Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has been supportive of Donald Trump, says Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has earned his “Lyin’ Ted” moniker by refusing to endorse Trump despite his previous pledge to support the Republican nominee.
Huckabee made the comments on Facebook after Cruz’s speech here at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night where he was booed by some of the delegates for not explicitly offering support to Trump.
Wrote Huckabee: “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. 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 and Cruz, angling for some of the same voters, clashed during the GOP primary.
All the Republican candidates signed a pledge during the primary to support the eventual nominee.
During the race, Trump repeatedly called Cruz “Lyin’ Ted.”
But during Wednesday night’s convention speech, Cruz only congratulated Trump and told delegates to vote their conscience.
Huckabee said that “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.”
“Donald Trump did something no previous nominee has done—he allowed Ted Cruz to speak without his promising to support the nominee,” Huckabee said. “I’ve spoken at every convention since 1992, and I can attest to the fact that no one got near that stage without supporting 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.”
Added Huckabee: “I’m certain that many of you will react harshly and angrily to my words. So be it. But when a person gives his word, he should keep it. 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.”