The Politics Corner

By Christopher Motola

Trump and Cruz Ignite Twitter War

The Republican rivalry between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump became even more intense following a controversial ad that aired from a pro-Cruz Super PAC on the eve of the Utah Primaries. The ad, which was released by Make America Awesome Super PAC, displayed a photo of Trump’s wife Melania during her modeling years. Melania is scantily clothed in the photo, with text above her reading “Meet Melania Trump, your next first lady. Or, you could support Cruz on Tuesday”. Trump fired back in a tweet, threatening to “spill the beans” on Ted Cruz’s wife. Cruz denied involvement with the advertisement. Trump later re-tweeted a photo that unflatteringly portrayed Cruz’s wife Heidi, with text reading “no need to spill the beans”. Of course, Cruz responded angrily, calling Trump a “sniveling coward,” and telling him to “leave Heidi the hell alone”. Trump was later criticized by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper for the tweets, labeling Trump’s response that he was merely retaliating to Cruz as “the argument of a five year-old.”

Terror in Brussels

On March 22, the city of Brussels became the victim of violent terrorist bombings at Zaventem airport and the Maalbeek metro station. The attack, the deadliest in Belgian history, claiming the lives of 32 people and wounding over 200 more. The suspects are two brothers, Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui, who were already on the radar of Belgian police. It has been speculated that the two had ties to the terrorists responsible for November’s horrific attacks in Paris, and were suspects during the subsequent raids. The manhunt for the two brothers is still ongoing. In the wake of the bombings, University President John Garvey issued a statement that expressed sympathies for the bombing and confirmed the safety of Catholic University students who are currently studying abroad in Brussels:

In light of this morning’s senseless violence in Brussels, I want to reassure you that all five of our undergraduate students from The Catholic University of America who are studying in Belgium are safe and accounted for. Upon news of the bombings this morning, staff within the Center for Global Education have been in communication with our contacts in Belgium to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.