OPINION:
It seems like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has determined where his conscience is leading him, and it’s toward Donald Trump.
The endorsement could come as early as Monday, unnamed sources, close to Mr. Trump’s campaign, told Lifezette.
“Those sources noted that Cruz has become seriously concerned about the long-term threats to the Constitution and conservative priorities, should Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton win the White House,” the online political site, founded by conservative pundit Laura Ingraham, reported.
The endorsement would come after some warm exchanges between the two on the U.S. government’s planned end in its role as managing a group that oversees Internet domain names. The issue is Mr. Cruz’s top legislative priority, as he’s been leading the charge to maintain the U.S. control over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
This week, Mr. Trump said he supported Mr. Cruz’s effort in a statement.
“Appreciate @realdonaldtrump’s support of our efforts to stop Obama’s Internet handover & keep the #Internet free,” Mr. Cruz tweeted regarding Mr. Trump’s statement.
In July, Mr. Cruz got booed off the stage at the Republican National Convention after the runner-up failed to give an unequivocal endorsement of the winner. It gave the #NeverTrump movement a shot in the arm and kept the media narrative alive that the Republican party was, indeed, failing apart.
At a Bloomberg Breakfast this week, Mr. Cruz’s former campaign manager Jeff Roe said Mr. Cruz thinks about the endorsement “every day,” and when asked about a possible endorsement, predicted Mr. Cruz would have “an answer before Election Day,” and that Mr. Trump’s rehabilitated campaign of the last few weeks as been “helpful.”
What’s to gain with an endorsement of the GOP nominee at such a late hour?
Well, I guess he needs someone to like him. As it currently stands, Mr. Cruz is at odds with Republican leadership in Congress, and with the party’s presidential nominee.
“If Ted Cruz wants to call himself a Republican, I think he should be at least a part of the team. It looks awfully self-serving for not endorsing Donald Trump at this time,” Sen. Dan Coats, Indiana Republican, told Politico. “You’re on the same team, so you don’t sit on the bench and sulk because you didn’t get the starting job. If he wants to be called on in the future, he needs to show some character.”
“It would be helpful,” said Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, told Politico. “If I were in Ted Cruz’s position, I would have gone ahead and made the case that of the choices available, Mr. Trump is far and away the best.”
Moreover, Mr. Cruz may need some congressional friends because he stands to be primaried in 2018 by Mike McCaul, a Texas congressman and the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Mr. Cruz needs to build up a little personal goodwill within Republican leadership if he wants an endorsement among his colleagues in the Senate. (Remember: Texas Sen. John Cornyn refused to endorse Mr. Cruz for his seat the last time around.) He’s also going to need it with a man who could be the next president of the United States.
Yes, with an endorsement, Mr. Cruz would lose the respect of the #NeverTrump crowd, but they’re a dwindling group anyway. More importantly, there’s not enough votes among them to lead him to the presidency in 2020, which is Mr. Cruz’s ultimate prize.
Still, Mr. Cruz could be damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t — and some of his former campaign aides are advising strongly that he stay away from any endorsement.
“Rick Tyler, who ran Cruz’s press shop during much of his presidential run, said that despite the pressure from Republicans, Cruz will be ’done’ if he endorses Trump,” Politico reported.
“There is no negative future stemming from his defense of conservatism speech in Cleveland,” Mr. Tyler said in an email to Politico. “Either Trump loses and the speech is cast in a new light; OR Trump wins and is a terrible President and the speech is again cast in a new light; OR Trump wins and is a great president, serves 2 terms and everyone forgets it.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.