Huckabee Denounces Cruz as ‘Self-Absorbed Politician’ for RNC Speech
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is no stranger to supporting a Republican presidential nominee that has bested him in the primaries, said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz “walked in tall and walked out small” by giving a speech Wednesday night that did not include an endorsement of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
In the speech, Cruz urged Americans to vote. But unlike speakers who urged support for the GOP, Cruz said they should “vote their conscience.”
“The question of the night was whether Ted Cruz would honor his word and support the nominee or earn the moniker ‘Lyin Ted’ given to him by the man who won,” Huckabee wrote on Facebook.
Huckabee noted that Cruz could either focus on his wants or the nation’s needs, and chose the former.
“The question was whether Cruz would make his speech about HIS future or the future of the country. And that question was answered when Ted Cruz chose to not keep his word that he (along with me and every other GOP candidate) gave one year ago in that very arena where tonight he put his own ambitions above country.”
Huckabee said Cruz was given a precedent-breaking opportunity, and squandered it.
“Donald Trump did something no previous nominee has done — he allowed Ted Cruz to speak without his promising to support the nominee. Trump trusted Ted and was rewarded with a betrayal, but the delegates in that arena booed Cruz off the stage and out of Cleveland,” Huckabee wrote.
Huckabee said the Cruz debacle is not about policy, but honesty.
” … when a person gives his word, he should keep it,” Huckabee wrote. “When a person is treated with generosity to give a speech, he should either respond with respect or graciously decline. And when a person loses, he should accept the will of the voters and then offer support to the victor of the primary to defeat the anti-gun, pro-abortion, incompetent, dishonest, and dishonorable nominee of the Democrat party.”
Huckabee acknowledged that Cruz’s supporters may see the speech in a different light.
“But from where I sit, I didn’t see a statesman step forth for the country’s future. I saw a self-absorbed politician grab the microphone and try to line up his own future. Ted walked in tall and walked out small,” Huckabee wrote. (For more from the author of “Huckabee Denounces Cruz as ‘Self-Absorbed Politician’ for RNC Speech” please click HERE)
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