Basking in the glow of his win in Indiana, Donald Trump said Sen. Ted Cruz (R- TX) was one tough competitor out there on the 2016 Republican primary trail.
“All my life, I have been in competitions. Different competitions, whether it’s sports or business or now for ten months, politics. And I have to tell you that I have met some of the most incredible competitors that I have ever competed against, right here on the Republican Party,” Trump said. “And just so you understand, Ted Cruz, I don’t know if he likes me or if he doesn’t like me, but he’s one hell of a competitor.”
Trump went on to say that Cruz was “a tough, smart guy.”
“He has got an amazing future. He’s got an amazing future,” Trump said. “So I want to congratulate Ted. And I know how tough it is. It’s tough. It’s tough.”
After months of put downs and veiled criticisms on the stump, Trump urged the Republican Party to support his nomination.
“We want to bring unity to the Republican Party. We have to bring unity. It’s so much easier if we have it,” Trump said.
Trump told supporters gathered Tuesday that he had already received a phone call from the Republican National Committee’s Chairman Reince Priebus and many others were looking to support him.
“They’re calling now, and they’re calling us all. And they’re saying we would love to get on the train, the trump train, they call it,” Trump said. “And I actually spoke to one today, who was vicious, I mean, this guy was unbelievable. I said, I love having you.”
Just minutes earlier Cruz had dropped out of the Republican primary contest after weeks of battling Trump on the campaign trail in Indiana, leaving Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee.
Trump only briefly mentioned Cruz, however.
By and large, Trump’s speech Tuesday night was hardly different than the dozens Trump has given before.
