Rick Tyler, the former communications director for Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) presidential campaign who was fired this week over a misleading video, told MSNBC on Friday that he did not realize how much attention the video would get when he posted it to social media.
Tyler posted a video to Twitter and Facebook that appeared to show Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) saying that there are “not many answers” in the Bible. Rubio actually said that “all the answers” are in the Bible. Tyler removed the video when he realized the error and apologized, but Cruz ultimately asked Tyler to resign.
Tyler, who has now become an MSNBC contributor, said on Friday that he was “not mad” that he was let go.
MSNBC’s Chuck Todd asked Tyler if he was fired because Cruz was disappointed in him or because “they had accumulated too much baggage.”
“No, he was disappointed, and it was a bad call in judgment. And look, I believe Marco Rubio is a Bible-believing Christian. I had no doubt about that when I tweeted it,” Tyler replied. “Part of my judgment is I didn’t realize how much that would be twisted up and blown up, and it was. But it shouldn’t have been done. I shouldn’t have done it, and I regretted doing it. And I went on national television and told Sen. Rubio I was sorry about it.”
Despite Cruz’s disappointment in Tyler, the former spokesman said that he left the campaign with a fond farewell.
“In fact, the whole team to a person went out that night to sort of wish me farewell and goodbye, including Jeff Roe, the campaign manager,” Tyler said on MSNBC. “And Jeff made everybody tell a funny Rick Tyler story, so it was a little like being at your own funeral.”
Watch the interview via MSNBC:
