Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) argued that the Democratic Party's support base has shifted from blue-collar workers to Hollywood celebrities and billionaires.
The senator's comments came after President Joe Biden held a fundraiser in Los Angeles with actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts and former President Barack Obama, and former President Donald Trump visited a church in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday. Senator Cruz contrasted the two moves between Trump and Biden as symbolic of a shift in who the Democratic Party is pandering to.
“If you're actually talking about steelworkers, if you're talking about taxi drivers, if you're talking about waiters and waitresses, the Democrats abandoned those workers a long time ago,” Cruz said on Fox News. Maria Bartiromo and the Future of Sunday Mornings“And in fact, the steelworkers are squeezing the steel mills with environmental regulations, making it harder and harder for them to stay in business. The truckers are squeezing the truckers with regulations, making it harder and harder for them to survive.”
Cruz also pointed to California's recent minimum wage hike, which has led to several restaurant chains closing locations in the state, arguing that Governor Gavin Newsom's (D-Calif.) leadership has only led to workers losing their jobs, adding that Trump's approach to helping workers is “much better.”
Part of Trump's strategy to win blue-collar votes is to repeal the tax on tipped wages, something he promised to do at a rally in Las Vegas if he returns to the White House. Cruz said the former president could win Nevada “with just that one policy,” adding that he was working on drafting a bill this week.
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Cruz also spoke about a recent meeting he and several other Republicans had with Trump on Thursday, saying he didn't find Trump “optimistic.” He described the overall atmosphere during the meeting as “unity” and said everyone recognized the importance of winning the next election to “build our country back up.”
Trump's weekend visit to Detroit drew praise from local pastor Lorenzo Sewell, who noted that neither Obama nor Biden visited “poverty-stricken areas” during their campaigns and thanked Trump for the visit.
