It’s a fascinating document. There’s the white knight persona he puts on for the camera: “I don’t get angry often. But you mess with my wife, you mess with my kids, that’ll do it every time. Donald, you’re a sniveling coward, and leave Heidi the hell alone.” Then there’s the real Cruz, a calculating, completely craven pol who can’t bring himself to say he’d oppose a Trump nomination literally five seconds after calling him a “sniveling coward.” The flip would cause whiplash if the original persona weren’t so transparently affected, which NBC News correspondent Hallie Jackson exposed with some excellent timing.

.@tedcruz calls @realdonaldtrump "sniveling coward" - but won't say he won't back him as GOP nominee. Our exchange: pic.twitter.com/ACZMBvr4aS — Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) March 24, 2016