Ted Cruz declined to endorse Trump.
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A Ted Cruz supporter holds a sign during his speech on the third day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Wednesday, July 20, 2016. “We have criticized the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, in the past and will do so again when warranted”. “I knew from day one it was a huge uphill battle”. God bless you, and good night! “I think he’s a lovely guy, a lovely guy”.
“All I did was point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there was a picture of him and insane Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast”, the GOP nominee said. But they never denied – did anybody ever deny that it was the father [of Ted Cruz]?
The morning after a speech many Republicans described as dark and out of touch with reality, did Donald Trump’s dystopian portrait gain momentum from another violent attack?
Well, that sufficiently blew up in Ted Cruz’s face.
The speech by the openly gay founder of Paypal, Peter Theil, his comment that Trump will not wage “fake” culture wars, which distract from “our real problems”, and the strong applause he received from the delegates, was the most worrisome part of the convention.
Trump devoted a significant portion of Friday’s event, billed as a thank you to convention staff and organizers, to attacking his former primary rival.
In the most electric moment of the convention, a clamor broke out as it became clear that Mr. Cruz was not going to endorse Mr. Trump, pointedly snubbing the party nominee from center stage on the eve of Mr. Trump’s formal acceptance speech.
“This is the legacy of HIllary Clinton: death, destruction, terrorism and weakness”, Trump said, adding that Clinton’s legacy didn’t have to be America’s legacy.
Nonetheless, Trump said that the convention had been a raging success and that the party was, in fact, coming together. “So Ted Cruz took his speech and was done…then made a statement that wasn’t in the speech…to me that’s dishonorable”. “See, to me, that’s dishonorable”. One delegate told Cruz he expected the senator to keep his word regarding his pledge to support the eventual nominee.
“This is pretty novel, other than her father trying to sell Trump Steaks himself in his prior television appearance”, said Robert Kelner, a partner at the law firm Covington & Burling. Or like House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said Trump’s accusation that a US -born Latino judge couldn’t be impartial because of his ethnicity was the “textbook definition” of racism but now supports Trump. “We need to be rescued”, she said. “We’re not babies. His people are on the PAC”.
Speaking with reporters after Cruz’s appearance at the breakfast, former campaign manager Jeff Roe said “of course there could be” political ramifications for Cruz’s re-election bid following his controversial showing in Cleveland.
“I don’t see him winning any way, frankly”.
A nationwide survey published by Reuters on Friday found that Trump was narrowing the gap with Clinton in the wake of the Republican National Convention (RNC), trailing her 41-38 percent.
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Trying to explain away the incident also left him in the slightly uncomfortable situation of mentioning Penthouse, a risque magazine known for its nude photographs, as Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, Trump’s running mate and a mild-mannered social conservative, stood looking on just behind him.
