Ted Cruz Says Young Heckler Deserves a Spanking

"You know, one of the things that hopefully someone has told you is that children should actually speak with respect," Cruz says

Ted Cruz responded to a young heckler who yelled out "you suck" during a campaign event in Indiana by telling the child that such an outburst would land him a spanking in the Cruz household.

The heckler, described by an NBC reporter as a boy who appeared to be 10 years old, interrupted Cruz as he was speaking in La Porte on Sunday.

"Apparently there is a young man who is having some problems," Cruz said.

The person could then be heard yelling, "You suck!"

"Thank you son. You know I appreciate you sharing your views," Cruz responded. "You know, one of the things that hopefully someone has told you is that children should actually speak with respect."

The audience roared its approval as Cruz, a father of two, continued to riff on his parenting views.

"Imagine what a different world it would be if someone had told Donald Trump that years ago," he said. "You know, in my household, when a child behaved that way, they’d get a spanking."

Cruz faces a key vote in Tuesday's key Indiana primary against front-runner Trump, who has a 15-point lead in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.

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