earlier in the week that he had attacked the senator’s wife and father, Heidi and Rafael, during the GOP primary. Regarding the accusations against Rafael Cruz, Trump said that he had merely referred to a story in the National Enquirer, whose credibility he commended.
“All I did was point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer were was a picture of him and crazy Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast,” Trump said, referring to the man who shot Kennedy.
Trump spent much of his first news conference since accepting the nomination re-litigating his primary fight with Cruz, of Texas, whose bitter refusal to endorse the celebrity mogul this week cast doubts on the party’s attempts to unify before the general election. It was an abrupt return to form for the GOP nominee, who had delivered a lengthy and disciplined speech from prepared remarks at the convention but was unscripted and more free-wheeling Friday.
The episode showcased how Trump has struggled to move beyond the hard-fought primary, dwelling on those fights even as his campaign prepares for a general election fight against Democrat Hillary Clinton. He still regularly boasts about his victories on the campaign trail and occasional falls back into mocking his vanquished rivals.
“I’m saying just to clear this up,” Trump told reporters and supporters in attendance Friday. “I didn’t do anything.”
“I just had to clear it up, I think I’m doing the right thing in doing it, but I had to do it,” he said.
The Oswald controversy first emerged earlier this year when Trump pointed to a sensationalized National Enquirer story suggesting that Cruz’s father may have been involved with Oswald. Trump raised questions about the story at the time.
“Nobody even brings it up. I mean, they don’t even talk about that,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News in May. “I mean, what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting? It’s horrible.”
On Friday, he instead blasted the media for writing about his comments at all: “The press takes that, and they say, ‘Donald Trump and his conspiracy theories; he went out and said his father was with Lee Harvey Oswald, and he assassinated the president.‘ What did I do? ... There was a picture, and that’s the only thing I know.”
Despite Trump’s claims to the contrary on Friday, Cruz and his campaign did in fact deny that the photo was of his father. Cruz’s communications director, Alice Stewart, told the Miami Herald, “The story is false; that is not Rafael in the picture.” The allegation that Rafael Cruz was in the picture with Oswald has been widely debunked by fact-checkers.
The Cruz campaign did not comment for this story. When spotted Friday afternoon at Reagan National Airport in Washington, the Texas senator said he was aware of the recent comments but demurred. “Just call our press office,” he said.
Trump defended himself during his remarks against charges that he had peddled a conspiracy theory linking Cruz’s father to the assassination, insisting that he did not himself claim and direct association. He said that he had “nothing to do with it” and added that the National Enquirer is “in some ways well respected” and deserved a Pulitzer Prize for exposing former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards’s love affair.
“I know nothing about his father, I know nothing about Lee Harvey Oswald. But there was a picture on the front page of the National Enquirer, which does have credibility,” Trump said.
Trump added that he thinks Rafael is “a lovely guy.”
The real estate mogul also revisited a personal attack against Cruz’s wife, Heidi that he helped circulate on Twitter earlier this year when he retweeted an unflattering image of her along with the caption, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
“They sent out the first picture. Please remember that,” Trump responded Friday during the news conference.
He went on to accuse Cruz of being behind an attack ad targeting Melania Trump that was distributed online by a pro-Cruz super PAC. The ad featured a risque picture of Melania, who was a professional model, along with the caption, “Meet Melania Trump. Your next first lady. Or, you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday.” The Cruz campaign disavowed the ad at the time and denied any connection to it.
In addition to circulating the unflattering photo of Heidi Cruz online, Trump also threatened to “spill the beans on your wife!” in retaliation.
He complimented Heidi Cruz on Friday even as he continued to attack her husband.
“I think Heidi Cruz is a great person. I think it’s the best thing he’s got going, and his kids, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said. “He’s got good intellect, but he doesn’t know how to use it. And he was a good debater, but he didn’t do well in the debates against me, according to every poll.”
Poster comment:
tRump puts defending his ego above fighting for the future of his country.
#1: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#0)
Mighty white of them.
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-23 10:09:37 Reply Private Reply
#2: buckeroo To: ConservingFreedom (#0)
Good commentary.
buckeroo posted on 2016-07-23 10:12:18 Reply Private Reply
#3: Stoner To: misterwhite (#1)
Cmon misterwhite. Get with the times, if you want to get on Rev Sharpton's good side.
The new phrase is Mighty " cracka " of them.
or
Mighty " honkey " of them. Your choice
Stoner posted on 2016-07-23 12:39:41 Reply Private Reply
#4: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#1)
You think they should have done more? What, exactly?
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-23 15:37:27 Reply Private Reply
#5: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#4)
Not run the ad to begin with? What good does disavowing the ad and denying any connection after it's run?
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-23 15:58:40 Reply Private Reply
#6: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#5)
The Cruz campaign had the option to not run it only if they were the ones who ran it. Have any evidence that the Cruz campaign were the ones who ran the ad?
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-23 17:05:07 Reply Private Reply
#7: Justified To: ConservingFreedom (#0)
By the time the none progressives figure this out there will be nothing to fix because there will be nothing but government controlled everything, slavery.
Justified posted on 2016-07-23 18:04:53 Reply Private Reply
#8: Justified To: ConservingFreedom (#0)
The headline could also be written "Instead of fighting Hillary, Cruz rehashes his past stupidities"
They both went into the gutter and neither smell very good. What is sad is we always punish our own but just give lip service to the demoncraps!
