Overview
- NBC News and NOTUS report that Trump aides and allies see Cruz’s recent moves as calculated positioning against JD Vance for a potential 2028 bid.
- Cruz has reinserted himself into the NASA administrator fight by scheduling a new hearing for nominee Jared Isaacman after previously favoring Sean Duffy, a delay that surprised the White House.
- He criticized FCC Chair Brendan Carr for threatening ABC’s license and set a Dec. 17 Commerce Committee oversight hearing with Carr as a witness.
- The relationship has been strained since Cruz’s failed push for unilateral subpoena authority on the Commerce Committee, part of broader clashes tied to Big Tech and free speech fights.
- Cruz declined to rule out a 2028 run in a Nov. 18 Fox News interview, has boosted his national profile through a top-ranked podcast and a feud with Tucker Carlson over Nick Fuentes, and drew a public “it’s early” but friendly response from President Trump.