Texas Senator Ted Cruz drew boos Wednesday night from the crowd at the Republican National Convention when his speech failed to include a clear endorsement for the party’s presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Cruz was one of the last competitors in the contentious race for the nomination, during which Trump nicknamed him “Lying Ted.” But like most of the once large Republican field, he appeared at the convention in Cleveland, Ohio to address party officials and millions of people watching at home.
“To those listening, please, don’t stay home in November,” Cruz said. “Stand, and speak and vote your conscience. Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution.”
A short time later, those representing the state of New York chanted over Cruz as he spoke, demanding he announce his backing of their nominee.
“I appreciate the enthusiasm of the New York delegation,” Cruz responded. The rest of his speech was difficult to hear over the noise of the crowd. Boos turned to cheers again as Cruz walked off stage just as Trump appeared elsewhere in the arena.
WATCH: Delegates boo Cruz
Trump addressed the situation later on Twitter.
Trump gives his address to the convention on its final day Thursday.
Ahead of the speech, he gave an interview to The New York Times in which he said he will prioritize the country’s needs.
“We are going to take care of this country first before we worry about everyone else in the world,” he said.
Foreign policy
When asked about last week’s attempted coup in Turkey, Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“The coup never took place — the coup was not successful, and based on the fact, and I give great credit to him for being able to turn that around,” Trump said, according to a Times transcript.”
Trump also said he is a “big fan” of the Kurds and expressed a desire to see unity between the them and the Turkish government, something he thinks can be done with negotiations.
“If I ever have the opportunity to do it, meaning if I win, we will have meetings.”
Trump further pledged to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico unless they negotiate new terms that include discouraging U.S. companies from moving their operations out of the country. He also said he would make sure NATO allies have “fulfilled their obligations” before he decides whether the U.S. will come to their aid.
Retired Lt. General Michael Flynn, a Trump advisor, told VOA that too often NATO members want to have a military that mirrors that of the U.S. with an Army, Navy and Marine Corps, but that they cannot afford to do so and “are not paying for it now.”
“It’ll be a good relationship, one based on brutal honesty and based on mutual respect for each other’s capabilities and understanding that all of the countries in NATO can’t all try to look alike when talking about military resources and capabilities,” he said.
Pence speech
The main speaking slot at the convention on Wednesday night went to Indiana Governor Mike Pence, Trump’s pick for vice president, who cast himself as a personality who balances the ticket with Trump.
“He is a man known for a large personality, a colorful style and lots of charisma, and so I guess he was just looking for some balance on the ticket,” he said.
Pence also lobbed criticism at their Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.
“At the very moment when America is crying out for something new and different, the other party has answered with a stale agenda and the most predictable of names,” he said. “People in both parties are restless for change, ready to break free of old patterns in Washington and Democrats are about to anoint someone who represents everything this country is tired of.”
WATCH: Political correspondent Jim Malone sums up day 3 of the RNC
