Stumping with Pence, Cruz doesn't directly boost TrumpIn his first public appearance on behalf of his party's presidential ticket,
Ted Cruz stopped far short of making an unambiguous pitch for Donald Trump, his former bitter rival in the primaries.
by Patrick Svitek Nov. 3, 2016 11:17 AM
Former Republican U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz arrives to speak during the third night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 20, 2016. Former Republican U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz arrives to speak during the third night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 20, 2016.
Former Republican U.S. presidential candidate Ted Cruz arrives to speak during the third night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 20, 2016. Brian Snyder/REUTERS
Sen.Cruz made his first public appearance Thursday on behalf of his party's presidential ticket, speaking at length about the stakes of the election and trumpeting Mike Pence — but voicing no direct support for Donald Trump.
"We're going to keep Republican control of the Senate and we're going to defeat Hillary Clinton in this presidential election," Cruz said at a Pence rally in Iowa, one of several moments where Cruz stopped far short of making an unambiguous pitch for Trump, his former bitter rival in the primaries.
Cruz's relationship with the Trump-Pence ticket has been complicated, even after he finally backed the GOP nominee in September. Before that, Cruz withheld his support for months, including during a primetime speech at the Republican National Convention.
On Thursday, Cruz returned to the state where he first bested Trump in the nominating process, appearing with Pence, the Indiana governor who initially endorsed Cruz. At the Iowa rally, Cruz heaped praise on Pence, calling him "someone who today I call my friend and I very much look forward to calling Mr. Vice President."
That was about as direct as Cruz's remarks on the Trump-Pence team got. He otherwise spent most of his speech reiterating what he sees as critical issues in the election while exalting the need for Republicans in general to prevail Tuesday.
https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/03/stumping-pence-cruz-doesnt-directly-boost-trump/