When it became clear that the Texas senator and runner-up for the GOP presidential nomination would not endorse Trump, the convention hall erupted with jeers and booing. “That’s a narcissistic foreign policy. This is not politics”, Cruz added.
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And Matt Schultz, the former Iowa secretary of state who was the chairman of Cruz’s Iowa campaign, said he’s backing Trump and expects most of the Cruz coalition to do so as well. Instead, Trump would get up before crowds and free-associate, rambling on about whatever popped into his mind, though a big chunk of every speech was taken up with reciting his terrific poll numbers and his fantastic results in previous primaries, lest anyone forget how great he was doing and how much everyone loved him.
Then he expanded the radius of those he criticized: “Other than a small group of people who have suffered massive and embarrassing losses, the party is VERY united”.
Republican unity? What unity?
Indeed, Clinton was aggressively attacked throughout the four-day Republican convention, with delegates repeatedly chanting, “Lock her up”.
The GOP nominee is also expected to echo many of his campaign themes, including his vow to change “bad” trade deals that undermine U.S. manufacturing and his pledge to build an anti-immigration wall along the U.S. -Mexico border.
Overseas U.S. allies as well as voters at home will be closely watching his address, which comes the day after his suggestion that he might not defend America’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation partners as president.
Clinton, meanwhile, spent $34.5 million on her campaign in June compared to just $7.8 million for Trump, whose lower expenditures allowed him to begin July in better financial shape.
“I am not in the habit of supporting people who have attacked my wife and attacked my father”, said Cruz, who was greeted at the breakfast by both raucous cheers and visceral questions. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Trump “is essentially telling Russians/other bad actors” that the United States “is not fully committed to supporting North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance”.
The first three days of this week’s convention e gathering bordered on chaos, starting with a plagiarism charge involving his wife Melania Trump’s speech and moving on to Texas Sen. “This is good for European security and good for US security”. During the address, Cruz urged Republicans to “vote your conscience” in November, a direct reference to Trump detractors that lobbied members of the RNC rules committee on a “conscience clause” that would have allowed delegates to vote for someone other than the victor of their state’s primary results.
Five Cruz supporters interviewed at the convention said they meant to vote for Trump.
Cruz even took a shot at the NY delegation, which was vocal in its displeasure with the former presidential candidate during the end of his speech.
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It was the latest display of opposition to Trump’s candidacy at a convention that has featured many of them. When GOP leaders blocked that effort, the anti-Trump delegates staged a noisy protest on the floor.
