‘This Week’ Transcript: Sen. Ted Cruz and Robert Gates

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT FOR 'THIS WEEK' ON May 1, 2016 and it will be updated.

MARTHA RADDATZ, ABC HOST: And we're joined now by Senator Ted Cruz. Congratulations on your endorsement from Governor Pence. You said on Friday that America is depending on the Hoosier State. Can you win this thing if you don't win Indiana?

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, Indiana is certainly critical and I was honored to receive the support of Governor Pence. He is a trusted conservative, he's someone that Hoosiers respect, and-and he has a remarkable record here in Indiana of leading with common sense conservative values, of cutting taxes, of lifting regulations and of seeing private sector job growth as a result. And I think we need to bring that kind of Indiana common sense to the rest of the country. //

RADDATZ: You say it's critical. Is it a must-win?

CRUZ: It is a incredibly important state. We are competing hard. I hope we do well here. I can tell you I'm barnstorming the state, we're in a bus with my family, we're doing everything we can to earn the votes of the men and women in this state. We're going the distance. We're competing the entire distance and I'm encouraged-- You know, seeing Governor Pence come together announcing this week Carly Fiorina as my vice presidential nominee, we're seeing the Republican Party unite //

RADDATZ: But- but, Senator Cruz, it's still mathematically impossible for you to clinch the nomination on the first ballot. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam says if you take it to the second ballot, it could be perceived as a steal. What do you say to Republicans who fear that?

CRUZ: Well, listen, Martha, nobody's going to clinch it on the first ballot. Nobody is getting to 1,237. I'm not, but Donald Trump isn't either. It's why Donald Trump is so desperate to say the race is over now, to get his media acolytes to echo that. We're going to go in into Cleveland. It is gonna be a contested convention. // And the reason Donald Trump is so frenetic to say, 'It need to be over, it needs to be over,' is that I think Donald knows he can't earn the support of a majority. And you know, if you can't earn the support of a majority, you can't untie the party. And that makes you a terribly weak general election candidate. I believe at the convention, the highest total Trump gets, it will be the first ballot and that we are seeing the party unite behind our campaign.

RADDATZ: But-- but speaking of uniting the party-- speak-

RADDATZ: Speaking of that, there are GOP party leaders who are saying enough is enough and that the prolonged fight is helping Secretary Clinton. In Colorado, a state where you got all the delegates, former state party chairman Dick Wadhams told the Washington Post, 'People just want this thing to be over with and we need a nominee.'

CRUZ: Martha, I recognize that that-- that will be echoed by the media. I mean listen, the media's given Donald Trump 2 billion dollars of free airtime. What I can tell you is that people want a clear and meaningful choice. You know, // Hillary and Donald Trump, they are flipsides of the same coin. They agree on issue after issue after issue. Whether it's Planned Parenthood, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump say Planned Parenthood is terrific and they support taxpayer funding. Whether it's Obamacare, both Hillary and Donald support the individual mandate in Obamacare. Whether it's guns, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump supported Bill Clinton's ban on many of the most popular firearms in America. Or whether it's foreign policy, where both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump want to be neutral between Israel and the Palestinians. And both Hillary and Donald say that they would keep this Iranian nuclear deal in place. I don't think we want to nominate-- have the general election bet-- be between two rich, New York, big government liberals. Instead, the way we win is we provide a clear contrast, we paint in bold colors, not pale pastels and the difference between Carly and me on the one side and Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump I think couldn't be clearer.

RADDATZ: So-- so you believe a Trump presidency would be the same as a Clinton presidency?

CRUZ: I think a Trump presidency would be a disaster. It would continue us on the same roads. Listen, Trump believes in government. Donald and Hillary are Washington insiders. Both of them have gotten rich using government power to further their personal interest. And if you're fed up with the corruption in Washington, Donald and Hillary have been enmeshed with that. //

RADDATZ: Let-- Senator Cruz, let's-- let's go back to that endorsement by Governor Pence. He says he likes and respects Donald Trump, do you?

CRUZ: Sure. Mhhm. Uhuh.

RADDATZ: You respect him, so you would support his nomination?

CRUZ: Listen, I am gl-- I am gl--

CRUZ: I am glad Donald ran. I think he energized and excited a lot of people, but I think his views. He is a big government liberal just like Barack Obama and just like Hillary Clinton. Let's take, for example, foreign policy. Martha, you've got a lot of expertise in foreign policy. I'm sure you saw Donald's so-called foreign policy speech this week. Now, number one, by all appearances that speech was written by a bunch of Washington lobbyists. It says something that he outsources his major foreign policy address to Washington lobbyists who get rich representing tyrants and foreign countries. But this speech was a speech that reflected a weak and naive view of foreign policy. In this speech, Donald Trump once again didn't stand with Israel. // That's what we've seen for seven years. If you like this administration, not standing with Israel, that's what Donald Trump has said he would do. And-and you loo-

RADDATZ: That speech was praised by Senator Bob Corker, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Even Ambassador John Bolton, who you floated as a potential Secretary of State said it was right on target, very strong and impressive. Are they wrong?

CRUZ: What I can tell you is that speech. On ISIS, Donald said he's got a plan, but he's not going to tell anyone what the plan is. That's what Barack Obama says. And listen, on Iran, Donald Trump said he would keep in place this disastrous Iranian nuclear deal. He agrees with Hillary Clinton on this. I am the only candidate running who will rip the Iranian deal to shreds on day one. And let me mention, Martha, these are real and important--

RADDATZ: And then what would you do? If you rip it to shreds, then what do you do?

CRUZ: I-- then what you do is you make absolutely clear to the Ayatollah Khomeini he will not acquire nuclear weapons. We immediately re-impose sanctions, we use every tool we can to cut off their money. They were hurting from the sanctions until Obama stepped in and sent em over 100 billion dollars. You stop giving money to people who want to kill you. When the Ayatollah Khomeini chants death to America, he means it. And here's very important point: these are really significant differences in policy. We ought to have a debate and discuss them.

RADDATZ: And- and Senator Cruz, I want to make a turn here to this weekend. You know this weekend is the White House Correspondents' dinner. A lot of fun poked at Washington. Have you found any humor in this election or can you poke fun at yourself in any way?

CRUZ: Oh, listen, you have to laugh. I laugh everyday on the trail and have fun with it. And you know, part of the reason I think that we have gone to this point, why I'm the last man standing against Donald Trump, why we're united the ca-- the Republican Party, is because we're running a joyful campaign, we're having fun, we're laughing, and I think people can tell a joyful campaign. I am very much a happy warrior. You know, even-- even when Donald Trump engages in nasty attacks, in personal slurs, I-- you know, I'm happy to just laugh it off and have fun. Because when you're speaking the truth, when you're speaking from the heart, when you know what you believe, you don't have to fake it. And-- and-- and so yes, there-- there is humor every day. Listen, I am sure you laughed out loud watching Donald Trump's speech on foreign policy where he talked about Tanzania. I'm-- I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that country Tanzania. You know-- I mean, maybe that's where two Corinthians live. I don't know. But, you know-- I mean, you got to be able to laugh and have fun and enjoy it. And-- and that's very much what we are doing every day.

RADDATZ: Thanks, again, Senator Cruz. It's great to see you. Doesn't happen often enough. Thanks a lot.

CRUZ: Thank you Martha. God bless.

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