Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is ready to vote for Donald Trump, but his “best friend” Utah Sen. Mike Lee is not.
After Lee’s name was floated on Friday as a potential Supreme Court nominee to fill Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacancy, Cruz announced his decision to vote for Trump and encouraged others to do the same. Cruz cited an “explicit commitment” that Trump would adhere to a new list of potential Supreme Court picks that included Lee, who Cruz said “would make an extraordinary justice.”
While Lee’s inclusion played a leading role in Cruz’s decision, the list will make no difference for Lee. In a statement to the Washington Examiner on Cruz’s decision to vote for Trump, Lee indicated that the new list from Trump and pledge of support from Cruz would not make Lee change his mind.
“I consistently follow certain criteria when deciding whether to endorse any candidate pursuing a federal office. Those criteria focus on each candidate’s grasp of — and willingness to work tirelessly to restore — federalism and separation of powers,” Lee said in a statement. “I am always eager to support any candidate willing to make those structural constitutional protections a priority. In this race and in every other, I will continue to use the same criteria.”
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