Texas senator and former presidential hopeful Ted Cruz is fully behind his former GOP opponent Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election.
He claimed that he "enthusiastically" supports Trump's campaign and preemptively declared that the race for the Republican nomination is "over."
In a tweet posted on X, Cruz stated, "I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President. Now is the time for us to unite to oust Joe Biden and save our country from the Democrats' destructive agenda."
During an interview with Sean Hannity, Cruz expressed his enthusiasm for supporting Trump's candidacy.
"[Iowa] was a dominating victory for Donald Trump: I've got to say, there's no place like the Iowa caucuses. I know it intimately. The men and women of Iowa, they take their responsibility incredibly seriously. They scrutinize the candidates," Cruz told the Fox News host.
"It's an amazing process, and I'm a big believer in letting democracy play out. Well, last night it played out, and I got to say Trump's victory was across the board… Congratulations to President Trump on that dominating victory," he continued. "And at this point, I believe this race is over."
Cruz himself was a target of Trump's infamous vitriol back in 2016, making his endorsement all the more perplexing for some to comprehend.
Trump, without any evidence, had suggested that Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, had been involved with Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who assassinated President John F. Kennedy. Trump's comments insinuated a conspiracy, stating, "His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being — you know, shot." This baseless accusation understandably caused significant distress to Cruz and his family at the time.
Trump also made threats against Cruz's wife, Heidi Cruz, during the 2016 Republican primary. He ominously warned that he would "spill the beans" about her and even implied that she was unattractive.
At the time, Cruz fought back against the onslaught of personal attacks against him and his family, referring to Trump as a "sniveling coward," a "bully" and a "pathological liar." However, as soon as Trump secured the Republican nomination, Cruz bent the knee and began campaigning and phone banking for Trump during the general election.
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Trump earned 51 percent of the votes in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, claiming a 30-point victory over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who only secured second place over Nikki Haley by less than a single percentage point.
New Hampshire is currently polling to be a much closer race, with Haley polling relatively close to the former president. However, nationally, Trump is polling over 50 points ahead of any other candidate.
