Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, smarting over Donald J. Trump’s menacing Twitter messages about his wife, thrashed his rival on Thursday and warned him to “leave Heidi the hell alone.”
Calling Trump a “small and petty man” who is easily cowed by “strong women,” Cruz said in front of reporters in Wisconsin, “Donald, you’re a sniveling coward.”
The attack was the latest in an intensifying skirmish that began late Tuesday, when Trump threatened on Twitter to “spill the beans” about Heidi Cruz, without giving any specifics. He blamed Cruz for a super PAC ad that appeared in Utah and featured Trump’s wife, Melania, a former model, during a nude photo shoot. But Cruz had no connection to the group responsible for the spot.
Late Wednesday, Trump further taunted Cruz, posting another message on Twitter from a supporter that included an unflattering picture of Heidi Cruz, juxtaposed with an image of Melania Trump.
“No need to ‘spill the beans,’” read the accompanying text. “The images are worth a thousand words.”
The sparring comes as Trump is facing renewed scrutiny for his attitudes toward women. An anti-Trump super PAC, Our Principles PAC, is running an ad in which actresses repeat some of his more pointed insults of women and comments about their looks.
At his news conference, Ted Cruz raised the prospect of telling his daughters, ages 7 and 5, about the episode.
"Our girls are going to come join us on the road later this afternoon," he said. "I'm not looking forward to telling the girls why Donald Trump is launching insults and attacks at their mommy." — Matt Flegenheimer, The New York Times
Maryland Governor, a Republican, Says Trump Shouldn’t Be Nominee
Joining the ranks of leading Republicans who will not commit to supporting Donald J. Trump if he becomes the party’s standard-bearer, Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland said Thursday that Trump should not be the party’s presidential nominee and that he would consider voting for another candidate in November if he is.
“I’m not a Trump fan,” Hogan told The Associated Press. “I don’t think he should be the nominee. At this point in time, I have no idea who the candidates are going to be or who I’m going to vote for.”
Hogan said he could barely tolerate watching the presidential debates and had no plans to attend the Republican National Convention this summer in Cleveland.
“I don’t even want to be involved,” he said. “It’s a mess. I hate the whole thing. I don’t think we have the best candidates in either party that are being put up.”
The blunt comments from Hogan, a moderate who was elected governor in 2014, mark a sharp break with Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who is Trump’s highest-profile supporter in elected office. The two governors are friends with a close political relationship: Christie, as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, helped Hogan get elected; Hogan endorsed Christie early in the presidential race and helped him raise money in Maryland.
That relationship could grow awkward in the weeks ahead if Christie takes to the road to campaign again for Trump: Maryland's primary is April 26. — Jonathan Martin, The New York Times
Trump’s Response to Ryan Rebuke? A Rally in the Speaker’s Hometown
Speaker Paul D. Ryan gave a sharp rebuke to Donald J. Trump in a speech this week. Without naming him, Ryan, R-Wis., denounced a strain of “ugliness” and name-calling in politics.
On Thursday, Trump responded. He scheduled a campaign rally in Janesville, Wisconsin, which is Ryan’s hometown and in the congressional district he represents.
Trump will appear at the Janesville Conference Center on Tuesday, according to a new event listing on his campaign website.
The Wisconsin primary April 5 has become a crucial proving ground for those hoping to derail Trump’s march to the Republican presidential nomination. Sen. Ted Cruz hopes to overtake Trump there, although the presence of a third candidate, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, continues to divide the anti-Trump vote.
Trump has been off the campaign trail for most of this week since his victory in the Arizona primary Tuesday. — Maggie Haberman, The New York Times
Walker Says GOP Could End Up With a Nominee Who’s Not in the Race
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, whose presidential candidacy crashed quickly last fall, said Thursday that if Republicans end up in a nomination fight at the July convention, the eventual nominee could be someone not currently in the race.
“I think if it’s an open convention, it’s very likely it would be someone who’s not currently running,” Walker said, according to The Capital Times of Wisconsin.
“I mean, who knows,” he said. “The one thing I qualify — it’s like the qualifications you see on those ads you see for car dealerships. I think any of us who comment on this election have to qualify that almost every prediction’s been off, so it’s hard to predict anything.”
While Donald J. Trump holds a comfortable lead in delegates, he is not assured of getting the 1,237 needed before the convention to win the nomination on the first ballot. If that is the case, committed delegates will be released to vote for their own preferences.
Walker’s ally, Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the speaker of the House, remains the fantasy draft pick at a brokered convention for a number of leading Republicans. Ryan has repeatedly said he is not interested in the nomination.
Walker said he would probably make an endorsement in the coming days, before Wisconsin's April 5 primary, which is seen as a crucial battle by those wishing to halt Trump's march to the nomination. — Maggie Haberman, The New York Times
Man arrested at Trump rally in Ohio due for initial hearing
DAYTON, Ohio — A man charged after rushing the stage at a Donald Trump rally in Ohio is due in federal court.
Authorities say 22-year-old Thomas DiMassimo, of Fairborn, jumped a barricade and charged at Trump at an airport hangar in Vandalia. He was arrested by police and subsequently charged with illegally entering a restricted area.
An initial hearing was scheduled Friday before a magistrate. The misdemeanor count carries a potential one-year prison sentence.
DiMassimo's attorney has said the Wright State University student meant only to express his political views. Video from the rally shows DiMassimo touched the stage where Trump was speaking as Secret Service agents and other security converged.
The Vandalia rally March 12 was Trump's first after well-organized students succeeded in keeping him from taking the stage in Chicago. — The Associated Press
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