Donald Trump releases raging statement threatening 'legal action' against 'totally unstable' Ted Cruz
Trump is continuing his attacks against Cruz, his Republican presidential rival, after the real-estate mogul and senator sparred extensively during the Republican debate on Saturday night.
"Ted Cruz is desperate," Trump said at the press conference in Charleston, South Carolina. "I think Ted is a very unstable guy."
Trump has accused Cruz of running robocalls saying that Trump was not going to run in the upcoming South Carolina primary.
During the conference, Trump said that the calls are "much more severe than anything that you had" during the Iowa caucuses.
Trump's emailed statement did not mention the calls or South Carolina specifically, but it referred to Cruz's alleged "fraudulent" actions.
"If Ted is going to continue to lie with such desperation, I have no choice but to fight back," the statement said.
Trump continued:
One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President. If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don't they are in default of their pledge to me.
Trump previously said on Friday that he had "standing" to sue if Cruz didn't "clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads." Trump said at the press conference that he has already hired a lawyer.
The Cruz campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Here's Trump's full, nine-paragraph statement:
Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual. He is the single biggest liar I've ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much.
Cruz said I would be appointing a liberal judge when in fact I will appoint a great conservative and I am the only candidate who has gone so far, at the debate, as to suggest two individuals I feel would best represent the conservative values we need to protect: William "Bill" Pryor Jr. and Diane Sykes.
Cruz says I am pro-choice, when in fact I am staunchly pro-life and have been for a long time. Like Ronald Reagan, on many issues, I have evolved.
Cruz says I am in favor of ObamaCare, when in fact I have spoken about repealing and replacing this disaster of a system at every speech throughout my campaign and since it's inception. Meanwhile, Cruz was responsible for getting Bush to put in the judge that failed to vote against ObamaCare twice.
Cruz says I will try to take away your second amendment rights, when I am one of the strongest proponents of the right to bear arms and I say so in every speech that I have made for years. I am a proud member of the NRA and so are my sons.
Cruz has become unhinged and is lying with the hopes that his statements will go unchecked until after the election and he will save his failing campaign.
In Iowa, Cruz told thousands of Ben Carson voters that Dr. Carson had left the race and to instead vote for Ted Cruz. He apologized when the race was over. Likewise, his fraudulent voter violation form sent to Iowa voters. If Ted is going to continue to lie with such desperation, I have no choice but to fight back.
One of the ways I can fight back is to bring a lawsuit against him relative to the fact that he was born in Canada and therefore cannot be President. If he doesn't take down his false ads and retract his lies, I will do so immediately. Additionally, the RNC should intervene and if they don't they are in default of their pledge to me.
I am the strongest on the borders and I will build a wall, and it will be a real wall. I am strongest on illegal immigration, strongest on ISIS, strongest on the military and I will take care of our Vets. I will end common core and preserve the second amendment. I will renegotiate our trade deals and bring our jobs back to our country. I am the only person who will Make America Great Again.