The third night of the Republican National Convention had a series of high profile speakers including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Laura Ingraham, and Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence — but no one got the audience more excited and enraged than Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
The former presidential candidate took the podium to huge cheers and endorsed a series of Donald Trump’s positions including having an “America First” immigration system, building a border wall, and bringing back jobs from overseas. But, he refused to actually endorse the Republican nominee.
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Cruz was jeered and booed from the audience as they chanted “endorse Trump.”
“If you love our country, and love our children as much as you do, stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom, and to be faithful to the constitution,” Cruz said.
Exactly who was he telling his supporters to vote for then if not Trump? Should his millions of constitutional conservatives support Hillary Clinton or Gary Johnson?
By his immediate actions after the speech, it may have been he was endorsing himself in 2020. Cruz tried to approach high dollar donors including Sheldon Adelson, but was denied entry and even sent out a fundraising e-mail to supporters.
.@TedCruz uses his convention speech to raise money for his Senate re-election campaign: pic.twitter.com/s6pTgAi8aD
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) July 21, 2016
Either way his “vote your conscience” line will most likely end up in Hillary Clinton ads, and party loyalists, conservative activists, and even some Cruz supporters were outraged by his behavior.
PHIL ROBERTSON: Give me a break, Ted Cruz. Go on and endorse Trump! #RNCinCLE #GOPconvention pic.twitter.com/j9l2EQaFFf
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) July 21, 2016
Ted Cruz preached about politicians who fail to keep promises…while breaking his word.
Exactly zero self-awareness.
— Leah the Boss (@LeahRBoss) July 21, 2016
“If Hillary wins, he’s going to be partly responsible for it. … he behaved like a spoiled brat.” https://t.co/UgN2a7NGQc
— Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) July 21, 2016
What a legacy- Ted Cruz will be remembered for breaking pledge…then getting booed off stage at GOP convention. Smart move Lying Ted.
— Wayne Allyn Root (@WayneRoot) July 21, 2016
If he’s hoping that Trump loses this election so he can run in 2020, this was no way to start off his campaign.
