Ted Cruz didn’t endorse presidential nominee Donald Trump. The crowd continued to boo loudly as Cruz left the stage at the end of his speech.
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“When you pull back the curtain, it was just Donald Trump with nothing to offer to the American people”, Clinton said during a speech in Las Vegas. A witness said one person shouted: “Goldman Sachs” at Heidi Cruz in reference to her employment at the investment bank.
He mentioned Mr Trump by name only once, and stubbornly refused to endorse him, triggering thunderous boos from angry delegates as he encouraged Americans to simply “vote your conscience” in November. While Trump has energized many Republican voters, others remain deeply skeptical of his unorthodox candidacy and divisive policy proposals. “For Cruz to bring that message into #RNC hall was a colossal error”.
The third night of the GOP convention is a story of the running mate – who will deliver a keynote speech – and former rivals such Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker, who will show good faith toward Trump, who vanquished them in the primaries. “I just don’t know why Cruz did this. It baffles my mind”.
On multiple occasions during the primary season, Cruz condemned Trump’s behavior and said his nomination would ensure a victory for Hillary Clinton in the fall.
“Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn’t honour the pledge! No big deal!” Trump tweeted.
Trump allies were infuriated, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who said Mr Cruz’s decision was “totally selfish”.
Cruz went off script to acknowledge the “enthusiasm” of New York’s delegates, who were shouting at him.
“I feel much better now”, said Matt Owen, 25, a delegate and firefighter from Pence’s home state of Indiana.
“They talk about unity and then they act like that”. “He’s a doer in a game usually reserved for talkers”, Pence said.
Trump joined Pence on stage, applauding his new partner and leaning in almost to give him a kiss on the cheek. The overall immediate sentiment was slightly more positive than negative, according to social media analytics firm Zoomph.
The speech provoked a raft of reactions both on and off the convention floor, with Cruz being excoriated by Trump supporters and lauded directly and indirectly by Democrats and Green Party candidate. Mr Trump began calling Mr Cruz “Lyin’ Ted” at every opportunity. Cruz was the most searched speaker on Google. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich also will speak. “But I think we’re at a place in our country’s evolution where it’s particularly important now, with all that’s happened and the concerns that people have, for a positive vision to be laid out”. Midway through the speech, they shifted in their five chairs leaving one open in the middle for their father, who was set to enter the arena.
Trump will close the four-day convention with a speech Thursday night accepting the nomination. On Monday, chaos erupted when Trump opponents inside his party stormed out of the room and others chanted to vent frustration over a failed attempt to force a vote in opposition to Trump.
But it was a reminder of the scale of the task before Trump if he is to quiet questions about his campaign’s professionalism and heal crippling party divisions, let alone win a national election.
It’s Donald Trump’s big moment to make his case to the country – and to the many rattled doubters in his own party.
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But U.S. Senator Mike Lee of Utah, one of the “never Trump” holdouts, is still not convinced.
