Fox News "The Story with Martha McCallum" - Transcript Interview with Ted Cruz
Interview
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Joining me now, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas. Great to see you tonight. Thank you.
CRUZ: Harris, good evening. Thank you for having me. And by the way, congrats on your big show last night.
FAULKNER: Thank you very much. We got into it on how to take America forward. I appreciate that.
CRUZ: Good.
FAULKNER: Look, you know, when you look at it, it doesn't seem like Texas would go Democrat, I mean, what are you reading and saying, yes, alarm bells?
CRUZ: Well, if you look at what's happening nationally, there are two broad demographic trends going on nationally, blue-collar workers, union members are moving right, and that's moving midwestern states more Republican, states like Ohio and Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, every one of which went for Donald Trump in 2016.
But at the same time, we're seeing suburban voters, in particular suburban women who are moving left. And that's moving states with big suburban population. States like Georgia and Texas and Arizona, all of them are becoming much, much more purple. And that's a real challenge, because with a state like Texas we know that New York and California are bright blue for the foreseeable future. If Texas joins them, that's the entire election. We can't let that happen.
FAULKNER: So, two things, I'm going to ask our team to put up that headline from the Dallas morning news. Because we can speak to exactly what the senator is talking about. It's the headline, suburban women voters key to Democratic revival in Texas. They'll put it up eventually. But I -- there it is.
I want to get your idea about how you reach those suburban women. You don't just throw in the towel at this point, so what's the strategy?
CRUZ: Well, and it's important to mention, you know, a lot of the media coverage suggests that what's going on in Texas is racial or ethnic and it's based on the growing Hispanic number of voters. The data don't back that up that many of the Hispanics in Texas are quite conservative.
Every time I have run in Texas I've gotten well over 40 percent of the Hispanic vote and that is despite running as an unapologetic conservative fighting to secure the border, build a wall, and stop amnesty.
So, it's not the demographic piece on racial and ethnic lines. It's rather, I think the media have done a very good job of frightening -- painting a very scary picture with suburban women of the president. And you know, on one level, this election shouldn't be close.
If you look at how extreme today's Democrats are, they're embracing socialism, even a month ago if I had come on your show, Harris, and if I had said, the Democrats are going to argue for abolishing the police, you would've said hold on there, that's a little bit crazy, and that's where they are.
And given that, this election should be a slam-dunk, but unfortunately, I think the media is doing a very aggressive job of trying to convince a lot of voters who may not be paying all that close attention to this election that Trump --
(CROSSTALK)
FAULKNER: Yes --
CRUZ: -- and the rights are kind of scary and violent, and wouldn't it be easier going with Uncle Joe just sitting in his basement? Isn't that a simpler calmer vision? And I've to say given how radical and extreme the voices are that the Democratic Party is letting go in their party, I don't think it would be calmer at all, but I think it's incumbent on us to make that case.
FAULKNER: All right. Here is Joe Biden making his case to the state of Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm thinking all of you today across Texas, and though the rising case numbers is causing fear and apprehension, the virus is tough, but Texas is tougher.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FAULKNER: So, Senator Cruz, today's polling, Fox News poll looked at what was most important to voters across the country, not specific to Texas. But 29 percent said COVID-19, and actually other things were below it like the economy. So, he hits that in your state --
CRUZ: Yes.
FAULKNER: -- and what do you say?
CRUZ: Listen, I think those ads are effective. And by any measure, 2020 has been a hellish year.
FAULKNER: Yes.
CRUZ: Nobody started this year on New Year's Day predicting a global pandemic, the Great Depression, and race riots. I mean it's horrific what's happening to our country. And I think Biden and the Democrats are very smartly trying to capitalize on it. And what he, Biden is doing there in soft focus is say harken back to a calmer, peaceful time.
That is a dangerous message. That's a compelling message pretty and I think that it's important if this election focuses on issues, if it focuses on substance, if it focuses on a contrast between free enterprise and socialism, and a contrast between the Constitution and Bill of Rights and rule of law versus anarchy and violence, we win it, but if it is a personality contest, that's what the Democrats want it to be because they think they win that election.
FAULKNER: Senator Ted Cruz, thank you very much for your time tonight. Always good to see you.
CRUZ: Always a pleasure.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source