Ted Cruz Calls JD Vance ‘Insecure’ as GOP Presidential Race Heats Up

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, responding to Vance’s remarks in an NBC interview Thursday.

“In my experience, people engage in political bomb-throwing when they’re feeling insecure,” Cruz told Politico.

“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 criticism came after Cruz suggested earlier this year that Republicans have yet to decide whether to support the vice president as their 2028 presidential nominee.

Cruz also argued that Vance was the one allowing himself to become distracted, pointing out that no Republican had campaigned for more candidates than he had over the past decade. He added that this year would be no different.

The Texas senator cited more than a dozen candidates he 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.

“I was very glad he won that race. I was very glad to help him,” Cruz said.

Our News Outlet has contacted Vice President Vance for comment.

The latest dispute between Cruz and Vance resurfaced when reporters asked the vice president Thursday about the upcoming midterms and whether the GOP’s election result would influence his decision to seek the presidency.

“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 declared a presidential candidacy and has remained guarded about his plans. Asked about the possibility, he brushed it aside by saying, “The American people make that decision.”

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The vice president then turned his attention to Cruz, a former Senate colleague.

“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 said in August that neither he nor the Republican Party had united behind Vance as the GOP’s 2028 candidate, insisting that the nomination 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.