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The onetime friendship between Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul has grown frosty as they both vie to become the leading conservative in the 2016 GOP presidential primary.

The Kentucky senator stepped on his Texas colleagues campaign rollout this week by questioning his electability, a move that Cruzs allies saw as a deliberate attempt to distract from his message.

One Cruz adviser alleged Paul is trying to muddy the waters in his own TV appearances and interviews after Cruz announced his presidential candidacy, dominating the news cycle Monday.

We had a fantastic day in the media yesterday, and we plan to do that today and tomorrow, the adviser said. These stories are intended to distract, and were not going to take the bait.

GOP strategists say Cruz put pressure on Paul by launching his presidential campaign at Liberty University, the

nations largest evangelical college, on Monday, stealing some thunder from his rival. Paul will launch his own campaign on April 7 with a multi-state tour beginning in Kentucky.

While they both may be Senate Republicans, theyre not playing nice in the sandbox because its all about 2016, said Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist. With Cruz jumping out with his campaign, it causes pressure on Rand Paul to compete.

In an interview on Fox Newss The Kelly File Monday, Paul made clear he doesnt think Cruz has much appeal outside the partys base.

Paul also said he was glad Liberty students showed up at Cruzs speech in the front row wearing Im with Rand shirts, and during Cruzs speech that morning he was encouraging people to retweet Stand with Rand.

It was a long-simmering payback for a swipe Cruz took at Paul a year ago when he characterized his colleagues foreign policy views as un-Reaganesque.

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