Trump draws boos at Tea Party speech for criticizing Cruz; laughs off Lindsey Graham

When Donald Trump gets booed or shouted down during a speech, the disruption is usually to blame on Democratic activists, but during Saturday night’s address at the South Carolina Tea Party Coalition Convention, the catcalls came from within his own ranks.

“We’re going to have a country with spirit and pizazz, we’re going to have a country that works and we’re going to use people who know how to do it … not using political hacks and people who gave contributions,” Trump said to cheers.

But when the crowd realized the Republican front-runner was referring to GOP rival Ted Cruz, the mood shifted.

That’s what will happen if you elect Cruz, said Trump, who criticized his GOP rival for taking a $1 million loan from Goldman Sachs to fund his campaign.

The crowd at Springmaid Beach Resort erupted into shouts and boos, and Trump quickly wrapped his speech by redirecting his ire at the current president and the Democratic Party.

“We’re going to win this thing, because four more years of Obama is worse,” Trump said.

Cruz had addressed the audience earlier in the day, making a nearly five-minute entrance to cheers from his supporters.

Cruz energized the crowd with a speech that focused on national security, protecting the border and denying amnesty to illegal immigrants, rolling back same-sex marriage, defunding Planned Parenthood and kicking establishment Republicans out of Washington.

“How many people have been burned by politicians?” Cruz asked the audience, which answered his question with cheers.

“How many have experienced a politician come up to them and say everything we want to hear, but when we vote for them and they go to Washington, they don’t do what they say? It happens over and over again,” Cruz said.

Cruz told the audience to ignore what he and every other candidate for president says about the issues. “Don’t listen to words on the campaign trail,” he said. “Look at action.”

Ron Saalfrank of Columbia said Cruz’s actions as a senator do speak louder than his words.

“He’s always been a staunch conservative, and I believe he is probably the first politician I have ever believed,” Saalfrank said. “We’ve been burned too many times.”

William Temple, who attended the convention dressed as Button Gwinnett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, said he was a Cruz supporter before he was elected to the Senate.

“He is everything that Tea Party conservatives have supported since the beginning,” Temple said.

Julieann Todd of Laurinburg, N.C., said she will vote for Cruz because of his solid conservative voting record in Washington.

“Many politicians promise a lot and vote differently, but he hasn’t,” Todd said. “I love hearing what Trump and Cruz have been saying, but they don’t have the record that when they get to Washington, they will do what they promised.”

However, Paula Smith of Wilmington, N.C., said she liked Trump “because of his mouth.”

“He’s speaking what we are thinking. So does Cruz, he’s just a little more eloquent,” Smith said.

Carlene Carmen of Conway said Trump resonates with Republicans because of the tough stance he has taken on issues like immigration, his support for veterans, and for refusing to take money from special interest groups to fund his campaign.

The audience was more appreciative of earlier jabs Trump took at U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

“I like him, now that he’s out,” Trump said.

Graham announced his endorsement of Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush this week, and Trump said Graham’s support will add zero voters to Bush’s campaign. He even went so far as to claim that Bush’s poll numbers will drop.

GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee was the first presidential candidate to address the convention Saturday, and spoke about faith, American values, and taking the White House back from the Democratic Party.

“People in our country and party are disgusted with politics as usual,” said Huckabee, itemizing a list of changes he would make in Washington if elected president, including the elimination of the IRS.

“With the IRS, you are presumed guilty until you prove with a shoebox full of receipts that you aren’t guilty,” Huckabee said.

Hundreds of people filled the convention room at the Springmaid Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach to hear the former Arkansas governor make his case for South Carolina’s February primary and ultimately the Republican nomination.

“This country needs leadership, monetarily, militarily and morally,” Huckabee said. “We are losing this nation because folks have forgotten what it means to serve, and not be served.”

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will address the convention on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore will speak at 4:30 p.m. The lone speaker on Monday will be Ben Carson at 11:20 a.m. Tickets for the entire event are sold out.　

This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Trump draws boos at Tea Party speech for criticizing Cruz; laughs off Lindsey Graham."