ABC on Monday found Republicans who are bothered by Ted Cruz's supposed lack of civility, who disagree with him on gun control and gay marriage. The town hall aired on Good Morning America, allowing the senator 30 minutes and 38 seconds to talk to voters. But, unlike past ABC events that gushed over Hillary Clinton, this one featured tough questions from voters.
The tone was set when George Stephanopoulos jumped to this question from Louisiana delegate Luke Letlow: “Senator Cruz, some people suggest that you’ve developed a reputation in the Senate for being an obstructionist and are often unable to work with your colleagues on both sides of the aisle.” [See video montage.]
The lecturing question continued as he wondered, “What are your plans to mend fences, work with Congress and give the people like those of us here in Stark, Louisiana, the open, honest effective government we deserve?”
In a follow-up, a “life-long Republican” pressed Cruz on what he would do to oppose religious liberty laws:
TODD CALONGNE: Hi. I'm a life long Republican and I have been married to my husband for two years now. My question is, I noticed a lot of religious freedom laws and somewhat institutionalized discrimination laws happening around the country, what would you as president protect me and my husband from that institutionalized discrimination?
After the senator actually defended religious liberty laws, Robin Roberts jumped in, pushing, “But when you talk about freedom, he referred to his husband, a lot of people would say doesn't everyone have the freedom to be treated equally. Don't we all have the freedom to be equal?"
Then came a query lobbying for more gun control:
DIMAS SALABERRIOS: I'm an ex-drug boss in New York City, a pastor now in the housing projects in the Bronx....And wrote a book called Street God and here's my question: In my community here in New York City, guns are coming in from the south into our African-American, Latino communities. And I wanted to know if you became president what would you do to stop the gun pipeline to stop from coming into my neighborhoods from the south?
Obviously, Tuesday’s primary is in New York, but where are the questions from conservative GOP voters? Later in the show, Roberts played a montage of Cruz’s opponents simply attacking the Republican.
Will GMA’s 2016 town halls be different than those in 2008? (The network didn’t push the town hall concept in 2012.) In '08, the program devoted 64 minutes to Democrats versus zero for Republicans. So, the time disparity is obviously less of a factor.
However, in 2008, Roberts hailed Clinton with softballs, noting that her 1993 universal health care plan was “ahead of its time.” In the audience, she included a plant, someone who was on the ‘93 plan’s task force.
On March 26, 2007, GMA devoted 26 minutes to Clinton. Of those, she spoke for 18 minutes.
On Monday, the hosts finally got to some lighter questions at the end of the show. They included:
RAQUEL REINSTEIN [PH]: Senator Cruz, what is your favorite place to take your wife on date night?
GRACE: My question is for Heidi. As first lady, what kind of dog would you like to own?
OZ SULTON: Pressing questions for New Yorkers. Thin crust or Chicago deep dish?
A partial transcript is below:
4/18/16
8:11ROBIN ROBERTS: We do welcome you back to Good Morning America. Can you feel the energy here in Times Square? We have a lot of voters as you can see. Lot of viewers joining us as we kick off our coffee with the candidates town hall.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's not wait another moment. Let's welcome our special guest, Senator Ted Cruz and his wife Heidi for our live town hall event this morning. Lot of voters saying hello to you this morning. [Cheers and applause as Cruz is introduced.]
...
ROBERTS: Congratulations another weekend, picking all 14 delegates in Wyoming. Trump is still saying, Donald Trump continues to say that the system is rigged and here's what he say again just on Sunday.
DONALD TRUMP: It's a rigged system. It's a crooked system. It's a 100 percent crooked. It's a corrupt and crooked system.
ROBERTS: Senator Cruz, how do you respond to what Donald Trump is saying?
...
STEPHANOPOULOS: He's set up for a pretty big win here in New York. And even if you do very well in May and June, he's likely to go into the convention with the most votes, the most states and the most delegates. And most Republican voters think that person should be the nominee. What do you say to them?
...
STEPHANOPOULOS: You're talking about this all-important delegates. We actually have one we talked to about down in Louisiana. His name is Luke Letlow. He’s an unbound delegate from Louisiana. Here’s his question.
LUKE LETLOW: Senator Cruz, some people suggest that you’ve developed a reputation in the Senate for being an obstructionist and are often unable to work with your colleagues on both sides of the aisle. But our future president of the United States will clearly need to build coalitions of support in order to succeed. What are your plans to mend fences, work with Congress and give the people like those of us here in Stark, Louisiana, the open, honest effective government we deserve?
...
AMY ROBACH: I'm here with James Thomson. He's from Staten Island and is still undecided at this moment. So, James, What is your question for Senator Cruz?
JAMES THOMSON: Senator, on January, you famously criticized New York values. Many of us are frustrated with the policies you specified. We were lumped into your criticism as New Yorkers, having spent the past few days here, if you could rephrase your statement, would you do it over again?
CRUZ: Well, James, thank you for being here and it is wonderful to be back here in New York. You know, the phrase New York values actually didn't come from me, it came from Donald Trump. An interview he gave a number of years ago to Meet the Press where he was explaining his support for partial birth abortion. And his explanation was, “Hey, I’m from New York. Those are New York values. Not Iowa values.” So, I was repeating Donald’s own phrasing.
...
ROBACH: We have Todd Calongne. He owns a pizza shop here in New York City. He's undecided but leaning toward Donald Trump. So, what is your question for the senator?
TODD CALONGNE: Hi. I'm a life long Republican and I have been married to my husband for two years now. My question is, I noticed a lot of religious freedom laws and somewhat institutionalized discrimination laws happening around the country, what would you as president protect me and my husband from that institutionalized discrimination?
CRUZ: Well, listen, When it comes to religious liberty, religious liberty is something that protects every one of us. It is the very first Amendment, very first phrase protected in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. And religious liberty, it applies to Christians, it applies to Jews. It applies to Muslims, it applies to atheists. And all of us, we want to live in a world where we don't have the government dictating our beliefs, dictating how we live. We have a right to live according to our faith, according to our conscience and that freedom ultimately protects each and every one of us. And we shouldn’t have the right to force others to knuckle under and give up our faith and give up our belief.
ROBERTS: But when you talk about freedom, he referred to his husband, a lot of people would say doesn’t everyone have the freedom to be treated equally. Don’t we all have the freedom to be equal?
...DIMAS SALABERRIOS: I’m an ex-drug boss in New York City, a pastor now in the housing projects in the Bronx.
CRUZ: Fabulous.
SALABERRIOS: And wrote a book called Street God and here’s my question: In my community here in New York City, guns are coming in from the south into our African-American, Latino communities. And wanted to know if you became president what would you do to stop the gun pipeline to stop from coming into my neighborhoods from the south?
...
SALABERRIOS: I'm talking about gun dealers in the south that are not drug dealers but are buying these guns and shipping them into my community. Can you deal with that? The urban community, not that area you just mentioned.
CRUZ: Well, but the way to solve gun violence is targeting the criminals not the targeting law-abiding citizens. If you look at the jurisdictions with the worst murder rates most of them are with the strictest gun control laws. The criminals don't hand over their guns, but the law-abiding citizens do and it ends up leaving them more vulnerable. And so, you look at Washington, D.C. And Chicago, they have effectively banned firearms. And both of them have for years have been at top of the murder rates.
