DES MOINES, IOWA — Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has released a new ad against rival Donald Trump.
The ad, titled “No More Deals,” accuses Trump of being a crony who is in bed with politicians. The ad insinuates that he will strike deals with Democrats and govern the same way as establishment Republicans like former House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The ad opens with clips of Trump praising Hillary Clinton.
“Hillary Clinton I think is a terrific woman. I’m a little biased because I’ve known her for years. I’ve known her and her husband for years and I really like them both a lot. I think she really works hard and I think she does a good job.”
“Looking at the record of Hillary Clinton and how did she do as Secretary of State, probably above and beyond everybody else, on everything else,” Trump says in the ad. The video then shows images of the attacks in Benghazi and a clip of Clinton famously saying, “What difference at this point does it make?”
The ad also hits Trump for donating money to the Clinton Foundation, for inviting the Clintons to his wedding, and for having a cozy relationship with many Democratic leaders.
“I’m going to be able to get along with Pelosi,” says Trump in one of the clips. “I always had a great relationship with Harry Reid. I think I’ll be able to get along well with Schumer.”
Cruz and Trump are in a heated and close battle going into the Iowa caucus. Cruz has been focused on retail politics, making up to six stops at local small businesses in Iowa per day since he’s been in the Hawkeye State.
Speaking at a breakfast organized by Bloomberg Politics, Cruz’s campaign manager Jeff Roe explained how Cruz will win on Monday. From The Washington Post:
The operation of the senator from Texas thinks that it has come down to fighting over exactly 9,131 voters who are trying to decide between Cruz and Trump: 3,185 who are torn between him and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; and a smaller group — 2,807, to be precise — who have not yet made their choice between him and Rubio. Cruz also must try to peel off supporters of other religious conservatives in the race, including former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
The Cruz campaign believes that the battle will come down to less than 10,000 votes.