Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation and a Ted Cruz supporter, said that he would have punched Donald Trump instead of endorsing him if he was in Ben Carson’s shoes.

In an interview with MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki on Friday, Phillips said, “If Donald Trump said the things about me that he said about Ben Carson, I wouldn’t be endorsing him. I would be punching him.” (VIDEO: Carson On Trump Endorsement: ‘We Buried The Hatchet’)

Kornacki said, “This was an aspect of the press conference that both of them talked about. There were some harsh words that had been exchanged, particularly from Donald Trump toward Ben Carson during this campaign. Now they talked about burying the hatchet, Ben Carson there talked about seeing another side of Donald Trump, a side that maybe the rest of us don’t see when we just watch him on stage, we just watch him at these press conferences. You have Ben Carson endorsing him. You had Chris Christie, somebody else who Donald Trump had some choice words for during his campaign, also coming out for him.” (VIDEO: Trump Says Carson Is ‘Pathological’ Like A Child Molester)

“Does this say something though, especially with Ben Carson talking about seeing this other side of Donald Trump,” Kornacki asked. “Is there a side of Donald Trump, maybe, that we don’t see publicly who is going to be able to bring over these opponents of his as they get out of the race?”

“You know, I have no idea because I have never seen this side of Donald Trump,” Phillips claimed. “I have met with Ted Cruz and seen the other side of Ted Cruz, who, actually, there is no other side of to Ted Cruz. He’s the same guy in public and the same guy that I have met with in private.”

“But you know, I’ll say this: If Donald Trump said the things about me that he said about Ben Carson, I wouldn’t be endorsing him. I’d be punching him,” Phillips insisted.

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