Sheldon Adelson Snubs Cruz After RNC Speech

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was turned away from the luxury suite of GOP donor Sheldon Adelson after his speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night, according to the Independent Journal Review.

A former U.S. senator inside the luxury box at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena told the Review that Cruz approached the suite after his speech, in which he refused to offer an endorsement to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

An Adelson aide confirmed to the Review the Texas senator was denied access because he did not endorse Trump.

In his speech, Cruz congratulated Trump on becoming the nominee, then he urged voters to vote their conscience.

"Don't stay home in November. Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and be faithful to the Constitution," Cruz said.

Cruz was later greeted with boos from GOP delegates for refusing to endorse Trump, and his wife, Heidi,  had to be escorted out by security.

Andy Abboud, an Adelson aide, said Cruz had an invitation to visit the Adelson family's suite, until his speech. "When he didn't endorse, they were stunned and disappointed," the aide told CNN. "They like Ted Cruz but there was no way the Adelsons were going to be the first stop after not endorsing. That would be disrespectful to our nominee."

According to BuzzfeedNews, Cruz told Trump directly there would be no endorsement and when Cruz adviser Jason Johnson was asked how Trump took the news, he said, "Not going there."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who spoke later in the night, tried to heal the rift Cruz left behind, saying since the Texas senator called on voters to elect someone who would "uphold the Constitution . . . In this election, there is only one candidate who will uphold the Constitution."

"So to paraphrase Ted Cruz, if you want to protect the Constitution of United States, the only possible candidate this fall is the Trump-Pence Republican ticket," he added.

Cruz has had a contentious relationship with other Republicans. In April, former House Speaker John Boehner called Cruz "Lucifer in the flesh." South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told "The Daily Show" Cruz as president would be "my fifteenth choice."

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