Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has carefully avoided public criticism of Donald J. Trump, said this week at a private fund-raiser that the real estate developer was facing a “challenging question” about whether he has the “judgment” to be president.
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On the audio, after he described the “challenging question” facing Mr. Trump and Mr. Carson, Mr. Cruz went on to explain: “So my approach, much to the frustration of the media, has been to bear hug both of them, and smother them with love.”
He added: “People run as who they are. I believe gravity will bring both of those campaigns down” and “the lion’s share of their supporters come to us.”
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Mr. Cruz, questioned about the remarks on Thursday after a speech at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, said he was “not going to comment on what I may or may not have said at a private fund-raiser.”