Ted Cruz is testing the limits of Republican loyalty to Donald Trump, throwing his support behind two candidates the president opposes in closely watched governor's races this month. The Texas senator's move represents a rare act of open defiance inside a party Trump has dominated for a decade, raising the question of whether there is political room for a 2028 presidential contender willing to challenge him.
This week Cruz endorsed Rick Jackson in Georgia's gubernatorial runoff against Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jackson, a wealthy health care executive, faces the June 16 vote. Cruz also backed Alan Wilson, South Carolina's attorney general, in that state's gubernatorial runoff against Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette on June 23.
The endorsements mark a striking break. Cruz appears to be the only potential 2028 GOP presidential candidate to publicly side against Trump in either race, illustrating how reluctant other ambitious Republicans remain to antagonize the president.
The strategy carries real danger. If Jones and Evette prevail, Cruz risks drawing Trump's ire, a backlash that could severely damage his 2028 prospects. A White House source told Axios that Cruz's primary interventions were a "curious way" to advance his own presidential ambitions.
Behind the scenes, Cruz has been laying groundwork for a presidential run while signaling daylight on key issues. According to reporting, he privately told donors last year that Trump's tariffs would hurt the economy and potentially cost Republicans control of Congress. Cruz has also been sharply critical of Vice President JD Vance, another potential 2028 contender with Trump's backing, accusing Vance of promoting an anti-interventionist foreign policy that is wrongheaded.
Cruz has been preparing the infrastructure for a campaign run. He hosts a podcast and syndicated radio show that keep him connected to small-dollar donors. He gives high-profile speeches and has been a recurring voice in national debates, building name recognition and relationships across the party.
In South Carolina, his Wilson endorsement serves another purpose: building ties with a potentially powerful ally in a state long central to Republican primary contests. Cruz has also repeatedly attacked Tucker Carlson, a podcaster close to Vance, accusing Carlson of promoting antisemitism and an anti-Israel foreign policy.
This is not Cruz's first dance with Trump. He was the president's final major rival in the 2016 primary and has spent years navigating the tension between his own ambitions and Trump's dominance over the GOP. That history makes his current moves all the more noteworthy.
Trump has staked his brand on endorsement power, viewing primary victories as validation of his kingmaker status. So far in 2024, Trump-backed candidates have won every statewide and federal primary except one: Rep. Randy Feenstra lost Iowa's gubernatorial GOP primary. That winning streak frames the stakes for Cruz's gambit.
A Cruz spokesperson said the senator's endorsements follow two consistent principles: backing the most conservative candidate in a race and supporting candidates with a viable path to win. The statement offered a clean policy rationale, though the timing and target of his choices suggest deeper calculation.
Author James Rodriguez: "Cruz is testing whether the Trump grip on the GOP is actually as ironclad as it looks, or just looks that way because nobody's been willing to test it."
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