Newt Gingrich Says Ted Cruz Endorses Donald Trump After Texas Senator Doesn't Offer Support At RNC

Newt Gingrich begged to differ Wednesday night that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz didn't endorse Donald Trump during the Texas senator's controversial speech at the Republican National Convention moments before the former House speaker took the stage. Ted Cruz said during his speech that America must elect a president who will uphold the Constitution, prompting Gingrich to claim that candidate is Donald Trump.

"Don't stay home in November," Cruz said. "Stand and speak and vote your conscious, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust ... to be faithful to the Constitution." While the crowd took umbrage to Cruz's apparent unwillingness to endorse Trump, Gingrich saw an opening.

"If you want to protect Constitution," Gingrich said as the crowd caught on quickly to what the former presidential candidate was trying to do. "Donald Trump is the only choice."

Gingrich, who was introduced at the Cleveland convention by his wife, Callista, quickly changed gears to strictly focus on how he thought Trump and running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence could move the country forward and how the presumptive Democratic nominee could not.

"The cost of Hillary's dishonesty could be the loss of America as we know it," Gingrich said while touting Trump's attention to the country's security as a top priority. "Donald Trump will secure our borders."

"Our law enforcement officers deserve the same respect as the president of the United States," he continued, saying that Trump would help protect the lives of the country's police officers.

But he found a way to come back to his speech's premise: "Every American should be terrified at the prospect of a Hillary Clinton presidency."

Gingrich, who seems to be a magnet for political controversy, spoke one day after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's fiery speech and just days after both had been passed over last week as Trump's vice presidential pick. Like many other Republicans this week, he downplayed the still growing plagiarism scandal by Trump's wife, Melania, whose convention speech contained similar passages to an eight-year-old speech by Michelle Obama.

"Who cares? Who cares?" Gingrich told CNN. "The fact is Melania gave a good speech. She is stunningly attractive. She is stunningly articulate. Most of the people criticizing her can't speak five languages. She's a bright person."