Ted Cruz sticks to loyalty pledge after rally violence: I can support Trump until he 'shoots somebody'

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz said on Monday that he would keep his pledge to support Donald Trump if he became the GOP nominee -- but the Texas senator reserved the right to break his promise if the billionaire "shoots somebody."

Following a week of violence and turmoil at Trump rallies, Cruz was asked at a press conference on Monday if he would reconsider his pledge to support the Republican presidential nominee no matter what.

"Well, I can give you one example where I would no longer support Donald Trump," Cruz replied. "If, for example, he were to go out on Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, I would not be willing to support Donald Trump."

Cruz argued that the "best answer" was for voters to unite behind him to defeat Trump before he could become the nominee.

"We've seen violence at his rallies," one reporter pointed out to Cruz. "I just wonder at what point do you really reconsider. And I'm pressing you on this because it's been an extraordinary 96 hours, I think, in this Republican race."

"I know it is a shocking concept to member of the media," Cruz shot back. "A shocking concept that an elected official actually does what he said. At the outset of this campaign I committed, I will support the Republican nominee, and I honor my word."

"And honoring your word means you actually honor your word," he insisted. "You do what you said you would do. I know that is revolutionary, particularly when you've got a candidate like Donald Trump who changes his position on a given issue sometimes two or three times on the same debate stage."

"But with me, I'm very simple, when I tell you I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it."

Watch the video below from Fox News, broadcast March 14, 2016.