Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, ruled out a third-party bid for the presidency on Tuesday, notwithstanding the existence of a “Never Trump” movement devoted to finding a conservative alternative to the presumptive GOP nominee.
“I have no interest in a third-party run,” he told reporters in the Capitol complex on his first day back in the Senate.
Cruz refused to endorse Donald Trump, saying it is the responsibility of the presumptive GOP nominee to unite conservatives. Cruz also argued that the 2016 primary vindicated his strategy of running against Washington.
“The frustration, the volcanic anger with Washington, was echoed throughout this election,” the Texas Republican told a crowd of reporters outside his office. “I will continue fighting for the American people and if fighting for the American people makes you an outsider in the Senate, then I will happily remain an outsider because, at least to date, Congress, both parties, both houses, far too often hasn’t been listening to the American people.”
Cruz and his team put an optimistic spin on the election; as he opened his office door following the gaggle, reporters could hear a loud and sustained applause as his Senate staffers saluted his return. He also refused to say if it was a tactical mistake to call Trump “terrific” early in the campaign.
“I’m not interested in Monday morning quarterbacking,” he said. “What I can tell you is: it was a long and vigorous campaign. We put our all into it. We left it all on the field.”
Cruz also downplayed the idea that he might re-enter the race to become the Republican presidential nominee.
Cruz suggests he’d restart campaign with viable path: “We will always assess changed circumstances.” https://t.co/Ht7FqiWQlf
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 10, 2016
Cruz sparked interest earlier in the day by telling radio host Glenn Beck that if a path opened up, he would take it. But he stressed to reporters in the Senate that he didn’t see any realistic chance of that.
“We have suspended the campaign because I can see no viable path to victory,” he said.
“Of course if that changed, we would reconsider things,” he added. “But let’s be clear, we’re not going to win Nebraska today. There should be no mystery, no excitement in that.”
“We’ve withdrawn from the campaign,” Cruz added.
