Texas Sen. Ted Cruz defended his presidential campaign ads accusing his top rival Donald Trump of being pro-choice on abortion, saying he is only using Trump's own words.
Cruz received a cease-and-desist letter from Trump's lawyers Wednesday, and said during a CNN town hall later that night that he "laughed out loud" when he saw it.
"Donald Trump says he's pro-choice, supports partial birth abortion and he's pro-choice in every respect," Cruz said, adding that Trump seems to be arguing that showing his own words in the ad amounts to defamation.
Host Anderson Cooper pointed out that the interview is with "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert from the 1990s, and Trump says he has changed his views since then and is now pro-life.
"It's the most ridiculous theory that telling voters what his actual record is… is deceitful and lying," Cruz said.
Besides, Cruz said, Trump said just four days ago in a debate that he supports Planned Parenthood except for when it performs abortions.
"They are responsible for taking the lives of millions of unborn children," Cruz said. "Nobody who is actually pro-life could stand up on the stage and sing its praises. I don't think we need to be sending federal taxpayer found an organization on video has been implicated in what appears to be multiple federal felonies."
Further, Cruz said, Trump has said he wouldn't mind naming his sister, a federal judge, to the Supreme Court.
"His sister is a radical pro-abortion judge," Cruz said. "She struck down New Jersey's ban on partial-birth abortion as irrational. That's an extreme position."
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