--- title: Donald Trump's New Favorite Line: Ted Cruz Is a Liar description: Donald Trump has a very simple message: Ted Cruz is a dirty, rotten, no-good, Canadian liar canonical: https://time.com/4224871/donald-trump-south-carolina-ted-cruz-liar/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-15T21:11:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:41:11.221Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump's New Favorite Line: Cruz Is a Liar og:description: He plays aggressive in South Carolina. og:url: https://time.com/4224871/donald-trump-south-carolina-ted-cruz-liar/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ca106fc443c5d59/69887da6196cf44e7803a546/donald-trump6.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a news conference on February 15, 2016 in Hanahan, South Carolina. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump's New Favorite Line: Cruz Is a Liar twitter:description: He plays aggressive in South Carolina. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1ca106fc443c5d59/69887da6196cf44e7803a546/donald-trump6.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump's New Favorite Line: Cruz Is a Liar > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c51174a3-dc3e-4b9e-b2f5-ff3254aa473f&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch the Ninth GOP Debate In Less Than Four MInutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch the Ninth GOP Debate In Less Than Four MInutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SNLcU0ea.m3u8) (3:54)  _Published 2016-02-14_ by [Zeke J Miller / Hanahan, S.C.](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) and [Philip Elliott / Hanahan, S.C.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/) Feb 15, 2016 9:11 PM UTC by [Zeke J Miller / Hanahan, S.C.](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) and [Philip Elliott / Hanahan, S.C.](https://time.com/author/philip-elliott/) Feb 15, 2016 9:11 PM UTC Donald Trump has a very simple message: Ted Cruz is a dirty, rotten, no-good, Canadian liar. To hammer that point home, he used the words _lie_, _lying_ and _liar_ six times in 90 seconds during one question he took from reporters on Monday. At other points, the real estate mogul called the Texas Senator dishonest, unstable and, for good measure, a Canadian. “He’s a lying guy. A really lying guy. Some people misrepresent. This guy is just a plain-out liar. In fact, I felt better because Marco Rubio called him a liar the other night on stage,” Trump said. “I felt so much better. I said, ‘Good, a politician called a politician. Now I can call him a liar.’” Faced with millions in negative ads on South Carolina airwaves from Cruz and former Florida governor Jeb Bush’s super PAC, Trump seemed to be on the defensive. Perhaps feeling the pressure, he called on Cruz to take down his ads — or face a lawsuit over his birthplace. It was one of the most transparently opportunistic and bullying moments of Trump’s already precedent-defying campaign. “My only worry about South Carolina is that my opponents lie,” Trump said, revealing a crack in his signature confidence. “Especially Cruz. He’s the single biggest liar I’ve ever seen.” The Cruz campaign is attacking Trump for his comments in support of Planned Parenthood, calls for gun control, support for national health care plans and use of eminent domain for private purposes. The criticism is all an accurate reflection of Trump’s prior positions, which he has since reversed. The front runner insisted, without much in the way of rebuttal, that Cruz’s ads are misleading. If he doesn’t get them off South Carolina televisions — and soon — he would face a lawsuit claiming the Canadian-born Cruz is ineligible to serve. “I have a very good lawyer, already hired,” Trump said of the lawsuit, which has not been filed in any court. At the moment, the threat was more political press release than legit litigation. The prevailing opinion of legal scholars of both political parties have said Cruz, who was born to an American mother in Calgary, is qualified — at least [as far as the Constitution](http://harvardlawreview.org/2015/03/on-the-meaning-of-natural-born-citizen/) is concerned. Trump’s press conference, ostensibly to talk about Guantánamo Bay, was truly a session to nurture grudges and settle scores. Ever the showman, Trump made this way through his rivals with his signature bluster. His biggest grievance, however, was Cruz. The Tea Party favorite is Trump’s biggest competitor among voters who want an outsider as a nominee. Sure, Cruz’s lies are brutal. But it seems as though Trump has a bigger problem with what he considers unfair. Trump added that Cruz isn’t just a liar, but a bad one: “The good ones are the ones who can do it and not get caught,” Trump said, twisting the knife as he invoked Cruz’s campaign’s tricks against Ben Carson and controversial voter mailer in Iowa. Trump also bristled at Cruz’s latest criticism of his sister, a liberal-leaning federal judge in New York. “Can you imagine my sister,” Trump marveled. “By the way, my sister was appointed by Ronald Reagan.” In the deeply Christian state, Trump echoed criticism against Cruz leveled by Florida Senator Marco Rubio. “He goes around saying he’s a Christian. You’re going to have to really study that.” He later held himself up as a better man of faith. “I’m more moral than he is, in my opinion.” Trump also levied attacks at Bush and Rubio, the latter for his disastrous debate