WASHINGTON (AP) — One day after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Hispanics don’t panhandle because it would be shameful for them, the Republican presidential contender is refusing to offer an opinion about African-Americans who beg for money on the street.
Asked Thursday what he thought of them, Cruz turned away without speaking, striding into a senators-only elevator in the Capitol and waiting for the doors to close.
Speaking yesterday at a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce meeting, Cruz recalled once having lunch with a Hispanic entrepreneur who asked when the last time was he had seen a Hispanic panhandler.
“It’s a great question,” Cruz said, adding, “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Hispanic panhandler, and the reason is in our community it would be shameful to be begging on the street.”
