Share

Is Donald Trump ready for prime time at the RNC?

The 28 nations that are part of the NATO alliance have all signed a treaty pledging to automatically come to the aid of any member country that is attacked.

Advertisement

Donald Trump’s would-be smooch of running mate Mike Pence drew attention on social media.

Tonight, Donald Trump will give a prime-time address accepting his party’s nomination and officially launching the general election battle for the White HOuse.

As you know by now – Senator Cruz did not endorse Donald Trump in his convention speech – instead he urged Republicans to vote their conscience.

There’s certainly overwhelming support for Trump at the convention.

To Michael Madigan, of Grand Island, and other New Yorkers throughout the arena, those words were a direct echo of the “Never Trump” movement’s failed call to unbind the delegates to allow them to vote their conscience – and for someone other that Manhattan developer Donald Trump, the candidate who finished first in the presidential primaries and gained the nomination.

Even the pastor who delivered the benediction at the NY delegation breakfast Thursday, the Rev. Michel Faulkner, took Cruz to task: “Lord, help him with his dysfunction and everything he has to deal with”.

So, I can understand why Cruz would not endorse a candidate who engaged in gutter politics and campaign thuggery. After Cruz spoke, Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort was speaking to reporters and shot back, “He was the only speech in the convention that was poorly received, in the hall”.

Pence said he is “absolutely confident that in the days ahead you’re going to see this party come together and present the choice to the American people”.

The intrigue is whether Trump’s campaign egged on delegates to boo Cruz, knowing from the speech’s prepared text that no endorsement was forthcoming.

The GOP presidential nominee told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he appreciated Meredith McIver’s apology. It was a selfish, underhanded move completely typical of Cruz and his operation, some Texas delegates said. He added that “now that cloud is lifted off” Mrs. Trump.

Both the Trump campaign and GOP establishment figures have rebuked Cruz for his speech. McIver released a statement Wednesday saying that she had inadvertently included some phrases from Mrs. Obama’s speech into Mrs. Trump’s address and offered her resignation.

“Her single greatest accomplishment may be committing such an egregious crime and getting away with it – especially when others have paid so dearly”, Trump said.

Kasich has refused to endorse Trump and the governor has refused to go to the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland where the convention was taking place, although he has made public appearances in the area. Still, he has infuriated many people within his party and in his state. But his economic proposals Thursday night were vague, centering on unspecified plans to create millions of jobs. Ted Cruz Wednesday night, New York’s delegation made sure he heard it up close. Underscoring his unorthodox candidacy, Trump doubled down on the hard-line immigration policies that fired up conservatives in the primary but broke with many in his party by promising protections for gays and lesbians.

Advertisement

Cruz did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump walks to the stage during first day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland Monday