Cruz reverses course, will vote for Trump

ajc.com

Credit: Jamie Dupree

Credit: Jamie Dupree

Two months after being booed by GOP delegates when he refused to endorse Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Friday gave his backing to the GOP nominee.

"I've made this decision for two reasons," Cruz wrote in a post on Facebook . "First, last year, I promised to support the Republican nominee. And I intend to keep my word."

In his statement, Cruz acknowledged that he has had "areas of significant disagreement" with Trump, but the Texas Senator said, "by any measure Hillary Clinton is wholly unacceptable."

ajc.com

Credit: Jamie Dupree

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Credit: Jamie Dupree

It was a different Cruz at the GOP convention in July, when he was basically booed off the stage by delegates, as Cruz urged Republicans to "vote their conscience" in November, making it clear he was refusing to endorse the GOP nominee.

The Cruz refusal came after a primary campaign battle between Trump and Cruz had become increasingly bitter - Trump basically accused Cruz's father of being in cahoots with Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John Kennedy.

Trump also attacked Cruz's wife during the primary - but none of that was mentioned as Cruz gave his public support to Trump for November.

Some conservatives understood - others did not.

Cruz at one point labeled Trump a "pathological liar."

Ironically, the lone holdouts from the GOP field on Trump are two candidates who are considered the least conservative by many in the Republican Party - as Jeb Bush and John Kasich have so far refused to get on the Trump bandwagon.