Young conservative CJ Pearson, who became famous for attacking President Obama on YouTube, tweeted his endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for president Monday. This is a turnaround from the 12-year-old's April endorsement of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

Cruz responded on Twitter saying, "Grateful for your support. Let's #MakeDCListen and break the #WashingtonCartel!"

The switch came after Cruz took to the Senate floor on Friday to accuse Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of lying. According to Cruz, McConnell promised 54 Republican senators that "there was no deal" with senators trying to revive the Export-Import Bank. But Friday, McConnell began procedures to revive the controversial bank, which expired in July and divided establishment and Tea Party Republicans.

The Texas senator's criticism of McConnell may have been the turning point for Pearson. Cruz had already been in the race for more than a month when Pearson announced his support for Paul April 29. At that time, Paul, Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., were the only Republican candidates in the race. Pearson has since removed his Paul endorsement video from his own YouTube account.

From endorsing both Cruz and Paul, it appears that the 12-year-old seeks a candidate that challenges the Republican establishment. In May, Paul stood against Senate leadership by filibustering the Patriot Act.

Perhaps Cruz's relative youth appealed to the 12-year-old. When Pearson interviewed Cruz, 44, in mid-May, the Texas senator said that he was 10 when Ronald Reagan was elected president. "It had a powerful impact on me as a 10-year-old," Cruz told Pearson. Three Republican candidates, Cruz, Rubio and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, are 44 years old, making them the youngest in the race.

Emily Leayman is an intern at the Washington Examiner