Cruz to miss Scalia’s funeral

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz will not attend the funeral Saturday of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Spokeswoman Alice Stewart said it would be “impossible” for Cruz to make it to the funeral because of his campaign schedule and the Republican primary election on Saturday in South Carolina, though he wanted to attend, CNN reported.

Cruz praised Scalia as a “lion of the law” at CNN’s town hall, noting his death leaves a “huge void on that court.”

Earlier Thursday, Cruz criticized President Obama’s decision to skip the funeral.

“We’ve got 11 more months of watching damage to this country from a lawless and faithless president, who is eager to travel to Cuba but unwilling even to show up at the funeral of Justice Scalia,” Cruz said in South Carolina.

Scalia died over the weekend in Texas at age 79. Obama will pay his respects Friday at the Supreme Court, where Scalia’s body will lie in repose.