Sen. Ted Cruz, aka Lying Ted, has officially endorsed his hated arch rival in the Republican primaries, Donald Trump. The not so surprising right turn by the fiery ultra-conservative comes after his speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last August where he urged delegates to vote with their conscience in November.
Huh? Why now the new Ted Cruz? It’s simple:
Cruz was roundly criticized for his rebel behavior and viewed as a poor loser after being invited to speak at the now-nominee Donald Trump’s coronation. He knew that his behavior on the very public stage with millions watching would almost end any idea of running again in either 2020 or 2024. It took two months for Cruz to do what was inevitable in August.
In his Facebook post, Cruz wrote, “Our country is in crisis. Hillary Clinton is manifestly unfit to be president, and her policies would harm millions of Americans. And Donald Trump is the only thing standing in her way. A year ago, I pledged to endorse the Republican nominee, and I am honoring that commitment. And if you don’t want to see a Hillary Clinton presidency, I encourage you to vote for him.”
Cruz ended his presidential campaign in May. In his post, he said he struggled with his decision to support Trump. Apparently someone he trusted told him he would never have a chance at the Republican nomination ever. Had he forgotten July when he was booed off the stage for refusing to endorse the business mogul?
He further wrote, “In Cleveland, I urged voters, ‘please, don’t stay home in November. Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket whom you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution. After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.”
Well, isn’t that big of Lying Ted. He must have remembered his poor loser statement at the convention when he said, “Neither he (Trump) nor his campaign has taken back a word of what they said about my family; vote your conscience.”
The two egomaniacs locked horns in a very personal manner as they battled for the GOP presidential nomination. Trump certainly fanned the flames when he said Cruz’s father was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and he disparaged the Texas senator’s wife Heidi in a retweet comparing an unflattering image of her to a glamor shot of his own wife Melania, a former model. Cruz then called Trump amoral and a pathological liar.
He was one of only three former GOP candidates to break the pledge and withhold their support for Trump, along with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. That would be Kasich the other egomaniac and Jeb Bush the $100 million dollar bust candidate.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus hastened Cruz’s surprise endorsement warning in early September. He said there could be consequences for former GOP rivals who don’t endorse their party’s nominee, alluding to withholding resources for future White House bids.
To keep face, Cruz on Friday described Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as “wholly unacceptable.” He also cited the Supreme Court vacancy following Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in February as his primary reason to back Trump. He noted that Trump earlier Friday released an expanded list of potential Supreme Court nominees that included his buddy Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
The Texas senator also mentioned his pet project to repeal Obamacare, Trump’s vow to deregulate the energy industry, the businessman’s pledge to revoke President Obama’s executive orders on immigration and Trump’s opposition to accepting “unvetted” refugees. Cruz, ever the politician, didn’t really endorse Trump as much as saving his own bacon.
