Ted Cruz is signaling that Republicans are far from settled on JD Vance as their 2028 presidential standard-bearer, while also taking aim at the vice president’s handling of an Iran agreement as Cruz weighs another White House run of his own.
The Texas senator, who was among the crowded field of Republicans beaten by Donald Trump in the 2016 primary, is preparing to travel the country to promote his new book on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Cruz has also made a stop in Iowa, the influential early-voting state, and has privately asked Republican operatives whether they would consider joining a possible 2028 campaign, The Wall Street Journal reported.
At the same time, Cruz has begun sharpening his criticism of Vance, who is widely viewed as one of the leading contenders to inherit Trump’s political mantle.
Speaking in an interview with MS Now last week, Cruz rejected the idea that the Republican Party has already lined up behind a Vance 2028 campaign.
Asked whether the GOP was coalescing around the vice president, Cruz replied: “Oh, no. There’s gonna be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe. There’ll be time to figure that out. I’ll certainly be part of the discussion.”
Cruz has also faulted Vance for maintaining ties with Tucker Carlson after the former Fox News host faced allegations of antisemitism.
And in a podcast released Wednesday, Cruz escalated the critique further, targeting Vance’s role in negotiating a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
Ted Cruz (pictured) said Republicans haven’t united behind JD Vance as their nominee in 2028 and criticized the vice president’s handling of negotiations as he looks at another White House run for himself
Cruz has also begun to criticize the vice president, who many see as a potential favorite to succeed Trump
‘JD negotiated the MOU with Iran. That was a terrible deal,’ he said.
Earlier Thursday, Vance was giving the White House press briefing when he was asked about the possibility of both Cruz and Pete Hegseth running for President.
Vance felt that everyone in the party should be working to keep the Republican majority in both houses of Congress in the midterm elections.
‘First of all, I’d encourage any Republican, if you care about the country, and I think all of us do, you should be focused not on a job a few years from now. You should be focused on the midterms. And that’s the approach that I’ve taken,’ he said.
When asked specifically about Cruz, Vance called the senator a ‘very authentic and likable guy, and I’m sure he’ll do great.’
However, allies of Vance told WSJ that a Cruz run ‘wouldn’t be a serious threat’ and dismissed his chances.
Many have also touted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, he has said he won’t run if Vance does.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Vice President Vance and Senator Cruz for comment.
Earlier Thursday, Vance was giving the White House press briefing when he was asked about the possibility of both Cruz and Pete Hegseth (pictured) running for President
The Texas Senator was one of the many Republicans defeated by Donald Trump in 2016
Last month, Trump shrugged off a report he’s told key allies they ‘need to elect’ JD Vance in 2028, saying it’s far too soon to get involved in the next Republican Primary.
Trump met with donors in the Oval Office recently and told them that ‘at the end of the day, we need to elect JD,’ The Washington Post reported, citing two people familiar with that meeting.
The President has also been ‘peppering people around him with questions’ on the pros and cons of both Vance and Marco Rubio, also seen as a top contender in 2028.
While Trump didn’t deny the comments when asked in the Oval Office Thursday, he was noncommittal when asked if the report suggested an ‘official endorsement’ of the Vice President.
‘No. No. It’s, uh – I heard about it a little while ago. I think he’s great, but we’re way too early to even be thinking about that. Okay?’
That same report suggested Vance wasn’t necessarily the clear frontrunner either, as they cited a half dozen Trump advisors saying they don’t believe the President is set on Vance just yet.
‘Anyone assuming it’s a lock is just getting way ahead of themselves, or just doesn’t know the president very well,’ one White House official said.
The President’s endorsement could potentially clear the field for the sitting Vice President, given rumored top rival Rubio has said he would not contest Vance if he ran.
A poll conducted earlier this summer showed Vance with a healthy lead in a hypothetical primary.
Vance has not formally announced a run for president in 2028, despite growing speculation that he could emerge as the Republican Party’s next front-runner.
He has repeatedly signaled that a White House bid is something he is considering — but has stopped short of making the formal declaration political observers believe is inevitable.
In a June 2026 interview on CBS’s ‘Sunday Morning,’ Vance said he and Usha Vance would discuss ‘what comes next for our family’ after the 2026 midterms.
Vance has said he believes President Trump would support whichever path he chooses. But he has not launched a campaign, formed a committee, or taken any official step toward a 2028 bid.
