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Sen. Ted Cruz called John Boehner's comments about him "interesting" and said the former speaker had let his "inner Trump come out." | AP Photo Cruz: Boehner's 'inner Trump' came out

John Boehner let his inner Donald Trump come out, Ted Cruz said Thursday in response to the former House speaker’s comments that Cruz is “Lucifer in the flesh” and the most “miserable son of a bitch” he’s ever worked with.

“John Boehner had some interesting comments last night. He actually didn’t abbreviate what he said,” Cruz told reporters during a news conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, referring to what a reporter paraphrased as “SOB.”

“He allowed his inner Trump to come out,” Cruz added.

The Texas senator vigorously distanced himself from the former Republican leader, remarking that he found it interesting that Boehner suggested they’ve worked together.

“I’ve never worked with John Boehner. Truth of the matter is I don’t know the man,” Cruz said. “I’ve met John Boehner two or three times in my life. If I have said 50 words in my life to John Boehner, I’d be surprised, and every one of them has consisted of pleasantries. ‘Good to see you, Mr. Speaker.’ I’ve never had any substantive conversations with John Boehner in any respect.”

According to a Stanford Daily report, Boehner on Wednesday night also acknowledged Trump as someone he’s golfed with for years while noting that the two are “texting buddies” — comments Cruz seized on to blast Trump.

“John Boehner in his remarks described Donald Trump as his texting and golfing buddy. So if you want someone that’s a texting and golfing buddy, if you’re happy with John Boehner as speaker of the House and you want a president like John Boehner, Donald Trump’s your man,” Cruz said, adding that the Republican presidential front-runner had contributed $100,000 to a pro-Boehner super PAC a few years ago and funded Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, too.

“If you like what John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have done, Donald Trump is your guy,” he said.

Cruz insisted Boehner’s remarks reveal everything that’s “wrong and corrupt with Washington, everything that you’re angry with.”

He also tried to pin some blame on Boehner for the 2013 government shutdown, saying he and Utah Sen. Mike Lee approached Boehner, entreating the House leader to work with them. “Can we resolve this and actually get something meaningful done to stop the disaster that is Obamacare?” Cruz said, recalling the conversation. “John Boehner’s response was: ‘I have no interest in talking to you. What possibly could be accomplished by having a conversation? No, I will not meet.’”

The Texas firebrand led that government shutdown with a 21-hour filibuster on the Senate floor. But he argued that Boehner is angry at what Cruz characterized as leading a grassroots movement to hold Washington accountable.

“That’s what the anger is because the corrupt system that Boehner and Hillary have been enmeshed with for years, funded by Donald Trump...,” Cruz began before turning to Trump's donations. “Donald’s writing checks to Boehner. He’s writing checks to Hillary. He’s funding the corrupt system. It is unaccountable to the people, and what made John Boehner mad is that I led a movement of the people to hold Washington accountable.”