WASHINGTON — (CNN) Rudy Giuliani on Friday joined the bipartisan chorus of Big Apple politicians to excoriate Ted Cruz for his attacks on the “values” of New Yorkers.
The former New York City mayor, writing in the New York Daily News, called on the Texas senator to apologize for his “crass attempt to divide us,” while praising Donald Trump for delivering a “strong, truthful and eloquent defense of our great city and nation.”
Trump, who ripped Cruz’s comments during the GOP presidential debate on Thursday and in earlier comments, called New York a “great place” with “great” and “loving people, wonderful people.”
“The world loved New York and loved New Yorkers” in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the Manhattan-based billionaire said, “and I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made.”
Giuliani, who led the city through the 9/11 attacks, joined the city’s current mayor, Bill de Blasio, in echoing Trump and praised the city for its resilience in the face of international terror.
“Despite the ever present danger and warnings of further attacks, like the people of London did in the 1940s and the people of Israel for their entire history, New Yorkers are telling our enemies that they cannot break our spirit,” Giuliani declared, or “our steadfast belief that the morality of our cause and the purpose of our America will prevail.”
Cruz’s issues with New Yorkers — who, he said Thursday, are “socially liberal, pro-gay marriage, pro-abortion, focused on money and the media” — have not deterred him from tapping the city’s wealthier citizens at a number of fundraisers. His wife, Heidi, is employed by Goldman Sachs, which has its headquarters in Manhattan, and Cruz during his 2012 Senate candidacy sought and received a loan from the financial giant.
A staunch defender of Wall Street, Giuliani accused the Texan of being a hypocrite for taking donations from New Yorkers and then ripping the city.
“When Sen. Cruz and so many of the other candidates of both parties come to New York City, they seem pretty happy to be here and are more than willing to take our money,” the former mayor wrote.
“Well if you’re willing to take our money, then show us the respect we deserve and earned and don’t try to divide us from our fellow Americans,” Giuliani added.
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