Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz blasted critics and called the suspect involved in a shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic a “deranged individual” and “transgendered leftist activist.”
Cruz, citing reports from conservative websites, said that Robert Lewis Dear, the suspect involved in the shooting that left three dead and nine injured, is registered as an Independent and as a woman to vote in Colorado.
"We don't fully know the motivations of this deranged individual," Cruz said to reporters while stumping Sunday in Newton, Iowa.
"Well, it's also been reported that he was registered as an Independent and as a woman and a transgendered leftist activist," Cruz said.
Dear's voting information was published by numerous websites including therightscoop.com and thegatewaypundit.com.
Aides working for Cruz said his statements highlight how little is known about Dear, according to The New York Times.
"He was making the point that there isn't enough information. You can't expect a full response to a story that's developing," Rick Tyler, a campaign spokesman, said to The New York Times. "The point was there's a lot of raw information going around that's not confirmed."
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