Gingrich told the crowd that Cruz had said that in the context of protecting the Constitution, and since Hillary Clinton will shred it as president, then the only way to “vote your conscience” is for “the Trump-Pence ticket”, QED.
Advertisement
“And to those listening, please, don’t stay home in November”.
In stunning remarks during the primetime TV hour apparently created to lay the groundwork for a future bid for the presidency, Cruz refused to formally endorse Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee.
“We could not allow Ted Cruz to use the Adelsons as a prop against Donald Trump”, he continued. His daughter Ivanka and other members of the Trump party turned their backs on Cruz to stand and applaud Trump, who sat down in the front row of his VIP box to watch his son Eric deliver the next speech.
“He’s a chicken”, said Eugene Delgaudio, a delegate from Sterling, Virginia, who clucked like a chicken when asked about Cruz’s decision. He promised that Donald Trump, the presidential nominee, “will confront radical Islamic terror at its source and destroy the enemies of our freedom”.
Cruz, 45, called Trump a “serial philanderer” and a “narcissist” during the campaign.
“I think it was bad, and quite frankly, I think it was selfish”, Christie said.
Cruz wasn’t the only former primary competitor to speak at the RNC.
The dispute was the latest misstep at the four-day party meeting, which was meant to be an occasion showing Republicans rallying behind Trump, a NY businessman who has never been elected to public office but who saw off 16 rivals in the primary contests. Adelson met with several Republican candidates but ultimately waited until Trump emerged as the presumptive nominee after the IN primary to formally endorse the real estate mogul. And the response from the crowd on Wednesday night was clear. Cruz’s oldest daughter’s name is also Caroline, and his wife’s name is Heidi.
At that moment, the crowd burst into applause, angry yelling, and eventually chants for Trump.
And afterward, there was more drama. According to someone who witnessed the scene, Washington State Republican Party chairman Susan Hutchison went “bananas” on Cruz outside the elevators near the bottom level suites in the arena after Cruz’s speech, calling him a traitor. Cruz just doesn’t see Trump as a true conservative.
Interrupted by chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump”, Cruz said with a smile, “I appreciate the enthusiasm of the NY delegation”.
Delegate Selena Coppa said the speech inspired her. You heard everybody booing him.
Trump himself stopped by the suite, and Abboud tweeted a photo of him with the Adelsons. “Donald Trump apparently doesn’t even believe in the free world”, Sullivan said alleging that over the course of this campaign, Trump has displayed a freaky and occasionally obsequious fascination with Russia’s strongman, Vladimir Putin. “Looked pretty full to me but who knows”. “A person she (Melania Trump) has always liked is Michelle Obama”, Xinhua quoted McIver as saying.
Mr Trump and Mr Cruz have had a complicated relationship throughout the presidential campaign.
Some Missouri delegates were among them.
Advertisement
“There’s a lot of talk about unity”, he concluded.
