OPINION: This article contains commentary which may reflect the author’s opinion
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz clashed during the 2016 primaries, with the New York real estate tycoon dubbing the Texas senator “Lyin’ Ted,” and the two attacking each other as political peers vying for the same seat will do.
But once Trump was elected president the two found their common ground with each other.
Despite Cruz’s own political ambitions toward the White house, he has become an ally of the former president.
“I think he accomplished an enormous amount as president, and I was proud to work hand in hand with him in achieving results for the American people.” Cruz told Fox News Digital on Friday.
In 2021, Cruz told Truth Gazette that he would fun for president himself “in a heartbeat” in 2024.
Cruz stated in the interview that the 2016 campaign “was the most fun I ever had in my life,” and pointed out that the contest started with 17 candidates with himself “ending up placing second.”
Cruz said then that he was “happy in his number two slot, looking towards the future.”
“There’s a reason, historically, that the runner up is almost always the next nominee. And that’s been true going back to Nixon, Reagan, McCain, or Romney that has played out repeatedly. You come in with just an enormous base of support.”
In 2022, Cruz was also reported to have mentioned his desire to run in 2024, saying he would “absolutely” consider running, when asked.
Now, amid the midterm elections, Cruz is speculating about the 2024 presidential race.
Allowing that media plays a large factor in the campaigns, the Texas lawmaker recently railed against the “biased” media.
He said they are “open, naked, shameless propagandists” attempting to “cover up the miserable failures of the Biden administration.”
Cruz thinks that the media’s representation of former President Donald Trump does not reflect the views and stance of the American voters.
Citing the media’s “hatred” of Trump, Cruz said that voters are ready to “move back to the direction of common sense.”
In fact, AP News reported this month that “Across 31 states, two thirds of voters who have switched their official party registrations in the past year have switched to the Republican Party, according to voter registration data analyzed by The Associated Press.”
This has happened in the period since Joe Biden replaced Donald Trump as President.
The voting shift is most pronounced in the suburbs of America and in medium-sized cities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Des Moines, Iowa.
Added to the voting numbers is the data surrounding the viewing of broadcast news in the U.S.
In the last month, ratings show that the conservative Fox News was the most watched in Total Day and Prime time, and conservative shows top the charts with The Five rated as the top show, followed by Tucker Carlson, Hannity, Jesse Watters Primetime and Special Report with Bret Bair.
Both CNN and MSNBC went down in the ratings, with ratings showing that coverage of the Jan 6 hearings kept MSNBC ratings from plummeting further.
So, if one looks at the actual numbers, it does seem that American voters are taking a turn toward the conservative, supporting Cruz’s statement.
But Sen. Ted Cruz is not making plans for a campaign yet, as the plans of other Republicans, particularly Donald Trump, are up in the air. .
Cruz, R-Texas, spoke to Fox News Digital at the Turning Point USA conference in Tampa.
He said Trump is “going to do what he wants” in 2024, and “will remain an incredibly important leader in the United States.”
Former President Trump has not made an affirmative statement about his bid for the 2024 presidential election, but has hinted at throwing his hat in the ring, and rumors abound as to his plans.
Politico reported recently that two people familiar with Trump said that he “has begun talking with advisors about who should run a campaign, and his team has instructed others to have an online apparatus ready for a campaign should he announce soon.”
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) weighed in. “If trump is going to run, the sooner he gets in and talks about winning the next election the better.”
“It will refocus his attention, less grievance, more about the future,” Graham said.
Cruz said Friday that if former President Donald Trump announces he’s running for president in 2024, it would lead to many other candidates deciding against their own presidential bids.
Cruz is clearly including himself in that group of Republicans who would step back to make room for the clear front runner.
“I’m sure it clears it out significantly,” Cruz said of a potential scenario of Trump running again in 2024.
“We’ll see what happens. Look, the lay of the land is everyone is waiting to see what Trump decides to do. Anyone who tells you they’re not is lying to you. And he’s going to decide on whatever time frame he desires,” Fox News reported.
Source: The Republic Brief