Ted Cruz on Trans People: It's Like Trump Dressing Up as Hillary Clinton

The Texas senator wants to know, "Have we gone stark raving nuts?"

Sen. Ted Cruz’s stump speech is now brought to you by transphobia.

The Republican presidential hopeful stopped in Lebanon, Ind., Saturday and spoke out in favor of North Carolina’s House Bill 2, a controversial law that forces trans people to use public restrooms and locker room facilities that do not match with their gender identity, when those facilities are located in government buildings. Cruz reiterated his belief that “men” should not be allowed to go to the bathroom with women, BuzzFeed reports.

“So let me make things real simple: Even if Donald Trump dresses up as Hillary Clinton, he shouldn't be using the girls' restroom,” Cruz told the Indiana crowd. “By the way, I apologize for that image — it is going to haunt you at night: Donald in a bright blue pantsuit.”

The Texas senator repeated the joke at a campaign stop in Terre Haute, ABC News reports.

Cruz has been ramping up his anti-trans attacks after Trump, the front-runner in the Republican primary race, condemned HB 2 last Thursday, before the billionaire CEO walked back his remarks. “People go,” Trump said on NBC's Today as part of a town hall meeting. “They use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate. There has been so little trouble.”

Trump further said that if Caitlyn Jenner were to visit Trump Tower, the former Olympian and reality TV star would be permitted to use the women’s facilities.

Later the same day, however, the businessman took a different tack when speaking with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “I think that local communities and states should make the decisions,” he said. “And I feel very strongly about that. The federal government should not be involved.”

Despite Trump’s swift about-face on trans bathroom access, Cruz has continued to criticize the front-runner for his position on the issue, claiming that America has “gone off the deep end.”

At a campaign stop in Fredericksburg, Md., Cruz claimed that Trump “agreed with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in attacking the state of North Carolina for passing their bathroom ordinance,” CBS News reports. He continued, “Now let me ask you: Have we gone stark raving nuts?"

In a statement released the same day, Cruz clarified his position. “Donald Trump is no different from politically correct leftist elites,” he said. “Today, he joined them in calling for grown men to be allowed to use little girls’ public restrooms. As the dad of young daughters, I dread what this will mean for our daughters — and for our sisters and our wives. It is a reckless policy that will endanger our loved ones.”

Cruz’s campaign Friday released a transphobic video further criticizing Trump’s position. Allowing trans people to use the public restroom that corresponds most closely with their gender identity is “PC nonsense that’s destroying America,” according to the ad.

“Donald Trump won’t take on the PC police,” the video concluded. “He’s one of them.”

Watch a clip of Ted Cruz's statements below.