On Friday, Ted Cruz held a “Rally for Religious Liberty” in Iowa where the Republican presidential hopeful showcased a handful of Christians who have supposedly been persecuted for their religious beliefs and opposition to gay marriage.

Prior to the event, Cruz sat down with Ed Berliner on Newsmax to discuss the issue, which Cruz blamed on “liberal fascism” which has a “hatred and intolerance for Christians.”

Berliner asked Cruz how he planned to bring both sides together when the Republican Party has a reputation that it “does not like homosexuals, that you are anti-gay” and that it supports anti-gay discrimination. Cruz, predictably, refused to address that issue, insisting simply that “I’m a Christian and Scripture commands Christians to love everybody” before declaring that the real issue is the supposed government persecution of people of faith.

After absurdly asserting that Christian business owners should not have to provide services to a gay couple any more than a Muslim imam should be forced to conduct a Jewish wedding, Cruz blamed it all on “liberal fascists” who hate freedom and American values.

“What we’re seeing now,” he said, “is this liberal fascism and intolerance where their object is to persecute, to punish, to fine any Bible-following Christian or believer that believes in the biblical definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. And that is profoundly inconsistent with who we are as Americans.”

Berliner then again attempted to get Cruz to explain how, while holding such a position, he could ever hope to convince gay activists that he doesn’t hate them, and again Cruz wasn’t interested in answering that question.

“There are some activists who, frankly, manifest a hatred and intolerance for Christians, who are persecuting Christians,” Cruz said. “That is unfortunate. As I said, I think we should love everybody.”

Cruz then went on to declare that religious liberty was “the foundational right upon which this nation was built and, for I, am proud to stand with these heroes gathered tonight to defend religious liberty.”