CLEVELAND—In one of the most surprising moments of the 2016 Republican National Convention, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, caused an uproar among delegates after saying voters should “vote their conscience” instead of casting their ballot for the nominee, Donald Trump.
"Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom," Cruz said.
Boos could be heard throughout the Quicken Loans Arena during the prime-time speech, as delegates wanted to hear the Texas senator endorse Trump. At multiple points the crowd chanted “endorse Trump.”
Cruz is being drowned out, crowd chanting "endorse Trump" pic.twitter.com/pKy70GeVG0
— Cardinal Politics (@CardPolitics) July 21, 2016
Security personnel had to escort the Senator's wife, Heidi Cruz, out of the arena after the situation turned more dire.
Cruz, who finished second in a long primary season which began with 17 candidates, has sparred with Trump in debates and rallies. While many former candidates who made appearances at the convention to coronate Trump, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, used their speeches to promote party unity around the real estate mogul, some have chosen not to. Ohio Gov. John Kasich refused to attend the convention held in his home state.
However, it was Cruz’s stunning call for allowing delegates to vote for whom they wanted, a night after the delegates already voted to nominate Trump as their nominee, that stole the show and overshadowed the rest of the evening’s high-profile names.
Walker claims ‘America Deserves Better’
Walker, who dropped out of the presidential race early last fall, emphasized the need to vote for Trump in order to keep presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton out of the White House.
"Hillary Clinton is the ultimate Washington insider," Walker said. "If she was more on the inside she would be in prison."
Walked offered strong support of Trump, despite his reservations about the candidate during his concession last September.
“Donald Trump is standing with the American people,” Walker said. “We want a leader who is not afraid to take on the mess in Washington.”
Walker has been meeting with several different state delegations, including the key primary states of Iowa and South Carolina, throughout the week to build support as he hints at a possible 2020 run for president.
Pence introduces himself to America
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, whom Trump selected last week to be his running mate, accepted the nomination for vice president during a speech where he spoke on his switch from becoming a Catholic Democrat to an evangelical Republican during the years of former president Ronald Reagan.
Pence acknowledged the that he and Trump have different styles, but had high praise for his running mate.
“Donald Trump gets it, he’s the genuine article. He’s a doer in a game usually reserved for talkers. And when Donald Trump does his talking, he doesn’t tiptoe around the thousand new rules of political correctness,” Pence said.
