In his public appearances in recent days, the junior senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, has been taking aim at what he describes as Donald Trump's "New York Values." During Thursday night's Republican debate, Cruz elaborated on his accusation.
"I think most people know exactly what New York values are: socially liberal, pro-gay marriage, focused on money and the media," he said.
Trump fired back:
"The people of New York fought and fought and fought. We saw more death, even the smell of death, it was with us for months. Everyone in the world watched and everyone in the world loved New York. I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made,” the presidential candidate said.
But of course, other New Yorkers had their rebuttals as well, including Governor Andrew Cuomo.
"In one 30-second soundbite, [Cruz] was offensive to gays, he was offensive to women, he offended 18 million New Yorkers, one of the largest Congressional delegations, by the way," the politician said Friday in an interview on NY1.
Said Cuomo, New Yorkers believe in all the qualities that Cruz's divisive rhetoric opposes, but his own origin story — as a Canadian-born American of Spanish and Irish decent — supports: immigration, acceptance and community.
Mayor Bill de Blasio didn't take kindly to Cruz's comment, either: "I find myself for once in agreement with Donald Trump ... I think Ted Cruz owes the people of New York City an apology," he said at City Hall Friday.
Cuomo and de Blasio, though typically at odds, concurred that Cruz had proven himself a hypocrite, unworthy of campaign donations from New York voters.
Here's what some of those voters had to say for themselves: