U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has been talking like he might come around on Donald Trump, the GOP’s presidential nominee. “If Clinton wins, we know – with 100 percent certainty – that she would deliver on her left-wing promises, with devastating results for our country”. At the Republican convention in July, Cruz had notably told his party to “vote your conscience” and declined to actually endorse Trump; Trump, for his part, has repeatedly insinuated Cruz’s father had something to do with the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
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“I am greatly honored by the endorsement of Senator Cruz”, the statement said.
Cruz’s decision to support Trump comes amid a furious push to mobilize evangelical voters prior to the November 8 election Many of these voters stayed on the sidelines during the 2008 and 2012 presidential cycle – and there has been some concern that they might stay on the sidelines in 2016 as well. “I look forward to working with him for many years to come in order to make America great again”. (See Allahpundit’s post yesterday for more on that.) The only changes that could have prompted this are that Trump has re-emphasized his Supreme Court picks and now included Mike Lee as a potential selection (which Lee has already rejected), and that Trump has become a competitive candidate.
“I have no intention of defending everything Donald Trump says and does”, he said. The evening ended with Cruz being escorted out of the location with his wife and Trump assuring he didn’t want or needed Cruz’s support.
Cruz rocked the Republican National Convention in Cleveland by avoiding an endorsement of the nominee and instead urging delegates to “vote your conscience”.
Trump described the statement as an “endorsement”, although he had claimed immediately after the convention that he didn’t want it. But Cruz said he, his father and his wife made the collective decision to forgive him. “I think Ted Cruz endorsing Trump at this point plays to the caricature that he is self-interested, not really principled”, wrote Erick Erickson, a conservative commentator who had just published a well-received essay on why he still rejected Trump.
Cruz, the incumbent junior senator from Texas and a vanquished presidential candidate, has a lot to think about. More privately, he has been hearing from advisers and donors who are now trying to decide whether to stick with Cruz for a re-election bid in 2018 and a possible return to the presidential hustings in 2020.
However, when asked about the endorsement Saturday, Cruz was less than enthusiastic.
“Any path we took, if I supported Donald, if I didn’t support Donald, the criticism was going to be there”, Cruz told a packed auditorium. When Cruz refused to endorse Trump at the RNC, and an angry Texas delegation (composed mostly of Cruz delegates) gave him an earful, Cruz pivoted to the personal, saying that Trump had insulted his family.
Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.
This story of reluctant Republicans falling in line behind Trump is repeating itself around the country, according to the new Washington Post-ABC poll released Sunday. Mr. Trump has so far ran his campaign without offering specifics and sidestepping most of the questions relating to his controversial policy proposals.
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“I just can’t help but say this”, Kaine said. “First, and most important, the Supreme Court”. “Both Heidi and my dad – they are strong, independent people”, he said. “The people will decide that”.
