Vance: ‘Really obvious’ Cruz is running for president

Vice President Vance said it was “really obvious” that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is planning to launch a bid for the White House in 2028 as Vance himself weighs a run as well.

“It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president,” Vance said in an interview with NBC News. “At this moment, I’m not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing.”

Cruz, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination in 2016, has recently become more open about his interest in the party’s next presidential contest, while Vance has also emerged as a possible contender.

In an interview with MS NOW, Cruz said Vance does not have the 2028 GOP nomination locked down and that he wants to “certainly be part of the discussion.” Cruz also framed the party’s future as a choice between a “small-government, free-market conservative party” and a “big-government, nanny state party.”

A spokesperson for Cruz, who is not up for reelection until 2030, told NBC News that the Texas senator is focused on helping Republicans in this year’s midterm election and will continue campaigning for GOP candidates over the coming weeks.

Vance, meanwhile, has maintained that he will wait until after the midterms before deciding whether to seek the presidency in 2028.

“You make these decisions by collecting as much information and trying to make a wise decision,” Vance said. “And yeah, I mean, regardless of what happens over the next 35 days, there will be new information, new things you have to make a decision over.”

Vance stopped short of saying whether Republican losses would affect whether he runs.

“The American people make that decision, and when they do, then yeah, I’ll have some new information to consider.”

The vice president also said Republicans face an “uphill climb” in the November midterms.

“Historically there’s always a bit of an uphill climb, and I think you definitely sense that,” Vance told NBC News. “I also think you can sense a sense of cautious optimism, in the sense that, you know, people feel like the numbers are sort of moving, maybe in our direction.”