Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had once joked, “If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you”, the Texan was immediately characterized, in the punditorium and Twitter-sphere, as a sore loser.
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We got Phil on his way out of the RNC Wednesday night and he was sacked up about “Lyin’ Ted” going rogue – refusing to endorse Trump during his speech. Cruz finished second to Trump in the crowded Republican primary campaign and congratulated the GOP nominee on his victory.
Just like Wednesday night’s speech, Cruz was met with applause, yet dismissed with boos on Thursday.
Cruz defended his speech to the Texas delegates by insisting he never said one bad word about Donald Trump, and he doesn’t intend to in the future.
Some will read the backlash as the party turning on Cruz – something that might not help him politically going forward. “It’s about the United States of America”.
“They knew exactly what I was going to say”, Cruz said, convincing him that they believed his delivering that message would encourage people to get out to vote.
“I can tell you I am not voting for Hillary”, said Cruz, who also said he was “watching” other candidates.
The first-term senator emphasized that he has no plans to campaign against Trump this fall.
The dominant message has to be freedom, Cruz urged. The personal attacks alone would release Cruz from the bonds of that pledge, but the attacks on his wife truly absolved him from any obligation vis a vis the pledge.
“We need to unify behind a new president who can strengthen and protect and restore our nation for the next generation”, Duffy said.
One source familiar with the campaign inner circle’s thinking but not authorized to speak publicly said Trump, his relatives and closest advisers were angry at Cruz and had expected, while not an endorsement, a warmer embrace of the nominee and less showmanship from the senator.
Cruz has said before that he’s not bothered that many high-up Republicans don’t like him, the Washington Post reported. I think the fact was, this whole convention hall had 25,000 Trump fans in here, right? And Trump’s silhouetted appearance in a haze of white light to introduce his wife, Melania, for her opening-night speech, bucked tradition by coming so early in the week.
Check out Phil’s take – it’s interesting because he admits he was a Cruz man. until Cruz got crushed by Trump.
When asked if Cruz will be voting for Trump, he deferred, only noting who he will not be voting for. But Cruz said that decision is “personal” and changed when Trump attacked his family during the primary campaign.
Between Wednesday’s night’s speech and Thursday morning’s combative meeting, it begs the question whether Cruz is being honest, or just trying to incite trouble and prepare himself for a 2020 presidential run.
Before Cruz spoke, the mood among the Texas delegates who had gathered in the downtown Marriott was conciliatory.
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The crowd’s boos quickly switched to cheers as Trump entered the arena at the moment Cruz finished.
