We all knew it was going to happen, but maybe not so soon into the primary cycle. Breaking news out of Indiana, in which Ted Cruz has given word that he would suspend his campaign effective immediately following his loss in the state’s primary election.
This comes off the heels of multiple Super Tuesday III devastating losses for the Cruz camp and after a disastrous decision to have Carly Fiorina, another Trump adversary, as the vice presidential pick.
At this point, Trump has amassed over 1,047 delegates and now he’s running nearly unopposed. When a small number of Cruz delegates switch to Trump, the race for the nomination will have been concluded in favor of Donald J. Trump, with Reince Preibus tweeting that we all need to support Trump, as he’s the presumptive nominee:
.@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) May 4, 2016
Here is Cruz’s concession speech:
According to CNN,
Ted Cruz bowed out of the Republican presidential race Tuesday following a crushing loss to Donald Trump in Indiana, clearing the path for the real estate mogul to clinch the GOP nomination.
It was a remarkable turn of events in a presidential primary race that seemed destined — just weeks ago — to end in a contested convention this summer. Even in the final hours of the race in the Hoosier State, Cruz insisted he was staying in the race until June 7 — going so far as to attack his rival during a news conference as a “pathological liar” unfit for the White House.
In the end, the growing strength of Trump’s candidacy and Cruz’s own stumbles in the past two weeks were too much for Cruz to overcome. The Cruz, Kasich and anti-Trump forces had concocted elaborate plans to try to deprive Trump of the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright. But those plans hinged on money and momentum. After Tuesday night, it appeared that Cruz would have neither.
“We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we’ve got but the voters chose another path,” Cruz said. “So with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.”
Cruz, a tea party favorite, had hoped to cobble together a winning coalition by consolidating the evangelical and libertarian wings of the Republican Party while also racking up commanding wins in the South. He was ultimately unable to achieve any of those things. Exit polls on Tuesday night showed that Indiana’s evangelical voters split their votes evenly between Trump and Cruz. The Texas senator had the edge among late deciders, who made up a quarter of voters, but it wasn’t enough.
He signaled that he was nearing the end Tuesday during an appearance on Dana Loesch’s radio show, stating that his campaign had “left it all on the field.”
“We are competing to the end as long as we have a viable path to victory,” he said. “We are competing hard in this state and I am hopeful and optimistic. But at this point, it’s in the hands of voters.”
Cruz’s final weeks as a presidential candidate were dominated by awkward moments. He forged an alliance with Ohio Gov. John Kasich that quickly crumbled. He named Carly Fiorina as his running mate, an unusual move for someone who is far from winning the nomination. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence endorsed him — while also offering kind words for Trump.
He was also ridiculed for referring to a basketball hoop as a “ring” and for seemingly failing to notice when Fiorina fell off a stage in front of him.
Still, Cruz outlasted more than a dozen Republican rivals demolished by Trump by adopting an early strategy of playing nice. The Texas Senator had cultivated his image as the ultimate outsider in Washington. He attempted to channel the same frustration against Washington that Trump so successfully harnessed as he avoided becoming one of Trump’s chief targets.
That never happened.
In Trump’s victory speech, Trump praised Cruz for being “one hell of a competitor” and a smart man with a bright future:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIGQDXKrgCc
Here is the full victory speech, clinching the nomination for Trump:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oO4YqOGClY