Dealing a setback to unity efforts, Senator Ted Cruz shocked the Republican convention on Wednesday night by refusing to endorse party nominee Donald Trump and instead calling for a “conscience vote” on November 8, when America will elect its 45th President.
The Texas Senator at once earned the wrath of a capacity crowd at the convention centre in Cleveland that booed him off the stage as he ended his speech, disregarding continuous chants to endorse Trump. Cruz’s own supporters, much smaller in number, kept cheering him though.
“Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn’t honor the pledge,” Trump tweeted a little later, adding: “I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal!” A Cruz aide maintained that the Senator had told Trump two days ago that he won’t be endorsing.
Trump had personally invited Cruz to speak at the convention on the mistaken belief that he would forget all the nasty exchanges that the two had traded during an exceptionally bitter primary battle.
In defence of his failure to endorse Trump, Cruz asserted at a news conference on Thursday morning that he has taken a principled position on the subject, adding he would be listening to how Trump and his campaign conduct themselves in the run-up to the election before taking his best decision about his own vote.
At the convention, Cruz began by congratulating on winning the nomination, before going on to say: “like each of you, I want to see the principles that our party believes prevail in November.”
All through the primary battle, Cruz, a hardcore conservative enjoying the backing of the Tea Party fringe, had repeatedly questioned Trump’s conservative credentials.
Towards the end of his otherwise well-constructed speech, Cruz said, “Don’t stay home in November.” That raised expectations of an endorsement, but Cruz instead merely said: “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.”
That prompted sections of the audience to break into full-throated chants of “Endorse Trump!” — only to be ignored by Cruz, who concluded his address and walked away amid chaotic scenes on the convention floor.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich who spoke next commented that Cruz’s call to vote according to one’s conscience need not be viewed as anti-Trump since it is the Trump-Pence ticket alone, and not Hillary Clinton, who will be governing according to the Constitution.
The headline speaker of the evening was to be Vice Presidential nominee Mike Pence, who did deliver an inspiring speech, making a spirited push for Trump’s candidacy. But his address clearly got upstaged by that of Cruz.
Pence sought to dismiss the Democrats as the party of status quo, while a Republican administration under Trump will bring real change to Washington.
In line with his party’s assertion that a Hillary Clinton administration will really represent a third term of Barack Obama, Pence said: “Americans can elect someone who literally personifies the failed establishment in Washington, DC or we can choose a leader who will fight every day to make America great again. It’s change versus status quo.”
“People in both parties are restless for change, ready to break free of old patterns in Washington,” Pence said, remarking, “My fellow Republicans, when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America, the change will be huge.”
Attacking Clinton’s record as Secretary of State, Pence charged, “It was Hillary Clinton who helped undo all the gains of the troop surge, a staggering failure of judgement that set ISIS on the loose. It was Hillary Clinton who instigated the President’s disastrous agreement with the radical mullahs in Iran. And it was Hillary Clinton who left Americans in harm’s way in Benghazi.”
In a lighter vein, contrasting himself with Trump, Pence, as someone known for his calm and sober disposition, remarked: “He’s a man known for his large personality, his colourful style, and his charisma — and, well, I guess he was looking for someone to balance the ticket.”