Ted Cruz says facing down ‘hostile’ CNBC debate moderators makes him qualified to be president

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) cited his recent debate experience to show how he might unite Americans.

The Republican presidential candidate said he had been battle-tested by politically hostile moderators during the Oct. 28 debate broadcast by CNBC.

He lashed out during the debate and complained bitterly afterward that "real journalists" such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity should moderate future GOP debates.

Even so, that's an experience Cruz said he could call upon when a reporter asked the "champion of conservative values and issues" how he would "bring unity to a divided nation," reported Right Wing Watch.

“It’s a great question, and let’s talk about unity for a second,” Cruz said during the event earlier this month organized by Kevin Swanson, a pastor who has called for LGBT people to be put to death.

“How do you bring unity?" Cruz continued. "You know, we saw a moment of unity last week in the debate when I called out the debate moderators. One of the great results that happened was you saw all the Republicans on stage come together and be united, standing behind that charge of the ridiculous bias, the dripping condescension, the assumption in each of those media questions that anyone who actually believes in the conservative principles that America was built on is somehow a blithering idiot. That unity was encouraging.”

Cruz kept up his tough-talking debater act after President Barack Obama criticized him for suggesting that only Christian Syrian refugees should be allowed to resettle in the U.S.

"Mr. President, if you want to insult me, you can do it overseas, you can do it in Turkey, you can do it in foreign countries, but I would encourage you, Mr. President, come back and insult me to my face," Cruz said Wednesday morning. "Let's have a debate on Syrian refugees right now. We can do it anywhere you want. I'd prefer it in the United States and not overseas where you're making the insults. It's easy to toss a cheap insult when no one can respond, but let's have a debate."