Former Speaker Boehner calls Cruz ‘Lucifer in the flesh’
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas spoke with Dimitri Adamopoulos during a campaign stop at Sister’s Place Restaurant on Wednesday, in Indianapolis.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Then-House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio talked with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington in Oct. 2015. Boehner unloaded on Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz during a talk to college students, calling the Texas senator “Lucifer in the flesh.”
FORT WAYNE, Indiana » Former House Speaker John Boehner unloaded on Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz during a talk to college students, calling the Texas senator “Lucifer in the flesh.”
Speaking at a town hall-style event at Stanford University Wednesday, Boehner called front-runner Donald Trump his “texting buddy,” but offered a more graphic response when asked about Cruz.
“Lucifer in the flesh,” the former speaker said. “I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”
His comments were first reported by Stanford’s student newspaper.
Cruz, campaigning in Fort Wayne, Indiana today ahead of the state’s May 3 primary, responded by saying Boehner was letting his “inner Trump come out” with his remarks. He attempted to turn the criticism into a slam on Republican front-runner Donald Trump before a campaign stop in Fort Wayne, Indiana today.
“John Boehner in his remarks described Donald Trump as his texting and golfing buddy,” Cruz said. “So if you want someone that’s a texting and golfing buddy, if you’re happy with John Boehner as speaker of the House and you want a president like John Boehner, Donald Trump is your man.”
Both Cruz and Carly Fiorina, who was campaigning with him after he named her as his running mate Wednesday, also referred to Boehner’s comments during the rally.
In 2013, Cruz joined forces with tea party conservatives in the House in triggering a partial, 16-day government shutdown over demands to undo President Barack Obama health care law. There was no chance Obama would agree to such a step, and Republican leaders like Boehner saw the move as a fruitless effort that only hurt the GOP politically.
Two years later, it was the same House conservatives who challenged Boehner’s leadership, and the speaker decided to step down rather than allow a very public fight.
Boehner’s successor, House Speaker Paul Ryan, said at his weekly news conference today that he has “a much better relationship than that with Sen. Cruz.”
“My job is to help unify our party,” Ryan said, when reporters pressed him on Boehner’s comments. “I have a very good relationship with both of these men, and I’m going to keep it that way.”
Cruz told reporters today that he had never worked with Boehner who stepped down as speaker in the fall.
“The truth of the matter is I don’t know the man,” Cruz said. “I’ve met John Boehner two or three times in my life. If I have said 50 words in my life to John Boehner, I would be surprised. And every one of them has consisted of pleasantries, ‘Good to see you Mr. Speaker.’ I’ve never had any substantive conversation with John Boehner in any respect.”
Cruz said he was rebuffed by Boehner when he asked to meet with him during the government shutdown.
Cruz said Boehner’s comments reflect his frustration with Americans who stand with Republicans who want to hold members of Congress accountable for their campaign promises to repeal Obama’s health care law and pursue other conservative goals.
“When John Boehner calls me Lucifer, he’s not directing that at me,” Cruz said. “He’s directing that at you.”
Associated Press writer Erica Werner and Donna Cassata contributed to this report from Washington.
22 responses to “Former Speaker Boehner calls Cruz ‘Lucifer in the flesh’”
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Good that someone from Cruz’s own party spoke up. Cruz is so arrogant. Hope he loses in Indiana!
If I were Lucifer, I would be offended by that comment. Ted Cruz actually makes Lucifer look like a saint.
I’d trust Lucifer far more than I trust Ted Cruz.
At least Lucifer is honest about his end goal. You know Ted has a real trust problem when Lucifer is more honest than him.
Ditto to both choyd and krusha
Cruz and Carly Fiorina. Two losers, what a ridiculous couple.
Cruz promises to bring jobs back from China, and he picks as his running mate a former CEO who took jobs away from tens of thousands of American workers. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Shameless hypocrisy never prevented anyone from being a professional politician
Lucifer and Lilith.
Fiorino is a phony and a wretched business leader. She is desperate for publicity and for TV time. Terrible candidate.
Cruz is a total phony who caused the uSA enormous pain with his closure of government and his threat to default on all US debt including the savings of millions of Americans holding US bonds. He is just a horrible man as well: He is so anti-Christian yet dupes many evangelicals into thinking he is a Godly man.
If Cruz is Lucifer, Carly might be Lilith?
She looks like she fits the bill.
ha! I thought no one but me knew of Lilith! But I agree. Fiorino is just a horror. She is a rich woman desperate for publicity and TV time. She was a zero at Hewlett-Packard.
Boehner is very low handicapper and loves golf, which interfered with his ability to function as the Speaker of the House. This fact tells something about golfers. I was a high handicapper so that makes me a bum!
His drinking interfered with his ability to function as the Speaker of the House.
How can anyone take what crybaby Boehner says seriously? Lucifer does NOT look like Cruz, the devil looks like Elizabeth Hurley and is HOT.
I remember seeing Boehner crying on TV before; guess he’s a sensitive guy.
GOP eating their own again. Hello…Madame President.
Cruz and Fiorina are a couple of snakes in bed with each other.
Why don’t you & Barry sneak behind the garage & smoke another cigarette.
Lucifer is the light-bearer. Cruz, in contrast, carries with him his own miasma of fud.
Carly must be having 2nd thoughts about accepting the VP nod. She has been violated and abused by Lucifer. Couldn’t have happened to a better person.
Boehner is the definition of the establishment, they see Cruz as upsetting the apple cart. Corrupt establishment from both the Democrats and the Republicans, fear people that will change the failed course of America. So when you hear the establishment calling Cruz “Lucifer” he is seen as that by them, because if Cruz is elected, their time is up and they don’t want that to happen.