The US vice president and the Texas senator continue to hurl barbs at each other. Both are probably looking at the nomination for the 2028 US elections
La rubrica - Outside the Beltway: cronache e analisi di politica Usa
The Republican presidential primary campaign is approaching. This is demonstrated by the growing tensions between the US vice president, JD Vanceand the senator from Texas, Ted Cruz. At the end of August, the latter declared that it is by no means a given that the number two in the White House will obtain the nominations of the party in 2028. “There will be time to figure it out,” he stated, then added: “I will definitely be part of the discussion.”
The Republican names for the 2028 US elections
Last October 2, during an interview with NBC Newsa reply has arrived from Vance. «It is absolutely obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president. I, at this moment, am not. I’m trying to help elect Republicans. And that’s what I will continue to do,” the vice president said.
Words which, on Saturday, triggered the rejoinder of Cruz. “In my experience, people engage in political attacks when they feel unsafe,” the Texas senator said, referring to Vance. “So,” he continued, “he’s free to make whatever comments he wants. I will continue to focus on the mid-term elections.”
It is no mystery that the vice president has presidential ambitions in view of 2028. So far, the names that have circulated as his possible contenders have mainly been those of the secretary of state, Marco Rubioand the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth.
The challenge between Vance and Cruz to be Trump’s heir
Yet, as we have seen, in recent weeks too Cruz he hinted that he might take the field. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time for him. As well Rubiohe in fact ran for the nominations Republican presidential election in 2016. At the time, he presented himself as the champion of the religious right, only to end up defeated by Donald Trump. This time, he might try again. And, who knows, maybe change (at least partially) strategy.
According to polls, Vance remains the favorite for the moment nominations of 2028. For now, it enjoys the (tacit) support of Trump and, more generally, it could prove to be the right profile to attract the blue-collar vote of the Rust Belt: an electoral share that the Republican Party desperately needs if it wants to maintain control of the White House. That said, nothing should be taken for granted.
A bit like Trump in 2016, Vance is today moving towards “heretical” positions with respect to republican orthodoxy. He declared that young people who vote for socialists should not be demonized and that the Grand Old Party he cannot continue to repeat stale slogans from the Reagan era. The vice president has in fact hinted that, rather than proposing a purely capitalist vision, the Republican Party should also look at communitarian models, perhaps linked to the Social Doctrine of the Church.
The geopolitical issues for the next Republican candidate
However, it is in the Middle East that the most evident internal fracture is taking place. It’s no mystery that Vance has always been skeptical of the war in Iran. And, in recent months, he has harshly criticized the government several times Benjamin Netanyahuirritating some sectors and donors of the Republican Party. Cruzon the other hand, is energetically pro-Israeli and has never digested the diplomatic line promoted by Vancetowards Tehran.
In a phase where Rubio is remaining rather out of the way, perhaps the Texas senator wants to start marking his territory, to immediately present himself as the main rival of the current vice president. Of course, it is still early and the actual maneuvers will begin before Midterms of November 3. However, growing tensions between Vance And Cruz they are undoubtedly significant. And they seem to herald a close fight for the nominations 2028 Republican presidential election.
