If one thing was made abundantly clear during a rally Wednesday to protest the Iran deal, it was that Ted Cruz’s effort to appeal to Donald Trump’s supporters seems to be working.
“I’m a huge supporter of both,” said Dave Herman, 46, who came from Pennsylvania with his family to attend the rally. But Trump, he added, was able to say the things that politicians like Cruz could not.
Cruz and Trump headlined the “Stop the Iran Deal” rally on Capitol Hill. Cruz invited Trump to attend in what seems to be a play to capture Trump’s supporters if the real-estate mogul falters. And Trump knows it. “I’m not worried about giving someone else exposure, especially if that someone else is a person who deserves respect,” Trump told Politico in an interview.
The two Republican presidential candidates are appealing to an overlapping set of conservatives who are angry with the establishment. The agreement with Iran provided them with an opportunity to denounce the party’s leadership.
Hundreds attended Wednesday’s rally. Many came decorated in pins, t-shirts, and signs to protest the Iran deal. Others sat on blankets with their families as if waiting for a concert to begin.
In July, Iran, the U.S. and other nations agreed to a deal aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. This week, the White House secured the votes it needed to sustain a filibuster of a resolution of disapproval.