Sen. Ted Cruz is openly acknowledging his desire to become president, raising the prospect of a high-profile battle with Vice President JD Vance for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
“It’s no secret that I want to be president,” Cruz said Wednesday during an appearance on a podcast hosted by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Pressed on whether that means he will actually enter the 2028 race, the Texas Republican stopped short of committing, responding, “Time will tell.”
Cruz was similarly cautious when questioned by Newsmax about his presidential plans, insisting that his immediate political priority is helping Republicans retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.
“My focus politically right now is Election Day in November,” Cruz told host Greta Van Susteren on Wednesday. “We are at real risk of losing both the House and Senate. So I am devoting every waking hour to raising money, to campaigning, to fighting to keep the Senate Republican, to keep the House Republican.”
Cruz, who competed for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, made light of his continued interest in the White House, describing presidential ambition as a “permanent and often fatal bug.”
His remarks followed comments earlier in the week in which Cruz rejected the idea that the Republican Party is ready to simply hand its next presidential nomination to Vance as President Donald Trump’s presumed political heir.
“Oh, no — there is going to be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe,” Cruz told MS NOW host Ali Vitali on Monday. “I’ll certainly be part of the discussion.”
According to Cruz, the 2028 Republican primary should serve as a broader argument over the party’s future, with major disagreements likely to center on America’s role abroad and the GOP’s approach to economic policy.
On foreign affairs, Cruz said Republicans will have to determine whether the party intends to become “an isolationist party that withdraws from the world” or remains committed to “American leadership.”
He said a similar ideological choice awaits Republicans on domestic economic policy, contrasting a “small-government, free-market conservative party” with a “big-government, nanny-state party.”
Those arguments could place Cruz squarely against Vance in a future Republican primary. The vice president has frequently expressed reservations about American military involvement overseas and is already regarded as one of the leading potential contenders for the party’s 2028 nomination.
Vance, however, has yet to announce his intentions and has said he plans to wait until the midterm elections are over before deciding whether to launch a presidential campaign.
The potential Republican field could extend well beyond Cruz and Vance. Trump has mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a possible figure on the party’s 2028 ticket, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, is also believed to be weighing another campaign for the White House.
{Matzav.com}
