WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) — Former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz will speak at his party’s national convention in Cleveland later this month, the Texas senator said Thursday.
Cruz’s announcement follows a private meeting earlier in the day with presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
“Sen. Cruz and Donald Trump had a good meeting this morning,” Cruz spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said in a news release. “Mr. Trump asked Sen. Cruz to speak at the Republican convention, and Sen. Cruz said he would be happy to do so.”
Thursday’s meeting between the former rivals, which was attended by Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus and Cruz’s former campaign manager, comes two weeks before the Republican convention begins in Cleveland.
Cruz has so far declined to endorse Trump, though he has not ruled it out.
“There was no discussion of any endorsement,” Frazier’s statement said.
Cruz’s camp also said Trump asked the conservative senator at the meeting to serve as an adviser to potential Trump administration judicial nominations.
“Cruz responded he would continue to do everything he can to help ensure principled constitutionalists on the court,” Frazier said.
Thursday’s meet took place after Trump met separately with GOP House and Senate members.
Trump and Cruz began the primary season largely aligned, with both declining to attack the other. However, as the large GOP field winnowed to Trump and Cruz as the two main candidates, they engaged in a bitter, personal feud that even included Trump mocking the physical appearance of Cruz’s wife, Heidi.
Cruz responded, calling Trump a “serial philanderer” and a “pathological liar.”
Since quitting the race, Cruz has not said whether he is any closer to supporting Trump as the nominee.
