Ted Cruz: I don't think Donald Trump will win, and 'the lion's share' of his supporters will come to me
In an interview with WABC on Friday, Cruz suggested that Trump will eventually flame out and that he would be able to absorb "the lion's share" of the current front-runner's support.
"I don't believe Donald is going to be the nominee and I think in time the lion's share of his supporters end up with us," Cruz said. "And I think the reason is what I was just saying, that if you look to the records of all the Republican candidates there's a big difference between my record and that of everyone else if you ask, 'Who has stood up to Washington?'"
Cruz spoke highly of Trump's contribution to the race. And he said he'll be able to capitalize on the anti-establishment anger that Trump has stoked.
"I think the most beneficial thing Donald Trump's involvement in the race has been - I think his involvement has been tremendously helpful to my campaign, because it's framed the central question of this primary as, who will stand up to Washington?" Cruz said. "And if that's the central question, the natural next question that any voter will ask is, 'OK, well, who actually has stood up to Washington?"
Though many of the Republican presidential candidates have barbed with Trump, Cruz has refused and even cozied up to the real-estate mogul. Last month, Cruz appeared alongside Trump at a rally opposing the nuclear deal with Iran.
But Cruz still has a long and complicated path to the nomination.
He consistently polls in the middle of the pack nationally, typically behind anti-establishment figures like retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, as well as establishment favorites like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R).
And Trump has recently doubled down on assertions that he has no plans to abandon the campaign anytime soon..
In an appearance on Morning Joe on Friday, Trump rebuffed questions about possibly dropping out of the presidential race if his poll numbers declined.
"You know what I say right now?" Trump asked on Morning Joe. "I give more of a political answer: I'm never getting out."