Ted Cruz threw a tantrum this morning when meeting with the Texas delegation over his refusal to endorse Donald Trump. His exact words:
Ted Cruz on Thursday strongly defended his refusal to endorse Donald Trump during his Republican National Convention speech, saying he's not "in the habit" of backing politicians who attack his family.
"I am not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father," Cruz said at a morning meeting where he faced sharp questions from the Texas delegation in Cleveland.
The Texas senator sensationally withheld an endorsement of Trump in his speech Wednesday, earning a chorus of boos from the floor while getting upstaged in a power play by the GOP nominee himself.
The ‘Lyin Ted meme is not far behind. Mr. Cruz’s defenders at Red State are already justifying his refusal to honor his promise to endorse the nominee by asking a hypothetical — what if he had murdered your family?
Caleb Howe:
There are bridges too far. It's not a difficult concept. Any person complaining about that "pledge" tonight can easily construct a hypothetical whereby honoring it would be preposterous. Murder, for example. If someone you pledged to vote for murdered your family, you're pretty much out of the pledge. Yes? Agreed? Then you agree there is a hypothetical boundary.
Well buddy, Donald Trump crossed this pledge's boundary, which had a way lower threshold than murder to become null and void. It was null and void when Trump wouldn't agree to it. Without everyone then it doesn't apply to anyone. It was null and void when he mocked Ted's wife. It was null and void when he claimed repeatedly that Cruz was a false Christian. It was null and void when Trump accused his dad of conspiring to kill President Kennedy.
So frankly, you can take that pledge and cram it in your wherever.
Frankly, I don’t blame Mr. Cruz. The whole point of Mr. Trump’s exercise was to humiliate someone whose father he believed to have been part of the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. Just like he sought revenge on Jeb because he believed his brother was responsible for 9/11. Either Mr. Cruz would grovel at the feet of Mr. Trump, or he would get booed off in disgrace. It is ironic that Mr. Cruz, who is well-known for his bouts of viciousness, talked about peace and love at one point. If Donald Trump (god forbid) wins in November, I wouldn’t put it past Ted Cruz to primary him in 2020.