Donald Trump's presidential campaign lashed out at Republican rival Ted Cruz late Tuesday evening after the Texas senator dealt Trump a huge loss in Wisconsin's GOP primary.

"Ted Cruz is worse than a puppet — he is a Trojan horse, being used by the party bosses attempting to steal the nomination from Mr. Trump," the campaign said in a statement to Washington Post reporter Robert Costa.

The Trump campaign railed against Cruz's recent endorsement from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and claimed the first-term senator, who's now defeated Trump in eight states, was "propelled by the anti-Trump super PAC's [sic]" to his victory Tuesday night.

"We have total confidence that Mr. Trump will go on to win in New York, where he holds a substantial lead in all the polls, and beyond," the Trump campaign said.

Without a victory in Wisconsin, Trump's road to the Republican nomination is likely to become far more arduous. Trump's tough loss Tuesday night comes on the heels of a tumultuous two weeks for his campaign and his nine-day hiatus from the campaign in the final two weeks before the Badger State primary.

At press time, Cruz had reached 50 percent of the vote in Wisconsin's Republican primary with 61 percent reporting. Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich followed at 33 percent and 14 percent, respectively.

Only 16 states remain on the GOP primary schedule before Republicans convene in Cleveland in mid-July for what is likely to be a historic national convention.