September 23, 2016 02:19 PM UTC

Ted Cruz Knuckles Under; Will Mike Coffman?

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• by: Colorado Pols

Remember when GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz called Donald Trump “an horrific choice for this country,” a “pathological liar,” and “utterly amoral?”

As CNN reports today, forget all that!

Ted Cruz endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency Friday afternoon, a stunning turn of events after a contentious primary filled with nasty personal attacks and a dramatic snub at the Republican National Convention.

“After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump,” Cruz wrote in a Facebook post.

“A year ago, I pledged to endorse the Republican nominee, and I am honoring that commitment. And if you don’t want to see a Hillary Clinton presidency, I encourage you to vote for him.”

Cruz’s highly belated endorsement of Donald Trump is raising eyebrows among his supporters and the larger “NeverTrump” movement within the Republican Party, with many calling it a sacrifice of principle for political expediency. On the other hand, Cruz’s endorsement of Trump could do much to calm the lingering discord within the Colorado Republican Party, which has been riven with infighting ever since Cruz swept Colorado’s RNC delegates in the GOP state assembly process.

But above all, Cruz boarding the Trump Train robs Trump triangulator Rep. Mike Coffman of his cover. There’s no question that Cruz’s problems with Trump, both personal and on a policy level, were far greater than anything Coffman has cited. Coffman has also promised to back the GOP nominee. Will rank-and-file Republicans in CD-6 tolerate Coffman’s Trump temporization until Election Day, or is a backfire now much more likely?

Either way, we’re pretty sure Coffman didn’t plan for this development.