Overview
- Speaking at a Washington event promoting his Trump Accounts initiative, the president praised Cruz as a “brilliant legal mind” and joked he would get “100% of the vote” to move him out of the Senate.
- Ted Cruz was in the audience for the remarks, which mixed compliment and ribbing about how colleagues would vote to “get him the hell out” of the chamber.
- Later the same day, Cruz said on the Ruthless podcast that he is not interested in the Court, adding, “My answer’s not just no, it’s hell no,” and noting he previously declined discussions about past vacancies.
- No justice has announced plans to retire; speculation persists about potential 2026 openings, including whether Clarence Thomas might step down, though some reporting notes betting odds on his departure have fallen.
- Republicans hold a 53–47 Senate majority that could ease confirmation before the 2026 midterms, while Cruz’s résumé—Rehnquist clerkship and Texas solicitor general—matches typical nominee credentials despite the rarity of elevating a sitting senator.