Ted Cruz called JD Vance “insecure” after the vice president said it was “really obvious” that the Texas senator is positioning himself for a presidential campaign.
Cruz said his attention remains on the midterm elections after Vance made the remarks during an NBC interview on Thursday.
“In my experience, people engage in political bomb-throwing when they’re feeling insecure,” Cruz told Politico.
“So he’s welcome to make whatever comments he likes. I’m going to keep focusing on the midterms and helping us win on Election Day in the next 30 days.”
Vance’s comments followed Cruz’s suggestion earlier this year that the Republican Party has yet to decide whether to support the vice president as its nominee for president in 2028.
Cruz also told Politico that Vance, rather than himself, appeared distracted and concerned. He noted that no Republican had campaigned for more candidates than he had over the past decade, adding that “this year will be no exception.”
The Texas senator cited more than a dozen candidates he has successfully supported during his time in the Senate, including Vance.
“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],” Cruz said.
Ted Cruz called JD Vance “insecure” after the vice president said it was “really obvious” that the Texas senator was running for president, extending the two Republican stars’ public war of words
Vance was responding to Cruz’s insistence in August that the Republican Party had not yet united behind the vice president as its nominee for president in 2028
“I was very glad he won that race. I was very glad to help him.”
The Daily Mail has contacted Vice President Vance’s office for comment.
The latest clash between Cruz and Vance emerged when reporters asked the vice president Thursday about the upcoming midterms and whether the GOP’s election results would influence his decision to launch a presidential campaign.
“Regardless of what happens over the next 35 days, there will be new information, new things you have to make a decision over,” Vance replied.
Vance has not formally announced a campaign and has remained guarded about his political plans. Instead, he brushed aside the question by saying: “The American people make that decision.”
The vice president then turned his attention to criticizing his former Senate colleague, Cruz.
“It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,” Vance told NBC News.
“At this moment, I’m not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.”
Cruz pointed out that he has campaigned for dozens of Republicans over the years, including Vance during his first Senate run in 2022
Cruz said in August that neither he nor the Republican Party had rallied behind Vance as the GOP’s 2028 presidential candidate, arguing that the discussion remains open.
‘Oh, no. There’s going to be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe,’ Cruz said. ‘I’ll certainly be part of the discussion.’
The Texan accused Vance of being an acolyte of Tucker Carlson, the podcaster and former Fox News host, according to Axios.
Cruz and Carlson have clashed and traded insults, particularly over the Texan’s strong support of Israel.
Vance and Cruz were Senate colleagues long before Vance’s nomination to become Trump’s running mate.
Cruz was Trump’s most formidable GOP challenger in the 2016 campaign, and he was the last to drop out after Trump received 45 percent of the Republican backing while the Texan received just 25 percent.
While Cruz is not on the ballot this year – his term runs through 2030 – he has been campaigning in swing states, including Iowa and South Carolina, both early presidential primary states, to fundraise for the GOP ahead of this year’s elections.
The Texas senator’s presidential ambitions are seen as a long shot.
Vance currently has a 45 percent chance of becoming the GOP’s 2028 presidential nominee, according to the prediction market Kalshi.
Cruz, meanwhile, has just a two percent chance.