Citing his ‘conscience’, Ted Cruz declares support for Trump
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, after months of refusing to support Donald Trump, announced his backing for his party’s standard-bearer in a Facebook post Friday.
“After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump,” Cruz wrote.
He credited his decision partially to his former pledge that he would support the party nominee and to believing that Hillary Clinton is “wholly unacceptable,” he said.
“If Clinton wins, we know — with 100% certainty — that she would deliver on her left-wing promises, with devastating results for our country,” Cruz wrote. “My conscience tells me I must do whatever I can to stop that.”
Cruz said he waited until now to voice his support because Trump released a “very strong list” of potential Supreme Court nominees, which gave Cruz confidence that Trump would appoint a justice “in the mold of (Antonin) Scalia.”
Cruz notably snubbed Trump at the party’s convention in July, urging the audience to “vote your conscience” to boos and jeers. But a faction of Cruz’s supporters have applauded the senator’s refusal to back Trump despite a pledge to support the eventual nominee, pointing to Trump’s shifting positions as inconsistent conservatism.
Cruz has faced increasing pressure to back Trump as the Republican nominee has risen in the polls. The narrowing gap between Trump and Clinton makes the possibility that should Trump lose, Cruz could have been blamed for holding out on an endorsement.
But announcing his political support for Trump — who attempted to link Cruz’s father to John F. Kennedy’s assassination and retweeted an attack on his wife’s looks — may also compromise the principled position that conservatives who reject Trump praised Cruz for.
Cruz also plans to run for re-election to the Senate in 2018 and could face a possible Republican challenger in the state. In an increasingly bitter primary battle, Trump went after Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — his last two rivals for the party nomination — by threatening to fund a super-PAC attacking them.
This story was originally published September 23, 2016 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Citing his ‘conscience’, Ted Cruz declares support for Trump."