CNN’s Cuomo confronts Cruz for mocking Dem rival on name change: Your real name is Rafael

CNN’s Chris Cuomo confronted Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for slamming his Democratic rival for going by a nickname, noting that Cruz also doesn’t go by his given name.

Cruz’s campaign released a jingle Tuesday night mocking Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) for going by Beto instead of Robert. O’Rourke won the Democratic primary Tuesday night and will battle Cruz for his Senate seat.

“You go after Beto for his name. Beto is obviously a nickname — why?” Cuomo asked Cruz.

{mosads}

“First of all, you didn’t like that dirty pool when you were running for president and the president called you ‘Lyin’ Ted,’ you didn’t like that kind of tactic,” Cuomo said.

“And you know what, your name is Rafael, you go by Ted but your middle name is Edward, that’s a more Anglicized version of it,” he continued. “He went the other way and has a more ethnic version of his name — why go after him? You’re both doing the same thing.”

“You’re absolutely right, my name is Rafael Edward Cruz,” Cruz replied.

He said that he was named after his father, also Rafael Cruz, a Cuban immigrant.

“In terms of the jingle, some of it is just have a sense of humor,” the senator said.

The jingle mocks O’Rourke for going by Beto.

“Liberal Robert wanted to fit in, so he changed his name to Beto and hid it with a grin,” the song says.

O’Rourke wouldn’t comment on the jingle during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” on Wednesday.

“I just don’t think that’s what folks in Texas want us to focus on,” he said. “We can get into name calling or talk about why the other person’s such an awful guy, or we can focus on the big things we want to do for the future of our country.”

O’Rourke refuses to engage on Cruz’s campaign song mocking his name, saying: “I just don’t think that’s what folks in Texas want us to focus on … We can focus on the small, mean, petty stuff or we can be big, bold, courageous and confident” https://t.co/6Woz2mxiqX pic.twitter.com/uDMxgOuC7U

— New Day (@NewDay) March 7, 2018