CNN used Ted Nugent’s recent ‘subhuman mongrel’ comments to try and trip up Ted Cruz this morning, asking whether he would campaign with Nugent after such remarks and whether it was appropriate for other Republicans to be campaigning with Nugent. Cruz handled it like a class act, even questioning why the media would be asking him about a rock star’s comments. He did disagree with the comments, however, but he refused to throw Ted Nugent under the bus:
DANA BASH: Because we’re here in Texas, I want to play something for you that has been playing all over the air waves pretty much everywhere nationally and even internationally.
“A Chicago communist-raised, communist educated. communist nurtured subhuman mongrel might be acorn community organizer, gangster Barack Hussein Obama.”
That’s Ted Nugent. He’s campaigning here with the leading Republican candidate to be your next governor. Is that appropriate for them to campaign together?
TED CRUZ: Look, I had not seen that video until you just played it.
DANA BASH: What do you think of it?
TED CRUZ: I think it is a little curious — to be questioning political folks about rock stars. I got to tell you — Listen, I’m not cool enough to hang out with any rock stars. Jay-Z doesn’t come over to my house. I don’t hang out with —
DANA BASH: Jay-z doesn’t call the president a subhuman mongrel. Is this an appropriate thing to say?
TED CRUZ: I would be willing to bet that the president’s Hollywood friends have said some pretty extreme things.
DANA BASH: The reason I played that for you is this week in Texas, he was invited to campaign with the man who may be your next governor in your party.
TED CRUZ: Those sentiments there, of course I don’t agree with them. You’ve never heard me say such a thing, nor would I. There’s a reason Ted Nugent, people listen to him. He has been fighting passionately for second amendment rights.
DANA BASH: Would you campaign with Ted Nugent?
TED CRUZ: I haven’t yet and I’m going to avoid engaging in hypotheticals.
At the end up the clip Bash did acknowledge that Cruz condemned the comments in her reporting of the interview.