Former House Speaker John Boehner: Ted Cruz Is ‘Lucifer in the Flesh’

The magic (read: disbelief) and wonder (read: pain) of the 2016 Election cycle has been well documented, but on Wednesday night, a new player entered the game: Satan.

Former House Speaker John Boehner (R – Ohio), speaking at a forum hosted at Stanford University, was asked by moderator David M. Kennedy to be “frank” when discussing the current 2016 presidential candidates because the event was not being broadcast, The Stanford Daily reported. When asked what Boehner thought of Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the former Speaker didn’t seem to hold back.

From the paper:

“When specifically asked his opinions on Ted Cruz, Boehner made a face, drawing laughter from the crowd.

“ ‘Lucifer in the flesh,’ the former speaker said. ‘I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.’ “

For those who follow politics closely, Boehner’s opinions of Cruz may not come as much of a surprise.

In 2013, Cruz was the ringleader of a group of hard-line Republicans who attempted to defund President Obama’s Affordable Care Act and squashed Boehner’s attempts to avoid a government shutdown. It resulted in a 16-day shutdown that pundits and the public alike viewed as politically damaging for the Republican party. From that time, Boehner and Cruz clashed numerous times from their respective chambers, with Cruz always a thorn in the Speaker’s side until Boehner eventually stepped down in September 2015.

For the other Republicans in the 2016 race, Boehner was far more kind in the Stanford forum, especially to the presumptive party nominee, Donald Trump.

The Stanford Daily reported that Boehner and Trump are “texting buddies” and that though Boehner “did not praise Trump’s policies, the Speaker did say he would vote for Trump in the general election if he becomes the Republican nominee. The former Speaker said he would not, however, vote for Cruz.”

Boehner’s relationship with fellow Ohio-native John Kasich doesn’t seem as close as one would think.

“[Kasich] requires more effort on my behalf than all my other friends … but he’s still my friend, and I love him,” Boehner said, the Daily reported.

When it comes to the Democrats in the raise, Boehner is certain former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be the nominee, but praised Senator Bernie Sanders (I – Vt.) as a “nice guy and the most honest politician in the race,” the Daily wrote.

The Cruz campaign has not responded to Boehner’s statement.

Cruz made headlines Wednesday when he announced his vice presidential running mate would be Carly Fiorina, an oddly presumptuous decision considering Cruz lost all five state primaries on Tuesday and cannot mathematically secure enough delegates to win the Republican nomination.