Cruz Says Decision To Endorse Trump Was ‘Agonizing’

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas speaking on day three of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH, USA, Ohio on July 20, 2016. Donald Trump will formally accept the Republican Party's nomi... Senator Ted Cruz of Texas speaking on day three of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH, USA, Ohio on July 20, 2016. Donald Trump will formally accept the Republican Party's nomination for President on Thursday night July 21st. Photo by Denni Van Tine/Sipa USA MORE LESS
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After Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) endorsed Donald Trump on Friday in a stunning reversal, the Texas senator said on Saturday that his decision to back the Republican nominee was “agonizing,” according to the Washington Post.

“Any path we took, if I supported Donald, if I didn’t support Donald, the criticism was going to be there,” Cruz said during a forum held by the Texas Tribune, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Cruz said that calls from Republican activists pushed him to back Trump

“They were tearfully begging me to support the nominee,” Cruz said, according to the Washington Post. “They trudged through the snow; they made phone calls. Their view was that they were horrified by a Hillary Clinton presidency. Listen: If people from Washington are smacking me with a stick, I don’t care. It usually means I’m doing the right thing. But when you hear the voices of the grass roots who believe with all their heart — their voices move me.”

When asked if Trump is fit to be president, Cruz responded by saying that there are “two choices” for president, according to the Washington Post.

Cruz did say that he “struggled” to recover from Trump’s personal attacks on Heidi Cruz and embrace of a conspiracy theory that Cruz’s father, Rafael Cruz, was linked to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

“Both Heidi and my dad — they are strong, independent people,” Cruz said on Saturday, according to the Washington Post. “When those attacks came, they both laughed out loud.”

Cruz said that he spoke to Trump on Friday and that he did not ask for any apology, according to the Washington Post. The Texas senator said that the two discussed the Supreme court.

“When I got the ask, I said: Give a commitment that matters to me,” he said, according to the Post. “Give a commitment to something meaningful on the Supreme Court.”

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