Trump, Cruz in dead heat in Iowa

The CBS News on-line poll has Trump ahead with 40 percent support from Republican primary voters, followed by Cruz at 21 percent and Rubio at 13 percent.

But Politico reports that a group by the name of Americans United for Values has attacked Ted Cruz, calling him a “false prophet”.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz isn’t backing down from his fight against Donald Trump as the Iowa Caucuses near, joking about what he called the real estate mogul’s daily routine of insulting him.

Two percent of GOP caucus goers said they still remain undecided, the new survey found, and even 39 percent of people who named a particular candidate said they could still change their mind.

But in hypothetical general election, Trump appears to fare slightly worse than either Cruz or Rubio when matched up against either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.

With most of the Republicans circling each other in Iowa, Chris Christie and John Kasich were searching for votes in New Hampshire, where the GOP base is friendlier to more mainstream, socially moderate candidates.

“I think the establishment actually is against me, but really coming on line because they see me as opposed to Cruz who is a nasty guy who can’t get along with anybody”, Trump said in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Iowa Congressman and Cruz endorser, Rep. Steve King, opened the event by asking attendees to support Cruz and to ignore attacks from other candidates.

Super PACs supporting Cruz are also helping Cruz in his fight to overtake Trump’s popularity with voters.

Trump has seized control of the GOP race, pushing anti-immigration and outside-the-Beltway themes, pollsters said. Indeed, the poll showed no significant change in standing over the past month despite an escalating verbal battle between Trump and Cruz.

His margin is smaller, though still significant, on handling foreign policy. When Cruz sent that tweet, he was leading Iowa in the RCP polling average 31% to 27.4% for Trump.

Trump and Bush tied, with 24 percent each, when voters were asked if there was someone they definitely would not support.

Later in Independence, Iowa, Cruz joked, “Mr. Trump, has had a lot to say about me lately”. Among Republicans, that expectation is at 68 percent. Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.