Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump slammed top rival Ted Cruz in a blistering statement on Tuesday night after Cruz beat him in the Wisconsin primary.
Cruz earned 48.3 percent of the vote in Wisconsin, against Trump’s 35.1 percent. John Kasich drew 14.1 percent, with the rest voting for other candidates.
“Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet—he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination away from Mr. Trump. We have total confidence that Mr. Trump will go on to win in New York, where he holds a substantial lead in all the polls, and beyond.”
The statement concluded by arguing that Trump is “the only candidate” that has a chance of defeating Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Cruz didn’t respond directly, but suggested in his victory speech that voters have finally seen him as the right choice over Trump.
“Tonight is a turning point,” Cruz told cheering supporters not long after the race was called. “It is a rallying cry. It is a call from the hardworking men and women of Wisconsin to the people of America—we have a choice, a real choice.”