--- title: "Ted Cruz praises Trump's 'instinctual genius' for 'Lyin' Ted' nickname" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-lyin-ted-nickname" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-lyin-ted-nickname" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-lyin-ted-nickname.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-lyin-ted-nickname" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-21T02:46:09.965Z" source_reported: "2026-09-18T22:20:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-21T02:46:09.965Z" trust_score: 62 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-21T04:00:11.731525+00:00" --- # Ted Cruz praises Trump's 'instinctual genius' for 'Lyin' Ted' nickname *Senator discussed the 2016 campaign insult on a podcast, calling it an effective political tactic.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 62 of 100, higher is better. Trust 62: multiple outlets (1 full report, 7 digests) name Cruz praising Trump’s “instinctual genius,” with named source. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Critic 85: includes direct quotes from Cruz and Devine, clear facts, next steps, and specific names. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30: headline is click‑baity but article content remains measured and factual. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Senator Ted Cruz praised Donald Trump's "instinctual genius" for the "Lyin' Ted" nickname. - Cruz discussed the 2016 campaign insult on the "Pod Force One" podcast hosted by Miranda Devine. - He described the nickname as a politically effective tactic that targeted his perceived trustworthiness. - Cruz has not committed to a 2028 presidential run but has reportedly been recruiting workers. Senator Ted Cruz has praised President Donald Trump's "instinctual genius" for the "Lyin' Ted" nickname, which Trump used during their 2016 presidential campaign. Cruz discussed the insult on the "Pod Force One" podcast, hosted by Miranda Devine, calling it a politically effective tactic. Cruz explained that the "Lyin' Ted" moniker was effective because it attacked his perceived greatest strength: voter trust. He stated that Trump's tactic was "jujitsu," turning his strength into a point of attack. Cruz also commented on Trump's perceived respect for strength, saying, "I don’t think he respects girly men." The senator has not committed to a presidential run in 2028, but reports indicate he has been recruiting staff for a potential campaign. During the 2016 campaign, Trump employed harsh tactics against Cruz, including suggesting Cruz's wife was unattractive and forwarding a conspiracy theory about Cruz's father. ## Coverage disagreements While most reports agree that Ted Cruz praised Trump's "instinctual genius" for the "Lyin' Ted" nickname, the framing of Cruz's overall stance differs. HuffPost and Raw Story suggest Cruz was "bootlicking" Trump and trying to stay in his good graces, noting his past insults towards Trump. Thedailybs.com stated Cruz "officially embraces" the nickname, implying a shift in his public stance. RadarOnline reported Cruz is facing "heavy scrutiny from critics" for his remarks. ## What the coverage left out None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mention the specific details of the "Pod Force One" podcast episode beyond the discussion of the "Lyin' Ted" nickname and Cruz's comments on Trump's perceived strengths. The full report from HuffPost provided more context on the 2016 campaign, including Trump's attacks on Cruz's wife and father, which were not detailed in the digests of other outlets. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (4) - Centre: 37% (3) - Right: 13% (1) 0 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-21T04:00:11.731525+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-21T04:30:26.900Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted Senator Ted Cruz's praise for Donald Trump's "instinctual genius" in using the "Lyin' Ted" nickname. HuffPost and Raw Story framed Cruz's comments as "bootlicking" and an attempt to curry favour with Trump, contrasting his current remarks with his past descriptions of Trump as a "pathological liar." Joe.My.God. also noted Cruz's comment about Trump not respecting "girly men." OK! Magazine focused on Cruz admitting the "Lyin' Ted" branding was a "shrewd political tactic." ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on Senator Ted Cruz's direct praise for Donald Trump's "instinctual genius" regarding the "Lyin' Ted" nickname. Penn Live and The Hill used the phrase "instinctual genius" in their headlines, with The Hill quoting Cruz calling the nickname "politically very effective." RadarOnline reported that Cruz was facing "heavy scrutiny from critics" for his comments. ### Right - The right-rated report from thedailybs.com stated that Ted Cruz has "officially embrace[d] 'Lyin' Ted' nickname" and acknowledged that Trump's attack was an "extraordinarily effective piece of political marketing." **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 2 - mixed: 1 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [RadarOnline](https://radaronline.com/p/ted-cruz-trump-genius-insult-backlash-pod-force-one-interview) — Ted Cruz Facing Heavy Scrutiny From Critics After He Brands Trump a 'Genius' For Insulting Him - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/lyin-ted-cruz-trump-genius) — 'He called you lyin' Ted': Cruz bootlicks Trump's 'instinctual genius' over past insult - [Penn Live](https://pennlive.com/politics/2026/09/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-brutal-nickname-for-him-it-was-instinctual-genius.html) — Ted Cruz praises Trump’s brutal nickname for him: It was ‘instinctual genius’ - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6097564-ted-cruz-praises-trump-nickname) — Cruz on Trump labeling him ‘Lyin’ Ted’: ‘The man has an instinctual genius’ - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/09/cruz-hails-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-insults) — Cruz Hails Trump’s “Instinctual Genius” For Insults - [HuffPost](https://huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-talks-of-trumps-instinctual-genius-in-calling-him-lyin-ted_n_6aacffafe4b0812a5f119af8) — Maybe Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz Praises Trump's 'Genius' For... Huh? - [thedailybs.com](https://thedailybs.com/2026/09/18/ted-cruz-officially-embraces-lyin-ted-nickname-after-admitting-trump-was-right-about-one-thing) — Ted Cruz officially embraces ‘Lyin’ Ted’ nickname after admitting Trump was right about one thing - [OK! Magazine](https://okmagazine.com/p/ted-cruz-donald-trump-instinctual-genius-lyin-ted-political-tactic) — Ted Cruz Admits Donald Trump's 'Instinctual Genius' in Branding Him 'Lyin' Ted’ Was a Shrewd Political Tactic ## Questions **What did Ted Cruz say about Donald Trump's "Lyin' Ted" nickname?** Senator Ted Cruz praised Donald Trump's "instinctual genius" for creating the "Lyin' Ted" nickname during the 2016 presidential campaign. Cruz described it as a politically effective tactic that targeted his perceived strength of trustworthiness. **Where did Ted Cruz make these remarks?** Ted Cruz made these remarks on the "Pod Force One" podcast, hosted by Miranda Devine. The episode was released recently, and Cruz discussed his past rivalry with Trump and their current relationship. **Has Ted Cruz announced a 2028 presidential run?** No, Ted Cruz has not committed to a presidential run in 2028. However, reports suggest that he has been actively recruiting staff for a potential future campaign. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-lyin-ted-nickname. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ted Cruz praises Trump's 'instinctual genius' for 'Lyin' Ted' nickname", https://mediabias.news/politics/ted-cruz-praises-trumps-instinctual-genius-for-lyin-ted-nickname