Cruz, Rubio hit Trump on temperament, ‘flexibility’

After days of literally below-the-belt mudslinging on the campaign trail, Ted Cruz’s apparent mission at Thursday’s GOP presidential debate in Detroit was to rise above the fray and raise doubts about frontrunner Donald Trump’s temperament.

Throughout the night, the Texas senator seemed to be trying to provoke Trump into losing his temper, addressing him as he would a child each time the GOP frontrunner tried to interrupt his answers.

After Marco Rubio sparred with Trump over a fraud lawsuit related to Trump University, Cruz saw an opening, addressing viewers at home. “Is this the debate you want playing out in the general election?” Cruz said. “If we nominate Donald, we’re going to spend the fall and summer with the Republican nominee facing a fraud trial.”

When Trump tried to interrupt, the Texas senator scolded his rival as if he were trying to tame a 2-year-old in the middle of a temper tantrum. “Donald, learn not to interrupt. It’s not complicated,” Cruz told his rival. “Count to 10. Count to 10.”

Later, Cruz played that card again when Trump angrily defended his stance on an assault weapons ban, which he previously supported but now opposes. When Trump interrupted to say that Cruz had supported Supreme Court Justice John Roberts — the man, he said, responsible for making Obamacare the law of the land — the Texas senator calmly tried to slap him down again.

“Breathe, breathe, breathe,” Cruz told Trump.

But Rubio cut into the moment with a joke. “When they’re done with yoga, can I answer the question?” the Florida senator quipped.

“I hope we don’t see yoga on stage,” Cruz shot back.

“Well, he’s very flexible,” Rubio said pointing to Trump, who had earlier explained away his change in position on several issues by talking up his “flexibility.” “So you never know.”

(Cover tile photo: Jim Young/Reuters)