Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, also a one-time rival of Trump’s, told the Republican convention that “we must support Donald Trump and Mike Pence”.
Advertisement
“Please, don’t stay home in November”, Cruz said as delegates began to drown him out.
Upon finishing his speech without offering his long-awaited endorsement of the businessman, the Texas senator, who once said he thought “nominating Donald Trump would be an absolute train wreck”, exited the stage to a deafening chorus of “boos”.
That non-endorsement was rejected as “Washington speak” by Trump surrogate Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey.
Willette was particularly impressed with a convention speech made Tuesday night by Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr.
Trump joined Pence on stage, applauding his new political partner and humorously leaning in to almost give him a kiss on the cheek.
Shortly after the release of the statement, Trump pointed out one positive side of the episode in his twitter post that his wife’s speech “got more publicity than any in the history of politics especially if you believe that all press is good press”. Cruz said Trump was a “pathological liar”. It also once again raised questions about the competence of the Trump team.
Just past the stands, Deanna Frankowski, an Alabama delegate wearing a hat that said “Trumpette” and carrying pro-Trump signs under her arm, was hoarse. As such, the NY delegates began booing Cruz because Cruz did not endorse Trump. And for a third straight night, the crowd in the hall Wednesday chanted, “Lock her up”. By the end, after he failed to officially give his support to Trump, the audience booed him as he left the stage.
Senator Cruz, who as a Tea Party conservative in the US Senate spearheaded tactics that led to a government shutdown over the federal budget, called the NY real estate developer a “serial philanderer” and a “narcissist” during the campaign.
And afterward, there was more drama.
“Of 17 talented, dynamic candidates, we beat 15 of those candidates”, he said. “I’m really mad”, she said. “I was angry, everybody was angry”. You heard everybody booing him. “We were astounded at what he did”. Hutchison said she did not think security got involved. The tweet was later deleted from Trump’s account. “Looked pretty full to me but who knows”.
The jeers rained down after the Texas senator refused to endorse Trump – now the official GOP presidential nominee – in his address.
Advertisement
Cruz only went as far as congratulating Trump, who was his bitter rival in the primary contests. “There’s a lot of talk about unity”, Cruz said. “I want to see unity and the way to see unity is for us to unite behind shared principles, us to unite in defense of liberty, and for us to empower the grassroots”. A day after Trump formally became the presidential nominee, some delegates at state gatherings around Cleveland were still struggling to come to terms with their unorthodox new standard-bearer.
