--- title: Cruz Fires Top Spokesman for Spreading False Rubio Story description: Ted Cruz asked for the resignation of a senior communications aide after the staffer circulated a false story about Marco Rubio canonical: https://time.com/4233029/cruz-rubio-rick-tyler-fired/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-02-22T21:04:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:41:14.875Z article:section: Politics og:title: Cruz Fires Top Spokesman for Spreading False Story About Rubio og:description: The staffer later apologized og:url: https://time.com/4233029/cruz-rubio-rick-tyler-fired/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt865b318ad9ee8e4e/69887ea40a4a2241749c87f6/cruz_2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4729 og:image:height: 2660 og:image:alt: Ted Cruz og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Cruz Fires Top Spokesman for Spreading False Story About Rubio twitter:description: The staffer later apologized twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt865b318ad9ee8e4e/69887ea40a4a2241749c87f6/cruz_2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Cruz Fires Top Spokesman for Spreading False Story About Rubio > Sponsored content. 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There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=4ed4e3be-8efc-4eaa-856b-db0a81e0379c&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Raw: Ted Cruz Announces Resignation of Top Spokesperson [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Ted Cruz Announces Resignation of Top Spokesperson](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/njEUu5Gd.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2016-02-22_ by [Zeke J Miller / Las Vegas](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke J Miller / Las Vegas Feb 22, 2016 9:04 PM UTC by [Zeke J Miller / Las Vegas](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke J Miller / Las Vegas Feb 22, 2016 9:04 PM UTC Under criticism for engaging in “dirty tricks,” Texas Senator Ted Cruz asked for the resignation of a senior communications aide Monday after the staffer circulated a false story questioning Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s faith. On Sunday, Rick Tyler, Cruz’s top spokesman and a frequent surrogate on television news, tweeted a story [purporting](http://therightscoop.com/unbelievable-video-captures-marco-rubio-apparently-insulting-the-bible-on-front-of-ted-cruzs-dad/) to show that Rubio had maligned the Bible, which was later proved false. Rubio held a press conference Monday morning criticizing Cruz and his campaign for what he termed a “pattern” of falsehoods, going back to the campaign’s efforts to spread the false word that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race on the night of the Iowa caucuses. Rubio asked whether anyone [would be held accountable](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqmbVlmlydU&feature=youtu.be) on the Cruz campaign. “This morning, I asked for Rick Tyler’s resignation,” Cruz told reporters at a press conference in Las Vegas before a campaign event. Tyler had deleted the tweet and apologized in a Facebook [posting](https://www.facebook.com/rickwtyler/posts/1120249004674327) early Monday. He was [reportedly](https://twitter.com/KatyTurNBC/status/701867174483234816) preparing to appear on MSNBC on Cruz’s behalf just before the press conference. “Rick Tyler is a good man,” Cruz said. “This was a grave error of judgment. It turned out the news story he sent around was false, but I’ll tell you that even if it’s true, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate. Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it.” But Cruz criticized Rubio and GOP front runner Donald Trump for reflexively calling him a liar when he criticizes their records, maintaining that his campaign has only made truthful arguments against his rivals, but for the Tyler tweet. “None of you have heard me throw the kind of insults at Marco Rubio that he throws at me every single day,” Cruz said. “If other candidates choose to go into the gutter, we will not do the same.” Trump quickly took to social media to criticize what he called Cruz’s “dirty tricks.” > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701870081827966976) ## Transcript Yesterday a staffer from our campaign sent out a tweet, that tweeted a news story that reported to indicate Marco saying something negative about the Bible. The news story was false. That staffer deleted the tweet, apologized, and pulled it down Although I've spent this morning investigating what happened. And this morning, I asked for Rick Tyler's resignation. I had made clear in this campaign that we will conduct this campaign with the very highest standards of integrity. That has been how we've conducted it from day one. It is why, when other Campaigns, attack us personally, impugn my integrity or my character. I don't respond in kind, none of you have heard me throw the kind of insults at Marco Rubio that he throws at me every single day. If other candidates choose to go into the gutter we will not do the same. Rick Tyler's a good man, this was a Grave error of judgment. It turned out the news story he sent around was false. But I'll tell you even if it was true, we are not a campaign that is gonna question the faith of another candidate. Even if it was true, our campaign should not have sent it. 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