President Donald Trump took a playful jab at Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during an Oval Office event on Monday celebrating his new “Trump Accounts,” revisiting their once-heated rivalry from the 2016 Republican presidential primary while joking that Cruz could one day end up on the U.S. Supreme Court.
As Trump introduced the lawmakers and officials involved in the initiative to create savings accounts for young Americans, he eventually turned his attention to Cruz, recalling the Texas senator as one of his toughest political opponents before noting that the two have since become friends.
Trump praised Cruz’s work in the Senate and described him as a highly respected lawmaker before turning to a humorous hypothetical about a future Supreme Court nomination.
“He’s done a wonderful job as a senator, highly respected. In fact, somebody said, would you ever appoint him to the United States Supreme Court? Because he’s a brilliant lawyer, Ted,” Trump said.
The president then joked that Cruz would have little trouble securing confirmation because members of both parties would support the nomination, albeit for different reasons.
“They said, well, he’s the only one I can think of that’s going to get 100 votes. All Republicans will vote for him. All Democrats will vote him because they want to get him the hell out of the Senate,” Trump said. “No, if I was having a hard time with getting the votes, I would appoint Ted Cruz. I get 100 percent, a guarantee.”
The remarks drew attention as Trump reflected on the evolution of his relationship with Cruz, whom he described as “a very tough competitor” during the 2016 GOP primary campaign before adding that they ultimately became friends.
After Trump finished his remarks, Cruz also addressed those gathered and made a comment that generated attention of its own.
The Texas senator thanked the president for “getting rid of that ridiculous red card,” referring to reports involving U.S. Men’s National Team forward Folarin Balogun.
According to the article, Trump later confirmed during a question-and-answer session following the Oval Office event that he had contacted the head of FIFA and requested a review of the red card issued to Balogun.
The disciplinary decision would have prevented the U.S. star from playing in Monday’s World Cup match against Belgium.
Reports that Trump intervened in the matter were followed by a rapid review process. According to the article, Belgium’s appeal of the red card was overturned, allowing Balogun to be eligible for the match.
The reports also prompted swift accusations of corruption directed at both Trump and FIFA.
Trump confirmed during the post-event Q&A that he had reached out regarding the incident, backing up earlier reports that he had sought a review of the controversial decision involving the American player.
The Oval Office event itself centered on the rollout of the administration’s “Trump Accounts,” but Trump’s lighthearted exchange with Cruz and the discussion surrounding Balogun’s overturned red card quickly became some of the most talked-about moments from the gathering, highlighting both the president’s long-running political relationship with the Texas senator and the attention surrounding his involvement in the FIFA controversy.
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