WASHINGTON — Ted Cruz questioned Wednesday whether Donald Trump is too unhinged to be trusted with nuclear weapons after Trump unleashed a series of tweets accusing Cruz of election “fraud” in Iowa.
“He’s losing it,” Cruz told reporters on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, which holds the nation’s first primary election on Tuesday.
“I don’t know anyone who would be comfortable with someone who behaves this way having his finger on the button.
“I mean we’re liable to wake up one day and Donald, if he were president, would have nuked Denmark,” quipped Cruz, who has himself been criticized for saying he would “carpet bomb” ISIS in Syria.
Going right at Trump in the way Trump usually eviscerates opponents, Cruz said, “Donald is throwing yet another temper tantrum, or rather a ‘Trumpertantrum.’ It seems his reaction to everything is to throw a fit. I understand Donald Trump has a hard time losing, but the people of Iowa have spoken.”
Trump reignited the war between the two GOP presidential front-runners by releasing a barrage of accusatory tweets Wednesday, following his defeat by Cruz in the Iowa caucuses on Monday.
“Ted Cruz didn’t win Iowa, he stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated. Bad!” Trump wrote.
In the initial version of the tweet, which Trump quickly deleted, he said Cruz “illegally” stole the election. The updated tweet removed that incendiary word.
Then, Trump blasted Cruz for “fraud” by pointing to a top Cruz aide who suggested in an election-night message that Ben Carson was quitting the race and that Carson supporters should back Cruz.
“Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified,” Trump wrote.
Carson didn’t quit the race, though he did fly to Florida as Iowa results were pouring in Tuesday night. His campaign said he flew home to get new clothes after a long stint on the road.
When not questioning Trump’s sanity, the Cruz camp resorted to biting humor to try to bring down their chief rival.
“Reality has hit the reality star,” said Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler.
“Since Iowa, no one is talking about Donald Trump. That’s why he’s popping off on Twitter. There are Twitter addiction therapy groups, and he should check in with his local chapter.”
Meanwhile, Trump headed to Arkansas to give a speech. But while en route, his private Boeing 757 jet suffered engine problems and was forced to make an emergency landing in Nashville at about 7:40 p.m.
No one was hurt and Trump made it the rest of the way by car.