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Ted Cruz continues to criticize the GOP front-runner. | AP Photo Cruz reaffirms pledge to support GOP nominee, even if Trump

BALLWIN, Mo.—While Ted Cruz suggested on Friday night that Donald Trump’s campaign “affirmatively encourages violence,” he said on Saturday that he would still support Trump if the New Yorker wins the GOP nomination.

“My answer is the same,” Cruz told reporters here at a suburban St. Louis high school. “I committed at the outset, I will support the Republican nominee, whoever it is.”

“Ted Cruz is going to be the nominee,” interjected Carly Fiorina, a former GOP presidential candidate who is now backing Cruz.

But pressed again on whether Cruz stands by his decision to back Trump if he is the nominee, he continued: “I will support the Republican nominee, but let me be clear: Carly’s exactly right. We are going to beat Donald Trump.”

He went on to argue that he is within striking distance of Trump, separated by only 100 or so delegates, and to tear into Trump’s record.

The previous evening, as Trump canceled a Chicago rally due to protesters, Cruz placed significant blame on Trump.

“In any campaign, responsibility starts at the top,” he said. “Any candidate is responsible for the culture of the campaign, and when you have a campaign that disrespects the voters, when you have a campaign that affirmatively encourages violence, when you have a campaign that is facing allegations of physical violence against members of the press you create an environment that only encourages this sort of nasty discourse."

When another reporter reminded Cruz of those statements Friday night, and asked how he could continue to say that he would support Trump, Cruz turned back to criticizing Trump’s record but didn’t defend his decision.

“I am encouraging every candidate and every campaign to appeal to our better angels,” he said, going on to add, “I understand people who are supporting Donald Trump. They look at him, he is a loud, angry, profane and cursing voice, and that feels like a vessel for that anger. But at the end of the day if you’re frustrated with corruption with Washington, the answer is not to support someone like Donald Trump, who has been enmeshed in that corruption for 40 years.”