Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a former rival to President Trump in the 2016 Republican primary, is carving out a distinct path ahead of the 2028 election. By voicing scepticism about long-term tariffs, reaffirming his stance on Russia, and opposing taxes on the wealthy, Cruz is positioning himself as a potential challenger to Trump’s political successor, Vice President JD Vance, in the upcoming Republican primary.
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Cruz is carving out a position for himself?
A Republican strategist, Vin Weber, explained of Cruz, “I think he’s carving out a position for himself as the defender of traditional conservatism.” He continued, “He’s a viable contender for president because he’s a brilliant conservative and he represents the largest Republican state.” However, there is one obstacle for anyone eyeing the GOP in 2028, and that is Vance.
Weber described the vice president as an “obvious problem” for anyone with White House ambitions, as reported by The Hill. Referring to the former President George H.W. Bush’s victory in the 1988 Republican presidential primary, he shared, “I supported Jack Kemp against George H.W. Bush in 1988 and we thought we had a great chance because Jack was the defender of Reaganism, but we couldn’t overcome the strength of the sitting vice president.”He added, “The MAGA base, they love JD Vance.”
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Speculations about Cruz’s future ambitions in politics
A Republican strategist close to Sen. Cruz refrained from commenting on his potential presidential ambitions but highlighted the strengths he would bring to any race. These include his established national profile, strong conservative credentials, and ability to galvanise key voter blocs within the Republican Party.
The source revealed to the media outlet, “You got a guy that has 99-per cent name ID with the party, a guy that has a national fundraising and small-dollar infrastructure and a guy that came in second in 2016. He’s focused the next two years on delivering big wins for President Trump. We’ll see what happens in the future. He’s still a young guy.”
Both Cruz and Vance are aligned on advancing Trump’s legislative agenda, but Republican strategists expect the race for the 2028 GOP nomination to heat up after the midterms.
One strategist revealed to The Hill, party operatives are already positioning themselves for a potential Vance campaign. Cruz’s path to the nomination could open if Trump’s tariff policies falter, a scenario that many Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill worry could happen.
