Anti-Trump Republicans come to terms with Cruz nomination
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina pose for photographs during a campaign rally in Miami, Fla., Wednesday.
FORT MYERS, Fla. >> Anxious Republican officials are coming to terms with the idea that their second least favorite GOP presidential candidate — polarizing Texas conservative Ted Cruz — may be the party’s best last chance to stop Donald Trump.
Possible Cruz supporters include reluctant Senate colleagues and former presidential rivals with strong ties to major donors, who have long feared Cruz’s purist ideology but dread the prospect of a Trump nomination even more. The first-term Texas senator on Wednesday announced the backing of one former primary opponent, Carly Fiorina, and is seeking the backing of another, Jeb Bush, on Thursday.
“It’s an outsider year, and the most logical person to take on Trump based on past performance is Ted Cruz,” said another former presidential opponent, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Earlier in the year, Graham likened the choice between Cruz and Trump to “being shot or poisoned.”
“He’s not my preference,” Graham said of Cruz. “But we are where we are. And if Trump wins Florida and Ohio, I don’t know if we can stop him.”
Indeed, next Tuesday’s winner-take-all contests in Florida and Ohio have injected a sense of urgency into the GOP’s anti-Trump movement.
The billionaire businessman is calling on mainstream Republicans to unify behind his candidacy ahead of next week’s primaries, which could give him an insurmountable delegate lead.
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“If I win those two, I think it’s over,” Trump told CNN’s “Anderson Cooper’s 360.”
“Instead of fighting it, they should embrace it,” he added on Fox News Channel.
Bush planned to confer with all the candidates — save Trump — ahead of Thursday’s GOP debate. He met privately with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday, and planned to meet with Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Thursday.
Bush and Trump engaged in heated confrontations throughout Bush’s campaign, repeatedly referring to each other as “loser.”
The GOP establishment’s overwhelming favorite, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, picked up where Bush left off, but struggled badly in Tuesday’s round of primary contests, failing to pick up a single delegate. Trump won three of the contests and Cruz won one.
Now, in the midst of a weeklong march through Florida to save his candidacy, Rubio concedes that he went too far in insulting Trump.
“My kids were embarrassed by it and if I had it to do over again I wouldn’t,” Rubio said on MSNBC Wednesday night.
Rubio’s weak standing has forced some of his supporters to consider Cruz.
“I could see myself as a Cruz supporter,” Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, a Rubio supporter, said Wednesday. “I agree with Cruz 80 percent of the time. There are things I don’t agree with him on, but if we are agreeing 80 percent of the time and he’s a conservative, we are going to get along just fine.”
Still, no Republican senator has endorsed Cruz, who called Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar and helped engineer the 16-day partial government shutdown in 2013. Half a dozen Senate Republicans said Wednesday that they hadn’t heard from either Trump or Cruz.
Trump has one Senate endorsement, from Alabama’s Jeff Sessions, while Rubio has endorsements from 14 senators.
Fiorina, though, offered Cruz an immediate dose of credibility with his party’s skeptical donor class. She told a Miami crowd on Wednesday that she’s “horrified” by Trump.
“The truth is that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin,” she charged, standing alongside Cruz. “It is time now to unite behind the one man who can beat Donald Trump, who can beat Hillary Clinton.”
In the latest Democratic debate, Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled Wednesday night over who’s a true advocate for Latinos.
Facing off just six days before Florida’s primary, Clinton faulted Sanders for repeatedly voting against a 2007 comprehensive immigration reform bill; he faulted her for opposing a 2007 effort to allow people who were in the country illegally to obtain driver’s licenses.
Sanders surprised Clinton with a win Tuesday night in Michigan, a victory that breathed new life into his White House bid. But Clinton, who won Mississippi, padded her delegate lead and is now halfway to the number needed to clinch the nomination.
On the Republican side, things are far more chaotic.
