It was only a matter of time before the Republican National Convention drama made its way to the main stage. Wednesday night, Ted Cruz could barely finish his address to delegates over all the booing he received when he wouldn't actually endorse Trump, his party’s official presidential nominee.
The Republican runner-up and Texas senator started out his remarks with the audience on his side, congratulating Donald Trump on winning the GOP nomination—the only time he would say Trump’s name in the entire 23-minute speech—and outlining the kinds of conservative values he hopes people vote for in November. “Partisan rancor, anger—even hatred—are tearing America apart. And citizens are furious, rightly furious, at a political establishment that cynically breaks its promises and ignores the will of the people,” Cruz said at one point, to a standing ovation.
But there was one line that made it clear he wouldn’t be endorsing Trump after all, and that’s when the crowd turned on him. “Don’t stay home in November,” Cruz urged the audience. “Stand and speak and vote your conscience.” Perhaps sensing that this was as close as they would get to hearing Cruz put the vicious fight to be the nominee behind him and back Trump, the crowd started heckling with cheers of “We want Trump!” Attendees also took aim at Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, yelling “Goldman Sachs!” (where she is an employee—a fact used against her by Donald Trump during the contentious nomination process) until she had to be escorted out of Quicken Loans Arena by security.
Perhaps taking a cue from his friends in pro-wrestling, Donald Trump couldn’t help but get in on the melee, appearing at the back of the arena during the final moments of Cruz’s speech and applauding the angry protesters.
All in all, it totally upstaged the following speech by Mike Pence, Trump’s VP pick, which was supposed to be the biggest of the night. Though some are speculating this is Cruz’s way of suggesting to his followers that he plans to run for president again in 2020, it further divided a convention that’s already seen its fair share of infighting.
Check out Cruz’s full speech below, and be sure to stay for Trump’s entrance:
