Trump says Cruz is now 'Beautiful Ted,' but doesn't regret implicating his father in JFK assassination

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President Donald Trump on Monday said Sen. Ted Cruz is no longer "Lyin' Ted."

• President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a new nickname for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, showcasing how much their relationship has shifted since the 2016 presidential campaign.
• Trump told reporters Cruz is no longer "Lyin' Ted," a nickname he frequently employed for the senator when he saw him as a political rival.
• Instead, he called him "Beautiful Ted."
• But the president also said he doesn't "regret" suggesting in 2016 that Cruz's father was involved in the assassination effort of President John F. Kennedy. 

President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a new nickname for Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, showcasing how much their relationship has shifted since the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump told reporters Cruz is no longer "Lyin' Ted," a nickname he frequently employed for the senator when he saw him as a political rival. On Monday, he dubbed him is now "Beautiful Ted."

The president also said he doesn't "regret" suggesting Cruz's father was involved in the assassination effort of President John F. Kennedy, which was among his more controversial statements regarding the Texas senator as they both vied for the GOP presidential nomination.

"I don't regret anything, honestly," Trump told CNN's Kaitlan Collins. "It all worked out very nicely." 

In May 2016, Trump said to Fox News: "[Cruz's] father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being - you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous. What is this, right prior to his being shot, and nobody even brings it up. They don't even talk about that. That was reported, and nobody talks about it."

"I mean, what was he doing - what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?" Trump added at the time. "It's horrible."

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump also attacked the appearance of Cruz's wife. But the president said he and Cruz have since buried the hatchet and that he now likes his former opponent. 

This all comes as Trump endorses Cruz ahead of November's midterm elections. He's set to appear alongside Cruz at a rally in Houston on Monday night to urge voters to support him. With a slim Republican majority in the Senate, Trump seems to recognize his agenda is at risk of facing significant obstacles if Democrats gain even one seat. 

Cruz has faced a tough race against Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who's fighting to unseat the Texas senator. Trump on Monday told reporters he thinks O'Rourke is "highly overrated."