Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spent two days with almost 300 pastors at a West Texas ranch Monday. He already has the endorsement of leading evangelicals like Bob Vander Plaats and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson thanks largely to his pro-life credentials and anti-gay marriage efforts.
Yet, not everyone is convinced that Cruz’s spirituality is sincere. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump seemed to take an indirect swipe at the senator’s Christian credentials during a campaign event on Tuesday:
“Just remember this - you gotta remember, in all fairness, to the best of my knowledge, not too many evangelicals come out of Cuba, okay?” Mr. Trump said at a campaign event Tuesday. “Just remember that…just remember.”
Trump went on to flaunt the support he’s received from notable Christians like Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, one of the nation’s most admired evangelical ministers.
“Franklin Graham said incredible things about me the other day,” Mr. Trump said. “We have so many pastors and so many ministers in favor, and it’s just very important to me.”
It’s all well and good for the businessman to be speaking so highly of his evangelical support, but is it appropriate for him to question his opponents’ spiritual lives? Cruz, after all, is not the only Cuban American in the 2016 race. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also shares that title. Additionally, with these comments, Trump is alienating all Cuban Americans who consider themselves Christians. Will they feel compelled to vote for a candidate who doubts their faith?
In August, Trump was asked to name his favorite Bible verse. He couldn’t.
“Just remember” that.