Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) fired back at Vice President JD Vance on Saturday after Vance suggested the Texas Republican is already running for president in 2028.
Cruz responded by accusing Vance of political “bomb-throwing” and saying such attacks usually come from insecurity.
“In my experience, people engage in political bomb-throwing when they’re feeling insecure,” Cruz said in a phone interview.
He added that Vance was free to make whatever comments he wanted.
“So he’s welcome to make whatever comments he likes,” Cruz said.
Cruz insisted that his immediate focus is not the next presidential race but the upcoming midterm elections.
“I’m going to keep focusing on the midterms and helping us win on Election Day in the next 30 days,” he said.
The exchange marks a notable public clash between two Republicans who could eventually compete for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
Vance triggered the dispute during an NBC News interview Thursday.
“It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,” Vance said.
The vice president contrasted Cruz’s activity with his own.
“At this moment, I’m not,” Vance said. “I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.”
Cruz has not announced a presidential campaign.
Still, he has previously left the door open to another run.
In August, Cruz said he did not believe Vance had the Republican nomination locked down.
“I’ll certainly be part of the discussion,” Cruz said at the time.
Vance is widely viewed as a major potential contender for the GOP nomination, while Cruz already has experience running for president.
Cruz sought the Republican nomination in 2016 and emerged as one of Donald Trump’s strongest primary rivals.
For now, however, Cruz says his attention remains on helping Republicans maintain control of Congress.
He pointed to his extensive campaign travel this election cycle as evidence.
Cruz said he has already campaigned with Republican candidates in Georgia, Iowa, Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas.
He also said he has trips planned in Alaska, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“Over the last 10 years, there’s no Republican in the country who has campaigned for more Senate candidates, more House candidates, more gubernatorial candidates than I have,” Cruz said.
“And this year will be no exception.”
Cruz also listed several Republicans he has helped campaign for over the years.
Those names included former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
He also pointed to Karoline Leavitt and, notably, Vance himself, per Politico.
“Indeed, ironically, I spent a full day on the road with JD Vance, campaigning with him when he was running for Senate in Ohio,” Cruz said.
Vance won that race in 2022.
“I was very glad he won that race,” Cruz said. “I was very glad to help him.”
The remark added another layer to the dispute, with Cruz emphasizing that he had previously worked to help Vance win elected office.
A spokesperson for Vance did not immediately respond to Cruz’s latest comments.
Vance, meanwhile, has also been actively campaigning ahead of the midterms.
He campaigned in Texas and Florida this week and is scheduled to hold a rally in Alaska on Monday.
Both men are publicly insisting that the immediate focus should remain on November.
But their increasingly direct comments about one another are already fueling speculation about what could become a much larger Republican battle in 2028.
For now, Cruz is rejecting Vance’s claim that he is already running.
And he is making clear that he views Vance’s accusation as a sign of political insecurity rather than a serious description of his current plans.
