Rep. Louie Gohmert tells
Newsmax TV that while he's backing Sen. Ted Cruz in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, he loves Donald Trump.
"I told Ted Cruz some months back that I would endorse him … Ted's great, but I'm telling you, Trump adds immeasurably to the debates," Gohmert, who like Cruz is a Texas Republican, said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
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"The thing I knew it would do in any debate in which he participated was force everybody out from behind their trees and rocks. People were going to have to come out and actually say what they believe, they weren't going to be able to hide behind political answers and just fluff.
"They were going to have to actually stand up and say what they thought. I was glad that Trump was going to cause that kind of effect in the debates and he has."
Gohmert's glowing words for Trump come as a new
Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey reveals the billionaire developer remains the way-ahead GOP front-runner, with 17 percent, compared to Cruz's seven percent.
Gohmert, the influential vice chair of House Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee, told Steve Malzberg that his first meeting with Trump was memorable.
"I was speaking after him at a big conference in New Hampshire and there wasn't much room between the blue curtain and the door where I came in," Gohmert recalled.
"He was coming off the stage, I was about to go through the curtain. We met, our faces were six inches apart, and he says, 'Louie Gohmert!' And he starts punching me in the chest. 'I love you! You're great! You're really great! I love what you're doing! Did you get my contribution?'
"And I said, 'Yeah, I just got that.' And he says, 'Well, you're great! That's the extent of my conversation and it's hard to feel badly towards someone who's telling you how great you are and they sent you money. So it's a little [bit of a] skewed view."
Gohmert said there is room enough in the crowded field of 17 Republican candidates for both Cruz and Trump.
"I'll vote for Ted in the primary but I'm really glad for what Trump's bringing to the debates. I don't think Ted feels any differently about that … I think he likes Trump," Gohmert said.
"Ted always tells you what he thinks as well, but some of our potential nominees would rather dodge serious questions and I don't think they're going to be able to do that with Trump in the race."
Gohmert also commented on another poll by
Public Policy Polling that reveals Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton would lose to four Republican candidates in Iowa — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Wisconsin Gov. Walker and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson — if facing them in the general election.
"That tells you there is dissatisfaction in the Democratic ranks over Hillary as well there should be. If you remember it hadn't been that long ago where nobody was a going to beat Hillary in Iowa and then it looked like somebody might and now … we're up to four that are polling better," Gohmert said.
"So by the time it's all over you'll have even more than four of the Republican candidates that would be beating her in Iowa … I'm from Texas, love Texas, but I really enjoy the people of Iowa. They've got good judgment and that's why we'll have most of our candidates polling better than Hillary before it's all over."
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