Ted Cruz scorches 'bunch of crazy socialists' in New York who pushed Amazon out of headquarters deal

Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz ripped the "bunch of crazy socialists" in New York who recently pushed Amazon out of the headquarters deal there — and the Texan didn't let Amazon off the hook, either.

Here's what Cruz said toward the end of his time on the CPAC stage Friday in National Harbor, Maryland.

The blue states with high taxes, high regulations, their people are fleeing because they don't have jobs ... When New York chased Amazon out because a bunch of New York socialists said .... By the way, let's pause for a second: What on earth was Amazon doing? You're doing a nationwide search; where you want to base your second headquarters? "I know! New York City.'" You almost deserve the pestilence that happens to you if you go into that willingly ... '"OK, they're a bunch of crazy socialists, let's go there."

Here's the clip:

What's the background?

Amazon announced in February that it was canceling its planned headquarters in New York City after local lawmakers — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — had vocally opposed the deal.

Ocasio-Cortez complained that a company as rich as Amazon shouldn't be receiving $3 billion in state and city subsidies to open a new location — and she declared victory once Amazon announced it was pulling out of the deal.

"Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon's corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world," Ocasio-Cortez noted on Twitter.

Some local business owners were counting on the financial boost from Amazon and were distraught by the end of the deal.

"It's definitely heartbreaking," restaurant owner Steve Logiudice, whose establishment is two blocks from Amazon's planned location, told the New York Post. "There'll be less foot traffic, and we depend on foot traffic. We depend on, obviously, the locals, but we depend on the construction workers, the business workers, so we depend on all that."

Even progressive New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio slammed fellow Democrats who saw Amazon's retreat as a victory.

"As a progressive my entire life �— and I ain't changing — I'll take on any progressive anywhere that thinks it's a good idea to lose jobs and revenue because I think that's out of touch with what working people want," he said during a radio station interview.

(H/T: Louder With Crowder)