In an emotional, precedent-shattering address Wednesday, Trump’s vanquished primary rival Ted Cruz followed his own conscience — and pursued his own agenda — by refusing to endorse his party’s newly minted nominee while implicitly putting himself forward as an alternative party leader should Trump crash and burn in November.
The most Cruz could muster was a curt congratulations. “I congratulate Donald Trump on winning the nomination last night,” Cruz said 20 seconds into his speech. He went on to add — in a line that wasn’t part of his prepared remarks — that, “like each of you, I want to see the principles that our party believes in prevail in November.”
Not the nominee. The principles. Cruz didn’t mention Trump again.
When the delegates in the Quicken Loans Arena realized that Cruz was reaching the end of his remarks with no endorsement in sight, many began to boo. Cruz didn’t back down. In an apparent allusion to the failed, months-long campaign by some of his supporters to free the GOP delegates to “vote their consciences” in Cleveland, Cruz urged “those listening” not to “stay home in November.
Last edited by olivant; 07/20/1611:16 PM.
"Generosity. That was my first mistake." "Experience must be our only guide; reason may mislead us." "Instagram is Twitter for people who can't read."
