'People are waking up,' Ted Cruz tells Green Bay crowd

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz called on Republicans to rally behind his campaign, warning that a Donald Trump nomination would result in a double-digit loss to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

"When we stand together as 'we the people,' we can defeat the special interests that are bankrupting our country," Cruz told more than 2,000 supporters Sunday in Green Bay as he moved into the last two days before Wisconsin's pivotal presidential primary on Tuesday.

Cruz, during a speech at the KI Convention Center, hit on all of conservative Republicans' hot-button issues, including promising to repeal every word of Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, support the Second Amendment, pass a flat tax, abolish the Internal Revenue Service, restrain the Environment Protection Agency and put an end to sanctuary cities and amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Related: Wisconsin presidential candidate campaign schedule.

"The fact that he has (Wisconsin Gov.) Scott Walker and Carly (Fiorina) behind him says a lot," said Bob Steen of Green Bay. "Whether it is anti-Trump or pro-Cruz, it doesn’t matter. It’s the results that matter. National security is a big deal to me. Jobs are important, too, but if the country isn’t secure, then jobs become irrelevant."

Cruz said America is slow to anger, but if military force is necessary, it should "use overwhelming force, kill the enemy and get the heck out. We will have a president willing to utter the words 'radical Islamic terrorists.'"

National security also was on the mind of Rachel Chastain of Green Bay.

"There is not a day that goes by that you don’t turn on the news and hear about some new attack," she said. "He is willing to call those people out for who they are, and he understands the seriousness of this situation."

Other speakers Sunday included Walker, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Sherwood, and former Green Bay Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila .

“I've got to say, as I look at Mike, wouldn’t he look good in a robe?” Cruz said of Lee, referring, whether serious or not, to the opening on the U.S. Supreme Court. “Carly terrifies Hillary Clinton. I can just picture Hillary thinking about Carly and tossing and turning and tossing and turning in her jail cell.”

On Trump: "Donald has been supporting liberal Washington politicians for 50 years. I have no experience with that."

He joked about Gbaja-Biamila sacking Trump. "Let me tell you, I think Donald's hair would stand on end," he said.

St. Nobert College students Josh Kramer and Billy Hammarstrom were not impressed by Trump, who visited the De Pere school last week.

"Trump will say one thing and then go the other way. Ted will say something and then back it. He has proven that time and again," Kramer said. "When I went to the Trump rally, I heard him bashing our Gov. Scott Walker, which I don’t know about anyone else in the auditorium, but I really didn’t appreciate that."

Hammarstrom said he appreciates Cruz's respect for the Constitution, "because I believe that America is based on the Constitution and we need to uphold those values and that’s why I’m supporting Ted Cruz. I went to go see Trump at St. Norbert College and just the way he treats all of his, you could say enemies, is just not okay for someone who is running for president."

Cruz told supporters that people "are waking up and help is on its way."

Walker, in introducing the Texas senator, talked about Republican successes in Wisconsin.

He said principled conservative leadership works in Wisconsin, and it can work nationwide.

"Nobody will ever confuse Ted Cruz as someone who goes along to get along," Walker said, calling him the only candidate who can beat Clinton in November.

Lee told the crowd Cruz will fight to preserve the Constitution and fight for rights and economic liberties.

He said the nation is approaching another inflection point in U.S. history, like the Boston Tea Party.

Cruz will "restore the greatness of this country by restoring the protections of the Constitution," he said.

The first speaker, Gbaja-Biamila said he supports Cruz because "we live in a country that is one nation under God ... Our country is not going in the right direction."

Cruz spent Saturday night in the Green Bay area after attending a showing of “God’s Not Dead 2” with supporters at Bay Park Cinema in Ashwaubenon Saturday evening.

Walker tweeted that he, his wife, Tonette, and son Alex joined Cruz for church service at Highland Crest Baptist Church in Green Bay.

The Texas senator is leading Trump in Tuesday's presidential primary election with the support of 40 percent of likely Republican voters, according to a Marquette University poll released last week. Trump trailed with 30 percent, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich was supported by 20 percent of likely voters.