Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes Press: Notorious RBG vs Notorious GOP The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy MORE (R-Texas) said on Wednesday that he is troubled by the ideas offered during the first Democratic presidential debate.

“It was a recipe to destroy a country,” he told a crowd in Kalona, Iowa, according to The Dallas Morning News.

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“It was more socialism, more pacifism, more weakness and less Constitution,” Cruz, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, said of the Tuesday evening debate in Las Vegas.

“We’re seeing our freedoms taken away, and last night was an audition for who would wear the jackboot most vigorously,” he added. “Last night was an audition for who would embrace government power [and] strip your and my individual liberties.”

Cruz then argued that the Democratic field is not distancing itself from President Obama’s policies.

“Every one of the Democratic candidates is agreed on doubling down on the failed Obama strategies,” he said.

“So it was really quite interesting for America to see each and every Democratic candidate explain how they’re every bit as socialist as [Sen.] Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE [I-Vt.] is,” Cruz said.

“It was interesting for America to see each and every Democratic candidate explain how what we need is an even weaker America — [how we should] avoid any conflict whatsoever with Iran, with Russia, with ISIS, with the lunatics who want to kill us," he said.

Cruz is battling for attention in a crowded GOP field.

He ranks sixth out of 15 candidates, with 7 percent support, in the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.