Trump attacks Ted Cruz's evangelical appeal, suggesting his Cuban heritage undermines his faith

At a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Donald Trump broke his long-standing truce with Ted Cruz by launching a series of verbal attacks. Trump accused Cruz of being beholden to big oil companies due to his opposition to ethanol subsidies, and cast doubt on Cruz's appeal to evangelical voters by stating, "not a lot of evangelicals come out of Cuba." The remarks, referencing Cruz's father's birth country, were widely seen as a coded ethnic and religious jab. The attack followed leaked audio in which Cruz privately questioned Trump's judgment, and it marked a sharp escalation in the GOP primary as Cruz was surging in Iowa polls with strong evangelical support.

“I do like Ted Cruz, but not a lot of evangelicals come out of Cuba, in all fairness. It's true. Not a lot come out. But I like him nevertheless.” — During a Des Moines rally, Trump broke his truce with Cruz, citing leaked audio of Cruz questioning Trump's judgment, and attacked Cruz's evangelical credibility by referencing his Cuban heritage. Quote verified against source