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WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- In a dramatic about-face, former U.S. Republican contender Ted Cruz said Friday he would vote for his former arch-rival Donald Trump in the November presidential election.
"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 on his facebook page.
Cruz, a conservative and former staunch critic of Trump, quit the Republican nomination race in early May after losing the primary in the state of Indiana.
The Texas senator said two reasons led to his decision to support Trump.
First, Cruz said he would honor the promise he made last year to support the Republican nominee.
Second, he decided to support Trump mainly because he wants to prevent Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton from winning the race.
Cruz's endorsement of Trump left behind a tense relationship between the two top Republican contenders, which was full of sarcasm, acrimony and even animosity.
During the nomination battle, Trump regularly called Cruz "Lyin Ted" and even insulted his wife, while Cruz called Trump a "pathological liar" and "utterly amoral."
The Cruz decision is expected to help bolster Trump's campaign by rallying conservative Republican voters.
