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'Nobody cares': Watch Ted Cruz’s awful night as GOP high rollers shun him at $1,000-a-plate dinner

GOP donor looks at cell phone while Ted Cruz speaks in the background -- (Photo: Oliva Nuzzi on Twitter)
Tom Boggioni
April 15, 2016

While things were heated in the streets outside a $1,000-a-plate GOP fundraising dinner -- with 31 arrested -- things were quite a bit cooler inside the ballroom with Republican high-rollers giving Texas Sen. Ted Cruz the cold shoulder as he spoke.

In video uploaded to Twitter, Cruz can be seen speaking to the crowd in Manhattan's Grand Hyatt Hotel, but can barely be heard over the buzz of conversations and clinking of dinnerware as people get up and walk around while ignoring the candidate.

Cruz was the last of the three GOP candidates to speak during the evening -- following New York City business man Donald Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich -- and was likely shunned for his comments early in the debate season when he attempted a slap at Trump over his "New York values" -- only to insult an entire city.

Those who forgot that Cruz had attacked their city were reminded by Trump, who was the first candidate to address the crowd.

“In our darkest moments as a city, we showed the world the very, very best in terms of bravery, heart and soul of America,” Trump said as he recalled the 9/11 attacks. “These are the values we need to make America great again … to bring America together again… to heal America’s wounds.”

Cruz's attempt at an applause line, saying “I have not built any buildings in New York City" but has spent his life “defending the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” fell flat on the crowd, resulting in tepid applause.

According to reporters at the gala, nothing went well for Cruz, with Buzzfeed reporter Rosie Gray tweeting, "It's legitimately loud in here with people talking and eating and ignoring Cruz while he speaks."

Daily Beast reporter Olivia Nuzzi tweeted: "It's sort of painful to watch someone speak passionately to a crowd who wouldn't even notice if he killed himself onstage," before posting a picture of a member of the audience checking out his cell phone with Cruz in the background speaking, and adding, "Nobody cares."

"Reaction at dinner to Cruz is embarrassing for both Cruz and the guests. Folks walking around, chatting w/ each other as he speaks," tweeted Philip Rucker of the Washington Post.

Video and tweets from the event below:

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