Cruz eyes 2028 run
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Sen. Ted Cruz is laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential bid by leaning into his feud with Tucker Carlson and staking out turf as a traditional Republican.
Why it matters: Cruz has put himself on a collision course with Vice President JD Vance, a Carlson ally widely seen as the 2028 GOP frontrunner.
Behind the scenes: Cruz, the runner-up to Trump in the 2016 GOP primary, has been taking steps toward a potential presidential run.
- He hosts a top-ranked podcast and syndicated radio show, which has helped him build a formidable network for soliciting small-dollar contributors.
- He is also endorsing midterm candidates, which could help him win chits for a future run. Next year, he is set to host a donor retreat.
Zoom in: Cruz is diving into issues that are tearing at President Trump's MAGA movement, namely ideological differences over Israel.
- By challenging Carlson, Cruz is endearing himself to powerful pro-Israel donors worried about the GOP's shift toward isolationism and angered by Carlson's embrace of white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, top Republicans say.
Yes, but: Cruz will need to reckon with a Republican primary electorate that has largely abandoned its George W. Bush-era support for an interventionist foreign policy in favor of the more isolationist "America First" approach that Carlson and Vance support.
What they're saying: "We have a responsibility to speak out even when it's uncomfortable," Cruz said in a statement to Axios.
- "When voices in our own movement push dangerous and misguided ideas, we can't look the other way. I won't hesitate to call out those who peddle destructive, vile rhetoric and threaten our principles and our future."
The other side: Carlson laughed off Cruz's gambit in a text message to Axios, calling it "hilarious."
- "Good luck," Carlson said. "That's my comment and heartfelt view."
Reality check: Many GOP donors will be queasy about crossing the Trump White House and embracing a candidate other than Vance.
- Initial polls show Vance as a big favorite in the 2028 GOP primary.