CHUCK TODD (HOST): You've spend this entire interview trying to eviscerate Donald Trump. If he's the nominee, I take you you can't support him any more, can you? 



TED CRUZ: I believe if the Republican party nominates Donald Trump we will lose to Hillary, because when we offer Democrat light-- Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on the ballot, they support the same social policy, they support the same economic policy. In fact, both Donald and Hillary support allowing illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens. Now Donald says he'll fly them back to their countries first--



TODD: Are you going to support him? I understand what you believe in the Republican party. Are  -- can you support him? Can you tell your delegates, lay down your arms --



CRUZ: Chuck, what I'm going to do is beat him. 



TODD: And support Donald Trump? Well, you may not, you realize that.



CRUZ: Chuck, I recognize that many in the media would love for me to surrender to Donald Trump -- 



TODD: It's not about the media. Senator, it's about the numbers. It's about the numbers. He may win. Republican voters are the ones rejecting you. This is not a media conspiracy, senator. 



CRUZ: Well, actually, with all due respect the media has given $2 billion of free advertising to Donald -- let me ask you a question, for example, how much money did the networks make on every one of the Republican debates? 



TODD: I have no idea because -- we didn't have a Republican debate. 



CRUZ: But you know what's interesting, Chuck, it's been now 49 days since we've had a Republican debate. The Democrats have had a debate. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, they've been willing to debate. Donald can't answer questions about his foreign policy and can't answer questions about how you bring jobs back to this country and --



TODD: But why can't you answer the question of whether you can support Donald Trump or not? You can't answer that question. Why won't you answer that question, straight forward, black and white? 



CRUZ: Chuck, let me finish this point I'm making. Even though the media stands to make millions of dollars off the debate, you hear radio silence from the media about no debates. They're giving up millions of dollars and the reason is, your network's executives are partisan Democrats. Why doesn't every TV station -- 



TODD: You don't get to just say that, it's just not true but go ahead. You just throw -- you're broad brushing here and this is what people hate about the media and politics, broad brushes, right? 



CRUZ: Listen, the simple reality is, the media almost entirely are liberal partisan Democrats. That is the reality of it. The media created this Trump phenomenon and then they don't hold him accountable. Now I'm sure the media planned to do so if he's the nominee in the general election suddenly every day you'll hear about Donald Trump's tax returns. When is the last time you talked about his tax returns? You know, we ought to have a debate. There are real differences. Donald won't debate and the media wont hold him accountable. I think the people of Indiana deserve a debate.



TODD: Can you ask the answer the question about whether you are going to support -- are you going to support Donald Trump if he's the nominee? 



CRUZ: I am going to beat Donald Trump, we're headed to a contested convention and we're going to win and I'll not willing to concede this country. Listen, this is my kid's future Chuck, it's not simply a game -- 



TODD: Nobody is saying it's a game, sir. 



CRUZ: If we lose this, we lose our country, we lose the Supreme Court for a generation, religious liberty is taken away, the Second Amendment is taken away, our kids are bankrupted. We're at the edge of a cliff and I'll tell you the people of Indiana, they really are in a position -- the country is depending on them to pull us back from this cliff. 



TODD: Don't you think it's important to take a stand? You said it's a time for choosing. If it's a time for choosing, say it. For him or against him as the nominee. It's a time for choosing, is it not? 



CRUZ: Chuck, you're welcome to lobby for support for Trump as much as possible. We're going to beat Trump because Trump's winning the nomination, loses the country and I'm not willing to give up on America. I'm not willing to give up on America. 



TODD: But if you care this much about it, don't you think you saying I can't support him if he's the nominee doesn't light a fire and send a sense of urgency to the Republican Party? 



CRUZ: What I'm saying is very, very simple. If you believe in free market principles and want to reduce the taxes and regulations on small businesses, if you want to bring jobs back to America-- you know, the amazing thing about the three card monte game played by Donald Trump, is he's laughing his supporters and mocking his supporters because he's lying to them. He tries to pretend he's a supporter of the working men and women. He's the only one in this race with a million dollar court judgment against him for hiring illegal aliens. He's the only person in this race that right now is hiring hundreds of foreign workers instead of Americans and on trade he pretends to support American fair trade? Donald Trump, the ties he sells, the shirts he sells the suits he sells are manufactured in Mexico and China. He doesn't intend to change it. We need instead a positive, optimistic campaign that stands with the working men and women of this country. That's what our campaign is about. 



TODD: Alright, so let the record show you have not taken a position on whether you can support Trump if he's the nominee, fair enough? 



CRUZ: And let the record show you tried very, very hard to get me to commit to supporting Trump, the record will show that. 



TODD: Fair enough. 

Previously:

Media Call Rubio's Pledge To Support Trump If He Becomes GOP Nominee “Especially Unusual”