Justified posted on 2016-07-23 18:08:35 Reply Private Reply
#9: ConservingFreedom To: Justified (#8)
No it couldn't - Cruz' only comment has been “Just call our press office.” This useless trip down memory lane is all on tRump and his massive ego.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-23 18:40:36 Reply Private Reply
#10: Justified To: ConservingFreedom (#9)
Justified posted on 2016-07-23 18:55:58 Reply Private Reply
#11: ConservingFreedom To: Justified (#10)
Even if Cruz was still going after tRump - which he's not - the nominee bears the greater responsibility.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-23 19:04:24 Reply Private Reply
#12: Justified To: ConservingFreedom (#11)
You understand Cruz went into Trumps house and pissed on it. Thats why Trump was upset.
Cruz was defiant to the end and if could not bring together the party he should have not been there. I am a Cruz supporter and I was not happy with him. He probably has blown his chance to ever be elected to be president and if he helps blow Trumps chances he will never be president, ever.
Justified posted on 2016-07-23 19:09:54 Reply Private Reply
#13: tomder55 To: ConservingFreedom (#0)
tomder55 posted on 2016-07-23 20:11:36 Reply Private Reply
#14: ConservingFreedom To: Justified (#12)
Then call him out for that, don't dredge up crap from months ago. As for Cruz' speech: he blasted tRump's opponent and cheered the policies tRump supposedly supports - this boo-hoo-Cruz-didn't-kiss-my-ass from tRump and his worshippers is more ego and daddy-issue bullshit.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-23 20:12:58 Reply Private Reply
#15: ConservingFreedom To: tomder55 (#13)
Sure he can ... the message being: "THE DONALD!"
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-23 20:14:03 Reply Private Reply
#16: Justified To: ConservingFreedom (#14)
Im not sure if its your love for Cruz or your hate for Trump but its got you in a fight Trump over anything mode[Many people have it]. Cruz lost and it sucks but Trump on his worst day beats Clinton on their best day. Im sucking it up and dealing with the fact that Trump's horse is the only horse that can beat Clinton's horse. Not only that but if he succeeds he will have shown the GOP how to beat the progressives with all their dirty underhanded dealings and lies. If Trump loses Cruz loses too because people will only remember how pushy loud mouths will lose against the demoncrap party.
Justified posted on 2016-07-23 20:35:33 Reply Private Reply
#17: rlk To: Justified (#16)
Bingo!
rlk posted on 2016-07-24 01:21:51 Reply Private Reply
#18: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#6)
Well then, Trump showed Cruz what can happen if he fails to set standards for his PACs.
You don't think Trump's going to do nothing while Cruz unleashes his attack dogs then sits back and smirks, "But I didn't know". And Cruz wanted to be President?
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-24 09:41:27 Reply Private Reply
#19: A K A Stone To: tomder55 (#13)
A K A Stone posted on 2016-07-24 09:58:02 Reply Private Reply
#20: Don To: tomder55 (#13)
Don posted on 2016-07-24 11:30:30 Reply Private Reply
#21: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#18)
Fedderal election law doesn't permit a candidate to set standards for nor leash super PACs. But you knew that and are as usual just trying to muddy the waters.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-24 12:25:35 Reply Private Reply
#22: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#21)
Then it's merely a coincidence that this PAC behaved itself after this incident?
Either you're naive or you think I am. I assure you I'm not.
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-24 12:30:44 Reply Private Reply
#23: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#22)
It also "behaved itself" before this incident:
"Make America Awesome was formed in December 2015 in opposition to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
"As of April 1, the super PAC has spent almost $19,000 opposing Trump, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The majority of that has gone toward radio ads in Indiana, New Hampshire, Maryland and Florida." - www.factcheck.org/2016/04/make-america-awesome/
See also https:/ /www.youtube.com/channel/UCCcqH5KHejWp7EREtcpI0Dg/feed.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-24 12:40:29 Reply Private Reply
#24: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#0)
What Trump did is what the MSM does all the time.
Recently, Rolling Stone Magazine ran that false story about several members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at UVA raping a woman. The MSM ran with that story without checking it out.
Then we have the Duke lacrosse case, forever branding those innocent students. The "Hands up don't shoot" Ferguson case, ending the career of an innocent officer and the deaths of five officers in Dallas.
On and on.
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-24 12:50:10 Reply Private Reply
#25: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#24)
And conservatives hold the MSM in well deserved contempt. So there you go.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-24 12:52:01 Reply Private Reply
#26: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#25)
You bet. And when need be, Trump will wallow in the mud with them. F**k the high road. That ain't workin'.
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-24 13:10:42 Reply Private Reply
#27: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#23)
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-24 13:20:44 Reply Private Reply
#28: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#26)
Where was the "need" for tRump to ballyhoo the National Enquirer's alleged photo of Rafael Cruz?
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-24 13:22:08 Reply Private Reply
#29: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#27)
Nope - it's just that nothing they did before or since got so much attention.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-24 13:22:58 Reply Private Reply
#30: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#29)
Oh? You're saying they were active after that ad?
Given that you seem to be familiar with their activities and spending before the Melania smear ad, perhaps you can tell me what they did afterwards?
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-24 13:41:20 Reply Private Reply
#31: ConservingFreedom To: misterwhite (#30)
Three of their videos are dated 3 months ago or newer, and their Inidiana spending was presumably not too far in advance of that primary.
ConservingFreedom posted on 2016-07-24 13:56:44 Reply Private Reply
#32: misterwhite To: ConservingFreedom (#31)
Whew! They squeeze a lot out of $19k don't they?
misterwhite posted on 2016-07-25 08:37:46 Reply Private Reply