Cruz returns to Texas, calls Trump "P.T. Barnum"

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Flanked by the Lone Star State's Governor, Ted Cruz returned to his home turf with rhetorical guns blazing - his super pre-Tuesday speech peppered with line-in-the-sand references to Texas guts and armed gallantry.

"When Santa Ana demanded of the Texians at Gonzalez, hand over your guns and hand over your cannons, how did we respond? Come and take it!”, said Cruz to a crowd of supporters in Houston.

Six days out from the election and solidly ahead here of rivals Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, it was the tycoon and reality TV star who drew Cruz's fire.

"We can't be fooled by P.T. Barnum. The time for the clowns and the acrobats and the dancing bears has passed," said Cruz.

It was a solid shot from the stump aimed at convincing Texans he is the earnest leader best equipped to navigate the nation through perilous times. Capturing all 155 delegates with 50 percent of the vote would vastly improve Cruz's prospects.

But later when asked by reporters about his path forward without a Texas delegate sweep, Cruz pushed back.

"I'm curious how many reporters asked Marco Rubio after losing four states in a row, so when do you drop out when you haven't won a state?", asked Cruz.