Rush Limbaugh has been a rather consistent defender of Donald Trump, even in the billionaires most alienating moments.
But Trumps attacks on his enemy du jour, Sen. Ted Cruz, was a bit much for the conservative radio host.
Limbaugh declared Trumps criticism of Cruzs challenges of the GOP establishment as a tactical campaign error. In vintage Trump style, the real estate mogul did not mince words, using the word maniac to characterize Cruzs railings on the Senate floor against the Republican leadership.
He wasnt the only conservative leader turned off by Trumps attack on Cruz. Radio talk show host and former Reagan administration official Mark Levin, for example, also took issue with the implication that conservatives who take a stand against GOP business-as-usual are off-kilter.
Levin, who has been a very vocal champion of Trump, condemned the billionaire's comments about Cruz on his Facebook page: "Does that make all conservatives who support Cruz against [Mitch] McConnell, et al, maniacs? And he thinks Cruz is owned by the oil companies because he opposes taxpayer-subsidized ethanol, like most conservatives? Defending the GOP ruling class and lurching left are dumb tactics.
Levin concluded that Trump really screwed up this time. Big time."
Limbaugh said on his radio show Monday: My questioning here about the way Trump has gone off Cruz here, calling him a maniac, refusing to work with people in the Senate, the reason Im focusing on that, folks, cause thats so unlike Trump. I mean, thats a huge mistake."
On paper its a huge mistake, Limbaugh said. Trump gets away with his mistakes. Such is the bond of loyalty that his support base has for him that he gets away with them. And I dont think hes made that many. Dont misunderstand.
But for any of you who are holding out hope that Trump is a genuine conservative, Limbaugh said, a genuine conservative, even in the Republican field, would not go after Cruz this way. So that just raised a red flag for me, made me somewhat curious.
In an interview on Fox News Sunday with host Chris Wallace, Trump described Cruz as unfit for the presidency because of his well-known ways of alienating his GOP colleagues, which, among other things, led to the infamous government shutdown in 2013 over Obamacare and, recently, an unsuccessful attempt to cause another one over Planned Parenthood funding.
Look at the way hes dealt with the Senate, where he goes in there like a you know, frankly like a little bit of a maniac. Youre never going to get things done that way," Trump said.
Trump said that Cruz doesnt have the requisite quality of getting along with others in order to achieve a goal.
Cruz, who has taken to such things as reading Dr. Seusss Green Eggs and Ham in character on the Senate floor five hours into a 21-hour speech, responded to Trumps attack with a Twitter link to the song Maniac from the 1983 hit movie Flashdance, which the senator is said to love.
Before the recent exchanges, Cruz and Trump had claimed the most amicable relationship among the GOP presidential rivals. Apparently Cruz crossed the billionaires electoral red line when he outperformed him in recent voter polls, and to boot criticized him at a private fundraiser in Manhattan.
Speaking about Trump and the other political outsider near the top of the GOP polls, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Cruz said, "I dont believe either one of them is going to be our president.
According to an audio recording of the event that was made available to the New York Times, Cruz went on, You look at Paris, you look at San Bernardino, its given a seriousness to this race that people are looking for: Who is prepared to be a commander in chief? Who understands the threats we face? he asked.