Ted Cruz endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency Friday afternoon, a stunning turn of events after a contentious primary filled with nasty personal attacks and a dramatic snub at the Republican National Convention. “After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump,” Cruz wrote in a Facebook post. However, it wasn’t everything it was made out to be.
Just hours later, Cruz took the podium in Memphis, Tennessee to discuss his “change of heart” to a crowd of Trump supporters. With live media cameras fixed on him, Ted Cruz shockingly raised his hand with a Nazi salute yelling “Hail Trump,” with a grin on his face he couldn’t seem to control. But it did not seem to faze the Trump supporters in attendance, as they cheered him on for a lengthy 7 minutes.
A spokesperson for Cruz described the move as “strategically planned,” and a “plot of revenge” after the many low blows Donald Trump took to Ted Cruz’s wife and the Hispanic community. “Cruz wanted to prove to America that Trump and his supporters are followers of the White Nationalist Movement – and he was right. What kind of crowd cheers on when hearing the words “Hail Trump” followed by a Nazi salute? Trump supporters that’s who. Cruz will not support this type of rhetoric.”