Fox’s Larry Kudlow Tells Ted Cruz, ‘I Disagree With You on Almost Every Point’ About GOP’s Strategy
Fox Business host Larry Kudlow went back and forth with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in a nearly 10-minute-long exchange about the Senate’s strategy for enacting President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda.
Echoing Trump, Kudlow has insisted that the extension of the 2017 tax cuts should go into the same bill as funding for border security and funding much of the government. But it is unclear if Congress will be able to do so, especially given the Republicans’ tiny majority in the House.
On Monday’s edition of Kudlow, the host, who served as an economic adviser in Trump’s first term, needled Cruz for saying the Republicans’ agenda might have to be broken up into multiple bills.
“I think the logic behind two bills was, start with a simple bill that funds border security that makes the changes to stop the invasion at our southern border and that addresses energy and unleashes American energy,” the senator said. “Both of those are relatively simple and straightforward. And both of those, I think, would be quite easy to unify Republicans and get us on the same page, which would mean we would start the first couple of months with a big win delivering on major elements of the president’s policy.”
The answer displeased the host:
KUDLOW: Oh, Senator. Senator, you’re just so disappointing on this.
CRUZ: [LAUGHS]
KUDLOW: I can’t believe I’m hearing this from my dear friend, Senator Ted Cruz. First of all, you’re gonna have to have certainty on the economy with respect to not only tax cuts for 15% for corporations, but also small businesses, 100% expensing, which is running out, individual middle-class families gonna need help. You’ve got to tell them they’re gonna get extensions…. Let me take your political point. I disagree with you on almost every point here. I love this, Senator. It’s all in good fun by the way.
CRUZ: This has never happened.
[…]
KUDLOW: You’re only gonna get one bite out of the House apple. Trust me, I mean, this is what Mike Johnson is telling people. It’s a commonsense position. Furthermore, you yourself, along with President Trump, promised me a middle-class boom. That was the genesis of this whole victory. Economy, number one, followed by immigration. And I’m all for closing the border. You’re gonna have to do it. Get it done, you know what? These bills are almost written already for heaven’s sakes… I’ve had so many calls with Senate leadership. You’re not gonna get something in January. It’s gonna take forever. That’s why you may as well throw tax cuts in there. And as Mike Johnson said, you can get it done by April, maybe by May, call it 100 days, call it whatever. Call it ‘Trump promises kept.’ That’s what you want! Senator Cruz, I’m crushed that you’re coming out on the wrong side of this historical divide.
The senator laughed and reiterated his earlier explanation for why multiple bills may be required, prompting the two to continue the exchange for several more minutes.
Cruz isn’t the only senator Kudlow’s given the business on this. Last month, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) also said multiple bills would be required, prompting the host to go off.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!” he reacted. “All at once, Ma’am. All at once. As sources close to President Trump are telling us, he would like one big, beautiful bill.”
Watch above via Fox Business Network.
