Trump Promoted Conspiracy Theory Linking Cruz's Father to JFK Assassin in 2016

During the 2016 Republican primary, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump promoted a conspiracy theory linking his rival Ted Cruz's father to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

Trump claimed that Rafael Cruz, Ted Cruz's father, was pictured with Oswald shortly before the assassination, a claim that was not supported by evidence and widely dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, testifying in Trump's ongoing hush money trial, admitted that the tabloid completely fabricated the story about Cruz's father at the direction of Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen. Pecker said the Enquirer "mashed the photos" of Cruz's father and Oswald to create the false narrative.

Trump had previously touted the Enquirer's story, stating in an interview, "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being, you know, shot." The promotion of this unsubstantiated claim by Trump was seen as an attempt to undermine his political opponent during the heated primary race.

The revelation about the Enquirer's involvement in spreading the conspiracy theory came as part of the prosecution's focus on negative articles published by the tabloid about Trump's Republican opponents at the time. Prosecutors allege that Trump obscured the true nature of "catch and kill" payments to the Enquirer in business documents, leading to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records against the former president.

Why this matters: The resurfacing of this conspiracy theory promotion by Trump during his 2016 campaign sheds light on the tactics employed to discredit political rivals. It also highlights the ongoing legal troubles faced by the former president, as the hush money trial delves into his alleged involvement in burying unfavorable stories.

Despite the revelation of the Enquirer's fabrication of the story linking Cruz's father to the JFK assassination, Cruz has since put his differences with Trump aside and become one of his closest allies in the Senate. The judge in Trump's hush money trial has criticized the former president for violating a gag order by attacking trial participants on social media, as the case marks the first criminal trial of a former American president.

Key Takeaways

• Trump promoted conspiracy theory linking Cruz's father to JFK assassin
• National Enquirer fabricated the story at Trump's attorney's direction
• Prosecutors allege Trump obscured "catch and kill" payments in records
• Cruz later became a close Trump ally despite the conspiracy theory
• Trump criticized for violating gag order in first criminal trial of a former president