Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said Friday that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has done so much to unintentionally boost Obamacare’s popularity with his crusade to defund it that President Obama should thank Cruz with a campaign donation.

“I think President Obama should send a campaign contribution to Ted Cruz,” King said to anchor Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s “The Situation Room.” “He has done more to boost Obamacare than anyone.”

King, who has blamed his own party for the shutdown, also defended his record as a conservative after a viewer asked when King would be switching parties.

“I am a lifetime Republican,” he said. “I have a conservative rating of 75 percent. There’s nothing Republican about shutting down the government when you don’t get what you want.”