Katie wrote about Sen. Ted Cruz’s address at the Republican National Convention in which received a standing ovation when he took the podium, but later walked off stage amidst boos and jeers. It was brutal. Cruz didn’t endorse Trump last night, which drew the ire of the delegates and attendees. National Review’s Eliana Johnson reported earlier on Wednesday that Cruz had no intention of endorsing Trump, instead looking to the 2020 election. Cruz said that the party must unite, though Republicans should vote their conscience. It was not good.
The whole arena is booing Ted Cruz, who did not expressly endorse Donald Trump tonight. So much for party unity.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) July 21, 2016
Now, we have The Washington Post reporting that after the speech, Cruz was denied entry into billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s donor suite:
Ted Cruz was turned away from entering Sheldon Adelson's suite in the arena after the speech, @danabashCNN reports
— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskCNN) July 21, 2016
Billionaires Sheldon and Miriam Adelson refused to let the senator from Texas enter their donor suite after his controversial address, according to a person familiar with the circumstances. CNN first reported the episode.
Cruz once said that he may not be the guy you want to have a beer with, but he’d be the man who takes you home at the end of the night. Well, now he’s the man who’s in that position because he wasn’t invited to the party. The Texas senator sees himself as a conservative rampart against a rising progressive tide. He’s made being an uncompromising conservative his brand. So, in a way, not endorsing Trump because he’s not a conservative Republican falls in line with that mindset. Moreover, again, we all knew Cruz was going to do this. So, is he still staying true to his brand? Well, it’s sort of hard to say he is exactly doing that when he shamelessly cuddled up to the billionaire last December, calling him “terrific.” In the end, Trump won.
The Establishment's only hope: Trump & me in a cage match.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 11, 2015
Sorry to disappoint -- @realDonaldTrump is terrific. #DealWithIt
Oh, and another sign that Cruz was probably not going to endorse Trump dates back to his May 1 appearance on Meet The Press, where host Chuck Todd asked the Texas Senator if Trump were to become the nominee, would he support him. Cruz gave a 772-word non-answer. Why? Well, he thought he was going to beat Trump of course.
Former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum criticized Cruz for going back on the party pledged to support the eventual nominee. So, I’m sure this incident compliments the “Lyin’ Ted” moniker the Trump camp attached to him like a barnacle.
Is this political suicide? Frank Luntz’s focus group says otherwise. It’s too soon to know, but if last night was Cruz laying the first building block to a 2020 run–it was a total fiasco.
Luntz asks focus group for show of hands if they liked that Cruz refused to endorse Trump tonight pic.twitter.com/Qw2xqJohpl
— Jon Passantino (@passantino) July 21, 2016
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