Donald Trump's first press conference Friday morning, post-coronation would normally have been a dignified and grateful pivot to the general election, where he thanked all of the volunteers for his campaign and for the convention and cheered his unified party on to November. But it's Trump. So it was an unmitigated mess of free association, punctuated with a prolonged rehashing of every beef with Ted Cruz he had in the primary, even down to reiterating his conspiracy theory about Cruz's father and JFK's assassination.
"Again, I don't want his endorsement," he said. "If he gives it, I will not accept it. Just so you understand. If he gives it—I will not accept it."
The real estate mogul then circled back to old Cruz insults that have gotten him in trouble, from the conspiracy theory that Cruz's father was somehow involved with JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald to a meme he retweeted mocking Heidi Cruz's appearance. Trump also said that the National Enquirer, which published the bizarre and totally unsubstantiated story about Rafael Cruz and Oswald, should win a Pulitzer Prize.
Trump did have praise for one member of the Cruz clan, however: his wife Heidi Cruz. He brought up that controversial meme he retweeted, comparing his wife Melania Trump’s looks to Heidi Cruz's. In lieu of an apology Trump offered a compliment, calling Heidi Cruz “the best thing” the Texas senator has going for him.
You can see the whole Cruz riff below, if you can stomach more Trump. It's almost worth it, just to see how far Cruz has wormed his way under Trump's skin. It also makes it clear that if Cruz is really serious about defeating Trumpism, he has one job. Keep it up, because Trump just can't resist the distraction.