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Cruz's appearance in South Carolina is for a reason: the Cruz gameplan relies on him besting Donald Trump here
"The next president of the United States is going to be chosen by the most powerful force in all of politics: We the people, the grassroots," Cruz said
Ted Cruz on Tuesday looked to carry the momentum of his Iowa victory to South Carolina, where he urged supporters in the early-voting state to rally behind him as the second coming of Ronald Reagan.
Cruz, who regularly cites the 40th president on the campaign trail, said Reagan’s success “came from the American people and it turned this place around. We went from misery and stagnation and malaise to booming economic growth, to millions lifted out of poverty,” he told supporters. “Why am I so optimistic? Because the same thing is happening again. We saw the fruits of it last night in the state of Iowa.”
Cruz’s appearance in South Carolina – which doesn’t hold its primary for another three weeks – instead of New Hampshire, which votes next Tuesday, is for a reason: the Cruz gameplan relies on him besting Donald Trump here.
So while Trump was in New Hampshire on Tuesday, explaining his second-place finish in Iowa, Cruz was imploring South Carolinians to call family and friends and bring them to the polls.
“The next president of the United States is going to be chosen by the most powerful force in all of politics: We the people, the grassroots,” Cruz said. “And South Carolina is going to play such a pivotal role in the next three weeks. South Carolina’s role historically has been choosing presidents, and South Carolina this year is going to ensure that the next Republican nominee and the next president of the United States is a true and proven conservative.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Theodore Schleifer contributed to this report.