Trump, Now GOP Nominee, Returns to Fighting Former Foe Cruz

Thanking his supporters more than two months after he withdrew from the primaries – his White House bid felled by Trump – the Texas senator was speaking in an open-air restaurant on Lake Erie a few miles (kilometers) from the site where Republicans are meeting to crown Trump the party’s candidate for president.

Trump said the day after the Republican convention that Cruz “never denied” his father was pictured with Oswald before Kennedy’s assassination.

Keeping the attacks against Cruz coming, Trump claimed that the Texas senator went off of his prepared “boring” remarks to make his anti-Trump stand on the RNC stage.

Gingrich offered a suggestion to an audience member anxious that some Cruz supporters might still be reluctant to back Trump. Regarding the accusations against Rafael Cruz, Trump said that he had merely referred to a story in the National Enquirer, whose credibility he commended. If Trump and other Republicans falter, he could either be excoriated as the catalyst or praised, albeit by a narrow group, as the faithful defender of conservatism. But numerous delegates also expressed lingering doubts about his conservative convictions and their distaste for his personal comportment. He brought up that controversial meme he retweeted, comparing his wife Melania Trump’s looks to Heidi Cruz’s. “It was like playing a sport where you won’t go shake your opponents’ hand when they beat you”.

When Cruz began to wrap up his speech, withholding his endorsement and telling Republicans to “vote [their] conscience”, he was drowned out by a chorus of boos from the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. But delegates said Thursday it’s time for him to get behind Trump, despite coming in second nationally.

Trump pointed out that the convention was also financially successful, as on Thursday alone some $3.5 million came in from small donors, with the average donation just over $50. It said: “It’s embarrassing that anyone would enable Trump to discuss this”.

Trump said: “All I did is point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there was a picture of him and insane Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast”.

Commentators suggested the ill-timed spat might damage Cruz’s long-standing dream of becoming president. “This was probably one of the most peaceful, one of the most attractive, one of the most love-filled conventions in the history of conventions”. “And that nation is Canada”.

Hutchison said her delegates felt similarly about Cruz’s speech, and a number came up to her after hearing of the encounter and said they were behind her “200 percent”. But Jeanie Turk said she’s enthusiastically made the switch.

King said he doesn’t believe that the episode would reflect poorly on Trump, who had vetted Cruz’s speech beforehand but allowed the senator to take the stage nonetheless.