Former GOP senator: I’d back Trump but not Cruz as nominee

Former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said on Thursday that he would consider voting for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump in a general election but not Ted Cruz.

{mosads}“I would never vote for Ted Cruz,” Gregg told WMUR. “I’d write in Paul Ryan or someone before I’d vote for Ted Cruz.”

The former senator added that Cruz “is a person of little character. He’s a demagogue’s demagogue and he shouldn’t be trusted with the responsibilities of the office.”

Gregg, who is also a columnist for The Hill, said that he would more likely vote for Trump.

“I presume I’d vote for the Republican nominee if it is Trump, but Cruz should be nowhere near the presidency,” he said.

On Friday, Gregg also told WMUR that he would be skipping the Republican National Convention in July, saying he is “not excited about the direction the convention is going.”

Cruz has often clashed with colleagues on Capitol Hill and many have been publicly critical of the Texas senator. Earlier this week, former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) called Cruz “Lucifer in the flesh” and a “miserable son of a bitch.”