Cruz has been BSing for awhile now that he has "started a movement" (this was shortly after it was reported that Trump has a real movement), and that Conservatives are "flocking to my campaign!" or that there was a "grass roots uprising" on his behalf. None of this was true as Cruz consistently lost the conservative vote in almost every state that actually voted. So when Cruz now says that he has "started a movement," or that "this movement doesn't go away in one election," he is talking about all these fictional people who don't really exist and, consequently, don't help him win elections.
As you insightfully posted: Cruz stole that from Donald after it was reported that Trump's gigantic serial wins were actually a movement.... a revolution in the making.
Cruz had a devilish, evil mind game going....vilely insulting Donald at every turn, but sticking to him like glue, hoping some of Donald's glitter would fall on him.
It never did, natch.
I stopped listening to Steve Deace around the beginning of February. My podcatcher gets his program, and even the FILENAMES, which used to show just the date, started showing anti-Trump poison. A TYPICAL filename: Trump—Troll or Moron
I have heard only snippets of Deace for three months, each time he was repeating Cruz’s lies (Trump loves Obamacare.) or attacking Trump as an anti-Christian degenerate. (He’s divorced! He’s never asked God forgiveness!)
I think Deace is going to support Cruz through November. And then his career will be dead.