Mike Huckabee attacked Ted Cruz on Wednesday alleging that the U.S. Senator from Texas has two different pitches when it comes to gay rights, one for conservative voters and one for pro-gay deep-pocket donors.
Taking to Twitter, Huckabee linked to a New York Times article from April 2015 about Cruz’s meeting with out gay hoteliers Mati Weiderpass and Ian Reisner. Said Huckabee in his tweet, “I’ll never play political games with my faith. We shouldn’t say one thing for votes, and another for NYC money.”
I'll never play political games with my faith. We shouldn't say one thing for votes, and another for NYC money.https://t.co/w44of59oWq
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 20, 2016
The linked article suggests that Cruz downplayed his virulent opposition to LGBT rights while meeting with Weiderpass and Reisner. “During the gathering, according to two people present, Mr. Cruz said he would not love his daughters any differently if one of them was gay,” The Times writes. “He did not mention his opposition to same-sex marriage, saying only that marriage is an issue that should be left to the states.”
Both Weiderpass and Reisner were roundly rebuked for hosting the Cruz reception, and Reisner ultimately apologized.
Huckabee’s attack on Cruz is almost an exact carbon copy of one made by Donald Trump just days ago. Trump tweeted out a link to the same NYT article and wrote, “Ted is the ultimate hypocrite. Says one thing for money, does another for votes.” He later added, “If Ted Cruz is so opposed to gay marriage, why did he accept money from people who espouse gay marriage?”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/688393139435008000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/688425749129211905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Doubling down, Huckabee on Wednesday also tweeted, “Do I think life, marriage, and moral issues are “a priority”? Yes, I do. I’ll fight for life, marriage, & moral issues as President. States do not have the “final say”… God does. How can @TedCruz say morality a state issue? Morality not geographical. Laws of nature & nature’s God are basis of morality—not a GPS.”
Do I think life, marriage, and moral issues are "a priority"? Yes, I do. #ImWithHuck #IACaucus (1/3)
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 20, 2016
I'll fight for life, marriage, & moral issues as President. States do not have the "final say"… God does. https://t.co/xbB8nJkVxY (2/3)
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 20, 2016
How can @TedCruz say morality a state issue? Morality not geographical. Laws of nature & nature’s God are basis of morality—not a GPS. (3/3)
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 20, 2016
Huckabee was covering old ground in this series of tweets, regurgitating an attack he made in December after an audio recording surfaced of Cruz telling a pro-gay Republican donor that fighting gay marriage would not be in his top 3 priorities as president. That attack failed to gain Huckabee traction among Republican voters.
Huckabee continues to show anemic poll numbers in the lead up to the Iowa caucuses, which he won in 2008. His attack on Cruz appears to be a last ditch attempt to galvanize anti-gay evangelicals who previously turned out in droves for him.
