Watch Ted Cruz Insult Everybody on the Debate Stage, For A Surprising Reason

DES MOINES — Ted Cruz took aim at every candidate on the debate stage Thursday night, calling his fellow Republican presidential contenders "stupid, fat and ugly."

But the candidate he was really attacking was businessman Donald Trump.

"Now that we've gotten the Donald Trump portion out of the way," the Texas senator said, prompting laughs from the crowd and the moderators for his jab at Trump's competing event during the Fox News debate.

"I want to thank everyone here for showing the men and women of Iowa the respect to show up and make the case to the people of this state and the people of the country why each of us believe we would make the best commander in chief," said Cruz, who's polling very closely behind Trump in the key early voting state.