Former Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), who resigned in disgrace as Speaker of the House in 2015 before his colleagues could oust him, is not a fan of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). During a wide-ranging interview at Stanford University on Wednesday night, Boehner revealed that he and Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump are texting and golf buddies, that he “loves” John Kasich, and that he thinks Cruz is “Lucifer in the flesh.”
Boehner, known primarily for being a feckless orange crybaby who handed out checks from tobacco lobbyists to his colleagues on the House floor ahead of a major vote on tobacco legislation, told the Stanford crowd that Cruz is “Lucifer in the flesh.”
“I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life,” the failed former speaker said, making sure to include Cruz’s mother in his attacks on the Republican senator.
I like to imagine that Boehner was crying when he called Cruz "Lucifer"
Erin Gloria Ryan (@morninggloria) April 28, 2016
Boehner, who admitted during the interview that he and Donald Trump are “texting buddies,” said that he would absolutely vote for Trump in the general election if Trump became the Republican nominee. But according to the Stanford Daily, Boehner said he would not vote for Cruz if Republicans nominated him to take on Hillary Clinton:
Boehner for the most part accepted Trump as the presumptive Republican nominee, though he did express his surprise at the candidate’s success. While he did not praise Trump’s policies, the Speaker did say he would vote for Trump in the general election if he becomes the Republican nominee. The former Speaker said he would not, however, vote for Cruz.
While he likened Cruz, his former Republican colleague, to the prince of darkness responsible for plunging all mankind into sin and sorrow, Boehner had kind words for former Secretary of State and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, calling her “smart” and “accomplished,” the Stanford Daily reported.
During the interview, Boehner also discussed how he would run his campaign if he were running for president.
“If I were running for president I’d be running on things that unite Republicans,” Boehner said, apparently unaware that his consistent inability to get a majority of Republican lawmakers to agree on much of anything led to his eventual ouster from GOP leadership.
For his part, Boehner did offer some honest self-reflection before concluding the interview.
“I think my proudest accomplishment,” Boehner told the audience, “is walking out of there the same jackass I was 25 years before.”
