In the highly anticipated CNN debate between former presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz regarding the Affordable Care Act, Cruz boxed himself into a corner and Sanders was happy to let him stay there.

After Cruz expressed phony concern that insurance companies have racked up huge profits over the last six years, Sanders excitedly pounced, telling the Texas senator that there is an easy way to combat insurance company greed – simply scrap the for-profit system altogether.

Once Cruz essentially admitted that the only goal of insurance companies is to make billions of dollars, not help people get health care, Sanders had all the ammunition he needed to urge Cruz to put is money where his mouth is and support a system that puts patient health above profits.

Predictably, Cruz changed the subject and instead told Sanders they should work together in going after big pharma, hoping to maneuver himself out of his own trap. Once again, though, the Vermont senator was happy to engage, urging Cruz to walk the walk and join him in crafting legislation to take on the issue.

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Sanders said:

I’m gonna introduce legislation to have Medicare negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical industry. I’m going to introduce, again, legislation to allow Americans to buy less expensive medicine in Canada, the UK, and other countries. Let’s take on the greed of pharma.

Each time Cruz tried to pretend to care about greed and profits for the sake of not looking foolish, Sanders made him pay and Cruz was forced backed down. Ultimately, Sanders exposed the Texas senator as a phony who talks a good game but will always defend insurance company profits over his constituents.

None of this should be all that surprising given the fact that Ted Cruz has received nearly $150,000 from insurance companies since 2011.

  Bernie Sanders, Insurance Companies, medicare for all, profits, single payer, Ted Cruz