Senator Ted Cruz was given a a prime speaking spot at the Trump’s clown show of a coronation party. He did not, however, use it in the way that Donald Trump supporters would have liked him to use it. You see, Cruz went into the convention without having endorsed Trump, and many perhaps thought he would do so on Wednesday evening. If so, they were sorely mistaken. Instead, Cruz talked about conservative principles, and didn’t say much about his party’s new standard-bearer. The part that seemed to piss the whole convention off, though, was this (emphasis mine):
To those listening, please, don’t stay home in November. If you love our country, and love your children as much as I know you do, stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.
In other words, it’s pretty clear that Cruz was openly acknowledging that not everyone in the hall is completely comfortable with their party’s new leader. Some aren’t comfortable at all. While the party brass has spent the week pretending to be unified when it is clear that they are anything but, Cruz just gave a voice to those who won’t be pulling the lever for Trump on November 8th.
After those lines, there were no more cheers for Ted Cruz. Instead, there were boos. In the middle of his speech, Trump supporters began shouting “We Want Trump!” over his comments. Things began getting violent. There were even reports that his poor wife had to be escorted off the convention floor by security for her safety.
Angry Ken Cuccinelli escorting Heidi Cruz out as Trump supporters yell at her pic.twitter.com/G6USuhoSx2
— Graham Moomaw (@gmoomaw) July 21, 2016
And here’s Cruz’s fiery speech:
Now, I don’t agree with Ted Cruz on much (read: anything) but you have to hand it to him: He did the right thing here. He told that hateful lynch mob at Trump’s coronation party that it’s just fine not to vote for their great orange leader. Hell, it doesn’t sound like Ted Cruz - the man Trump dubbed ‘Lyin’ Ted’ and whose wife he once called ugly - will be voting for Trump on Election Day.
UPDATE: An RNC official reportedly had to be restrained to keep from attacking Ted Cruz after he got off stage. Things are getting ugly.
Source tells @DanaBashCNN behind the scenes people called Cruz "a disgrace" to his face. One state chairman had to be held back
— Steve Brusk (@stevebruskCNN) July 21, 2016
Featured image via video screen capture from Twitter