CNN commentator and Donald Trump surrogate Andy Dean was not at all pleased with the way Senator Ted Cruz spoke at the Republican Nation Convention Wednesday evening. Dean appeared on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon to share his thoughts. But he couldn’t seem to control his emotions as he let loose a stream of insults towards Cruz, “Ted Cruz strikes a lot of people as a total creep who is dishonest and might be a liar,” Dean spat.
“I think it's hurtful to the party, it's hurtful to America, but Ted Cruz has always been in the business of Ted Cruz, so I can't say I'm surprised,” Dean continued. The Trump surrogate was only getting started:
DEAN: He’s a dirt-bag.
LEMON: What do you think, Kayleigh [McEnany]? A dirt-bag? [to Dean]
DEAN: A dirt-bag.
LEMON: Wow. It’s loud in here.
DEAN: A D-Bag.
LEMON: A D? That would be something else.
Later on in the show Dean would dive into the long discredited Ted Cruz birther conspiracy by saying Cruz could run to be president of Canada in the year 2020.
CNN commentator and former Senior Ted Cruz Staffer Amanda Carpenter called out Dean and the Trump campaign’s response to the speech as whining. She argued that it’s because they couldn’t get Cruz to bend to Trump’s will:
They're just mad that he[Cruz] didn't bend down to him[Trump] and give them the endorsement. And now they're revealing what they revealed all along, calling him a dirt-bag.
… A lot of Republicans, people don't do it in public like I do, but they do it. Ted Cruz spoke to them. He had the guts to say it on stage. The party is divided, yes, but people should find out where they stand and he had the courage to do it in front of everybody.
Partial transcript below:
CNN
CNN Tonight with Don Lemon
July 21, 2016
1:04:34 PM EasternDON LEMON: All right. So talk about a you-know-what show, tonight. An ish-show tonight. I mean, I was watching. I couldn’t believe it, Donald Trump had to come in and say just before -- Andy, I'm going to go to you to get your response. But let me read some of these.
Jim Acosta-- this is our reporting—“crowd getting angry at Cruz, yelling at him to endorse Trump. One man screams, this is torture, Ted. Get over it.” Armani Rodgers says, “Heidi Cruz escorted out by security, crowd get very angry.” Jeremy Diamond, “Trump walks into VIP box, waving to his supporters.” And then Peter King said, “Cruz's refusal to endorse Trump was disgraceful and disqualifying and that a-hole” -- he used the entire word – “doesn't do him justice.” Meaning himself. He had the crowd until he refused too.
ANDY DEAN: I'm angry at Peter King for not going far enough. Because, I’ll tell you Don off the record, and this is just between me and you. Ted Cruz strikes a lot of people as a total creep who is dishonest and might be a liar. And to do what he did tonight, which not endorse Donald Trump when Donald Trump gave him the stage. I think it's hurtful to the party, it's hurtful to America, but Ted Cruz has always been in the business of Ted Cruz, so I can't say I'm surprised.
LEMON: Yeah.
DEAN: He’s a dirt-bag.
LEMON: What do you think, Kayleigh [McEnany]? A dirt-bag? [to Dean]
DEAN: A dirt-bag.
LEMON: Wow. It’s loud in here.
DEAN: A D-Bag.
LEMON: A D? That would be something else.
…
LEMON: Amanda, I have to say this. Someone, a very astute person e-mailed me and said, “Don, Donald Trump talks about not being politically correct. Ted Cruz was not politically correct. Donald Trump can’t have it both ways. Ted Cruz got up there and said what he meant. And so Donald Trump should not criticize him. He should embrace him.”
AMANDA CARPENTER: Listen, Ted Cruz never promised an endorsement. He gave a speech that didn't say anything bad about Donald Trump. They're just mad that he didn't bend down to him and give them the endorsement. And now they're revealing what they revealed all along, calling him a dirt-bag.
Peter King continues to say the same things he’s always said. Listen, everyone talks about how concerned they are about Donald Trump as president. A lot of Republicans, people don't do it in public like I do, but they do it. Ted Cruz spoke to them. He had the guts to say it on stage. The party is divided, yes, but people should find out where they stand and he had the courage to do it in front of everybody.
