Re-writing the headline: "Donald Trump tries another ham-fisted attempt to win over Iowa Evangelicals"
That's the reality, like it or not. Cruz's Cuban ancestry is a secondary, or tertiary, aspect.
Trump's Presbyterian background is not what most would consider "Evangelical," by a long shot.
Trump (the neophyte, but highly skilled) politician is trying to leverage a couple of things here:
1. Most Cubans are Catholic, not Evangelical Protestants.
2. A Presbyterian is commonly noted as a Protestant.
Will it work for him? unknown
In his calculus I suppose that he is hoping to accomplish:
1. Plant the seed, "Cruz == Cuban," which may or may not dissuade N% of caucus goers that don't particularly like Cubans.
2. Plant the seed, "Cruz ~~ Catholic," for those that don't particularly care for Catholics, and may think that Cruz's Baptist religion is just a politically-based choice.
3. Plant the seed, "Trump == Protestant ~~ Evangelical," for those that may not think it through all that much.
This is pure political calculus (at the second derivative), like it or not, it is how the game has been played in this country for years.
Most politicians have been a lot less ham-fisted in how they attempt these things; Trump is, Trump.
