Ted Cruz Sees Path to a 2028 Run

Ted Cruz in 2028? A report in Axios suggests so, laying out how the Republican senator from Texas is already positioning himself for a presidential run. The main crux of the strategy is going after Tucker Carlson as antisemitic (particularly after he had Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes on his podcast) and too isolationist when it comes to foreign policy. This sets up Cruz as a "traditional, pro-interventionist Republican" and simultaneously differentiates him from Vice President JD Vance, a strong backer of Carlson, according to the story. Cruz has been staking out anti-Carlson ground in public and in private speeches to donors. Two quotes from the piece:

• Cruz: "We have a responsibility to speak out even when it's uncomfortable," he tells the outlet. "When voices in our own movement push dangerous and misguided ideas, we can't look the other way."
• Carlson: "Hilarious," he says of a possible Cruz run. "Good luck. That's my comment and heartfelt view."

So what are Cruz's prospects? An analysis in the Washington Post earlier this month puts him in the "middle of the pack" in regard to 2028 Republican candidates, behind frontrunners Vance and Marco Rubio. With Cruz in the middle are Donald Trump Jr. and Ron DeSantis. Several others are below them as dark horses, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and, yes, President Trump himself.