Sen. Ted Cruz may be ready for another White House brawl — and this time, Vice President JD Vance could be standing in his way.
The Texas Republican has quietly begun asking political operatives whether they would consider working on a potential 2028 presidential campaign, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Cruz has not formally announced a campaign, and his spokesperson declined to comment on the report. But the behind-the-scenes recruiting represents the clearest indication yet that the senator is seriously considering another run for president.
Cruz Starts Putting In The Work
Cruz has been making trips to Iowa, appearing on podcasts and promoting his new biography of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — moves that could help him reconnect with Republican activists and potential donors.
He traveled to Iowa twice this year, including a May appearance before the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and a recent campaign swing with Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson.
The state holds special significance for Cruz. He won the Iowa Republican caucuses in 2016 before ultimately finishing second to Donald Trump in the GOP primary.
Cruz has also become increasingly open about his lingering presidential ambitions.
“It’s no secret that I want to be president,” Cruz said during an appearance on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s podcast, according to The Texas Tribune.
“This is a bug that history has proved is rarely ended,” Cruz added. “It is a permanent and often fatal bug.”
When Patrick pressed him on whether he would run in 2028, Cruz stopped short of confirming a campaign.
“Time will tell,” he said.
A Collision Course With Vance?
Any Cruz campaign would likely put him on a collision course with Vance, who leads early polls of prospective Republican candidates and is widely viewed as a possible successor to Trump.
Asked recently whether the Republican Party had already settled on Vance, Cruz immediately rejected the premise.
“Oh no,” he told MS NOW. “There’s going to be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe.”
Cruz said he would “certainly be part of the discussion,” signaling that he intends to help shape the post-Trump Republican Party whether or not he ultimately enters the race.
The senator has already begun highlighting potential differences with Vance, particularly on foreign policy. Mediaite reported that Cruz criticized Vance’s involvement in negotiations over the abandoned memorandum of understanding with Iran.
“JD negotiated the MOU with Iran,” Cruz said. “That was a terrible deal.”
He has also taken aim at Vance’s association with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, opening another potential fault line over the party’s approach to foreign affairs.
People close to Vance have reportedly dismissed Cruz as a serious threat to the vice president’s path to the nomination. But Cruz has already demonstrated that he can compete nationally, winning 11 states during the 2016 primaries.
Trump Leaves The Door Open
Trump, meanwhile, has offered Cruz a notable public boost despite their vicious 2016 rivalry.
“He’s very talented. He’s a very good friend of mine,” Trump told the Daily Caller when asked about Cruz’s presidential ambitions. “I think he might do that.”
Trump has praised Vance behind the scenes, but he has resisted publicly locking in an endorsement for 2028, insisting it is too early to make that decision.
That uncertainty may be all Cruz needs to begin assembling a team — and prepare for another bare-knuckle Republican primary.
