Ted Cruz Casts GOP Presidential Race as a 2-Person Fight With Donald Trump
Cruz has yet to claim a win in any of the five states voting tonight.
— -- Though by the time Texas Sen. Ted Cruz spoke in Houston tonight he had yet to claim a win in any of the five states where voters went to the polls, he sought to cast the Republican nominating contest as a two-person race.
“Only two campaigns have a plausible path to the nomination: Ours and Donald Trump's,” Cruz told supporters. “Nobody else has any mathematical possibility whatsoever.”
ABC News projected Donald Trump as the winner in Florida, North Carolina and Illinois, while John Kasich was projected to win in Ohio. There was no immediate projection in Missouri.
In his remarks, Cruz ignored Kasich, who was able to pick up a win in the delegate-heavy Buckeye State, where he serves as governor. He did, however, have some kind words for his former rival, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who suspended his presidential campaign earlier in the evening.
“Marco is a friend,” Cruz said of Rubio. “He ran a strong, optimistic, positive campaign.”
Cruz also pitched himself to Rubio supporters, “We welcome you with open arms.”
But Cruz kept the focus on the man who is now his biggest target.
“Only one campaign has beaten Donald Trump over and over and over again. Not once, not twice, no three times, but nine times all across the country from Alaska to Maine,” Cruz said pointing to his wins on Super Tuesday.
He added, “You know, it's easy to talk about making America great again. You can even print that on a baseball cap.”