Vice President JD Vance accused Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) of running a premature presidential campaign in a rare public swipe at a potential 2028 rival.
"It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president," Vance told NBC News on Thursday aboard Air Force Two. "At this moment, I'm not. I'm trying to help elect Republicans. That's what I'm going to keep on doing."
Cruz had told MS NOW that Vance does not have a lock on the 2028 nomination and that he wants to "certainly be part of the discussion," and the Texas Republican has also cast the party's future as a choice between a "small-government, free-market conservative party" and a "big-government, nanny state party."
The vice president said Cruz's attempts to stir up a clash don't bother him.
Although Cruz isn't up for re-election this year, he has been raising money and campaigning for Republican candidates in Texas and beyond, including in Iowa and South Carolina – and both states traditionally hold early contests on the GOP presidential calendar. He is also expected to campaign this month for Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska, Ken Paxton in Texas and Michael Whatley in North Carolina.
A Cruz spokesperson told NBC News the senator "has been focused on electing Republicans up and down the ballot this November."
Vance, 42, has said repeatedly that he won't decide on a 2028 bid until after the midterms, but he acknowledged that the Nov. 3 results could shape his thinking.
"Regardless of what happens over the next 35 days, there will be new information, new things you have to make a decision over," he said.
The vice president also conceded that Republicans face a tough climb next month.
"Historically there's always a bit of an uphill climb, and I think you definitely sense that," Vance said, though he added that there is "cautious optimism" the numbers may be shifting in the party's favor.
Vance spoke after campaigning in Lakeland, Florida, for Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP nominee for governor. Polls show Republicans face strong headwinds, including President Donald Trump's low approval ratings, an unpopular war with Iran and rising gas prices.
Asked whether voters are justified in blaming the Trump administration, now more than a year and a half into its term, Vance acknowledged their frustration.
"Voters are impatient, right?" he said. "We have to make the argument as best as we can."
