Cruz is schedule to speak at the Republican National Convention on July 20. Ted Cruz stubbornly refused to endorse Donald Trump Wednesday night as he addressed the GOP convention, igniting thunderous boos from furious delegates as he encouraged Americans to simply “vote your conscience” in November.
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“No big deal!” But there were expressions of shock across the convention floor, and Cruz’ wife Heidi was escorted out. Although the Texas senator had not been expected to offer an effusive endorsement of his primary foe, many GOP delegates had hoped and expected to hear some expression of support as they struggle to unite their party to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton this fall.
The reaction to Cruz’s refusal to endorse Trump, who branded the Texas senator “Lyin’ Ted” during the GOP primaries, stood in stark contrast to his reception earlier Wednesday among a crowd of the convention’s most conservative delegates.
Cuccinelli, a former Virginia attorney general, said: “When the speech ended, there was an ugly crowd behind us”.
At least one person in the audience believed Cruz should look beyond insults on the primary campaign trail and shouted at him: “This is politics”.
“We deserve an immigration system that puts America first”.
“I’m not going to get into criticizing or attacking Donald Trump, but I’ll give you this response: I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father”, Cruz said, adding that those attacks had undone his pledge to back the eventual GOP nominee. The mother of three and leader at the Trump Organization is also charged with winning over women voters who may not have been impressed with Melania or Tiffany Trump’s speeches. “For Cruz to bring that message into #RNC hall was a colossal error”.
Further defending his RNC speech Wednesday night, in which declined to endorse the party’s nominee, Cruz said Trump knew the contents of his speech prior to its delivery, including the absence of an endorsement. “It baffles my mind”.
Trump allies were infuriated, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said Cruz’s decision was “totally selfish”.
Former Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler told BuzzFeed News that the Trump campaign had approved the text of the speech. “I think it would have been better, but I also admire Donald Trump for letting him speak”.
Trump, a real estate magnate and television personality, suggested that Cruz’s father, an immigrant from Cuba, had ties to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
Irate convention delegates predicted Cruz had committed political suicide by accepting a prime-time speaking slot Wednesday only to urge Republicans to “vote your conscience”, not vote for the nominee.
“He signed a pledge”, said the governor, one of Trump’s closest advisers.
“We knew people were going to be mad if he didn’t say the words, but he congratulated him and called for unity behind common values”. “In this election there is only one candidate who will uphold the Constitution”.
“He’s a chicken”, said Eugene Delgaudio, a delegate from Sterling, Virginia, who clucked like a chicken when asked about Cruz’s decision.
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Donna Metz, Cruz’s 2016 Kansas state co-chairwoman, wore a sparkling red, white and blue hat and was jostled in the crowd as she made her way toward Cruz.
