Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is privately weighing another presidential run in 2028, according to allies and people briefed on his thinking. The deliberations come as Republicans begin to position themselves for a post-Donald Trump era, with party identity and foreign policy emerging as key fault lines.
Cruz has recently taken a more hawkish foreign policy stance, warning about rising antisemitism within the Republican Party and criticizing conservative media figure Tucker Carlson. He has argued that Carlson is injecting what he calls the “poison” of antisemitism into conservative politics, a claim Carlson disputes.
A potential Cruz bid would likely set up a high-profile clash with Vice President JD Vance, who is widely expected to seek the nomination and currently leads early polls. Cruz has privately criticized Vance’s foreign policy views to donors, warning they are dangerously isolationist, according to people familiar with the conversations.
Political analysts say Cruz faces challenges repositioning himself within a party reshaped by Trump. While he retains national name recognition and donor networks, skepticism remains about whether his traditional Republican platform can resonate with a base increasingly divided over “America First” priorities and U.S. engagement abroad.