Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas endorsed Donald Trump for president late Tuesday, saying the “race is over” and it is time to coalesce behind the former president’s bid to return to the White House.
Mr. Cruz, who famously refused to endorse Mr. Trump during the 2016 Republican convention, pointed to Mr. Trump’s “dominating victory” in the Iowa caucuses on Monday.
“At this point, I believe this race is over. So I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president of the United States,” Mr. Cruz told Sean Hannity on Fox News.
More than half of the Senate Republican caucus has endorsed Mr. Trump as he coasts toward a third straight GOP nomination for president.
Both of Florida’s Republican senators, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, have endorsed Mr. Trump despite their governor, Ron DeSantis, being in the presidential primary.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says the campaign is morphing into a two-person race. She is eyeing an upset in New Hampshire on Tuesday, though Mr. DeSantis remains in the hunt and says he wants to pick up more delegates.
Mr. Cruz made waves during Mr. Trump’s first bid in 2016 by declining to offer direct support for Mr. Trump during the party convention in Cleveland. Delegates in the crowd were furious and booed, though Mr. Cruz endorsed Mr. Trump later in the cycle.
The senator is not showing as much hesitation this time around.
“I look forward to supporting [Mr. Trump] enthusiastically because I think it’s time for the Republican Party to unite, for us to come together,” Mr. Cruz said. “We’ve got to beat Joe Biden.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.