Fact Checker: Are Iowans as frustrated with Republicans as Ted Cruz says?

'This is why men and women across this country are so frustrated. I'll tell you, I just flew in from Iowa this morning. In Iowa, each town hall I ask people: ‘How many people are frustrated with Republican leaders?' Every hand goes up.”

Source of claim: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, speaking on National Public Radio June 29

Analysis

Cruz made five stops in Iowa in the days before he talked with NPR. On June 26, he had a town-hall meeting in Sheldon, met with business owners in Orange City and held a meet-and-greet in Pierson. Cruz spoke to nearly 200 people at Drake University June 27, followed by a walking tour in Pella.

Cruz talked for more than an hour at Drake's Sheslow Auditorium, where people intermittently cheered and shouted approval. Some of loudest support came when he used the phrase the 'Washington cartel” to describe Republicans and Democrats aligned with big money donors whose goal is to stay in power.

However, a YouTube video of the event never shows him asking the crowd to raise their hands if they are frustrated by Republicans leaders. The closest he gets is this comment, referring, at least in part, to Republicans who did not vow to fight the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage: 'When Republican presidential candidates are standing up and reading President Barack Obama's talking points, things have gone seriously wrong.”

We couldn't find a full video of Cruz's town hall meeting in Sheldon, but a 2:07-minute clip does not include him asking for a show of hands indicating frustration with Republicans. A CNN reporter who covered the Pierson event doesn't mention this question arising, but the article is mostly about fundraising.

To be sure we hadn't missed a time when Cruz asked Iowans to raise their hands if they were GOP-weary, we asked his communications director, Rick Tyler, whether the campaign had any video of Cruz asking this question during the recent stops. Tyler did not reply to an email or a phone message. Another email to the general press address was not returned.

Iowa Republican Chairman Jeff Kaufmann disagrees with Cruz's assessment of Iowa's mood toward the party.

'There are a few disgruntled folks, but since 2014, I've found the crowds are bigger and fundraising is stronger,” he said. 'It's a very, very significant overstatement to say Republicans are upset with the party and its leaders.”

Kaufmann sees the strength of the party in the diversity of the candidate pool.

A Quinnipiac University poll of 666 likely Iowa GOP caucusgoers from June 20-29, showed Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker as the favorite with 18 percent, followed by New York businessman Donald Trump and retired Michigan surgeon Ben Carson, with 10 percent support. Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul were tied with 9 percent, with other candidates trailing.

Conclusion

Cruz paints himself as unique among Republicans, saying he stands up to his party and calls out colleagues who make compromises with Democrats. This is pretty typical for a candidate trying to appear unique in a crowded field.

But to imply all Iowans attending Cruz's recent events are sick of Republican leaders - except Cruz, apparently - is unsupported. If Cruz really did ask spectators at recent Iowa events to raise their hands if they were frustrated by Republicans, we found no evidence.

As with many of us, politicians sometimes exaggerate. They use words like 'each” and 'every” when maybe they spoke to only a few people. But details are important - especially for someone who wants to be president. We give Cruz an F.

' This Fact Checker was researched and reported by Erin Jordan, (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com. Suggestions for future Fact Checkers can be emailed to factchecker@sourcemedia.net