The surprising development came days before the pivotal first presidential debate.
Cruz, over the weekend, dodged questions about whether or not he believes Trump is fit to be president.
Appearing at the Texas Tribune Festival, Cruz reiterated that endorsed Trump because the November election is a “binary choice” between Hillary Clinton and Trump – and that he thinks a Clinton presidency would be a disastrous choice.
On Friday, Trump also released an expanded list of possible Supreme Court candidates he would nominate to replace the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. “As you know, I tried very very hard, as did you, to prevent it from being a binary choice between Hillary and Donald Trump”.
The day after the convention ended, Trump said he didn’t want and wouldn’t accept Cruz’s endorsement.
Trump and Cruz, who dropped out of the GOP primary in May, attacked each other’s wives, citizenship, and integrity.
“My faith teaches me to forgive, with or without an apology”, Cruz said, telling the crowd at a Texas Tribune policy forum in Austin that his family chose to not hold a grudge against Trump.
Did he mean those things? “He is not the guy that I very eloquently spelled out, for over a year, and now there’s suddenly a reason to believe him”?” I don’t think it is productive for me to criticize the Republican nominee.
Cruz was faced with a particularly loud and responsive crowd at the Festival. Many cheered him, but he also received jeers.
By hanging with Donald Trump throughout the primary and being one of the few campaigns to actually beat him in some states, Cruz showed strength and resolve.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Cruz, not just politically but personally.
“If you’ve watched the TV coverage, Cruz isn’t faring too well”, said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato. But Cruz said he, his father and his wife made the collective decision to forgive him.
Another person who is close to the Mercers declined to detail the role they played, but said: “This election could not be more stark”.
“Profoundly sad day for me”, Beck wrote.
He added about Cruz: “To become the politician is disappointing. You’re never going to get things done that way”. “But I still respect you as a man”, he said.
The next questioner mentioned Cruz’s two young daughters. Look at the way he’s dealt with the Senate, where he goes in there – like, you know, frankly, like a little bit of a maniac.
His decision is founded on six policy differences that Cruz wrote informed his decision, including Supreme Court nominees, the Affordable Care Act, energy, immigration, national security, and internet freedom.
Hillary Clinton will have powerful surrogates out on her behalf next week, with former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama all campaigning on her behalf.
Polls have since suggested that Cruz’s popularity was slipping nationally and back home in Texas, where he could face a primary challenger for re-election in 2018.
