Trump, meanwhile, had unexpected success winning voter groups that Cruz had assumed would be his base of support: evangelicals, southerners, and hardline conservatives.
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Pence grins nervously as the controversial figure puckers his lips a second time before settling for an air-kiss and pointing embarrassingly at his counterpart. He was met with resounding boos on the floor of the convention; his wife Heidi had to be rushed from the room; according to reports, one Republican delegate physically accosted Cruz, and Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson refused to meet with Cruz.
The one bit of news to come out of the breakfast is no surprise: Cruz said he won’t encourage anyone to write his name in, and he won’t be voting for Hillary Clinton.
Mr Cruz arrived in Cleveland with an eye on his own political future, holding a rally with hundreds of supporters who greeted him with chants of “2020” – suggesting his backers have no interest in seeing Mr Trump become a two-term president.
Campaign officials say that Miller, more than anyone else on the campaign, has achieved a mind-meld with the candidate, capable of channeling Mr. Trump’s blunt, short sentences into well-argued addresses with stylistic flourish.
But to the extent that the media are focused on the Trump campaign’s spats with Ted Cruz and John Kasich, it’s diverting the media spotlight that otherwise would be focused on the Trump campaign’s message. Still, you have to wonder what possessed Trump’s team and the RNC to allow Cruz to speak on ay three without the promise of an endorsement.
Trump received the same advance notice, but took his seat in the convention hall anyway and watched Cruz commit what many stunned delegates in the hall called “treason”. He promised that Donald Trump, the presidential nominee, “will confront radical Islamic terror at its source and destroy the enemies of our freedom”.
In response to one attendee yelling at the stage, Cruz said he wouldn’t “engage in a screaming match”. “We should all, even all you boys with wounded feelings and bruised egos – and we love you, we love you – but you must honor your pledge to support Donald Trump now!”
“Twenty-four hours ago, Ted Cruz was likely trying to figure out how to skip coming to Georgia and crossing a police picket line. Governor Rick Perry, Governor Chris Christie, Governor Scott Walker, Dr Ben Carson, Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz have all responded to Donald Trump’s generosity”, he said.
Earnest said Mrs. Obama’s speech in 2008 drew widespread praise.
As a science teacher, Fratella gets the math: It’s either Trump or Clinton in November. “The standard that I apply is, which candidate do I trust to defend the Constitution?” said Cruz.
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Cleveland police say 17 people were arrested following a chaotic protest near the arena hosting the convention.
