While campaigning in the Bronx on Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz explained that his attacks on Donald Trump’s “New York values” were really attacks on the “liberal Democratic” values he said were held by leading politicians in the state.

“Let’s be clear, the people of New York know what those values are,” Cruz told reporters after his rally ended. “The values of liberal Democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Anthony Weiner, like Eliot Spitzer, like Charlie Rangel, all of whom Donald Trump has supported, given tens of thousands of dollars to throughout the years.”

MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson asked Cruz how he expected to do well in a state whose voters’ values he had “railed against” and where he was polling dead last, well behind Trump.

“The interesting thing about polling is it can change and it can change quickly,” the Texas senator replied, noting that he had been behind in Wisconsin polls until his overwhelming win in the Badger State’s primary on Tuesday.

Laying heavily into New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Cruz argued that he would advocate for the “police officers and firefighters and first responders” and all other New Yorkers “who risk their lives to keep us safe.”

“Those values are American values,” Cruz said. “They are the values of the people of New York who are frustrated with liberal Democratic politicians who keep hammering the people of this great state.”

Cruz first attacked Trump using the “New York values” line back in January, claiming during a debate that, “Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage. Focus [is] around money and the media.”

Trump successfully turned the line against Cruz, pointing to the city’s “beautiful” and “humane” response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The Empire State holds its primary contest on April 19.