Cruz, a conservative firebrand who is looking at his own potential presidential campaign, urged Republicans to instead “learn from history.”

“We need to look to history and what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “The one thing is clear is if Republicans run another candidate in the mold of a Bob Dole, or a John McCain, or a Mitt Romney — and let me be clear, all three of those are good, honorable men. They’re decent men. They’re patriots. But if we run another candidate in the mold of a Bob Dole, or a John McCain, or Mitt Romney, we will end up with the same result.”