This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/us/politics/donald-trump-ted-cruz-convention.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Donald Trump Basks in Convention ‘Love’ (and Rips Ted Cruz) Donald Trump Basks in Convention ‘Love’ (but Has None for Ted Cruz)
(about 2 hours later)
CLEVELAND — Donald J. Trump lashed out at Senator Ted Cruz on Friday, rehashing a long list of grievances from their primary battle during a news conference here only hours after he accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination at a weeklong convention meant to unite the party. CLEVELAND — Donald J. Trump lashed out at Senator Ted Cruz on Friday, rehashing a long list of grievances from their primary battle during a news conference here only hours after he accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination at a convention meant to unite the party.
After bragging that he had unified the party in one of the most “love-filled” conventions in political history, Mr. Trump launched an extended diatribe against Mr. Cruz, who pointedly declined to endorse him during his own convention speech on Wednesday night, instead urging people to vote their conscience. The speech embarrassed Mr. Trump and cast a shadow of discord over the convention, which had already been marred by plagiarism in Mr. Trump’s wife’s speech Monday night. After declaring that he had unified the party in one of the most “love-filled” conventions in political history, Mr. Trump launched an extended diatribe against Mr. Cruz, who pointedly declined to endorse him during his own convention speech on Wednesday and instead urged people to vote their conscience. The speech embarrassed Mr. Trump and cast a shadow of discord over the convention, which had already been marred by plagiarism in a speech by Mr. Trump’s wife, Melania, on Monday.
“I don’t want his endorsement,” Mr. Trump said angrily, in a rambling stream-of-consciousness performance that seemed half standup routine, half-vengeful rant. “If he gives it, I won’t accept it.” “I don’t want his endorsement,” Mr. Trump said angrily, in a rambling stream-of-consciousness performance that seemed half stand-up routine, half vengeful rant. “If he gives it, I won’t accept it.”
The remarks were a remarkable display of lingering tension within the party and Mr. Trump’s own inability to let go of grudges from the past. The remarks were a noteworthy display of lingering tension within the party and Mr. Trump’s inability to let go of grudges.
They also represented a seemingly inevitable reappearance of Mr. Trump’s irrepressible id; The Republican nominee, having spoken from a teleprompter for more than an hour Thursday evening for the final night of his convention, seemed almost incapable of restraining himself any longer as the campaign moved to its next phase. They also represented a seemingly inevitable reappearance of Mr. Trump’s irrepressible id; Having spoken from a teleprompter for more than an hour on Thursday, the final day of his convention, he seemed almost incapable of restraining himself any longer as the campaign moved into its next phase.
“Now it was the summer of Trump, it was the autumn of Trump, it was as the Christmas of Trump,” Mr. Trump said, with characteristic braggadocio. “It was everything.” “Now it was the summer of Trump, it was the autumn of Trump, it was the Christmas of Trump,” he said. “It was everything.”
Clearly still stung by Mr. Cruz’s actions, Mr. Trump ruminated aloud about why the senator from Texas would not back him. He recalled their personal fights during the nominating contests, including the unflattering picture that Mr. Trump reposted on Twitter of Mr. Cruz’s wife, Heidi, and he defended his suggestion that Mr. Cruz’s father might have had a role in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, citing a report in The National Enquirer. Mr. Trump briefly turned his focus from Mr. Cruz to Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent, who will be formally nominated next week at her party’s convention in Philadelphia. Attention is expected to shift to the Democrats in the coming days, but Mr. Trump said that he did not expect to watch Mrs. Clinton’s speech because she is “boring.”
“This is a magazine that frankly in many respects should be very respected,” Mr. Trump said of the tabloid. Democrats did not ignore the Republican National Convention, and they have expressed their concern. Mrs. Clinton’s campaign made clear that it is aware of the rising stakes of the campaign in an Instagram message that read: “The only thing standing between Donald Trump and the White House … is us.”
Mr. Trump’s comments about Heidi Cruz — which prompted an audible gasp from a member of his traveling press corps as he began his riff — is also likely to remind voters that he attacked Mr. Cruz’s wife during the nominating contest. Mr. Trump is already struggling to woo female voters, who still view him overwhelmingly negatively, polls show. President Obama also weighed in on Friday, rebutting some of the crime statistics that Mr. Trump has presented and refuting his vision of America as a country “on the verge of collapse.” During a White House news conference with the president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, Mr. Obama said that any “vision of violence and chaos everywhere doesn’t really jibe with the experience of most people.”
Trying to explain away the incident also left him in the slightly uncomfortable situation of mentioning Penthouse, a risqué magazine known for its nude photographs, as Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, Mr. Trump’s running mate and a mild-mannered social conservative, stood looking on just behind him. (He mentioned the magazine in asserting that a nearly nude picture of his wife, Melania, was “artsy” and in GQ, which he said was hardly Penthouse.) Curiously, however, Mr. Trump was mostly interested in settling old scores the day after his nomination became official. Clearly still stinging from Mr. Cruz’s actions, Mr. Trump ruminated aloud about why the senator from Texas would not back him. He recalled their personal fights during the nominating contests, including an unflattering picture of Mr. Cruz’s wife, Heidi, that Mr. Trump reposted on Twitter. Mr. Trump also defended his suggestion that Mr. Cruz’s father might have played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, citing a report in The National Enquirer.
