Donald Trump tweeted a cryptic warning to “lyin’” Ted Cruz on Tuesday, threatening to “spill the beans” on the Texas senator’s wife, Heidi Cruz.
In a tweet posted as polls closed during the Western Tuesday primaries, the GOP frontrunner for president wrote, “Lyin’ Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!”
The tweet is a response to a meme posted by the Super PAC Make America Awesome in which Trump’s wife, Melania, is pictured naked on a fur pelt accompanied by the words “Meet Melania Trump, your next first lady. Or you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday.” The photo was taken from a GQ spread on the billionaire businessman’s wife in 2000, when she was Melania Knauss.
Trump’s tweet was apparently reposted after he deleted one similar minutes earlier. While he doesn’t hint at the “beans” in question, BuzzFeed reported last March on a 2005 police report containing numerous redactions in which Heidi Cruz was seen sitting on the ground within 10 feet of a highway outside Austin, Texas. The reporting officer “did not detect any signs of intoxication,” but believed Cruz was a “danger to herself.” Ted Cruz was Texas solicitor general at the time.
Cruz responded via Twitter moments after Trump’s tweet, saying: “Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you’re more of a coward than I thought. #classless.”
The Trump and Cruz campaigns did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Lyin’ Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. shoot in his ad. Be careful, Lyin’ Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016
Pic of your wife not from us. Donald, if you try to attack Heidi, you’re more of a coward than I thought. #classless https://t.co/0QpKSnjgnE
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 23, 2016