Cruz Reaffirms Pledge To Support Trump

Last night Ted Cruz denounced Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric, which Cruz says provoked the chaos in Chicago. But unlike Marco Rubio, Cruz is not wavering from his pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, even if it’s Trump. Via Politico:

“My answer is the same,” Cruz told reporters here at a suburban St. Louis high school. “I committed at the outset, I will support the Republican nominee, whoever it is.”

“Ted Cruz is going to be the nominee,” interjected Carly Fiorina, a former GOP presidential candidate who is now backing Cruz. But pressed again on whether Cruz stands by his decision to back Trump if he is the nominee, he continued: “I will support the Republican nominee, but let me be clear: Carly’s exactly right. We are going to beat Donald Trump.”

He went on to argue that he is within striking distance of Trump, separated by only 100 or so delegates, and to tear into Trump’s record. When another reporter reminded Cruz of those statements Friday night, and asked how he could continue to say that he would support Trump, Cruz turned back to criticizing Trump’s record but didn’t defend his decision.

“I am encouraging every candidate and every campaign to appeal to our better angels,” he said, going on to add, “I understand people who are supporting Donald Trump. They look at him, he is a loud, angry, profane and cursing voice, and that feels like a vessel for that anger. But at the end of the day if you’re frustrated with corruption with Washington, the answer is not to support someone like Donald Trump, who has been enmeshed in that corruption for 40 years.”