The GOP presidential candidates are all on the ground in South Carolina, which holds its Republican primary this weekend – but Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is already turning his sights to Nevada, which holds its caucus Feb. 23.
In his latest ad directed at the state, Cruz attacks Donald Trump while vowing to “return full control of Nevada’s lands to its rightful owners” – echoing similar calls from Cliven Bundy, the embattled Nevada rancher who led the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon last month.
In this ad, Cruz uses this battle as his wedge issue against Donald Trump, who Cruz has been repeatedly attacking for his stance on eminent domain, or the acquisition of private land by the government for public use. While the issue with Nevada’s land has nothing to do with eminent domain, for Cruz, it’s close enough.
“Donald Trump wants to keep big government in charge – that’s ridiculous,” Cruz says. “You, the people of Nevada – not Washington bureaucrats – should be in charge of your own land,” he says as we see shots of burly ranchers wrangling cattle.
It is more likely that the public land – which includes national forests, parks and national monuments – would be auctioned off to private companies for logging, mining and drilling.
But if you are a lover of federally-ran national parks and monuments throughout the West, the good news is that they probably aren’t being sold off anytime soon… Donald Trump is still leading in Nevada by double digits.
In his latest ad directed at the state, Cruz attacks Donald Trump while vowing to “return full control of Nevada’s lands to its rightful owners” – echoing similar calls from Cliven Bundy, the embattled Nevada rancher who led the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon last month.
Ted Cruz’s Cattle Call Against Donald Trump
The federal government owns roughly half of all the land in the West – and as Cruz notes in the ad, that includes, “85% of Nevada.” The battle between Nevadans and the government over that land is as old as the state itself, but the fight has received renewed attention in recent years, thanks in part to multiple armed standoffs led by Cliven Bundy.In this ad, Cruz uses this battle as his wedge issue against Donald Trump, who Cruz has been repeatedly attacking for his stance on eminent domain, or the acquisition of private land by the government for public use. While the issue with Nevada’s land has nothing to do with eminent domain, for Cruz, it’s close enough.
“Donald Trump wants to keep big government in charge – that’s ridiculous,” Cruz says. “You, the people of Nevada – not Washington bureaucrats – should be in charge of your own land,” he says as we see shots of burly ranchers wrangling cattle.
Republican Frontrunners Head to the Wild West
While the idea of taking land from the government to give to the people may certainly sound enticing to Cruz’s far right base, critics say that what is left out is that the land would not necessarily go back to ranchers – or even Nevadans.It is more likely that the public land – which includes national forests, parks and national monuments – would be auctioned off to private companies for logging, mining and drilling.
But if you are a lover of federally-ran national parks and monuments throughout the West, the good news is that they probably aren’t being sold off anytime soon… Donald Trump is still leading in Nevada by double digits.