In case there was any doubt, Ted Cruz knew exactly what he was doing on Wednesday night when he snubbed Donald Trump and caused an uproar at the Republican National Convention. He just admitted it.
“I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father,” he said Thursday morning when asked if he planned to honor a pledge to support the GOP nominee, which will officially become Trump on Thursday night. “That pledge was not a blanket commitment that if you go and slander my wife that I am going to come like a servile puppy dog for maligning my wife and maligning my father.”
Talk about hard feelings.
This is a man, mind you, who was given a speaking slot in prime time at a GOP convention devoted to promoting Trump. There was some confusion about just how much of a slight his non-endorsement of Trump was intended to be. Cruz did congratulate Trump and later told people to “vote your conscience” in 2016. But that latter statement caused pro-Trump delegates to quickly turn on him, boo, and loudly implore him to endorse Trump. It was a scene.
Shortly thereafter, Newt Gingrich took to the stage and tried to clean up the mess.
“I think you misunderstood one paragraph that Ted Cruz – who is a superb orator – said,” Gingrich said. “Ted Cruz said you can vote your conscience for anyone who can uphold the Constitution. In this election, there is only one candidate who will uphold the Constitution. So to paraphrase Ted Cruz, if you protect the Constitution of the United States, the only possible candidate this fall is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket.”
But that’s not what Cruz meant — at all.
Cruz is indeed a superb orator, and despite Gingrich’s attempt to smooth things over, it’s clear the controversy Cruz finds himself in is one he was angling for. As The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza writes, “Cruz is also banking on the idea that Trump will lose in such a way that it will cause a post-election reckoning by the Republican party who supported him.”
Politicians will often and make up after saying brutal things about one another, but the Trump-Cruz feud was always different. Trump didn’t just call him “Lyin’ Ted” or attack Cruz personally; he went after Cruz’s family — multiple members of it — with nasty attacks full of innuendo and lacking any real substance. Trump insulted the appearance of Cruz’s wife, Heidi. He threatened to “spill the beans” on her (whatever that meant). He played up a tabloid report that Cruz’s father, Rafael, kind-of, sort-of might have been wrapped up in that whole Kennedy assassination thing.
Cruz himself had called Trump a “sniveling coward” in response to the first attack. Cruz’s comment Thursday morning is basically “sniveling coward” 2.0. The “servile puppy dog” part is particularly brutal. He’s acknowledging that he hasn’t forgiven Trump for the sins of the primary. There is no pretense of graciousness or ‘let’s just defeat Hillary Clinton.’ Cruz basically just called Trump a bad person, and he’s letting people decide what to do with that.
The comments could be read as Cruz simply reacting to the backlash against his speech; maybe he didn’t really mean to stir the pot, but now he’s just got to respond in-kind to his critics and to Team Trump. Trump surrogate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday night called it “an awful, selfish speech,” after all. Trump himself tweeted that Cruz had been “booed off the stage.”
“Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn’t honor the pledge! I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal!”
But the aim of Cruz’s speech Wednesday was clear as day. He didn’t stray from his prepared remarks. Had he not uttered the “conscience” comment, things might have blown over, but he put that in there for a reason. He was telling people whom to vote for in November while conspicuously excluding even a brief allusion to voting for Trump or voting against Clinton. And in fact, Cruz’s comments Thursday strongly suggest he thinks voting “your conscience” means not backing someone who attacked his family repeatedly.
Some will read the backlash as the party turning on Cruz — something that might not help him politically going forward. But this was Cruz getting his long-delayed revenge. And at least he’s got that.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Aaron Blake
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17 Responses
“Mitoch shelo leshmah ba leshmah”. He did an awesome job and is clearly the future for all who care about conservative principles and the Republican party.
we understand you Cruz its painful that you didnt become nominee…but you still did a good job by agreeing on Trumps strength ..
Baby Bad Looser
Ted Cruz did the right thing by not selling out.
Mickey Mouse/ bugs bunny 2016
Cruz’s actions were shameful and unforgivable. He lost the primaries fairly and squarely by tremendous numbers. his disgrace were “Huge”. I can’t believe that I was even considering voting for him.
What we have to remember are the ABC’s that is “anybody But Clinton”.
In the event that Trump loses in November, I think that Cruz has fatally wounded himself with the Republican party. I for one would not vote for him as he has proven that he is treacherous.
Really is that what you heard?! I heard something totally different that here’s a guy who is willing to work for the good of the country even if he was personally offended are you so sure you would react differently just stop looking to stir up the pot it isn’t a mitzva
Good job Cruz. Too bad all the trumpers are too foolish to hear you lay out a better reasons to vote Trump than Trump EVER did!!!
Hard feelings?
If some politician accused MY father of being part of a political assassination I would have a lot more than hard feelings. I would do everything I could do to destroy that politicians career. And he would deserve it.
Did the selfish baby, Donald Trump, ever apologize to Cruz/Bush/Rubio for the hurtful personal attacks he said in front of the entire nation about them and their families?! No of course not. It’s good to see that they are not political whore’s.
Im surprised to see some of my friends on the right are falling for this DNC orchestrated hit piece by the Washington Compost. You won’t see them criticizing anything the Democrats do next week.
Trump all the way can someone get Cruz a tissue
cruz did an amazing job courage full went in trump territory and smacked him in his face and with 1000% reason trump is a dangerous stupid guy if chas vesholem he wins we will regret it each and every day in our life’s i never ever voted for a democrat in my life but i have no doubt to vote for Hilary if she will be the only choice verses stupid trump i have no habit seeing America fight with all the world and a revolutionary arise with in the USA… that’s exactly what we can expect if chas veshoplem trump win open your be smart do whatever possible to stop trump now
cruz you did an amazing job! you went in with lots of courage in trump territory, and smacked him in his face and with 1000% good reason, Trump is a dangerous Stupid guy if CHAS V’SHOLEM he wins, we will all strongly regret it each and every day ….. I personalty never ever voted for a Democrat for President,in my entire life, but i have no doubt i will be voting for Hilary, if she will be the only choice against the stupid candidate trump, i have no desire seeing America fight with all the world (like he doing now each and every day!) and a revolutionary stile war will arise, with in the USA… that’s exactly what we can expect if CHAS V’SHOLEM trump wins, (i strongly pray it should not happen)
please each and every one open your eye’s and see whats going on, be smart, do whatever possible to stop trump now
Trump will deport him after Obama
Cruz people released derogatory photo of Trumps’ wife first!
How convenient to forget that point!Also phony cruz makes himself like some valiant family man.Did you see how his young daughter recoiled when he tried to hug her in front of
the cameras.Contrast that with Trumps’ relationship with his kids!Cruz is the most vilified man in the senate with good reason!
sore loser.
I lost all respect for this guy, he is the sleazy lawyer!!