Story highlights Cruz told reporters he considers McCain "a friend" whom he respects and admires

But he declined to speak ill of Trump, his presidential rival

Ames, Iowa (CNN) Ted Cruz was unambiguous in his praise of John McCain on Saturday, calling his fellow senator a "hero" soon after Donald Trump made inflammatory remarks about the Arizona senator's war record.

But the senator from Texas refused to join other 2016 Republican hopefuls in denouncing the real estate mogul.

Trump sparked an uproar when he suggested at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, that McCain wasn't a war hero because he was captured. "He is not a war hero," Trump said at a question-and-answer session. "He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK? I hate to tell you. He is a war hero because he was captured. OK, you can have -- I believe perhaps he is a war hero."

He later tried to clean up his comments, but a wave of Republicans had already condemned Trump's remarks.

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