“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert said Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is running scared from his opponent Rep. Beto O’Rourke. As evidence, he cited that fact that Cruz bought ads that would be shown during O’Rourke’s Wednesday evening interview on Colbert’s show.
“Colbert knocks ‘scared’ Ted Cruz for buying ads during Beto O’Rourke‘s appearance on the ‘Late Show’”
Colbert knocks 'scared' Ted Cruz for buying ads during Beto O'Rourke's appearance on the 'Late Show' https://t.co/ATPEBmvRSo
— Raw Story (@RawStory) September 13, 2018
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Even before O’Rourke made an appearance Colbert slammed Cruz in his opening monologue.
“Beto is running in Texas against incumbent senator, and man whose campaign staff is definitely watching this show right now, Ted Cruz,” Colbert said.
Colbert also ridiculed Cruz for begging the increasingly unpopular President Donald Trump to help him campaign even though they have had a public feud for years.
“You know it’s bad when you need backup from a man with a 36% approval rating,” Colbert joked. “Their backup plan is a celebrity endorsement from the herpes virus.”
“Here’s how scared Ted Cruz is of Beto O’Rourke,” Colbert explained. “He bought ads on my show tonight to counter his interview.”
During his appearance, O’Rourke drew a stark contrast between himself and his opponent. When Colbert asked him about Trump’s favorite campaign promise — a border wall with Mexico — he replied very simply.
“We don’t need a wall,” O’Rourke told Colbert.
Since O’Rourke represents the border city of El Paso in Congress he should know. He insisted that El Paso is “one of the safest cities in the United States of America.”
.@BetoORourke strongly opposes Trump's border wall plans in Texas. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/cgOosCvq9v
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) September 13, 2018
And that’s not all. He said that it is safe BECAUSE of immigrants, not despite the large immigrant population.
“El Paso is safe because it is a city of immigrants and because we treat one another with respect and dignity,” the Congressman said.
Colbert then asked him about border security and the DREAMers, and he said:
“Republican senior Sen. John Cornyn and I worked on a bill to improve border security by investing in our ports of entry. So facilitating more legitimate trade and travel and having a better idea of who and what is coming in to our country. We don’t need walls. We can have smart security solutions.”
“And we can free DREAMers from the fear of deportation by making them U.S. Citizens today so they can contribute to their maximum capacity, to their full potential. And we can move forward in that manner of making sure that we’re secure, and making sure that we live up to our values and our ideals. And Texas, the defining border state and immigration experience, we should lead on that.”
Beto’s appearance on “The Late Show” made clear why Cruz is running scared. He should be, because there is a very real chance he will lose this election in what would be the biggest political upset of the year.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
