Glenn Beck Slams Donald Trump & Endorses Ted Cruz, Hailing Texas Senator As ‘The Next George Washington’
The Republican primary race had prospective voters reaching for their scorecards again today as the mounting rivalry between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz brought forth another high-profile endorsement. As reported by CNN Money, prominent radio personality Glenn Beck endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz during an event at Faith Bible College in Iowa.
“We need a new George Washington… Today’s Washington will not be found in the garish light of gold, but rather, in the bold service of a man who stands tirelessly for what he deeply believes — that government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people… I have prayed for the next George Washington. I believe I have found him.”
Glenn Beck also ripped into Donald Trump during his endorsement speech for Cruz, telling his audience that the billionaire candidate owed America an apology. Beck also said that if Trump wins the presidential election, the aftermath will be “a snowball to hell.”
In some respects, Glenn Beck’s decision to endorse Ted Cruz came as little surprise, particularly in light of the fact that Beck has been embroiled in an ongoing feud since Trump’s candidacy gained momentum last year. Beck has told his listeners on many occasions that Donald Trump is not a true conservative. For his part, Donald Trump has fired back via his favorite platform, social media.
In fact, Donald Trump blasted Glenn Beck late last week after learning Beck would be speaking at the above-noted Cruz rally, anticipating an alliance between the senator and Mr. Beck. Mediaite re-posted Trump’s repudiation of Beck on Thursday, noting that he dismissed the radio host and bestselling author as a “wacko.”
Wacko @glennbeck is a sad answer to the @SarahPalinUSA endorsement that Cruz so desperately wanted. Glenn is a failing, crying, lost soul!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2016
As indicated in Trump’s tweet, the Glenn Beck endorsement is seen by some as a counter to Sarah Palin’s endorsement of Donald Trump earlier this week. During a speech in Ames, Iowa, Palin praised Trump’s “Reaganesque power that comes from strength.” She also took something of a veiled shot at Trump’s detractors from the right who have criticized the candidate on some of his positions.
“Well, and then, funny, ha ha, not funny, but now, what they’re doing is wailing, ‘Well, Trump and his Trumpeters, they’re not conservative enough.’ “
Although the Palin endorsement brought Donald Trump – and Sarah Palin – a good deal of media attention over course of the week, Trump also took a virtual drubbing from the prominent conservative publication National Review, which published a special edition of the magazine entitled “Against Trump.” According to CNN, the special issue features commentary by 22 conservative thinkers discussing the problems of Trump’s candidacy.
It is unclear at the moment as to how the above-noted big name endorsements will ultimately affect the outcome of the Iowa caucuses, which will take place on February 1. Current polling data compiled by Real Clear Politics show Donald Trump with a slight lead over Ted Cruz. The gap widens substantially between the two men in the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries with Trump holding more of a commanding lead in those states. Even with the gap having closed substantially in Iowa over the course of recent weeks, Donald Trump remains certain that he is unbeatable, telling supporters on Saturday that he could “shoot someone” and not lose a single vote.
[Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images]
