WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pushed back against Vice President JD Vance’s suggestion that he is already preparing for a 2028 presidential campaign, calling the vice president “insecure.”
Vance, widely viewed as an early 2028 frontrunner, took a swipe at Cruz, R-Texas, last week by suggesting the senator was more preoccupied with the next presidential race than with the upcoming midterm elections.
“In my experience, people engage in political bomb-throwing when they’re feeling insecure,” Cruz said in an interview with Politico on Saturday.
“So he’s welcome to make whatever comments he likes,” Cruz, 55, added.
“I’m going to keep focusing on the midterms and helping us win on Election Day in the next 30 days.”
Cruz finished second to President Trump in the 2016 Republican primary after a bitter and bruising campaign.
In August, Cruz told MS NOW that he would “certainly be part of the discussion” surrounding the 2028 race, while arguing that Vance was not guaranteed the Republican nomination.
“It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,” Vance said in response during an interview with NBC News.
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“At this moment, I’m not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.”
Many Republicans view the 2028 presidential cycle as a chance to reshape the party after Trump. Traditionalists such as Cruz want the GOP to return to its emphasis on free markets and fiscal restraint.
MAGA Republicans, by contrast, want to preserve the party’s populist direction and renew its commitment to avoiding foreign entanglements.
Cruz, who has spoken nostalgically about his previous presidential campaign, has already taken part in some of the debates over the GOP’s future. Last June, he sat down with nicotine-pouch salesman and podcast heavyweight Tucker Carlson for a fiery exchange.
Carlson and Vance have long maintained a close relationship, even as the vice president has acknowledged recent political differences with the pundit, who has turned against Trump.
Cruz also highlighted his efforts to support Republican candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when his home state faces a competitive Senate race.
“Over the last 10 years, there’s no Republican in the country who has campaigned for more Senate candidates, more House candidates, more gubernatorial candidates than I have, and this year will be no exception,” Cruz told Politico.
“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],” the senator added. “I was very glad he won that race. I was very glad to help him.”
The Post contacted Vance’s team for comment.
