Right now it's easy to forget, but two years ago Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) angered a convention center full of Donald Trump supporters by telling voters to "vote their conscience" in the presidential election. It was a not so subtle dig at the Republican nominee. A few weeks before his controversial RNC speech, Cruz called Trump a "pathological liar."
Trump hit back at Cruz with "Lyin' Ted" and the two engaged in a war of words for weeks.
How "Time" has changed. A couple years after these two White House competitors shared insults, Cruz is singing the president's praises in Time Magazine's latest "Most Influential People" feature.
Here is Cruz's full tribute to the man who took Washington by storm.
President Trump is a flash-bang grenade thrown into Washington by the forgotten men and women of America. The fact that his first year as Commander in Chief disoriented and distressed members of the media and political establishment is not a bug but a feature.
The same cultural safe spaces that blinkered coastal elites to candidate Trump’s popularity have rendered them blind to President Trump’s achievements on behalf of ordinary Americans. While pundits obsessed over tweets, he worked with Congress to cut taxes for struggling families. While wealthy celebrities announced that they would flee the country, he fought to bring back jobs and industries to our shores. While talking heads predicted Armageddon, President Trump’s strong stand against North Korea put Kim Jong Un back on his heels.
President Trump is doing what he was elected to do: disrupt the status quo. That scares the heck out of those who have controlled Washington for decades, but for millions of Americans, their confusion is great fun to watch.
You can see the full list of Time's most influential individuals of 2018, which includes other lawmakers, singers, actors, athletes, here.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member