Cruz-Trump spat over wives takes nastier turn

Published 3:27 pm Thursday, March 24, 2016

<span class="RACopyBody">DANE, Wis. — Ted Cruz branded Donald Trump a "sniveling coward" Thursday as the feud between the Republican presidential contenders over their wives took a nastier turn.</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">After an earlier and vague threat to "spill the beans" about Heidi Cruz, Trump stoked the spat on Twitter when he retweeted side-by-side images of Cruz’s wife, with an unflattering grimace, and his wife, Melania, in a gauzyruz, glamorous pose.</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">"No need to spill the beans," said the caption. "The images are worth a thousand words."</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">Ted Cruz, campaigning in Wisconsin, was livid.</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">"Leave Heidi the hell alone," Cruz said, speaking through reporters to Trump.</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">"Donald does seem to have an issue with women," he said. "Donald doesn’t like strong women. Strong women scare Donald."</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">Trump was set off this week when a group that opposes him released an ad before the Utah presidential contest raising questions about the propriety of Melania Trump becoming first lady. The ad showed a provocative, decade-old magazine photo of her when she was a model and before she married Trump.</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">Trump wrongly attributed the ad to the Cruz campaign and warned on Twitter: "Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!"</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">The lurch into personal territory normally off limits in campaigns came as an anti-Trump super PAC ran an ad in primary states that features women reciting derogatory comments made by the billionaire about women. The ad was produced by Our Principles, a group founded by a former Mitt Romney campaign adviser who is trying to help the Republican Party appeal to more women.</span>

<span class="RACopyBody">Trump has a substantial lead in the delegate chase for the GOP nomination. Cruz has a stiff challenge trying to catch him in remaining races and may only have a shot at the nomination if the contest spills into the summer convention.</span><p>Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz</p>Andy Manis<p>R-Texas</p>Andy Manis