Jimmy Kimmel To Ted Cruz: “Who Do You Like Better, Obama Or Trump?”
“Who do you like better: Obama or Trump?” Jimmy Kimmel asked Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tonight as the GOP presidential candidate made his first appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
It wasn’t what you’d call a love fest. It was, however, riveting TV.
Cruz, was in Los Angeles today raising money because California, he said, has the most Republicans of any state in the country – more than Texas. He told Kimmel about wanting to be an actor, and how he nearly dropped out of school to move to CA to pursue his dream.
“You don’t seem like an actor,” Kimmel observed. Kimmel then noted Cruz is widely disliked in Washington, though these days even politicians who’ve joked about having him whacked are endorsing him (Sen. Lindsey Graham explained that endorsement to Trevor Noah last week).
“When you stand up to Washington they don’t like it,” Cruz simpered, adding that the change has come about because Donald Trump has “this amazing ability to clarify everything.”
Then Cruz launched into his patter about his “promise to fight with every breath in his body to stop Obamacare,” which he called an utter disaster.
“Is that really a disaster? Because I don’t really feel like it is,” Kimmel argued. “I’ve not heard one story from any person I know that indicated that. ‘Pure disaster’ is a strong word to use.”
“It’s probably not a disaster – with millionaire Hollywood movie stars,” Cruz snickered.
“Do you think these are the only people that I hang out with?” Kimmel shot back, chuckling over Cruz’s retort. “It’s Hollywood. I’ll explain it to you: It’s all pretend. This is not a real city behind us,” Kimmel said, pointing to the back wall on his set. “It’s a photograph.”
Cruz shot back that Wisconsin small business owners told him Obamacare is the “single biggest challenge they are facing.”
Kimmel changed the subject, asking Cruz about his plan to have police patrol Muslim neighborhoods, if elected. “You love the Constitution. Isn’t this in direct competition with the Bill of Rights?” the ABC late-night star asked. “Not remotely,” Cruz said. He mentioned Brussels, San Bernardino, and Paris, then pivoted to Hillary Clinton and Obama who he said got us into this mess by refusing to say “Islamic terrorists.”
Kimmel wondered if Americans who are Muslim might be upset by Cruz’s plan, feeling they are being singled out by the police. Cruz did not budge.
“Yeah. I’m not with you on that one,” Kimmel said, making it two for two.
Kimmel also wondered if he would be singled out as a Muslim in a Cruz presidency, because of his thick beard.
And about that Obama vs Trump questions, Cruz said, “I dislike Obama’s policies more, but Donald is a unique individual.” Then, referencing an earlier guest who’d showed viewers how to frighten friends on April Fool’s Day by sticking photo of Trump over their car’s back-up camera, Cruz said, “If I looked and saw Donald Trump, I’m not sure which pedal I’d use.”
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