Vice President JD Vance may be the early favorite to inherit the MAGA mantle, but Ted Cruz is warning Republicans that there will be no automatic coronation in 2028.
Asked during an interview with MS NOW’s Ali Vitali whether the GOP had already coalesced behind Vance, Cruz delivered a blunt answer.
“Oh, no!” Cruz declared. “There’s going to be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe,” according to Mediaite.
The Texas Republican said there is “no Never Trump lane” inside today’s GOP and praised President Donald Trump as a fearless and extraordinary political figure. But he argued that Trump’s support cannot simply be transferred to a handpicked successor.
“Trump is a black swan event,” Cruz said, predicting Republicans will spend the coming years debating the party’s identity after Trump leaves office.
Cruz also made clear that he intends to have a voice in that fight.
“There’ll be time to figure that out,” he said when asked whether he could enter the 2028 contest. “I’ll certainly be part of the discussion.”
Days later, Cruz stripped away even more of the mystery.
“It’s no secret that I want to be president,” the senator said Wednesday during an appearance on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s podcast. Asked directly whether he would launch another campaign, Cruz replied, “Time will tell,” according to The Texas Tribune.
Cruz is also scheduled to campaign in Iowa this weekend—his second trip to the early-voting state this year. The senator won the Iowa caucuses during his 2016 presidential campaign and ultimately finished second to Trump after carrying 11 states.
Vance remains the strongest prospective candidate in the emerging field, but the numbers leave plenty of room for a fight. A May Emerson College poll placed Vance at 36% among likely Republican primary voters, just one point ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with 15% undecided.
Reports that Trump privately told donors “we need to elect JD” fueled speculation that the president had already chosen his heir. Trump later poured cold water on an immediate endorsement, publicly calling the discussion “way too early,” according to the New York Post.
Vance, meanwhile, has said he will discuss a potential campaign with his wife after the midterm elections, telling CBS News that he expects Trump to support whatever decision he ultimately makes.
For Cruz, however, the coming contest is about more than personalities. He wants Republicans to decide whether they remain a small-government, free-market party and whether they favor American leadership abroad or a more isolationist approach.
The warning to Vance was unmistakable: Being the heir apparent does not make someone the nominee.
