The address culminated in escalating boos from the crowd and C-SPAN cameras panned away to Trump entering the arena for the final few moments of Cruz’s speech.
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He then launched into a prolonged speech about the evils of the progressive liberal agenda, as embodied by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic party, bringing terrorism and social unrest to America’s shore. And I’ll bet we see that again. The chants grew louder: “Trump!”
It’s those independents that Trump’s campaign hopes it can peel off – if it can keep up a steady drumbeat of negativity about Clinton.
Cruz’s defiance ripped open party divisions anew, on the summer’s biggest political stage.
After Cruz finished, fans and delegates stormed out from the stands, livid. Johnny McMahan, 65, a GOP delegate from Arkansas, said he had no problem with a woman being president but some of his friends felt differently. “He’d given a pledge to support the nominee”. Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told ABC News that he escorted Heidi Cruz out of the convention hall because “it was volatile and the Trump folks were physically approaching and confrontationally yelling”, he said via text.
McIver started at the Trump Organization in 2001, according to her profile on the website of a booking agency called the All American Speakers Bureau. Had she been yelling?
“He’s a man known for his large personality, his colorful style, and his charisma – and, well, I guess he was looking for someone to balance the ticket”, Pence said, laughing. “As far as I’m concerned, his political career with me is over”.
“There’s just a disconnect between what he’s done and what he says he’s done”, said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, a high school Spanish teacher in Lafayette, Ind., who is active in her local National Education Association affiliate.
The speech had appeared to be building toward an endorsement until Cruz told the crowd, “vote your conscience”. Iowa delegate Cecil Stinemetz said he continues to believe Trump is “the worst nominee that we have put forward for the Republican Party in the history of the Republican Party”.
Joan Camera, a guest of a NY delegate, said that Trump hadn’t been her first choice (that was neurosurgeon Ben Carson) or her second (Marco Rubio).
Interrupted by chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump”, Cruz paused and said with a smile, “I appreciate the enthusiasm of the NY delegation”.
But much of the attention is on Texas Sen.
A group calling itself the Revolution Club had alerted reporters that they meant to burn the flag to protest at U.S. policies, particularly military intervention overseas.
He said – in that respect – it’s a “profound victory”.
As the next speakers took the stage, the hubbub died down.
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For Cruz, the speech also represents a tightrope walk between backing his party’s standard-bearer and standing with his socially conservative backers, many of whom remain deeply suspicious of the celebrity businessman-turned-politician. “In this election, there’s only one candidate who will uphold he Constitution”, Gingrich said, “So, to paraphrase Ted Cruz: if you want to protect the Constitution, the only candidate this fall is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket”.
