Approach Quote by Ted Cruz
“What we saw with both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, that their response, whenever you point to anything in their record, is just to yell, "Liar, liar, liar," and to get very personal and to make direct character attacks. And my approach, from the very beginning of this President's campaign, starting a year ago in 2015, is that I will not respond in kind. I do not intend to insult any of the candidates.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Republican National Convention, 2015
He chooses not to retaliate with personal attacks, maintaining a civil discourse despite opponents' accusations.
In simple terms: He avoids responding with insults.
Key Takeaway
Stay civil, avoid personal attacks.
Themes
politics
ethics
communication
Mood
serious
determined
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- debates
- campaigns
- media interviews
- public statements
Key Concepts
civility
strategic restraint
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one balance firmness with civility?
- What are the risks of refusing to counterattack?
A Different Perspective
Opponents may view restraint as weakness.
![“It's really remarkable to see two candidates,[Donald] Trump and [Marco] Rubio, making things up and putting things out for which there is no evidence and no basis.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f3b/ted-cruz-487_bases_it-s-really-remarkable-to-see-two-candid_2830497.jpg)
![“I will sing their praises, I'll sing Donald's [Trump] praises and Marco's [Rubio] praises and everybody else's praises. But I'm going to keep the focus on substance and records. And there's a reason why they scream "Liar." Because when you point to their own records, their own voting records…” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e75/ted-cruz-487_focus_i-will-sing-their-praises-i-ll-sing-dona_676252.jpg)
![“On his [Marco Rubio] Gang of Eight bill, he would have liberalized immigration, but he did not - and he steadfastly opposed any new border security requirements for refugees or students.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d6/ted-cruz-487_bills_on-his-marco-rubio-gang-of-eight-bill-he_230346.jpg)
![“I think the establishment donor class has begun to crumble. They're searching for [Marco] Rubio, trying to get some momentum there. But the establishment in terms of the official elected leadership of the Republican Party, when you look at [Kevin] McCarthy, they're starting to wrap theirselves…” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/068/ted-cruz-487_class_i-think-the-establishment-donor-class-ha_2986859.jpg)
![“One of the problems with Marco's [Rubio] foreign policy is he has far too often supported Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama undermining governments in the Middle East that have helped radical Islamic terrorists.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/925/ted-cruz-487_barack_one-of-the-problems-with-marco-s-rubio-f_1884448.jpg)
![“Marco [Rubio] has more of an allegiance to Chuck Schumer and to the liberals than he does to conservative policy.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7bc/ted-cruz-487_allegiance_marco-rubio-has-more-of-an-allegiance-to_1726895.jpg)
![“I was then and am now very much a happy warrior, very much joyful. Not engaging in character attacks myself, just putting out, "Here are the facts, here are the evidence."And I noted, for example, that both of them [Marco Rubio and Donald Trump] were relying on fabrications.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c7/ted-cruz-487_character_i-was-then-and-am-now-very-much-a-happy_1473929.jpg)
![“Donald Trump has opened [ politically correct enforcement] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little bit when he said it is temporary.” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/572/ted-cruz-487_bits_donald-trump-has-opened-politically-corr_6712.jpg)
