The woman who wrote Melania Trump’s controversial US Republican National Convention speech says the plagiarism was a “mistake”.
Advertisement
But as Cruz wore on, it became apparent to the very pro-Trump crowd that he was not going to endorse his former rival, telling people they shouldn’t “stay home in November” but they should feel free to “vote your conscience”.
Jeers erupted from Trump supporters in the crowd, and Cruz’s wife, Heidi, was escorted out by security amid the shouting. The crowd continued to boo loudly as Cruz left the stage at the end of his speech.
Ted Cruz refused to endorse Donald Trump in his Wednesday night RNC speech.
In an odd twist for a prime-time convention speaker, Cruz hasn’t endorsed the NY businessman, who called him “Lyin’ Ted” on the campaign trail. Of Cruz’s father, Trump at one point insinuated that Rafael Cruz had been a conspirator in President John Kennedy’s assassination.
“To paraphrase Ted Cruz, if you want to protect the Constitution of the United States, the only possible candidate this fall is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket”, Mr Gingrich said.
In a statement issued by the campaign, speechwriter McIver said Mrs. Trump had told her that she admired Mrs. Obama, and had read passages from Obama’s speech as an example of things she liked.
Cruz paused, then said: “I appreciate the enthusiasm of the NY delegation”.
McIver was described in the statement as an “in-house staff writer at the Trump Organization”.
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).
Democrats said the affair and the explanations showed Trump’s team was not ready for prime time, all the more embarrassing because Trump has accused the presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton of being untrustworthy.
Rubio appeared at a distance, on video, attacking Hillary Clinton. Walking out of the arena, one delegate reflected on Pence’s performance to a woman standing next to him, “Yeah it was a good speech”, he said.
Cruz did, surprisingly, endorse a couple of Trump’s controversial presidential proposals, such as building a wall along the USA southern border with Mexico as a means to keep undocumented immigrants from crossing over into the country.
Governor Chris Christie ripped into Ted Cruz Wednesday night.
Trump, who will represent the party in the November 8 election against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, made his entrance to the convention hall near the end of Cruz’s speech, applauding Cruz’s remarks but, by his appearance, distracting the crowd from his former rival. But still, no endorsement for Trump. Cruz gave a terrific defense of conservative principles, but his refusal to endorse while calling for “party unity” at the same time isn’t exactly a principled stand. “This is the first speech that he’s going to give where it’s not just absolutely what people put in his mouth that he has to react to”, Roe said.
Advertisement
Meredith McIver, the writer, said that she offered her resignation to the Trump family, and that the family had declined to part ways. “We will defend freedom and defend and be faithful to the constitution”, Cruz said.
