Vanquished presidential challenger Ted Cruz stunned the Republican National Convention Wednesday by thumbing his nose at Donald Trump, refusing to endorse the party’s 2016 nominee and urging Americans to “vote their conscience.”
Cruz received a standing ovation as he took the stage, but cheers turned to boos when it became clear the US senator from Texas did not come to Cleveland to back his former rival.
Trump himself sent the drama needle tipping into the red by striding into the arena shortly before Cruz finished speaking, calmly surveying the remarkable scene of delegates thrown into turmoil by the Texan’s remarks, and who hounded him off the stage.
“We deserve leaders who stand for principle, who unite us all behind shared values, who cast aside anger for love,” said Cruz, effectively listing criticisms levelled at Trump.
“If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak and vote your conscience,” he said as the crowd erupted into yells of anger.
The two men fought a bitter and at times deeply personal primary campaign, in which Trump mocked Cruz’s wife and crafted a nickname for Cruz: “Lyin’ Ted.”
Cruz — who is widely expected to run in 2020 should Trump lose to Hillary Clinton — was forced to wave and smile before completing his remarks and exiting to more jeers.
– Steady the ship? –
Indiana Governor Mike Pence meanwhile was stepping into the Republican spotlight to introduce himself to US voters as Trump’s running mate — a moment of political theatre unexpectedly overshadowed by the Cruz fiasco.
“I am deeply humbled by your confidence, and on behalf of my family here and gone, I accept your nomination to run and serve as vice president of the United States of America,” Pence said to a roar.
Pence, 57, said he “joined this campaign in a heartbeat” because Republicans nominated Trump, a man “who never quits, who never backs down.”
Trump appeared earlier in the day with Pence in Cleveland, introducing him as “somebody who’s going to make an unbelievable vice president” and vowing: “We’re going to win it all.”
The conservative evangelical Christian and former congressman could serve to steady Trump’s heaving and sway campaign ship and reassure voters alarmed by Trump’s rhetoric.
But his task may have been made harder by Cruz’s stunt.
– ‘Division between us’ –
The drama on the convention floor angered some delegates including Mary Balkema, who called Cruz’s speech “deplorable.”
“We were really waiting for him to show unity and really get behind the candidate, which he failed to do,” said the 49-year-old Michigan delegate.
“I think it was the longest boo I have ever heard publicly, it was really embarrassing.”
Amid the Cruz cacophony, former House speaker and Trump friend Newt Gingrich took the stage in damage control mode, telling delegates he thinks they “misunderstood” Cruz’s comments.
“Ted Cruz said you can vote your conscience for anyone who will uphold the constitution. In this election, there is only one candidate who will uphold the constitution,” Gingrich said.
The upset came hours after Team Trump moved to draw a line under a damaging plagiarism row implicating his ex-model wife — that overshadowed the opening of the Cleveland gathering.
A Trump staffer admitted to lifting quotes from a Michelle Obama speech from 2008 and slotting them into remarks delivered Monday by Trump’s Slovenia-born wife, apologising and offering to resign.
“This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused, said the staffer, Meredith McIver.
– Flag burning –
Trump’s roller-coaster campaign defeated 16 rivals and steamrolled stubborn party opposition after being written off as a joke, the real estate tycoon having never held elected office.
His campaign defied political norms — embracing racially inflammatory policies, offending key voting blocs, eschewing big-spending advertising campaigns and relying on saturated media coverage above campaign structure.
With the Trump ticket now seeking to unite Republicans, unrest flared briefly just one block from the convention site.
Eighteen people were arrested as protesters tried to set fire to American flags, police said. Two officers were “assaulted” and suffered minor injuries.
Security forces, including the horse-mounted police which has flooded downtown Cleveland this week, closed ranks and several detained people were seen kneeling with their hands behind their backs.
Mostly peaceful demonstrations have taken place each day of the political jamboree so far but only minor scuffles have broken out until now — a far cry from predictions of violence ahead of the convention.
But the tumult in Cleveland — both on and off the convention floor — was a reminder of the scale of the task before Trump if he is to quiet questions about his campaign’s professionalism and heal crippling party divisions, let alone win a national election.