Senator Ted Cruz (Republican, Texas) on Tuesday claimed the Republican presidential race is over and endorsed Donald Trump for the nomination.
No primaries have been held yet, but Trump handily won the Iowa caucuses on Monday and is leading in all polls of Republican voters.
Cruz’s critics were quick to remind him of his own history with the former president.
In 2016, Trump nicknamed Cruz “Lyin’ Ted,” accused him of committing fraud in the Iowa caucuses, shared a post mocking Cruz’s wife and suggested Cruz’s father was linked to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
Cruz, in turn, called Trump a “snivelling coward,” a “pathological liar” and someone who has “an issue with women.”
CNN replayed some of Cruz’s 2016 attacks on Trump:
Cruz’s critics reminded him of that history ― and some also pointed to another factor: Cruz’s growing reputation as a jinx, at least when it comes to sports.
Cruz on Sunday cheered on the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys with a message of encouragement on X.
They lost. Badly.
Fans have also blamed him for the Texas Longhorns’ loss in the Sugar Bowl earlier this year, the Houston Astros’ defeat in the American League Championship Series last year, the Houston Rockets’ loss in the NBA playoffs in 2018, and Texas Tech’s defeat in the 2017 NCAA finals, all with the senator in attendance.
Cruz’s critics lined up to slam him for endorsing the man he once called a “pathological liar” ― and to remind him of his history as a jinx: