Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said recently that opponents who criticized him were really attacking all of the American people.
Ann Marie Murrell and Dr. Gina Loudon of the conservative website Politichicks caught up with Cruz at what they described as a "top-secret dinner" following his Friday appearance on NBC's Tonight Show.
"We all asked, we begged for someone to stand up for us and then you stood up for us," Murrell told the senator. "But then you were denigrated by both the left and the right. Does this make you want to chunk it in or does this make you want to fight harder for us?"
"I'm encouraged," Cruz insisted. "I'm encouraged because I think all across the country, I think people are getting energized, they're getting engaged, they're speaking up. And we shouldn't be surprised. Changing the country isn't easy. And the establishment is going to fight back. In both parties, they don't want to change."
"And so, the reason -- the nastier the attacks get -- I mean, they're directed at all of us, they are directed at the American people," he continued. "Because a lot of the folks in Washington don't want to be held accountable."
Regarding the possibility of a 2016 presidential run, Cruz warned that "we don't have a long time to turn this country around."
"I think we need leadership to pull us back, to get back to economic growth," he said. "There's a reason why people from all over the world have come to the United States seeking the American Dream. Because there's never been a country in the history of the world where you could come with nothing and achieve anything based not on who your daddy is, not on who your family is, but based on your talent and perseverance and on the content of your character."
"Politichicks is awesome," Cruz said in conclusion. "Y'all are doing an awesome job. Thank you for speaking up for freedom."
Watch this video from Politichicks, broadcast Nov. 13, 2013.
