Ted Cruz's Kansas Victory Speech

Super Saturday may have marked a turning point for the Republican party. Whereas frontrunner Donald Trump had been simply dominating the field in most primaries and caucuses, the tables had clearly turned for Ted Cruz, who saw the first victory of the day. The presidential hopeful received around half of the votes in Kansas, while Trump scored just a quarter of votes coming in. The winner has already taken his performance as a positive sign for the future of the GOP. Ted Cruz's Kansas victory speech called for a united Republican party while praising voters for coming together to support him.

The Texas senator spoke at a Super Saturday watch party in Idaho, where supporters had gathered at the North Idaho Fairgrounds in Coeur d'Alene. The Idaho primary is set for Tuesday, March 8 so the fact that Cruz had chosen to spend his weekend in the Gem State shows that he's clearly looking towards the future. The brunt of his victory speech similarly reflected just how hopeful the candidate has become about where the Republican party is heading now that he's picked up key wins in Alaska, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as Iowa. As results continue to come in, Cruz is likely banking on a potential "Trump Firewall" to elevate his poll numbers and stop the Donald.

That sentiment certainly persisted throughout the candidate's victory speech. Cruz called Trump out by name and stated that it's not too late for Republicans who may be backing Marco Rubio or John Kasich to come together and rally behind the presidential hopeful. Cruz said:

The last couple of weeks have been extraordinary. We saw on Tuesday the Super Tuesday results that were extraordinary and then today on Super Saturday we seem to be seeing a continuation of that very same path... If we want to beat Donald Trump we have to stand united as one. That is happening in Idaho and across the country. And if you were supporting someone else, let me tell you: we welcome you to our team. We welcome you and embrace you because if we stand united that’s how we win this primary, it’s how we win the general, it's how we turn the country around.

Cruz has another event lined up in Idaho later on Saturday in Boise. It's unclear whether he will be speaking to any additional victories as results continue to come in from Super Saturday states. His victory as well as his speech shows that one thing is certain — this race for the GOP presidential nomination is far from over.