Bill Kristol: Don't Underestimate Ted Cruz

The Donald Trump-Ted Cruz battle for the GOP presidential nomination is a "good heavyweight fight" — but while most believe the brawling billionaire will trounce the Texas senator, Cruz in no way should be underestimated, Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, tells Newsmax TV.

"Cruz has a little better chance to win this fight with Trump than most people think. Most people think Trump is going to steamroll him," Kristol said Tuesday.

"I think Cruz is pretty tough and pretty able at this kind of infighting, but it's a heck of a fight I got to say. As just an observer, Trump, Cruz going at it — that's a pretty good heavyweight fight."

Kristol said he was impressed by Trump's performance in the sixth GOP presidential debate last week.

"I'm not pro-Trump, but I thought he had just objectively probably done a pretty good job in the debate and avoided any big blows … and he won the initial round on 'New York values,'" Kristol said referring to Cruz's controversial crack about Trump's ideology — a remark the businessman threw back in his face.

"Cruz looked a little surprised. People thought, probably correctly, that Trump sort of won that first round."

But, he added, "Cruz has done a pretty good job of prosecuting the 'New York values' [controversy]. 'I'm not attacking a city, I'm not attacking the people in the city, I'm attacking a certain political mindset and people know what I mean.'

More