performance in New Hampshire earlier this month. “He’s a choke artist,” Trump said, with a wide grin. “We can’t have that as a President.” Trump seemed to back slightly away from his suggestion that he blamed George W. Bush for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but said he should be held accountable because it happened under his watch. “I would never say anybody is responsible,” Trump said with signature pique. But he issued a threat to the former President that appearing on the trail with his brother makes him fair game. “If the President is campaigning for his brother I think he’s probably open to great scrutiny,” Trump said. When asked if he thought George W. Bush should stay out of the fray, he replied, “I think it’d be better for him.” Cruz [replied](https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/699320983962816513) to Trump in a press conference Monday, lumping Trump and Rubio together. “Whenever anyone points out their record they simply start screaming, ‘Liar, liar, liar,’” he said. Asked at the end whether his spat with Cruz meant the Texas Senator would be off his vice-presidential short list should he win the nomination, Trump concurred. “He wouldn’t be on my short list,” he said. “He wouldn’t be.” ## Transcript Gentlemen, please join us on stage. Well first of all, I don't know he knows what I said on Univision because he doesn't speak spanish. And second of all, the other point that I would make- [ FOREIGN ] Thank you for including me in the debate, two questions already. This is great. [ LAUGH ] I'm sick and tired of Barack Obama blaming my brother for all of the problems that he's had. That's a matter of principle and I'll- You are the single biggest liar. You probably are worse than Jeb Bush. You are the single biggest liar. Cuz for a number of weeks now, Ted Cruz has just been telling lies. He lied about Ben Carson in Iowa. [ APPLAUSE ] He lies about Planned Parenthood. [ APPLAUSE ] When you point to his own record, he screams liar, liar, liar. Ronald Reagan was a liberal maybe in the 1950s. He was a conservative reform governor for eight years before he became president. And he didn't tear down people like Donald Trump is, he tore down the Berlin Wall. I gotta tell you, this is just crazy? [ APPLAUSE ] This is just nuts okay? Geez man. Please join us and our candidates on our stage in a moment of silence for Justice Scalia. We are one Justice away from a supreme court that will strike down every restriction on abortion adopted by the states. We are one justice away from a supreme court that will reverse the Heller decision, one of Justice Scalia's seminal decisions. that upheld the second amendment right to keep and bear arms I think it's up to Mitch McConnell and everybody else to stop it, it's called delay, delay, delay >> and someone on this stage will get to choose the balance of the Supreme Court and it will begin by filling this vacancy that's there now. And we need to put people on the bench that understand that the constitution is not a living and breathing document. It's to be interpreted as it was originally meant I thank God all the time that it was George W Bush in the White House on 9 / 11 and not Al Gore. [ APPLAUSE ] You have to knock out ISIS, they're chopping off heads. These are animals. Vladimir Putin's not gonna be an ally of the United States, the whole world knows this. [ APPLAUSE ] It's a simple basic fact. They're not taking out [ APPLAUSE ] They're not even attempting to take out ISIS. There were not weapons of mass destruction. [ CROSSTALK ] [ SOUND ] [ CROSSTALK ] If it is required to use ground troops to defeat ISIS, we should use them, but we ought to start with using our incredible air power advantage. The war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake. I will build a wall, remember this The wall will be paid for by Mexico. We are not being treated right. [ APPLAUSE ] We are not being treated properly. I think there has to be consequences for violating our immigration laws. The great majority of people that come to this country, come because they have no other choice. They want to come to provide their families. That doesn't mean it's right. Coming here legally should be a lot easier than coming here illegally. But the motivation? They're not all rapists, as you- know- who said. When I announced that I was running for President on June 16th, illegal immigration wasn't even a subject. You know the Lord made all of us special. The Lord wants us to be connected. I believe we're part of a very big mosaic. We have this manipulation by the political class and by the media, telling us who we're supposed to pick and how we're supposed to live. We the people are the only people who determine that. We need someone with a servant's heart, that has a back bone, that isn't gonna focus on polls and focus groups. That's gonna focus on the American people to keep them safe and secure. Our culture is in trouble, wrong is now considered right. And right is considered wrong. And all the things that once held our families together are now under constant assault. Do you want another Washington deal maker? Who will do business as usual, cut deals with the Democrats, grow government, grow debt, and give up our fundamental liberties. We're gonna make our country great and we're gonna do the right thing. I'm working for you, I'm not working for anybody else. Thank you very much. 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