An anti-Trump Super PAC unleashed a Facebook ad in Utah which featured a nude photo of Melania Trump, from her days as a model. This led frontrunner Donald Trump to respond with a tweet against Ted Cruz, who fired back in kind.
The conservative Super PAC Make America Awesome started the spousal war with a scandalous photo of Trump’s wife, with the caption: “Meet Melania Trump. Your next first lady. Or you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday.”
Anti-Trump SuperPac Uses Naked Pic of Melania Trump to Discourage Voters in Utah https://t.co/BqCM1kRHdy — Independent Journal (@INJO) March 22, 2016
Since the photo encouraged Utahns to back Cruz, Trump decided to attack the Texas senator for it. He deleted the first tweet, which the Washington Post‘s Chris Cillizza caught to preserve for posterity. Trump threatened to “spill the beans on your wife.”
Here’s what the Trump deleted tweet said. pic.twitter.com/AggPuHQgxL — Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) March 23, 2016
Then Trump tweeted a similar message again, doubling down on the attacks against “Lyin’ Ted” and the threat to “spill the beans” on Heidi Cruz.
Lyin’ Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016
Cruz responded by calling Trump a “coward” for attacking his wife, Heidi. He also insisted that the picture of Melania was not from Cruz or his campaign, but from an unaffiliated group.
Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you’re more of a coward than I thought. #classless https://t.co/0QpKSnjgnE — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 23, 2016
These events led the Associated Press to report on the high levels of…ahem…debate which occur in the Republican primary.
The Latest in #Election2016: Now Trump, Cruz are tiffing over each others’ wives. https://t.co/je3SU5dmqH pic.twitter.com/y504A72wcl
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) March 23, 2016
It is still unclear what Trump meant by saying he will “spill the beans” on Heidi Cruz, but some of the quips in response were perfect.
There’s irony in the fact that Trump threatened to “expose” Heidi Cruz simply because his wife decided to literally expose herself. — John Miceli (@JohnMiceli15) March 23, 2016
Heidi Cruz was trending on Twitter Tuesday night, as Trump supporters attacked the Texas senator’s wife and Cruz supporters stood up for her.
Going viral: Heidi Cruz, CFR & Open Borders Globalisthttps://t.co/aeCQEoB7gw @realDonaldTrump
— Lions Whelp (@LionsOmega) March 23, 2016
If anyone is wondering why Trump can’t close the deal with GOP voters, one might look at his threats to Heidi Cruz. — Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) March 23, 2016
The most impressive bit, however, came from former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who attacked Trump earlier in the night.
Mitt Romney at @NRCC dinner: “Donald Trump has had several foreign wives. It turns out that there are really are jobs Americans won’t do.” — Kris Hammond (@KrisHammond) March 23, 2016
Does this mark a new low in presidential politics, or is it par for the course?
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