Speaking at a breakfast for the Texas delegation Thursday morning, Sen. Ted Cruz explained that his refusal to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump in his convention speech Wednesday was "personal." Cruz said Trump knew he was not going to offer an endorsement — something Trump himself confirmed — and told the home-state crowd that he could not support someone who, during the primary campaign, was "maligning my wife and maligning my father":
During the GOP primary season, Trump suggested Cruz's father was linked to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy and insulted Cruz's wife Heidi's appearance, remarks for which Trump never apologized, Cruz noted. As a result, Cruz said, the pledge all the candidates made last fall, to support the party's eventual nominee, was "abrogated":
Cruz also effectively dismissed the idea of an obligation to party unity:
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He did, however, clarify Thursday that he would not be voting for Hillary Clinton — but he said he'd simply be "watching and listening" to the proceedings until November before making a decision about Trump.
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