“The Republican establishment is in its death throes,” said longtime tea party leader Mark Meckler. “The only remaining candidates are 100 percent anti-establishment.”
Jalonick reported from Washington. AP writers Julie Pace in Miami, and Donna Cassata, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor in Washington contributed to this report.
17 responses to “Anti-Trump Republicans come to terms with Cruz nomination”
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Amazing that the GOTP’s choices would come down to a cold fish nobody in his own party can stand, and a charlatan who’s stated without an ounce of shame that he’d plonk his own daughter if he could get away with it.
It’s like a fire that’s been smoldering and smoldering since the start of the new millennium, and suddenly WHOOMP! It erupts and the whole structure is engulfed. No way to put it out now — bring marshmallows and a long stick.
Sorry, kool aid imbibers, but Cruz doesn’t have (pardon the term) a prayer of getting between Trump and the nomination. Facts are stubborn things.
Rubio should be ashamed of himself for the things he said…mainly the size of one’s hands/trust. On the other hand, Cruz can’t be trusted as he lied about Carson and Rubio’s exit from the race. That is NOT once but twice. Trump, well we all know what hate that comes from his mouth. The party made its bed. They should have selected Bush or Kasich.
Rubio sold out to the rich and to Israeli backers who wanted him to serve their interests. He is no moderate. He is a radical. A fast-talking shibai. Cruz is totally unacceptable. Republicans go down this fall.
Most of you still dont get it, a vote for Trump is a vote against the corrupt system. We will keep Trump on a leash when he is in the white house, stop worrying and get on board so we can wipe out that shrew in the Democratic party.
Simply stated; You hit it Marcus! I get it—for Trump!
You truly believe Trump is going to magically change a corrupt system? And, you truly think you can keep Trump on a leash?!! Seriously, have you not been watching the debates and town hall meetings? Have you not listened to any of his interviews? He broke the leash many, many years ago. NOTHING Trump says or does is representative of a President of the United States. Your eyes and ears, open them both.
Not being a Trump supporter, I would still question your apparent willingness to vote for for someone unwilling to even try and reform a corrupt system.
Corrupt, meaning each member of the Republican Party immediately signing on with Grover Norquist to block any and all legislation presented by President Obama? Corrupt, meaning Senator Mitch McConnell and other Republicans vowing to block any Supreme Court nominee legally presented by President Obama? Corrupt, meaning what?
If you’re seriously stating that only the GOP is guilty of corruption, then there’s really no sense taking this any further.
Marcus, the GOP voters has a choice between Ted Cruz, whom I support, and Donald Trump, who you support. It’s great that the GOP have two independent reformers for the United States of America. Oh, it’s best to be humble as the GOP wins the Presidency, gain in the U.S. Senate and House, and get to nominate and confirm Originalist’s such as Associate Justice Scalia to the U.S. Supreme Court. All within reach caused by our current Hawaii born President Obama.
You support Ted Cruz, who states at every opportunity how he will eliminate the Affordable Care Act, which has over 12 million U.S. citizens enrolled, and covering approximately 8 million more through the Medicaid expansion, young people covered under their parents plan, and other coverages. Ted Cruz also states he wants to rein in the Environmental Protection Agency, in order to create jobs. The EPA is established to oversee clean air and clean water, which is MUCH more important than some jobs. If a business needs an employee, it’ll hire an employee regardless of necessary environmental safety mandates.
You are right. Donald Trump is the right choice.
You don’t seem to understand that Trump shares more with Hillary than he shares with you.
Just bought 100 more Trump shares as they are on a bull run while Hillary shares have peaked. Does Hillary get Kamaʻāina rates at Trump’s hotels?
Trump doesn’t actually own many hotels. Second, given how long back Bill, Hillary and Donald go, pretty sure a simple call could give her the friends and family rate at the hotels he does own.
Donald must know the Clintons so well that he is aware of all the skeletons in their closet. Should be a good show if they get to debate. Interesting time.