WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pushed back after Vice President JD Vance suggested the Republican senator was already positioning himself for a 2028 presidential campaign, calling the vice president “insecure.”
Vance, broadly viewed as an early Republican favorite for 2028, took a swipe at Cruz last week by implying that the Texas lawmaker was looking beyond the upcoming midterm elections.
“In my experience, people engage in political bomb-throwing when they’re feeling insecure,” Cruz said in a Saturday interview with Politico.
“So he’s welcome to make whatever comments he likes,” Cruz, 55, added.
“I’m going to keep focusing on the midterms and helping us win on Election Day in the next 30 days.”
Cruz finished second to President Trump in the 2016 Republican primary after a bitter and bruising contest.
In August, Cruz told MS NOW that he would “certainly be part of the discussion” surrounding the 2028 race while arguing that Vance had not secured the GOP presidential nomination.
“It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,” Vance said in response during an interview with NBC News.
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“At this moment, I’m not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.”
For many Republicans, the 2028 presidential campaign represents a chance to reshape the GOP after Trump. Traditional conservatives such as Cruz want the party to move back toward free markets and fiscal restraint.
MAGA Republicans, by contrast, want to preserve the party’s populist course and renew its emphasis on avoiding foreign entanglements.
Cruz, who has occasionally reflected on his previous White House campaign, has already taken part in some of the GOP’s internal arguments over its future. Last year, he held a fiery discussion with Tucker Carlson, the nicotine-pouch salesman and podcast giant, in June.
Carlson and Vance have maintained a close relationship, although the vice president has acknowledged recent political disagreements with the pundit, who has turned against Trump.
The Texas Republican also highlighted his work supporting GOP candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, as his home state faces a competitive Senate race.
“Over the last 10 years, there’s no Republican in the country who has campaigned for more Senate candidates, more House candidates, more gubernatorial candidates than I have, and this year will be no exception,” Cruz told Politico.
“Indeed, ironically, I spent a full day on the road with JD Vance, campaigning with him when he was running for Senate in Ohio [in 2022],” the senator said. “I was very glad he won that race. I was very glad to help him.”
The Post contacted Vance’s team for comment.