The Republican nominee also quipped that as president he might form a “super PAC” to challenge Mr. Cruz, before questioning the ethics of such a move. And he said that Mr. Cruz did not know how to properly use his intellect. “This is a magazine that, frankly, in many respects, should be very respected,” Mr. Trump said of the tabloid.
“He’s got good intellect but he doesn’t know how to use it and he was a good debater but he didn’t do well in the debates against me,” Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump’s comments about Ms. Cruz — which prompted an audible gasp from a member of his traveling press corps — is also likely to remind voters that he attacked her during the primary contest. Mr. Trump is already struggling to woo female voters, who still view him overwhelmingly negatively, polls show.
Nonetheless, Mr. Trump said that the convention had been a raging success and that the party was, in fact, coming together. Trying to explain away the incident also left him in the slightly awkward situation of mentioning Penthouse, a pornographic magazine, while Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, Mr. Trump’s running mate and a mild-mannered social conservative, stood looking on just behind him. (Mr. Trump mentioned the magazine in asserting that a nearly nude picture of his wife was “artsy” and in GQ magazine, which he said was hardly Penthouse.)
“That was unity,” Mr. Trump said from a downtown hotel here with Mr. Pence standing behind him. “The party has just come together.” At one point, the Republican nominee quipped that, as president, he might form a “super PAC” to challenge a Senate re-election bid by Mr. Cruz, before questioning the ethics of such a move. And he kept up the personal attacks, saying that Mr. Cruz did not know how to properly use his intellect.
Though Mr. Pence briefly introduced Mr. Trump in what was billed as a goodbye reception for supporters, Mr. Trump called up on stage Dan Scavino Jr. — his social media director who took responsibility for a Star of David post on Twitter last month — before finally allowing his own running mate to address the crowd. “He’s got good intellect, but he doesn’t know how to use it; and he was a good debater, but he didn’t do well in the debates against me,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump also praised Corey Lewandowski, his former campaign manager whom he fired last month, before turning to key members of his current staff, including Paul Manafort, who now runs the Trump campaign and who often feuded with Mr. Lewandowski. Nonetheless, Mr. Trump said that the convention was a raging success and that the party was, in fact, coming together.
“That was unity,” Mr. Trump said from a downtown hotel here. “The party has just come together.”
While Mr. Trump’s convention speech was generally well received by Republicans, his success at broadening his coalition will become clear in the coming days when a fresh round of polls are released. Nominees generally enjoy a post-convention “bounce,” and some pollsters have suggested that Mr. Trump, who has been running close behind Mrs. Clinton in recent surveys, could either tie or overtake her.
Kyle Kondik, of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said he would be watching to see if Mr. Trump’s level of support nationally surpasses its current ceiling of about 41 percent.
“That will be a sign he’s building support and further unifying the G.O.P.,” Mr. Kondik said. “If he doesn’t, there may be a cap on his level of support that makes it hard for him to win.”
Veering off-message could also make victory more of a challenge, and Mr. Trump did it repeatedly before returning to New York on Friday.
Though Mr. Pence briefly introduced Mr. Trump in what was billed as a goodbye reception for supporters, Mr. Trump called to the stage Dan Scavino Jr. — his social media director, who took responsibility for much-maligned Star of David Twitter post last month — before finally letting his own running mate address the crowd.
Mr. Trump also praised his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, before acknowledging key members of his current staff, including Paul Manafort, who now runs Mr. Trump’s campaign. Mr. Manafort often feuded with Mr. Lewandowski, who was fired last month.
“Corey Lewandowski was great,” Mr. Trump said. “And he’s been very loyal, he’s been on CNN and he’s really been fighting for me, which is very nice, and I respect that.”“Corey Lewandowski was great,” Mr. Trump said. “And he’s been very loyal, he’s been on CNN and he’s really been fighting for me, which is very nice, and I respect that.”
Mr. Pence, whose brief, humble remarks offered a stark contrast with those of Mr. Trump, largely struck a posture of benevolent amusement, standing at Mr. Trump’s shoulder and chuckling lightly through the more provocative parts of his rant.Mr. Pence, whose brief, humble remarks offered a stark contrast with those of Mr. Trump, largely struck a posture of benevolent amusement, standing at Mr. Trump’s shoulder and chuckling lightly through the more provocative parts of his rant.
Mr. Trump, seemingly in jest, also suggested that he might fault Mr. Pence should he not win the White House in November. “I ran as an outsider, I didn’t want anybody — Now I have guys like Mike Pence,” he said. “See now if I don’t win, I’m going to blame Mike, right?” Mr. Trump, seemingly in jest, also suggested that he might fault Mr. Pence should he not win the White House in November. “I ran as an outsider, I didn’t want anybody … Now I have guys like Mike Pence,” he said. “See now if I don’t win, I’m going to blame Mike, right?”
“We have to blame Mike,” he added, as the small crowd in the small hotel ballroom chuckled uncertainly. “We have to blame Mike,” he added, as the small crowd in the hotel ballroom chuckled uncertainly.