On Friday's Wolf show on CNN, during a discussion of whether Republicans can stay united after a divisive presidential convention, CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson recalled complaints by some Republicans that Ted Cruz "might not even be that much better" than Donald Trump as a nominee.
She and CNN's Gloria Borger were then amused over "Lose with Cruz" as a possible campaign slogan for the GOP after Henderson suggested Republicans would prefer to have Cruz lose the general election as the nominee rather than have Trump heading the ticket.
At 1:07 p.m. ET, after host Wolf Blitzer brought up the scenario of a non-Trump nominee wanting to keep the support of his voters, Henderson began her response:
Even if Donald Trump doesn't run a sort of third-party bid, which would be hard to do at this point ... It would be so late, exactly. Is he sort of, in effect, a third-party bid because he's been shut out of the nomination, so how do you bring those people in who are so anti-establishment, who are so cynical about the Republican Party.
She added:
You know, one of the things you hear is, you know, Cruz might not even be that much better, but they'd rather -- Republicans might rather lose with Cruz than risk what it would mean to have a Donald Trump nomination.
Borger smiled, repeating, "Lose with Cruz," and, inspiring laughter from Henderson, then added: "Here's a slogan. 'Lose with Cruz.' That'll work all right."
