Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Doug Burgum among party members embracing former competitor for presidential nomination
Donald Trump’s runaway victory in the Iowa caucuses has triggered a new slew of endorsements from prominent Republicans, among them at least four former rivals for the party’s presidential nomination whom he has previously insulted.
Texas senator Ted Cruz became the latest to jump aboard on Tuesday night, tweeting he was “proud” to back the former president “to save our country from the Democrats’ destructive agenda”.
“Lyin’ Ted”, as Trump branded Cruz in their unseemly squabble during the 2016 primary, also endured criticism of his wife Heidi’s looks and a Trump lie linking his father to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of John F Kennedy.
Cruz’s endorsement came in quick succession to that of Vivek Ramaswamy, the upstart rightwing entrepreneur who suspended his campaign for the 2024 nomination following his disastrous showing in Iowa.
On Saturday Trump had called Ramaswamy “sly” and urged Iowa voters not to be “duped” by his “deceitful campaign tricks”. On Tuesday night, Ramaswamy offered Trump his unqualified backing.
“I congratulated him on his victory and now going forward he will have my full endorsement for the presidency, and I think we’re gonna do the right thing for this country,” he said in his concession speech.
The two appeared together at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Ramaswamy smiling broadly as Trump’s supporters chanted “VP, VP,” in a call for him to be named vice-presidential running mate.
“He’ll be working with us for a long time,” Trump said.
