Ted Cruz Ad Uses Curt Schilling Firing to Attack Donald Trump

Ted Cruz is enlisting Curt Schilling sympathizers in his latest bid to dent Donald Trump's lead in the GOP nominating contest.

The Texas senator's campaign released a new ad Friday chastising the "PC (political correctness) police" at ESPN for their decision to fire Schilling. The one-time Red Sox great and now-former baseball commentator had a history of airing often-tasteless opinions, but pushed ESPN leadership over the edge this week with a Facebook meme that gravely offended the transgender community and its allies.

Schilling's post was an apparent response to the national conversation around a North Carolina law that would limit public restroom use to a person's assigned gender.

Trump weighed in on the ban Thursday in typical off-the-cuff style, saying on NBC, "There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go. They use the bathroom they feel is appropriate. There has been so little trouble. And the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife and the economic -- I mean the economic punishment that they're taking."

He later walked those comments back, telling FOX News Friday the decision should be made on a state-by-state basis.

In the meantime, Cruz released a derogatory ad castigating the frontrunner for "join(ing) the ranks of the PC police."

A faceless voice in the ad speaks over images of a man and a young girl in side-by-side bathroom stalls, as well as pictures of Trump himself.

"Curt Schilling was fired by the PC police for suggesting grown men shouldn't use the bathroom with little girls. Guess who's joined the ranks of the PC police? (audio of Trump remarks) Donald Trump can't be trusted with common sense. Why would we trust him in the White House?"

In an election where the establishment is anathema, one of the nastiest insults to throw is the dreaded accusation of being "politically correct." But of all the fronts on which to strike the outspoken Trump, that label seems unlikely to stick.