A stunningly distracted crowd of hundreds of Republicans almost entirely ignored Ted Cruz’s speech at the New York City GOP gala on Thursday night, instead chattering at their dinner tables, standing and taking selfies. Several casually left the dinner altogether…

“I mean, [Cruz] blew it when he did the New York Values thing — that was a bad point,” said Ron Shindel, a Republican in attendance who also serves as the New York Police Department’s commanding officer of the World Trade Center. “But this is Trumpville — this is Trump town. I imagined the overwhelming support of Trump.”…

A Cruz supporter in the crowd who didn’t want to give his name blamed the timing of Cruz’s address to the crowd: “Everyone had had like six glasses of wine, and it was late and people hadn’t eaten.”