Trump had repeatedly mocked Cruz throughout the campaign as “Lyin’ Ted”, disparaged the appearance of Cruz’s wife, Heidi, and insinuated that Cruz’s father had indirect links to John F. Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.
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When The New York Times asked the candidate about the prospect of a Russian attack on North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies in the Baltic States, Trump said he would authorize help only after deciding whether those countries “have fulfilled their obligations to us”.
In his remarks, Cruz only congratulated Trump on his nomination, and told delegates they should “vote their conscience” in November.
“I wasn’t going to come like a servile puppy dog and say “Thank you very much” for maligning my wife and father”, Cruz told angry pro-Trump delegates from the Lone Star State.
In the primaries, Republican candidates had pledged to back the eventual nominee.
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort avoided saying the campaign approved the Cruz speech, telling the The Washington Post Thursday morning that the Cruz Camp gave the speech to the Trump camp at 6:30 PM est. and that Sen.
In fairness, Cruz actually had shown remarkable restraint tonight compared to, say, early May, when he was still a GOP candidate and talked a lot about Trump.
The Trump campaign has increased its pushes to possible donors online, largely through email requests. And on Wednesday night, before a national audience on the Republican Party’s biggest stage, the Texas senator got his revenge. The conservative firebrand entered the Quicken Loans Arena to applause and standing ovations only to be booed off the stage after refusing to endorse Donald Trump. And what he did was turn the Republican convention on its head once again.
The press did receive an advance copy of all the speeches for the Wednesday evening program from the Party at 8:20 p.m. est., about one hour before the speech was delivered. But has anyone seen the Republican Party? For that, Cruz has rightly earned the grudging respect of many (even while he also suffered jeers and slights from within his own party). The younger Trump noted she’s worked with her father for more than a decade and seen him hire people from “all walks of life”.
Politically, Mr Cruz has made a risky move, however. Two other delegates stepped aside rather than vote for Trump, giving their spots to their alternates. But an insult was answered. As the party delegation and Trump supporters realised the embarrassment coming from a friend-turned-foe, they started booing Cruz, the loudest booing coming from the NY delegation.
“What was the point of that speech?” he said.
“Mr. Trump felt he finished second, he should have a good spot and he did”. “I get that. You can understand that”. They did not vote for Ted Cruz.
“I am disappointed. I believe that my junior senator really had to think that we need to overlook a certain percent of our grievances”.
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“I mean, what was he doing – what was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death?” 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. He doesn’t know the difference between truth and lies. It’s not even about Hillary Clinton. Plus 15,000 journalists and thousands of other party grandees, lawmakers and guests.
