Ted Cruz on Friday blamed Donald Trump for the "garbage" National Enquirer story on Cruz's alleged extramarital affairs with five women.
"For Donald J. Trump to enlist his friends at the National Enquirer and his political henchmen to do his bidding shows you that there is no low Donald won’t go," Cruz wrote.
The Facebook post reads:
"I want to be crystal clear: these attacks are garbage. For Donald J. Trump to enlist his friends at the National Enquirer and his political henchmen to do his bidding shows you that there is no low Donald won't go.
These smears are completely false, they're offensive to Heidi and me, they're offensive to our daughters, and they're offensive to everyone Donald continues to personally attack.
Donald Trump's consistently disgraceful behavior is beneath the office we are seeking and we are not going to follow."
Cruz's furious response came after The National Enquirer published its story quoting a "Washington insider" as saying, "private detectives are digging into at least five affairs Ted Cruz supposedly had."
SHOCKING CLAIMS: Pervy Ted Cruz Caught Cheating — With 5 Secret Mistresses! #tcot https://t.co/xuyhUjSdDO
Trump denied Cruz's allegations, saying, "I had absolutely nothing to do with it."
Trump said he had not read the story, but added that the National Enquirer was "right about O.J. Simpson, John Edwards, and many others."
His Facebook post read:
"I have no idea whether or not the cover story about Ted Cruz in this week's issue of the National Enquirer is true or not, but I had absolutely nothing to do with it, did not know about it, and have not, as yet, read it.
Likewise, I have nothing to do with the National Enquirer and unlike Lyin' Ted Cruz I do not surround myself with political hacks and henchman and then pretend total innocence. Ted Cruz's problem with the National Enquirer is his and his alone, and while they were right about O.J. Simpson, John Edwards, and many others, I certainly hope they are not right about Lyin' Ted Cruz.
I look forward to spending the week in Wisconsin, winning the Republican nomination and ultimately the Presidency in order to Make America Great Again."
Cruz brought the article up at a news conference with reporters, calling the allegations, "garbage, complete and utter lies," the Washington Post reported. He said it was a "tabloid smear" that came from Trump "and his henchmen."
“It became clear as the campaign went on that Donald was a whole lot of sizzle without any substance,” Cruz said. “When he’s scared, when he’s losing, his first and natural resort is to go to sleaze and to go to slime.”
He added:
"The National Enquirer published a story. It is a story that quoted one source on the record: Roger Stone, Donald Trump's chief political adviser. Let me be clear: This National Enquirer story is garbage. It is complete and utter lies. It is a tabloid smear and it is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchman. It is attacking my family. And what is striking is Donald's henchman, Roger Stone, had for months been foreshadowing that this attack was coming. It's not surprising that Donald's tweet occurs the day before the attack comes out. And I would note that Mr. Stone is a man who has 50 years of dirty tricks behind him. He's a man for whom a term was coined for copulating with a rodent. Well, let me be clear: Donald Trump may be a rat, but I have no desire to copulate with him."
Presumably, Cruz was referring to the term "ratfucking" which was used by a Richard Nixon campaign strategist to describe dirty tricks employed against their opponents.
Katrina Pierson, Tump's spokeswoman and a former campaign consultant for Cruz, called the story "100% false."
Of course the National Enquirer story is 100% FALSE!!! I only speak to myself, however. Carry on...
What's worse? People who actually believe the trash in tabloids, or the ones who know it's false &spread it anyway? #stupidity on all levels
She later added that she was only speaking for herself.
@falfiee Yes... and only speaking for myself, of course. :)
#CruzSexScandal trended on Twitter Friday morning and the internet pounced.
Bill when he opened up Twitter this morning #CruzSexScandal
If @tedcruz were elected president his wife would be the sixth lady. #CruzSexScandal
And just when you thought the election couldn't get any more ridiculous, we get the Cuban Mistress Crisis. #CruzSexScandal
I support a woman's right to choose what she does with her body. But Ted Cruz...REALLY??? #CruzSexScandal
The American people are next. #CruzSexScandal
my thoughts and prayers are with the five survivors #CruzSexScandal
I don't believe there's a #CruzSexScandal. Between running for POTUS and being the Zodiac Killer, there's just no free time.
Basically.
When you see #CruzSexScandal trending