This is a disaster for Ted Cruz

Texas Senator Ted Cruz isn’t doing well these days. In fact, he’s doing worse than ever as he continues falling into what may be the final few circles before the end of the proverbial drain. Two recent developments are bringing Cruz back into the spotlight in an unflattering way, confirming what we know about his character and electability.

When Donald Trump came on the campaign scene in 2016, he not only dashed Cruz’s presidential aspirations. The wrecking ball dragged Cruz through the gutter, insulting his wife’s looks and suggesting his father was involved with JFK’s assassination. Cruz also has himself to blame for his downward spiral, such as when he abandoned his state for the warmth and relaxation of Cancún as a winter disaster unfolded, later admitting it was “obviously a mistake.”

This past week, Cruz reminded us how pathetic he is while advertising his continued downfall. First, after Trump’s win in Iowa on Monday, Cruz wasted no time endorsing him as the GOP presidential nominee. On Tuesday night, Cruz appeared on Fox News, proclaiming to Sean Hannity: “I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for President of the United States,” adding that “I look forward to supporting him enthusiastically.”

We’ve seen Cruz back Trump before, despite going on record with attacks such as his feckless “Donald Trump is a pathological liar” diatribe. However, this time around, Cruz rushed to “enthusiastically” support Trump just a couple of weeks after the New York Times reported that Trump said, “Ted—he shouldn’t even exist.” Apparently, Trump boasted that he “could’ve destroyed” Cruz but then, in a show of faux-mercy, admitted, “I let him live.”

Having succeeded in removing what might be the last vertebra left in his spine, Cruz also now faces gloomy reelection prospects. An Emerson College poll released on Thursday found that Cruz is in a virtual tie with his two top Democratic challengers. Cruz had 42% support when matched against U.S. Representative Colin Allred, who had 40% support. In a matchup with Texas state Senator Roland Gutierrez, Cruz had only 41% compared to Gutierrez’s 40%.

Cruz is running out of ways to humiliate himself, but he will no doubt keep trying. After 11 years and counting in the U.S. Senate, voters might finally turn against him. If Cruz loses this November, he can perhaps return to Cancún and stay where he belongs—out of the spotlight and out of the important work of American governance.