Senator Ted Cruz revealed Friday that he would “vote his conscience” by endorsing Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump. For the small but vocal group remaining in the “Never Trump” crowd, the news was devastating.
It all started with the endorsement from Senator Cruz, citing the threat that Hillary Clinton poses to the future of America and to the conservative movement:
Trump welcomed the endorsement and praised Cruz:
Glenn Beck called on people to pray and fast in support of Ted Cruz during the Republican primary and then became one of #NeverTrump’s loudest voices. He was “profoundly sad” after Cruz’s endorsement:
Dana Loesch, who works for Beck at The Blaze, took a shot at Cruz’s manhood:
… and RedState’s Ben Howe got a bit more direct:
Howe also claimed to be considering returning money Cruz paid him for a video:
Jeb Bush supporter and CNN contributor Ana Navarro also mocked Cruz for not being a “man”:
Cruz’s former Communication Director declared the conservative movement leaderless:
Blogger Erick Erickson joined a chorus of conservatives claiming that Ted Cruz is no longer “principled”:
An apocalyptic Steve Deace called for the swift return of Jesus:
… and declared Cruz’s move the worst political mistake ever:
Former Breitbart employee Ben Shapiro lamented Trump’s takeover of the Republican party:
… and broke out some puns:
… and even had the audacity to exploit the memory of Harambe, the noble gorilla slain by the Cincinnati Zoo.
Former Cruz staffer and creator of the #NeverTrump blacklist of Trump supports Amanda Carpenter has yet to weigh in. She told Politico, in a story published Thursday, that she did not believe Cruz had a good enough reason to endorse Trump.
#NeverTrump sacrificial candidate Evan McMullin positioned himself as much more principled than Cruz:
And Rick Wilson, the consultant pushing hardest to make McMullin relevant to the national conversation, was also salty.
Dustin Stockton is a political reporter for Breitbart News, a community liaison for Gun Owners of America, and a political strategist. Follow him on Twitter @DustinStockton or Facebook.