Ted Cruz should apologize to New York "for his remarks and to the people of the United States for his crass attempt to divide us," former Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Friday.
"After all we have been through as a city and as one undivided nation, to have a United States senator running for president paint New York as a city consumed with greed, sin and media obsession is shocking," Giuliani, who helmed the city on 9/11, said in an op-ed in
The New York Daily News.
"And whatever our inclinations in the presidential race, all of us should be proud of Donald Trump's strong, truthful and eloquent defense of our great city and nation."
Cruz ramped up his attacks on Trump in Iowa on Tuesday by saying that the Republican front-runner had "New York values" as he questioned his foreign policy credentials.
The first-term Texas senator explained during Thursday's debate that he was referring to "socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage" attitudes reflected people who live in New York.
"Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan," Cruz said as he turned to Trump. "I'm just saying."
Trump beat back Cruz's comments by noting that the famed conservative author William F. Buckley came from New York and then launched into a strong defense of how the nation rallied behind New York after 9/11.
In his piece, Giuliani said that on 9/11 "I asked my fellow New Yorkers to emerge stronger, to show the terrorists our resilience and to act as an example to the people of our country and the world."
That has been done, he said, because lower Manhattan now has a new World Trade Center, a rebuilt financial district — and more residents living in the area. Tourism also has increased in New York.
"I truly believed that 9/11 brought New Yorkers together with all other Americans because all we were doing is what any patriotic American would do," Giuliani said.
"No different than the people of Boston after the marathon bombing or the people of San Bernardino," he added, referring to the terrorism rampage last month that killed 14 people and injured 22 others.
He also noted that Cruz was among many politicians who come to New York to raise money for their campaigns.
"When Senator Cruz and so many of the other candidates of both parties come to New York City, they seem pretty happy to be here and are more than willing to take our money," Giuliani said.
"Well, if you're willing to take our money, then show us the respect we deserve and earned and don't try to divide us from our fellow Americans."