Ted Cruz Refuses To Say If He Supports Paul Ryan for Speaker
O’REILLY: “Paul Ryan, looks like is he going to run for speaker of the House. Do you support that?”
CRUZ: “You know I’m staying out of that. That’s the question —“
O’REILLY: “Come on, come on, come on. You are a powerful senator. You are a conservative guy. Do you support Paul Ryan or not?”
CRUZ: “It’s a question for House Republicans to make but I will tell you this —“
O’REILLY: “So I’m going to say you don’t. I’m going to say no — because if you support him, I know you, you would have said look, I think the guy is right for the job. So you don’t want him there?”
CRUZ: “Actually Bill, I have consistently stayed out of House leadership elections. But let me tell you what I think the next speaker should be. The next speaker should be someone who takes seriously honoring the promises we made to the men and who elected us —“ [crosstalk]
O’REILLY: “That’s Paul Ryan —“
CRUZ: “That’s what Republican leadership should do.”
O’REILLY: “Ryan is a serious man. He may not be as conservative as you are. But that’s what I’m trying to get at. I mean — come on senator, do people have to be as conservative as you are in order to serve?”
CRUZ: “Well look, I — I am genuinely staying out of it. I understand that it makes for better TV for me to get in the middle of that I’m going to leave that to House Republicans.”