Cruz Doesn’t Mince Words When Responding to Trump Threatening His Wife: ‘Heidi Is Way Out of His League’

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) bluntly disparaged fellow candidate Donald Trump's character during a Wednesday interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo.

During the interview, Cuomo asked Cruz about his response to Trump's Tuesday tweet in which the Republican presidential front-runner threatened Cruz's wife in response to ad from Make America Awesome, an anti-Trump super PAC, that featured a nude photo of Trump's wife, Melania. The ad asked voters to "support Ted Cruz" unless they wanted Melania to become "your next first lady."

Cruz responded to Trump's threat to "spill the beans" on his wife by calling Trump "more of a coward than I thought" for trying to attack his wife, Heidi.

"[Trump] is baiting you again with what he thought you were responsible for with the picture of his wife," Cuomo said to Cruz during the interview. "I know it was the super PAC, I know, but he blames you. You took the bait and responded and called him 'more of a coward than you thought.' Do you believe that that is taking you in the direction you need be to beat Donald Trump with any kind of broad-based coalition you're looking to build?"

After reaffirming that he had "nothing to do" with the super PAC group or the ad, Cruz proceeded to go after Trump.

"So last night, Donald threatened my wife. He went directly after my wife," Cruz told Cuomo. "And I gotta tell you that, number one, Heidi, my wife, she's the daughter of missionaries in Africa, she's my best friend in the world, and if Donald wants to get in the character fight, he's better off sticking with me cause Heidi is way out of his league."

"But it is also, it reveals a lot about character, reveals a lot about class, that Donald's instinct is to try to attack my wife and sully her, and you know what, that should be beneath Donald," Cruz continued. "But you know Chris, the reason he's doing that is cause he had a very bad night last night. He got clobbered in Utah."

Cruz soundly beat Trump in the Utah GOP caucus Tuesday night, capturing more that 69 percent of the vote and sweeping all of the state's 40 delegates.

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