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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would not say whether he'd support Donald Trump if he won the GOP presidential nomination
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a Cruz endorser, pledged to support whoever is the Republican nominee
Ted Cruz refused Monday to say that he’ll back Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump should the billionaire businessman secure the nomination.
Standing next to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who pledged to support whoever is the Republican nominee, the Texas senator would not directly answer the same question posed by CNN’s Dana Bash in an interview Monday.
Instead, Cruz asked her why the media is “so desperate to get conservatives to give up our principles and support Donald Trump.”
“The reason the media wants Donald Trump to be our nominee is it represents a repudiation of conservative principles of the Constitution,” he said. “I’m not willing to give up my support for life. I’m not willing to give up my support for the Second Amendment. I’m not willing to give up my support for working men and women.”
Cruz is campaigning hard ahead of Tuesday’s Indiana primary, despite lagging behind Trump in the polls. He told Bash that many conservatives are unifying behind his campaign and called both Trump and Hillary Clinton “rich New York, big-government liberals.”
Read: Poll: Trump way ahead of Cruz in Indiana
Indiana is a crucial race for Cruz in his attempt to prevent Trump from gathering the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the Republican presidential nomination out right before the convention.
Pence told CNN he’s solidly behind Cruz.
Read: Mike Pence endorses Ted Cruz
“I’m going to support the Republican nominee, but my choice in the Indiana primary is Ted Cruz, because I believe he’s a principles conservative, who, like me cherishes and has fought for the Reagan agenda of less government, less taxes, traditional values and a strong military,” Pence told Bash. “I’m proud to stand with him.”