WASHINGTON — (CNN) Caitlyn Jenner revealed in a new interview that she likes Ted Cruz despite his past remarks on transgender issues and would like to serve as the Texas senator’s “trans ambassador” if he wins the presidency.
“I think he’s very conservative, and a great constitutionalist, and a very articulate man,” the Olympic champion and reality television star told The Advocate in an interview published Wednesday evening. “I haven’t endorsed him or anything like that. But I also think, he’s an evangelical Christian, and probably one of the worst ones when it comes to trans issues.”
Those concerns aside, Jenner, a Republican, said she found Cruz to be “very nice” when they met before her transition and hoped he would be open to her counsel if he’s elected in November.
“Wouldn’t it be great,” she said. “I have all my girls on a trans issues board to advise him on making decisions when it comes to trans issues.”
Asked by The Advocate if that meant being Cruz’s “trans ambassador,” Jenner said, “Yes, trans ambassador to the president of the United States, so we can say, ‘Ted, love what you’re doing but here’s what’s going on.'”
Cruz has been critical of the Obama administration’s efforts to embrace trans students, telling an interviewer last year that “the federal government is going after school districts, trying to force them to let boys shower with little girls.” Politifact found that claim to be false.
“I’m the father of two daughters,” Cruz told conservative talk radio host Steven Crowder in November, “and the idea that the federal government is coming in saying that boys, with all the God-given equipment of boys, can be in the shower room with junior high girls — this is lunacy.”
On Friday, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, one of the first openly gay international sports stars, expressed disappointment at Jenner’s comments.
“Cait – you really must be joking about Cruz, right?” she tweeted. “Tell me it ain’t so…”
The Cruz campaign did not immediately respond to an email from CNN.
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