--- title: Republican Debate: Ted Cruz Criticizes Media, CNBC for Bias description: "This is not a cage match" canonical: https://time.com/4091905/republican-debate-ted-cruz-media-cnbc/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-29T01:17:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:39:40.604Z article:section: Politics og:title: Ted Cruz Goes After the Media in Republican Debate og:description: "This is not a cage match" og:url: https://time.com/4091905/republican-debate-ted-cruz-media-cnbc/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24cefa360c6714fb/69886ea2196cf4f390038bd0/ted-cruz.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4520 og:image:height: 2543 og:image:alt: US-VOTE-REPUBLICANS-DEBARepublican Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz (C) gestures as Carly Fiorina (L) and Chris Christie look on during the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, October 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boul og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ted Cruz Goes After the Media in Republican Debate twitter:description: "This is not a cage match" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt24cefa360c6714fb/69886ea2196cf4f390038bd0/ted-cruz.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ted Cruz Goes After the Media in Republican Debate > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3860e54b-6546-44e6-b62b-c1268bcd4aad&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 2016 CNBC GOP DEBATE: Candidates Explain Their Weaknesses [Watch (HLS stream): 2016 CNBC GOP DEBATE: Candidates Explain Their Weaknesses](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cyJhhWNg.m3u8) (0:44)  _Published 2015-10-29. GOP candidates describe their weaknesses during the 2016 CNBC GOP Presidential Debate._ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 29, 2015 1:17 AM UTC GOP candidates describe their weaknesses during the 2016 CNBC GOP Presidential Debate. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 29, 2015 1:17 AM UTC Texas Sen. Ted Cruz issued a scathing critique of the media during [the third Republican presidential debate Wednesday night](http://time.com/4091222/republican-debate-cnbc/?xid=homepage), criticizing CNBC moderators for lobbing what he called biased questions at the candidates. Cruz was asked about why he’s against the compromise budget bill poised to pass Congress and whether or not his opposition is proof that he is “not the kind of problem solver American voters want.” Cruz took the moment as an opportunity to harangue the panel and the direction in which the debate seemed to be headed. “The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media,” Cruz said to cheers from the Colorado audience. “This is not a cage match.” By that point in the debate, the moderators had asked Donald Trump if he was a “comic book candidate” and asked Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s about his position at the fifth lectern, thanks to his slipping standing in the polls. They asked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio about his missed votes in Congress. Compared to the Democratic debate, Cruz said, the Republican presidential debate was being treated like a sideshow. ### See the 2016 Candidates' Campaign Launches  Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off his campaign for 2016 Republican presidential nomination at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. on March 23. Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images  Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul launched his bid for the Republican nomination at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville on April 7\. Supporters held signs with the slogan "Defeat the Washington Machine / Unleash the American Dream." Amy Harris—Corbis  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her campaign in a YouTube video posted April 12 that has been seen nearly 4.5 million times. One boy featured in the video boasted about playing a fish in a school play. Hillary For America  Florida Sen. Marco Rubio announced his campaign for the Republican nomination during a rally at the Freedom Tower in Miami on April 13\. He took a drink of water during the speech, a callback to his State of the Union response in 2013. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his bid for the Democratic nomination across the street from the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2015\. The backdrop was unusual, since most candidates rail against Washington. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson announced his bid for the Republican nomination at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts May 4, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The launch featured a gospel choir covering Eminem's "Lose Yourself." Bill Pugliano—Getty Images  Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina announced her campaign for the Republican nomination in a conference call on May 4, then went on "Good Morning America" to talk to George Stephanopoulos. Lou Rocco—Getty Images  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced his campaign at a community college in his hometown of Hope, Ark., on May 5\. Singer Tony Orlando (right) performed. Left: Danny Johnston; Right: Matt Sullivan—Getty Images  Republican presidential candidate and former New York Governor George Pataki (C) greets supporters after formally announcing his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Exeter, N.H. on May 28, 2015. Dominick Reuter—Reuters  Former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee announces his candidacy for the democratic presidential nomination at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announces his 2016 presidential candidacy in Central, S.C. on June 1, 2015. Erik S. Lesser—EPA  Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is joined by his wife Katie O'Malley (R) as he announces his intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination during a speech at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore on May 30, 2015. Jim Bourg—Reuters  Former Texas governor Rick Perry announces his candidacy for Republican presidential nominee at an event held at Addison Airport in Addison, Texas on Thursday, June 4, 2015. Louis DeLuca—Dallas Morning News/Corbis  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush waves on stage as he announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination during an event at Miami-Dade College - Kendall Campus in Miami on June 15 , 2015. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  Donald Trump holds up his financial statement showing his net worth as he formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York City on June 16, 2015. Brendan McDermid—Reuters  Republican presidential candidate and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Kenner, La. on June 24, 2015. Jonathan Bachman—Reuters  Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally at Livingston High School in Livingston, N.J. on June 30, 2015. Brendan McDermid—Reuters  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker greets supporters after announcing that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in Waukesha, Wis. on July 13, 2015 . Scott Olson—Getty Images  Ohio Governor John Kasich arrives on stage to formally announce his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally in Columbus, Ohio on July 21, 2015. Aaron P. Bernstein—Reuters “How about talking about the substantive issues people care about?” he asked, rousing the crowd. “The contrast with the Democratic debate, where every fawning question from the media was, ‘which of you is more handsome and wise?'” “Let me be clear, the men and women on this stage have more ideas, more experience, more common sense than every participant in the Democratic debate,” he added. **Read More:** [_How to Watch Tonight’s Republican Debate Online_](http://time.com/4087940/republican-debate-watch-live-stream-online-cnbc/) ## Transcript [00:00] What is your biggest weakness and what are you doing [00:03] to address it? Well John I don't really have any [00:05] weaknesses that can think of. I think maybe my [00:08] greatest weakness is that I trust people too much. [00:12] I'm too trusting. And when they let me down, if they let [00:16] me down, I never forgive. A weakness would be, Not [00:21] really seeing myself in that position until hundreds [00:25] of thousands of people begin to tell me that I needed [00:27] to do it. Well gee, after the last debate, I was told that I [00:31] didn't smile enough. [ LAUGH ] [ APPLAUSE ] Fixed it. [00:32] Up to [00:39] agreeable, easy going. 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