Cruz talks religious liberty in Ashwaubenon

ASHWAUBENON - Sen. Ted Cruz is done caring about what Donald Trump does and instead is focused on what Wisconsinites want.

After saying that he could not care less about what Trump, the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination, says or does, Cruz said he’s focused on winning the April 5 Wisconsin primary, improving the economy and protecting religious liberty.

“What the people of Wisconsin care about is jobs, bringing jobs back to America, seeing wages rise,” Cruz said. “What the people of Wisconsin care about is our freedom, protecting the Bill of Rights. What the people of Wisconsin care about is safety and security, protecting this country from radical Islamic terrorism.”

Cruz attended a showing of “God’s Not Dead 2” at Bay Park Cinema Saturday evening to host a showing of the sequel to the 2014 film, a hit with faith communities that focuses on religious liberty. After answering questions for 15 minutes, Cruz sat down in a packed theater, popcorn and two hot dogs in-hand, to watch the show.

“One simple reality, if I want to see a movie, it’s got to be a campaign stop,” Cruz joked. “They don’t let me go to the movies unless we’re doing something else.”

He said the film’s focus on religious liberty is a vital issue with which a "radicalized" Democratic Party is in conflict.

“It is unfortunate to see the modern Democratic Party has gotten so extreme, so radicalized that religious liberty is now viewed in conflict with the partisan political agenda of the Democratic Party,” Cruz said. “... Every one of us has the right to live according to our faith. And this should be a shared value that brings us together.”

Saturday’s appearance in Ashwaubenon was the second time Cruz has made a small-scale campaign stop in Northeastern Wisconsin. While Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and their surrogates have almost exclusively held large-scale rallies for supporters, Cruz previously stopped for fish fry in Green Bay on March 25 after a town hall in Oshkosh.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has not held any events in Northeastern Wisconsin.

Cruz plans to hold a larger-scale rally at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Green Bay, 333 Main St., featuring his former Republican challenger Carly Fiorina and Gov. Scott Walker.

jbollier@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GBstreetwise .