Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is reportedly gearing up for a 2028 presidential run, according to The Washington Post.
According to The Post report, Cruz has been signaling behind closed doors to allies that he’s hearing growing encouragement to jump into the next open Republican primary, as the party will be forced to seek a replacement for Donald Trump who is term limited.
Cruz’s White House ambitions have allegedly intensified as insiders believe he is positioning himself as a leading voice for a more traditional, hawkish GOP foreign policy.
The move could also be a tactic to take down fellow conservative star Tucker Carlson.
Cruz and Carlson have been waged in a very public feud stemming from foreign policy related to Israel.
Cruz’s stance on Israel and what he describes as a troubling rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on parts of the right.
The Post recently detailed how Cruz has urged Republicans to distance themselves from Carlson, accusing him of spreading “poison” in the movement through broadsides against Israel.
Carlson has rejected that characterization, and their rivalry exploded during heated June interview after Carlson confronted Cruz about his support for military action against Iran.
“How many people live in Iran, by the way?” Carlson asked.
“I don’t know the population at all… I don’t know the population,” Cruz replied.
“You don’t know the population in the country you seek to topple?” Carlson asked. He then said that Iran currently has an estimated population of 92 million. “How could you not know that?”
“I don’t sit around memorizing population tables,” Cruz responded.
“Well, it’s kind of relevant, because you’re calling for the overthrow of the government,” Carlson shot back.
Ted Cruz on Iran. Full interview tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/hJNwAHAnxZ
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025
Cruz’s war with Carlson and potential run for The White House could also bleed into a bigger rift amongst Republican voters, including supporters of Vice President JD Vance, who many see as the top candidate to replace Trump in 2028.
The Post reported that Cruz has privately criticized Vance, who is also an ally of Carlson, on his foreign policy views to donors, warning that what he sees as “isolationism” could weaken America’s national security posture at a moment when the U.S. is confronting threats from Iran, Russia, and terror networks.
Last week, The Horn News reported that Vance’s runway to the White House became less crowded after Secretary of State Marco Rubio ruled out running for president in 2028 if Vance seeks the Republican nomination.
“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio told Vanity Fair on Tuesday.
Insiders believe that Cruz is counting on Republican voters to not embrace a foreign policy that does not support Israel, downplays terrorism, or treats U.S. power as something to be shelved.
While Cruz faces a challenge to jockey for Republican voters he has strong name recognition, a national network, and a record of cultivating activists and donors.
Axios reported in November that Cruz has been expanding his footprint through speeches, endorsements, and media platforms, laying groundwork for another bid.