Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz just gave Donald Trump the adult equivalent of a double dare regarding a challenge to debate him one-on-one at next week’s American Israel Public Affairs Committee meeting.
Cruz for President is pushing DuckingDonald.com again, a site that was launched in January after the GOP front-runner first backed out of a Fox News-sponsored Republican debate of the campaign.
“After first skipping the debate in Des Moines and then CPAC, Ducking Donald strikes again. Now he’s skipping the debate on Monday in Salt Lake City. Donald is scared to debate because he knows Ted Cruz will expose him as unprepared to be President and Commander in Chief,” the site’s homepage reads.
The petition asks visitors to sign their name and contact information over to the Cruz campaign in an effort to pressure Trump to meet Cruz on a debate stage next Monday.
“Donald can’t duck us for the rest of this campaign, and so we will happily press the issue until the public pressure becomes too much for him to bear,” Cruz for President spokesman Ron Nehring said in a statement late Wednesday. “Mr. Trump, if you won’t debate in Utah, we’ll bring the debate to you.”
Although the AIPAC speaking opportunity is not a debate, Cruz’s campaign said if Trump chooses to ignore his request, the senator will use his time for remarks to address Trump’s policy positions. Cruz’s team said the occasion would be a fitting time to discuss in front of thousands of people Trump’s relationship with Israel.
