Story highlights Donald Trump Jr. responded to Ted Cruz refusing to endorse his father

"We knew it wasn't coming. We could have said, 'Don't speak,'" he said

Washington (CNN) Donald Trump Jr. said Thursday that his father does not need Ted Cruz's endorsement going into the general election.

"I don't care. We don't need it. We got it de facto from the people that matter," he told CNN's Erin Burnett. "Those are the voters the people that my father has been speaking to directly. The hardworking people in this country that have been left in the dust."

Trump said the campaign knew that Cruz wouldn't endorse but wanted to give the runner-up to the nomination the chance to address voters.

"We were the better man. We knew it wasn't coming. We could have said, 'Don't speak,'" he said. "We wanted to make sure we gave him the option to speak."

Cruz's words were aimed at a 2020 presidential race, Trump said.

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