Just hours after insulting the people of New York on national television, smearing them for their alleged "New York values," Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz unabashedly and shockingly asked them for financial support in his White House campaign, reports said.
In a mass email addressed to New York residents and sent on Friday morning, Cruz wrote, "So, I'm counting on you New York ... Can I ask you . . . to make an urgent gift of at least $25? Or, if you can afford more, will you make an urgent gift of $100 or even $500?"
Cruz's actions were immediately denounced by legions of angry New Yorkers labeling Cruz a hypocrite and a political hack, the New York Daily News reported.
The tabloid publication led an attack on the Texas Republican, coming out with Friday's front page headline "Drop Dead, Ted" with an illustration of an angry Statue of Liberty making an indecent hand gesture at the senator.
The attack on Cruz came after he issued a less-than-sincere "apology" on Friday for insulting the 8.5 million residents of New York City with his dismissive comments about "New York values," which he described as "socially liberal, are pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage; focus around money and the media."
Cruz did issue an apology—but in his own sarcastic way.
"You're right, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio have asked me to apologise," Cruz said on Friday.
"I apologise to the millions of New Yorkers who've been let down by liberal politicians," he said.
He also apologised for those "denied jobs because Gov. Cuomo won't allow fracking" and to the New Yorkers who are "pro-life and pro-marriage and pro-second amendment who were told by Gov. Cuomo they have no place in New York."
Cruz "apologised" to the "African American children who Mayor de Blasio tried to throw out of their charter schools that were providing a pipeline to American Dream."
He also apologised to New York law enforcement and first responders who he said de Blasio doesn't stand with and instead "stands with looters and criminals."
The mayor earlier labelled Cruz a hypocrite who had no trouble soliciting campaign funds from New Yorkers in his run for the White House. Cruz also accepted a $1 million low-interest loan from Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street financial giant based in New York since 1869, to help finance his 2012 run for the Senate.
On Friday, the Daily News stood up for the all New Yorkers by urging Cruz to "go back to Canada" on its front page.
Cruz's tirade managed to create a coalition of typically contentious New York politicians who all condemned his comments: They included Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, in addition to GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
"Just this once, Trump's right: New Yorkers value hard work, diversity, tolerance, resilience and building better lives for our families," Clinton tweeted.
Cuomo blasted Cruz, calling him a hypocrite for extending his hand for campaign cash while verbally stabbing city residents in the back.
Cruz "doesn't know what New York values are because New York is in many ways the epitome of what formed this nation and what keeps it strong," Cuomo said on NY1. "The Statue of Liberty is in our harbour."
De Blasio, New York City's Democratic mayor, said he was surprised to find himself on the same side of an issue with Trump.
"I think it was right for Donald Trump to defend New York and to talk about the heroic actions of the people of this city after 9/11," de Blasio said.
"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I am disgusted at the insults that Ted Cruz threw at this city and its people," the mayor went on. "And the bottom line is he does not understand in the least New York values."
"He has no trouble taking money from New York City, but he's quick to insult our people and our values," said de Blasio. "But I think it's really going to backfire. People are going to see through this as hypocrisy of the highest order."
Giuliani, who was mayor when Al Qaeda brought down the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, expressed his disbelief and disgust with Cruz's remark.
"After all we have been through as a city and as one undivided nation, to have a United States senator running for President paint New York as a city consumed with greed, sin and media obsession is shocking," said Giuliani.
"Sen. Ted Cruz should apologise to the people of New York for his remarks and to the people of the United States for his crass attempt to divide us."
