Ted Cruz says Donald Trump won’t be Republican nominee

Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that he doesn’t think that Donald Trump will capture the 2016 GOP presidential nomination and predicted that it is only a matter of time before most of the New York billionaire’s supporters will move into his camp.

During an appearance on WABC-AM Radio, host Rita Cosby asked Mr. Cruz whether he would eventually move past Mr. Trump based on his conservative principles, and the Texas Republcian said “I think that’s right.”

“In time, I don’t believe Donald is going to be the nominee, and I think in time the lion’s share of his supporters end up with us,” Mr. Cruz said.

Mr. Trump has tangled with most of the candidates running for the Republican presidential nomination and has touted how some of his rivals have sunk in the polls after attacking him.

But he has not traded barbs with Mr. Cruz, who has been Mr. Trump’s biggest ally in the crowded GOP field.

In the WABC-AM interview, Mr. Cruz continued to praise Mr. Trump, saying he liked and respected “Donald.”

Mr. Cruz said Mr. Trump has boosted his candidacy and his chance of becoming the party’s standard-bearer.

“I think his involvement has been tremendously helpful to my campaign because it has framed the central question of the primary as: Who will stand up to Washington?” Mr. Cruz said. “And if that’s the central question, the natural next question, that any voter will ask is okay, well who actually has stood up to Washington? Who has a record in that regard?”

The Cruz campaign also announced Thursday that he will report raising $12.2 million over the last three months — exceeding the hauls of fellow Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, who plans to report $6 million, and Rand Paul of Kentucky, who raised $2.5 million.

Ben Carson, meanwhile, pulled in $20 million, according to his campaign.