One Republican Senator is once again circling the presidential waters, and this time the fight is not just about personality or ambition. It is about what the Republican Party actually stands for after President Trump is no longer on the ballot. That question is already causing friction, and Ted Cruz seems eager to step into the middle of it.
Last November, Cruz sat down near Union Station with Morton Klein, the longtime president of the Zionist Organization for America. Klein warned Cruz that antisemitism and Israel bashing were creeping into parts of the right and urged Republicans to confront it directly. Cruz told him he had been encouraged to consider a 2028 presidential run and, according to Klein, appeared to be seriously weighing it.
With President Trump not expected to run again in 2028, Cruz has been repositioning himself as a defender of traditional Republican foreign policy, especially strong support for Israel. In doing so, he has taken direct aim at influential MAGA pundit Tucker Carlson, accusing him of spreading antisemitic narratives through his criticism of Israel. Carlson has denied the charge, but the feud has only intensified.
This potential run would put Cruz on a collision course with JD Vance, who is widely viewed as the leading contender for the Republican nomination and the most natural successor to President Trump. Cruz has privately warned donors that Vance’s foreign policy views drift too far toward isolationism. Vance, closely aligned with Carlson, has been openly skeptical of overseas intervention and of the old foreign policy consensus.
The tension highlights how much the GOP has changed. Cruz entered the Senate in 2013 as a Tea Party insurgent. Now he finds himself defending long standing Republican positions on national security, capitalism, and American leadership abroad, while a newer generation pushes a more inward looking vision. That reversal is not lost on anyone paying attention.
Some observers doubt Cruz can gain traction after his clashes with President Trump in 2016, especially his infamous “vote your conscience” moment that angered the base. Still, Cruz has spent years rebuilding relationships, chairing the Senate Commerce Committee, and cutting deals when it suits conservative goals.
Cruz describes himself as a “noninterventionist hawk” and has been unapologetic about backing Israel, arguing that Israeli actions against terrorist groups directly benefit American security. He recently said, “Those who are anti Israel quickly become anti capitalist and anti American,” and accused Carlson of an unhealthy obsession.
Vance rejects the idea that antisemitism is widespread on the right and says criticism of Israeli policy is not hatred of Jews. Cruz strongly disagrees, drawing a sharp line that he clearly hopes voters will notice.
President Trump, characteristically, has avoided taking sides, calling Carlson a “nice guy” and Cruz a “good friend.” Whether Cruz can turn this high profile feud into a viable 2028 campaign is unclear. Even some donors are skeptical, openly saying they would back Vance if he runs.
What is clear is that Republicans are heading toward a real identity fight. Cruz is betting that foreign policy, Israel, and national security will matter when the party chooses its next leader. The question is whether the base wants a return to old instincts or a continuation of the newer America First approach that Vance represents.
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