Roger Stone, a former adviser to the Trump campaign who has remained close to the candidate, called Cruz “a treacherous prick” whose speech Wednesday night was a “huge mistake.” Stone said Cruz “could have set himself up for a future run as Nixon did by endorsing Goldwater,” but, “instead, he exempts himself from future nomination.”
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said on NBC’s “Today” show that Cruz showed “very bad judgment” in declining to endorse. He called the remarks “a mistake” and said Cruz “understood what the responsibilities are of somebody in his position and he didn’t meet them.”
Cruz, for his part, seemed ready to accept the tidal wave of attacks crashing down upon him as the price of speaking his mind. He smiled and waved through the boos as he walked off stage and afterwards, was under no pretenses about how his remarks would be received by the party whose nomination for president he sought.
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