The battle between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump over “New York values” turned into all-out war Friday when leading New York Democrats and Republicans blasted Cruz and the candidate issued a sneering “apology” ratcheting up his attacks on the Big Apple.
“You’re right. Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio” have asked him to apologize, Cruz told reporters.
“I apologize to the millions of New Yorkers who’ve been let down by liberal politicians,” he needled.
Then he blasted top New York Democrats by “apologizing” to those “denied jobs because Governor Cuomo won’t allow fracking.”
He “apologized” to “African-American children who Mayor de Blasio tried to throw out of their charter schools that were providing a pipeline to the American Dream.”
And in a final dig at the mayor, Cruz said New York law enforcement and first responders deserve an apology because de Blasio “stands with looters and criminals.”
Cruz also stood by his “New York values” slam at Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate.
“Everyone understands the values in New York City are socially liberal, are pro-abortion, are pro-gay-marriage, focus around money and the media,” Cruz said.
“There are not a lot of conservatives coming out of Manhattan,” he joked.
Cruz’s fusillade came late Friday, after New York elected officials ripped into him for trying to win votes in the Midwest by disparaging New York.
“On behalf of all New Yorkers, I’m disgusted at the insult that Ted Cruz threw at this city and its people,” de Blasio said.
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Just this once, Trump’s right: New Yorkers value hard work, diversity, tolerance, resilience, and building better lives for our families.”
Gov. Cuomo called NY 1 to suggest Cruz apologize.
“I’m always open to giving him an education on what New York values are all about, and if he had any class at all, he would apologize to the people of New York,” the governor said.
Several Republicans also condemned Cruz’s remark that New York’s values were different than those in Iowa and New Hampshire, both early-voting states.
“It’s worth an apology. He should apologize,” said former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
“I thought we had gotten over this prejudicial attitude toward New York after September 11,” said Giuliani, dubbed “America’s Mayor” after guiding the city in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.
Cruz critics were quick to note how the Tea Party favorite hasn’t been afraid to come to New York to fill his campaign coffers — although Cruz tends to rely on a nationwide network of small donors more than Wall Street bigs for the vast majority of his funds.
“The next time Senator Cruz is fund-raising in Manhattan, I invite him to come to my district where he can meet real New Yorkers, and maybe then he will think twice about wrongly insulting the integrity of the people I am so proud to call my fellow citizens,” said GOP Rep. Dan Donovan of Staten Island.
In the most recent three-month filing period ending in September, Cruz took in $213,455 from the five boroughs.
Cruz’s self-serving swipe at New York could soon hurt him where it hurts — with one prominent New York donor threatening to withdraw his campaign cash.
“I want my money back!” mega-donor John Catsimatidis told The Post.
Catsimatidis maxed out with a $5,400 contribution to Cruz last year. Now he’s having second thoughts.
“I think it was horrible. I think when you’re running for president, you shouldn’t try to separate Americans from different parts of the country,” he said.
The supermarket magnate also took issue with Cruz’s comment that New York is all about media and money.
“We’re all about people. We’re all about our country. We’re all about America going forward,” Catsimaditis said.
Not every New Yorker was offended.
“If I could legally double my money, I would give it to him,” said Marlene Mieske, a donor who has lived in Manhattan for 38 years.
She said New Yorkers “criticize anybody who is not from New York . . . If anything, I’m not invited back to dinner parties because I don’t espouse the same [liberal] views.”
Until the latest polling put them on a collision course in Iowa, Cruz and Trump enjoyed a much discussed “bromance,” with Cruz declining to slam Trump’s most controversial statements, and each man praising the other.