WASHINGTON — An image of a young couple getting engaged at a Ted Cruz rally in Des Moines, Iowa, went viral over the weekend.
But the couple now claims the proposal was a hoax intended to shed light on Cruz's “hypocritical stance on marriage,” they told The Boston Globe.
Cruz ate up the apparent stunt by Emerson College sophomores Arden Jurskis and Kenzy Peach, giving them a hug and clapping with excitement over their engagement.
Love is infinite. A photo posted by Arden M. Jurskis (@ardenjurskis) on Jan 31, 2016 at 11:30pm PST
But the couple told the Globe the faux engagement was a “spur of the moment" decision they described as a “brief demonstration of values and activism."
"It's way more ethical to have two people of the same gender get married than have two college sophomores tie the knot," Peach told the paper.
Cruz won the GOP's Iowa caucuses Monday night, upsetting Donald Trump by coalescing Iowa's religious conservatives. He argues that states should have the right to define marriage.
The presidential race now heads to New Hampshire for the Feb. 9 primary, where polls show Trump with a wide lead, trailed by Cruz and Rubio.