Ted Cruz fires back at Obama over GOP criticisms: 'Insult me to my face'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Sen. Ted Cruz fired back at President Barack Obama on Wednesday over what he says are the commander-in-chief's heavy criticisms of Republicans in their opposition to a plan to admit Syrian refugees to the United States.

Obama this week slammed Republicans on multiple occasions for criticizing his plan to bring 10,000 Syrian migrants to the United States over the next year. Wednesday, Cruz shot back.

"It is utterly unbefitting of the president to be engaging in those kind of personal insults and attacks," the 2016 GOP contender said. ""He talked about how he was belittling the Republican field as scared."

"Well let me suggest something," Cruz continued. "Mr. President, if you want to insult me, you can do it overseas, you can do it in Turkey, you can do it in foreign countries. But I would encourage you Mr. President, come back and insult me to my face."

Monday, Obama had stern words for Cruz over a previous assertion from the Texas Republican that only Christian refugees should be admitted to the United States -- a proposition he called "shameful" and un-American.

In the Philippines Wednesday, Obama again criticized Republicans and questioned why they are "scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States."

"At first, they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates," Obama continued. "Now they are scared of 3-year-old orphans. That doesn't seem so tough to me."

Cruz's position on the matter is also shared by former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who is also a Republican candidate for president next year.