GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson is responding to the recent article by Breitbart News revealing that Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign also made phone calls to precinct captains – in addition to sending out emails – during the Iowa caucus to urge Carson supporters to caucus for Cruz because a breaking news story suggested Carson was “suspending campaigning.”
“While I had heard reports of phone calls to Iowa voters from the Cruz Campaign stating that I was dropping out, I never wanted to believe it,” Carson posted on Facebook as he shared the Breitbart News report. “This type of politics flies in the face of Judeo Christian values and has to stop. I call on Senator Cruz to take decisive action at a senior level within his campaign or I fear this culture of destructive behavior will only continue.”
The Cruz campaign said the phone calls were made before CNN clarified the breaking news report.
Cruz’s spokesperson Catherine Frazier tells Breitbart News:
The senator has already apologized for not more quickly making that clarification, and there is no evidence that our sharing of this news story impacted Carson’s campaign – he well outperformed expectations. The voicemails are in line with the reports that were made at that time. Our campaign shared an accurate report that Carson was suspending campaigning after the caucuses – he went home and he went to D.C. – and these voicemails do not suggest that he would completely drop out of the race.
Lastly, it should surprise no one that Carson’s initial announcement he was taking time off the trail would be a news story. It is highly unusual for candidates to take time off the trail between the first voting states.
Cruz previously said he won’t punish any staff for the Carson rumors.