Rafael Cruz Says ‘Evangelicals’ Who Voted Trump Don’t Deserve The Label (AUDIO)

Pastor Rafael Cruz, father of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during The Family Leadership Summit, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) father believes many of the evangelical South Carolina voters who chose Donald Trump over his son in Saturday’s primary are not truly born-again Christians.

In an interview with conservative Iowa radio host Steve Deace, who has endorsed the senator, Rafael Cruz said those evangelical voters who picked Trump may have been influenced by a “politically correct” culture and don’t strictly adhere to the “word of God.”

Ted Cruz often speaks of his particular brand of faith on the 2016 trail and campaigns with his father, who is an evangelical preacher. In another interview recently surfaced by Mother Jones, Rafael Cruz claimed that his son launched a White House bid after his wife, Heidi, received a sign from God.

Though the Cruz campaign’s focus on evangelicals helped secure a victory in the Iowa caucuses, Trump ended up earning eight more points than Cruz among evangelical voters in the Palmetto State. The twice-divorced New York real estate mogul, who voiced support for abortion years ago and says he’s since changed his mind, has a more casual attitude towards religion than many of his Republican opponents.

“What does that say about where we’re at as a church?” Deace asked Rafael Cruz on his radio show.

“Well, I think that they’re defining evangelicals in a very loose manner,” the elder Cruz responded. “If we look at the numbers, those that are people that call themselves born-again Christians that are committed to the Lord, we won overwhelmingly among that group.”

“Unfortunately—and this is a message that I have been carrying to America, as you said, for several years—there are too many people in the church that have actually become lax about the word of God,” he continued. “That they are being more concerned with being politically correct than being biblically correct, they have diluted the word of God in order to be palatable to everyone.”

Listen to the interview below via Right Wing Watch:

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Unlike Rafael Cruz, who truly deserves to be labeled “asshole”.
    And God told me that. Honest and for true!

  2. Too funny, Cuban says what about religious people?

  3. Good LORD, I love these frauds that have decided who is Christian and who is not…I want to be a fly on the wall at the Pearly Gates when they are knocking for admission…

  4. Avatar for ajm ajm says:

    Shorter Cruz Senior: If you don’t vote for my son, you’re not a Christian.

  5. Please continue, Rev.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

48 more replies

Participants

Avatar for feathered_head Avatar for sysprog Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for mollynyc Avatar for pickwick Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for vonq Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for crackerjack Avatar for johnscotus Avatar for denisj Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for dnl Avatar for azjude Avatar for pshah Avatar for kfraz43 Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for beattycat Avatar for jinmichigan Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for pmaroneyb Avatar for canadianhere Avatar for sickofitall

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: