Pushes conspiracy theory linking Cruz’s father to Lee Harvey Oswald

On the morning of the crucial Indiana primary, Trump phoned into Fox & Friends and cited a National Enquirer story to claim that Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael, had been photographed with John F. Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, shortly before the president was murdered. Treating a tabloid smear as fact, he told viewers that Rafael Cruz was "with Lee Harvey Oswald" and suggested this should be a major scandal for his rival. Multiple outlets quickly pointed out there was no credible evidence for the allegation, and fact-checkers later documented how the story originated in conspiracy circles and the Enquirer’s own hit piece. By amplifying the claim on national television anyway, Trump used baseless conspiracy theory as a campaign weapon against a named opponent, further normalizing disinformation as a tool against his targets.

“father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being — you know, shot… — what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death? Before the shooting?" "Trump” — Fox & Friends phone interview on the morning of the May 3, 2016 Indiana primary, where Trump cited a National Enquirer story to suggest Rafael Cruz had been photographed with Lee Harvey Oswald before the Kennedy assassination Quote verified against source