Fort Worth

Cruz Blasts O'Rourke on Immigration at Fort Worth Rally

At a rally in Fort Worth on Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blasted his opponent, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso), on immigration, accusing his campaign of helping undocumented immigrants financially.

Supporters who gathered at Cendera Center in west Fort Worth gave Cruz an enthusiastic reception in what Republicans consider friendly territory.

"The biggest, reddest county in the biggest, reddest state in the union,” Cruz said, referring to Tarrant County.

Cruz hit all his top campaign topics, like the economy and tax cuts. But it's the debate over immigration that is suddenly boiling over.

Cruz mentioned a video he had seen online that he claimed showed O'Rourke's campaign staffers supporting undocumented immigrants.

"Taking campaign money and apparently using it to give to people coming here illegally,” Cruz said.

He was referring to a video shot by an activist group called Project Veritas, which has targeted Democrats before and also has faced allegations of selectively editing videos to make a point.

NBC 5 has not independently verified the video.

O'Rourke fired back, calling the claim "false" and "shameful" but acknowledging his staffers donated less than $300 to an El Paso charity that helps migrants.

Meanwhile, on his way into the Fort Worth rally, Cruz ignored questions about his ties to Iowa Rep. Steve King, accused of making racist comments.

King was national co-chair of Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign.

"We are going to win this race,” Cruz told his supporters.

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