Breaching chamber’s usual standards of courtesy, Republican presidential hopeful says leader of own party violated his trust on vote over federal bank

In a stunning attack on a leader of his own party, Republican senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Friday accused the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, of lying to him and said he could not be trusted.

Cruz, a Texan who ranks low in early polling regarding the 2016 race, delivered the broadside in a speech on the Senate floor, in an extraordinary departure from the norms of Senate behaviour that demand courtesy and respect.

At issue were assurances Cruz claimed McConnell, of Kentucky, had given that there was no deal to allow a vote to renew the federal Export-Import Bank – a little-known federal agency that has become a rallying cry for conservatives. Cruz rose to deliver his remarks moments after McConnell had lined up a vote on the Export-Import Bank for the coming days.

“It saddens me to say this,” Cruz said. “I sat in my office; I told my staff the majority leader looked me in the eye and looked 54 Republicans in the eye. I cannot believe he would tell a flat-out lie, and I voted based on those assurances that he made to each and every one of us.

“What we just saw today was an absolute demonstration that not only what he told every Republican senator, but what he told the press over and over and over again, was a simple lie.”

The majority leader was not on the Senate floor, and ignored reporters who tried to ask him about it in the Capitol’s hallways. A spokesman said McConnell would have no response.

McConnell and Cruz have never had a good relationship. The new majority leader’s allies earlier this year derided Cruz’s Senate record, complaining that he often speaks out but has skipped important developments. After complaining about President Barack Obama’s nomination of Loretta Lynch as attorney general, for example, Cruz skipped the final vote on her confirmation.

Some close to McConnell call Cruz “Mr 1%”, referring to his share of support in the crowded race for the GOP presidential nomination. Recent polls have him a few points higher among more than a dozen contenders.

Cruz has grown increasingly outspoken about his contempt for McConnell and other Republicans, using his newly published book, A Time for Truth, to attack his colleagues on various fronts and accuse them of failing to stand up for their principles.

He didn’t limit himself on Friday to accusing McConnell of lying, but also charged that the Senate under Republican control was no different from when Democrats ran the show before this year. He said McConnell was no better than his Democratic predecessor, Harry Reid of Nevada. Republicans accused Reid of shutting down debate and limiting amendments when he ran the Senate.

“Now the Republican leader is behaving like the senior senator from Nevada,” Cruz complained.

He also derided an announcement from McConnell that the Senate will vote on Sunday to repeal Obama’s healthcare law, calling it “an empty show vote” and “exercise in meaningless political theatre” because the legislation will inevitably fail to get the 60 votes needed to advance.

“We keep winning elections and then we keep getting leaders who don’t do anything they promised,” Cruz said.

The Senate’s historian, Betty K Koed, said it was not a specific breach of Senate rules to call another senator a liar, but pointed to rules cautioning against talking ill of other members or imputing unbecoming conduct or motives.

“In more recent times there’s been very little of this type of behaviour,” Koed said.