Bannon calls Cruz throwback to old Republican Party policies
CLIVE, Iowa — Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas spent last weekend in Iowa promoting his new book and quietly asking Republican operatives whether they would be interested in working on a potential 2028 presidential campaign, according to people familiar with the requests.
A spokeswoman for Cruz declined to comment on his 2028 planning. Cruz, 55, is in his third Senate term, and the trip marked his third visit to Iowa this year. On Saturday morning, he stopped by the farm-to-table restaurant chain Machine Shed to meet with local pastors. He then attended GOP Senate nominee Ashley Hinson’s BBQ Bash, working the VIP section before venturing into the food line to shake hands.
Vice President JD Vance, who leads in early polls of potential Republican nominees, is focused on the November midterm elections and is campaigning for candidates in tough races and fundraising for the party. Those close to Vance say he is not discussing a presidential campaign. Some are unsure the 42-year-old vice president, whose wife recently had a fourth child, will run for president in a year that could favor Democrats. Senior GOP strategists expect Vance to have much of Trump’s seasoned political apparatus behind him should he decide to run. When asked whether he will pursue the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, Vance is coy, according to the Journal.
Vance’s allies have privately dismissed and scoffed at Cruz running, arguing he would not be a serious threat to the vice president if Cruz chose to run, the Journal reported.
On MSNOW, Cruz said the party has not coalesced around Vance. “I’ll certainly be part of the discussion,” he told the network. Several times this year, Cruz has condemned rising antisemitism on the right and specifically targeted Republicans who, like Vance, have not separated themselves from conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, who has hosted Holocaust deniers on his podcast.
On a podcast released Wednesday, Cruz also criticized Vance’s role in negotiating the memorandum of understanding that aimed to end the war with Iran but has since fallen apart. “JD negotiated the MOU with Iran. That was a terrible deal,” Cruz said.
Asked about Cruz on Wednesday, Bannon — who served as a chief strategist for Trump’s 2016 campaign — said: “He’s going to have plenty of money, but unfortunately he’s not a populist, he’s a throwback to the neocon and neoliberal policies of the old Republican party that’s essentially been destroyed.”
Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are seen as Trump’s 2028 favorites. Trump has been known to poll staff and donors about whom they would like to see at the top of the ticket. Rubio has said both publicly and privately that he will not challenge Vance.
Asked about the importance of Trump’s endorsement for 2028 on a podcast released Wednesday, Cruz said: “It carries weight, but I think the voters are going to make their own determination.”
Cruz first came to Congress in 2012 as the Tea Party movement gained political traction. He ran for president and won the Iowa caucuses in 2016, holding on in the crowded race as it winnowed to just him and Trump. Trump dubbed him “Lyin’ Ted.” The two men have since become friends, and Trump promoted Cruz’s new book on Truth Social this week.
During Vance’s visit to Iowa in May, he campaigned for Rep. Zach Nunn and met with key Iowa conservatives backstage. He championed year-round, nationwide sales of E15 biofuel, a popular position in Iowa. Cruz has said such a move would hurt oil refiners, which are plentiful in Texas, and should be tied to broader changes in the renewable-fuel standard.
At Hinson’s BBQ Bash, Cruz told the crowd, “No tax on tips, I wrote that.” He also said he pushed for investment accounts for children, known as Trump Accounts, to be included in the tax bill passed by Republicans last year.
Iowa voters at the event named other Republicans before turning to Cruz. “We have a very deep bench. It could be Marco Rubio or JD Vance, or there was another name being floated around, and I’d support any of them,” said Gary Pitts, 78, of central Iowa. Josh Howray, a 54-year-old truck driver from Rockwell City, Iowa, said: “Oh, I like either JD Vance or Marco Rubio, I think they both have a good shot at it.” Edie Stebbins, a 78-year-old retiree from Cumming, Iowa, said: “I do love JD Vance; I love Rubio. I know Cruz. He’s run before; he’s a great man also.” Scott Bates, 61, of West Des Moines — wearing a shirt that said “Dads Against Daughters Dating Democrats” — said he supported Cruz 10 years ago but was undecided about whether he would back him again. “We’ve got JD, we’ve got Rubio, Ted Cruz. I like Ron DeSantis too. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be good too,” Bates said.
Republicans running for Congress and governor in Iowa are facing some of the toughest races in years, in part due to a political climate many candidates are blaming on the Trump administration, including the monthslong war with Iran and a trade dispute with Canada. Hinson recently called Trump’s decision to boost beef imports a bad idea. A tough midterm for Republicans could make GOP voters more favorable to an outsider, the Journal reported, though it isn’t clear if that outsider is Cruz.
When asked why she thought Cruz had made multiple stops in Iowa this year, Courtney Gallagher, 36, of Waukee, Iowa, laughed. “He must like the steak,” she said. “Iowa steak’s better than Texas steak.”
For 2028, the first time in 12 years, Trump won’t be on the ballot. Iowa voters play a unique role in picking the presidential candidate and expect to get to know them, the Journal wrote.