GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) held a standing room only campaign rally in West Des Moines, Iowa where reporters noticed the crowd welcomed Cruz’s swipes at GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.
“Ted Cruz crowd cheers when hearing Donald Trump will not be debating tomorrow,” reported CNN’s Teddy Schlepper, adding, “I would say tonight’s rally in West Des Moines has been the most receptive audience to Cruz’s anti-Trump message during Cruz’s campaign.”
Washington, D.C. Cox radio reporter Jamie Dupree posted on Twitter, “In West Des Moines, Cruz mocks Trump for skipping debate; ‘Donald is a fragile soul.'”
Cruz also said he has a reservation at Western Iowa Tech Community College for Saturday at 8 P.M. for Trump to debate him one-on-one in Sioux City, Iowa.
This comes after Cruz challenged Trump to a one-on-one debate when Trump announced on Tuesday he wasn’t participating in Fox News’s debate on Thursday. Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday, responding to Cruz’s challenge.
“Even though I beat him in the first six debates, especially the last one, Ted Cruz wants to debate me again,” Trump posted, adding, “Can we do it in Canada?”
Texas Tribune reporter Patrick Svitek pointed out the lengthy introduction delivered before Cruz took the stage at his rally in West Des Moines.
Svitek posted on Twitter, “Cruz had six warm-up acts in West Des Moines: Matt Schultz, Jason Jones, Louie Gohmert, Steve King, Bob Vander Plaats and Tony Perkins.”
Cruz attacked Trump on policy, particularly healthcare and abortion.