Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz pulled into Oklahoma City on Thursday to speak with supporters and drum up support for his campaign.
Speaking from the back of a blue pickup truck in the parking lot of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association, the U.S. Senator from Texas laid out his plans for the White House, which include the repeal of Obamacare, defunding Planned Parenthood, a flat tax and eliminating the Internal Revenue Service, among other things. His sharpest criticisms were directed at the Obama administration’s proposal Iran nuclear deal.
Cruz did not go on the offensive against Donald Trump and other GOP contenders, and focused his barbs on potential Democratic rivals Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
“The Democratic field consists of a wild-eyed socialist with ideas that are dangerous for America and the world, and Bernie Sanders,” Cruz told the crowd to laughter. Cruz also joked that the Democrats initially planned an early debate, but the invitation was emailed to Clinton.
Cruz laid out his plan for his first day in office, if he wins the White House. He said he would roll back all of President Obama’s executive actions, instruct the Department of Justice to open an investigation into Planned Parenthood, drop litigation against the Little Sisters of the Poor, “rip to shreds this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal,” and move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
He also aims to end Common Core and “rebuild our military.”
Cruz had previously said that if Congress approved the Iran nuclear deal that the Obama administration would become “the world’s leading financier of radical Islamic terrorism.” Obama rebuked his remarks, as did Mitt Romney and fellow GOP hopeful Jeb Bush. Cruz stood by his comments on Thursday.
“The single greatest security threat facing America today is the threat of a nuclear Iran,” Cruz said.
Cruz said he wants to propose a flat tax to Congress and eliminate the Internal Revenue Service. He joked about placing the IRS’s 90,000 employees on the southern border with Mexico.
“Imagine you traveled thousands of miles in the blazing sun, you’re swimming the Rio Grande. The first thing you see is 90,000 IRS agents,” Cruz said. “You’d turn around a go home too.”
Cruz added he also aims to end sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants.
