Donald Trump ended what amounted to a full day Twitter rant directed at Ted Cruz with his nuclear option: A threatened birther lawsuit. For those of us who watched Republicans spend years consumed with a delusional, racist anti-Obama birther movement this particular blend of Republican cannibalism is supremely satisfying.
The falling out between Republican candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump began in the wake of the Iowa Republican Caucus. Trump, who had spent months bragging about being a winner, lost. Cruz, who was just weeks earlier telling Fox News hosts that he loved Trump, beat him. From that moment forward, it was on.
Sadly, even a landslide victory in New Hampshire hasn’t stopped Trumps’ thirst for Cruz’s blood. He is leading by a massive margin in the next primary state South Carolina which means the Republican front-runner has a lot of time on his hands to send angry tweets directed at his frenemy.
Lying Cruz put out a statement, “Trump & Rubio are w/Obama on gay marriage." Cruz is the worst liar, crazy or very dishonest. Perhaps all 3?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016
How can Ted Cruz be an Evangelical Christian when he lies so much and is so dishonest?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016
Note the timestamps: Trump literally went to bed ranting about Cruz and then woke up ranting about Cruz.
By afternoon, things hadn’t cooled. In fact, Trump decided to kick it up a notch. Apparently unable to get over it, Trump brought up the idea that Ted Cruz isn’t legally qualified to be president because of his Canadian birth. For Trump, this is his ace in the hole.
If @TedCruz doesn’t clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016
In short, Donald Trump wants Ted Cruz to stop being mean to him or else he’ll sue Cruz for being an immigrant.
As some have already pointed out, this is a particularly sad threat to make because it implies Trump thinks Cruz isn’t legally allowed to run, but won’t go to court if Cruz does what he says.
.@realDonaldTrump You believe legal standing is only triggered if people persist in being mean to you? Does Trump U have a law school?
— Popehat (@Popehat) February 12, 2016
If Ted Cruz needs a shoulder to cry on, he knows where to find President Obama, but it’s unlikely that he’ll get much sympathy. The very reason Trump’s birther attacks are so effective is due to the fact that Republicans were egged on for years by right-wing politicians and the conservative media into believing that anyone who has even set foot outside the boundaries of the United States is somehow tainted.
Cruz, a Tea Party darling who rose to prominence through Obama bashing and anti-government rhetoric, is learning first hand just how monumentally idiotic many of his party’s supporters are. You can almost hear Obama laughing all the way from the White House.
Feature image via Flickr
