Cruz-Trump Feud Heats Up Over Iowa Accusations

“Based on the fraud committed by Senator Ted Cruz during the Iowa Caucus, either a new election should take place or Cruz results nullified“, Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. The billionaire businessman placed second behind the conservative Texas senator.

Nashua, New Hampshire (CNN)Ted Cruz said Wednesday that CNN’s reporting on the night of the Iowa caucuses about Republican rival Ben Carson’s campaign was accurate.

Trump jumped on the news that Cruz staffers told voters Carson was quitting the race when Carson announced instead of New Hampshire he would return to Florida for clean clothes.

His first tweet actually claimed that Cruz “illegally” stole Iowa, but he has since deleted that language: now he accuses Cruz of just plain ol’ stealing (his lawyers must be quick on the Twitter trigger).

Carson, who placed fourth in the voting, blasted the “deceit and dirty tricks and lies” during a speech before his supporters there. “And I got to tell you – Caroline and Catherine are better behaved than a presidential candidate who responds by insulting everyone every day when he loses”.

Trump further tweeted the election was a fraud and called for new elections. He never caught on with voters beyond the small group of libertarian-leaning Republicans who backed the previous White House bids of his father, Ron Paul. The much talked-about Donald Trump was second with 24% and Marco Rubio third with a percentage less than him.

In a three-candidate poll, Public Policy Polling finds Rubio with 34 percent, Trump 33, and Cruz 25. Bernie Sanders has maintained his large lead, going up from 58 percent to 61 percent after Iowa.

Place among the top three candidates ranked according to the popular vote in the Iowa Republican caucuses on February 1, 2016. In 2008, it only took five days for Barack Obama to lose “the big ‘mo” to Hillary Clinton between Iowa and New Hampshire.

Rounding out the Republican field are retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 11%; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen.

There’s virtually no chance for the results to be invalidated or a new election held.