Ted Cruz labeled 'Lyin' Ted' and 'not a Christian man' after refusing to endorse Donald Trump
Sen. Ted Cruz's refusal to endorse Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump backfired as evangelicals and Trump supporters labeled him as a lying un-Christian man.
Rev. Darrell Scott, senior pastor of New Spirit Revival Center Ministries and a Trump supporter, slammed the 45-year-old Texas senator, who branded himself as a Christian conservative, for turning back on his word. Rev. Scott considered Cruz's act un-Christian.
"Not only did Ted Cruz — John Kasich did the same thing," said Rev. Scott on Fox News' "Hannity." "But listen: These are the Christians [air quotes] of the convention. Part of their platform was: 'I am a Christian. I am a conservative Christian.' You turned out to be a liar. You're a conservative liar."
Cecilia Cdebaca, a delegate from New Mexico, also expressed her astonishment for what Cruz just did and touted his new name.
"I can't believe he didn't endorse him, because he claims to be a Christian, and maybe Donald Trump was right," Cdebaca told Philip Rucker of The Washington Post. "Maybe he is 'Lyin' Ted.'"
She suggested that Cruz's Christian faith might only be superficial as he's unable to practice the Christian virtue of forgiveness.
"The Bible says you know them by their fruits," she added. "Tonight, Ted Cruz has no fruits. Tonight, he was not a Christian man."
Social media soon followed a frenzy that criticized the senator's professed Christianity.
Cruz contributed to the uproar during Wednesday's Republican National Convention after he adamantly refused to endorse Trump for GOP presidential contender despite having given his word to support the candidate the party chooses.
The audience booed Cruz onstage as he went on talking about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, apparently making it clear he had no intention to express his support for the party's chosen candidate and former rival before he dropped from the presidential race.
Cruz later admitted that he didn't consider his pledge to the party as binding after Trump publicly maligned Cruz's father Rafael for having something to do with the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, as well as for slandering the appearance of Cruz's wife, Heidi.