Sen. Ted Cruz Explores 2028 Presidential Run
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has started discreetly inquiring about potential support for a 2028 presidential campaign, as reported on Wednesday.
The Texas senator has made three visits to Iowa this year, engaging with various podcasts and promoting his new book, according to the Wall Street Journal. His spokeswoman chose not to comment on the matter.
When asked during a Wednesday podcast how significant President Donald Trump’s endorsement would be for the election, Cruz was noncommittal, suggesting it wouldn’t be the sole factor.
“It carries weight, but I think the voters are going to make their own determination,” Cruz remarked.
The Independent noted that his answer might indicate he is preparing for the possibility of not receiving Trump’s endorsement at all, considering that Trump has yet to endorse any successor. He referred to Cruz as “very talented” in late August but did not extend an endorsement.
Cruz has been more open about his political aspirations lately.
“It’s no secret that I want to be president. I ran for president,” he stated on a podcast with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick last month. When questioned about a potential run, he replied, “Time will tell.”
He has also criticized Vice President JD Vance, who is currently leading in early Republican polling.
“JD negotiated the MOU with Iran. That was a terrible deal,” Cruz expressed, referring to a now-defunct agreement.
Supporters of Vance have reportedly dismissed the idea of Cruz as a serious challenger, according to the Journal. Steve Bannon, a leading strategist from the 2016 Trump campaign, expressed a blunt assessment of Cruz’s prospects.
“He’s going to have plenty of money, but unfortunately he’s not a populist; he’s a throwback to the neocon and neoliberal policies of the old Republican party that’s essentially been destroyed,” Bannon stated.
This summer, Trump told his donors that “at the end of the day, we need to elect JD.”
Cruz hasn’t garnered much backing from Iowa Republicans either. During the GOP Senate nominee Ashley Hinson’s BBQ Bash last Saturday, where Cruz was a special guest, attendees predominantly mentioned Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio before Cruz.
In his speech, the three-term senator sought to claim credit for policies that Vance is likely to advocate.
“No tax on tips, I wrote that,” Cruz told the audience, noting his role in advocating for child investment accounts, referred to as Trump Accounts, in last year’s tax bill.
Rubio has ruled himself out of the race this past May.
“I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say it again, I’ll be the first person to sign up and support him,” Vance, the Secretary of State, said.
