Fox News correspondent and veteran journalist Geraldo Rivera took umbrage with the junior senator from the 'Lone Star State' when in January Cruz said during a live televised debate that the majority of "conservative" Americans do not adhere to "New York Values."
"Aside from the stinking anti-Semitic implications that I see in that whole ‘New York values’ money- and media-coated message that he put out there pandering to those Iowa voters, he also voted against Hurricane Sandy relief," Rivera said during a tapped broadcast with television host Bill O'Reilly. "He also voted against compensation for 9/11 victims. This is a man whose interests are absolutely antithetical to New York," he added.
Cruz said during a Fox News debate on January 14: "Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal, or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage...focus around money and the media." He continued by saying, "let me put it another way, not a lot of conservatives come from Manhattan."
CNN legal analyst and frequent contributor Jeffrey Toobin emulated Rivera's sentiments later Thursday evening.
"He said New York values are about money and they're about the media. That's an anti-Semitic trope from a hundred years. It's been around for a very long time," Toobin told CNN host Wolf Blitzer.
"Money and media is Jews. I mean this is just an old-fashioned, anti-Semitic stereotype, derogatory term and everybody understands it," he added.
Cruz, along with Republican presidential rivals casino mogul Donald Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich are in New York campaigning ahead of the state's upcoming primary.
When asked if Cruz regretted the "New York values" comment during a CNN interview Thursday, Cruz responded "not remotely."
"Everyone in New York and outside of New York knows exactly what I meant by that. And it is the liberal values of Democratic politicians who have been hammering the people of new York for decades. They've suffered under these liberal values. It's been politicians like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, like Hillary Clinton, like Mayor Bill de Blasio,” Cruz said.
Cruz is projected to come in third in the New York primary.