OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Sen. Ted Cruz, who gave then-fellow GOP presidential contender Donald Trump all he could handle during the 2016 Republican primary cycle, has “enthusiastically” come out in support of his one-time rival after a monster win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday.
“I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for President of the United States,” Cruz said on “Hannity.” “I look forward to supporting him enthusiastically.”
“Last night was decisive. It was a dominating victory for Donald Trump. I’ve got to say there is no place like the Iowa caucuses. I know it intimately. The men and women of Iowa, they take their responsibility incredibly seriously,” the Texas Republican — who actually beat Trump in the 2016 Iowa caucuses — began.
“They scrutinize the candidates. It’s an amazing process, and I’m a big believer in letting democracy play out,” he continued. “Well, last night it played out, and I’ve got to say Trump’s victory was across the board. He won 51 percent of the vote. He won 98 of the counties. Congratulations to President Trump on that dominating victory. And at this point, I believe this race is over. So I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president of the United States.”
“I look forward to supporting him enthusiastically because I think it’s time for the Republican party to unite, for us to come together,” Cruz continued. “We’ve got to beat Joe Biden. We’ve got to beat this disastrous cultural Marxist agenda in the White House. We’ve got to retake the United States Senate. We’ve got to hold the House. We’ve got to come together and win, and with the results last night, the people have spoken. It’s time to move onward to victory in November.”
WATCH:
Ted Cruz jumps on the Trump Train for '24. pic.twitter.com/rTnKvU6sKK
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) January 17, 2024
Cruz also acknowledged to Hannity that his seat is being targeted by Democrats as he runs for a third term this year.
“I wear that as a badge of honor,” he said.
“If you are a left-wing Democrat, after Donald Trump, there’s nobody in the country you want to beat more than me. And Chuck Schumer has made clear I am his number one target in the country,” Cruz continued. “The Democrats are going to spend $100 million this year trying to beat me and trying to flip Texas blue. Now, that ain’t going to happen.”
Meanwhile, former competitors Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson both dropped out of the 2024 GOP primary after their defeat by Trump on Monday, with the former quickly and enthusiastically endorsing the 45th president.
“He’s a fantastic guy. He’s got something that’s very special because he started off with a zippo and he ended up very strong. He did a great job. I was actually surprised when he called because he was doing well. And it’s an honor to have his endorsement,” Trump said at a rally after Ramaswamy spoke.
“He’s going to be working with us, and he’ll be working with us for a long time,” Trump added before the crowd broke out in cheers, Fox News reported.
“It is true that we did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight,” Ramaswamy said on Monday evening. “As of this moment, we are going to suspend this presidential campaign. Earlier tonight, I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulated him on his victory. And now, going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency.”
Ramaswamy, who entered the race with virtually no name recognition in February of last year, defeated several prominent Republicans, including former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, and former vice president Mike Pence.
Restoring American identity and his call to dismantle the bureaucratic state through a radical reduction in the size of the federal government occupied a significant portion of his campaign.
