Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Cruz: Trump should nominate a Supreme Court justice next week Renewed focus on Trump's Supreme Court list after Ginsburg's death MORE said on Wednesday night that his “New York values” comment was taken from front-runner Donald Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE.

“It’s actually a phrase that originated with Donald Trump,” the Texas senator said during a CNN town hall. “And the reason I made that point was Donald did an interview with 'Meet the Press' back in 1999, where he was explaining why, in that interview, that he supported partial birth abortions. And his explanation in that interview was ‘Hey, I’m from New York, those are New York values, they’re not Iowa values.’”

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Cruz added that it’s “utterly absurd” for Trump to claim that the Texas senator was attacking the city’s 9/11 first responders.

“Listen, the police and firefighters and first responders that rushed into those buildings were heroes that every American cheered for and celebrated,” he said.

Cruz has been roundly criticized for attacking “New York values” earlier this year, and the heat has intensified as the state’s primary approaches.