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WATCH: Ted Cruz Clashes With Trump Supporter, 'He Is Playing You For A Chump'

If the entire, bizarre 2016 GOP presidential primary could be captured in one video, this might be it.

While campaigning for his political life in Indiana just ahead of their critical primary on Tuesday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was shaking hands alongside Indiana Gov. Mike Pence when a very vocal supporter of Donald Trump interrupted.

Chants of "Do the math! Do the math!" began in the distance, while supporters of his try to counter their own chorus of "Cruz! Cruz!"

But as the White House hopeful starts to exit, he comes face-to-face with one of his loudest detractors and proceeds to engage him and try to reason with him for more than eight minutes.

"I appreciate you coming out and standing up," he told one man at the front of the pack of protesters. "I'm running to be everyone's president."

"We don't want you! Do the math!" the man yelled back. "You asked [Ohio Gov.] John Kasich to drop out. It's your turn."

Cruz asked the man what he likes about Trump, and the man pointed to Trump's famed proposal to build a massive wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Do you know, on the wall, that Donald told the New York Times editorial board he's not going to build a wall and he's not going to deport anyone," Cruz responded.

"Where's your Goldman Sachs jacket? We know your wife works there," the man retorted later.

"Sir, with all respect, Donald Trump is deceiving you. He is playing you for a chump," Cruz argued back, pointing to the fact that many Trump-branded products are made overseas even as he rails against outsourcing.

When the man jabbed back that Trump will best defend the Second Amendment, Cruz pointed to Trump's past positions in support of gun control.

"I appreciate your being out here speaking," Cruz even told the main, remaining calm throughout. "If I were Donald Trump, I wouldn't have come over here and talked to you. I wouldn't have shown you that respect. In fact, I would have told those folks over there, 'Go over and punch those guys in the face.' That's what Donald does to protesters."

"You'll find out tomorrow," the man said. "Indiana don't want you."

It wasn't the only unfortunate incident that befell Cruz's campaign over the weekend as he's struggling to catch Trump ahead of Tuesday's crucial vote.

In a Hail Mary last week, the trailing GOP candidate tapped former rival Carly Fiorina as his would-be running mate. This Vine, however, of an awkward victory lap at that announcement last Wednesday has been circulating.

And while campaigning in the Hoosier State over the weekend, Fiorina also took a tumble off the stage at a rally.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Jessica Taylor is a political reporter with NPR based in Washington, DC, covering elections and breaking news out of the White House and Congress. Her reporting can be heard and seen on a variety of NPR platforms, from on air to online. For more than a decade, she has reported on and analyzed House and Senate elections and is a contributing author to the 2020 edition of The Almanac of American Politicsand is a senior contributor to The Cook Political Report.
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