Ted Cruz laying groundwork for 2028 presidential bid: GOP strategists

Several Republican strategists say Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is gearing up for a potential 2028 presidential bid, and that he’s strategically distanced himself from President Donald Trump on several issues to position himself as a top GOP candidate to lead in the “post-Trump era.”

“The way I see it is that Senator Cruz has taken on a couple of positions which, in the very short term, are at odds with the president of the United States, but in all likelihood will age very well within the Republican Party,” said Vin Weber, a former member of Congress-turned-GOP strategist, speaking with The Telegraph in a report published Monday.

While Cruz has remained a staunch ally of Trump, he’s distanced himself from the president on several key issues in recent months, such as when he pushed back on the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show amid threats from the Trump administration. And, while Cruz was ripped by MAGA supporters for his comments, Weber and other GOP strategists believe that Cruz is working to differentiate himself in what will likely be a crowded Republican bid for the White House come 2028.

“I think it’s sensible for everybody to keep their options open, because you don’t know what the future holds,” said Brendan Steinhauser, a GOP strategist in Texas, speaking with The Telegraph. “We’re a long way from that cycle. Anything can happen.”

Cruz famously made a bid for the White House in 2016 where he frequently clashed with Trump, who labeled Cruz as “lyin’ Ted” and mocked his wife’s physical appearance. Cruz labeled Trump a "sniveling coward” at the time, but had gone on to become a staunch defender of Trump’s following his 2016 victory.

And now, Weber argued, Cruz appears to be trying to distinguish himself again as a top Republican figure for the post-Trump era.

“He’s really perceived as a very powerful intellectual leader on the Right,” Weber said. “I think that’s important to a lot of Republicans. It may become more important going forward as we redefine what it is the Republican Party means in the post-Trump era.”