Top Republican Secretly Vying To Challenge Vance In 2028

A prominent Republican senator is quietly maneuvering for a potential 2028 presidential run, reportedly positioning himself for a showdown with Vice President JD Vance as early jockeying within the GOP begins to surface.

According to a Monday report, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has been privately disparaging Vance in conversations with major donors while weighing another White House bid. Cruz, who emerged as the last serious challenger to President Donald J. Trump during the 2016 Republican primary, has not publicly declared any presidential ambitions. However, two unnamed sources told The Washington Post that the Texas senator is actively considering a run—signaling that behind-the-scenes maneuvering for the post-Trump era is already underway.

The reporting suggests Cruz may be laying the groundwork for a direct clash with Vance, who is widely regarded as the natural successor to President Trump and the standard-bearer of the MAGA movement. While President Trump has not formally endorsed a 2028 successor, Vance’s standing within the party grassroots remains strong.

“According to the Post, Cruz has been criticizing Vance’s foreign-policy views in chats with GOP donors, complaining that they are overly isolationist. Cruz has also allegedly told a close ally that he’s been encouraged to run,” The Daily Beast reported, summarizing the original story.

The outlet added that Cruz has been energized by his vocal opposition to what he has described as “Jew hatred and Israel bashing” within Republican circles following the war in Gaza—an issue that has put him at odds with former Fox News host and podcaster Tucker Carlson.

“Can Ted help craft or meld together the traditional Republican approach with the new reality of what the Republican Party is now?” asked Daron Shaw, a political science professor at the University of Texas, in comments to the Post. “It’s a heavy lift.”

Not all Republicans appear convinced Cruz could successfully challenge the sitting vice president. Outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, once a MAGA ally but now more openly critical of President Trump’s policies, suggested Cruz could struggle to build meaningful support within the party.

“The Republicans will be fighting for their identity,” Greene told the Post. “There’ll be Ted Cruz, I’m sure, running against JD Vance. All of us hate Ted Cruz.”

Even some of Cruz’s longtime financial backers have reportedly expressed doubts. Hal Lambert, a major GOP donor who helped fund Cruz’s 2016 campaign through a pro-Cruz super PAC, questioned what Cruz’s message would be in a head-to-head contest with Vance.

“If JD Vance is running, I’m going to be supporting JD Vance,” Lambert said. “I just don’t understand what the platform [Cruz] would be. The platform would be, ‘I’m Ted, and that’s JD?’”

The Post report relies on anonymous sources, raising questions about whether internal operatives could be attempting to undermine either Vance or the Republican Party more broadly. Still, many GOP insiders view Vance’s path to the nomination as increasingly solid.

That perception was reinforced last weekend when Erika Kirk, the widow of slain conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, publicly endorsed Vance for president in 2028 while opening Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference.

After a widely shared embrace earlier this year, Erika Kirk—who has assumed leadership of the influential conservative organization—took the stage at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 18, to formally back Vance’s anticipated campaign.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told thousands of activists, according to video of her remarks shared online. The endorsement was met with enthusiastic applause, People magazine reported.

Vice President Vance, 41, has not confirmed whether he intends to seek the presidency following President Trump’s current term, though Republican strategists widely expect any announcement to come after the 2026 midterm elections.

Should Vance enter the race, the backing of Turning Point USA could prove decisive. The organization has become a powerhouse within conservative youth activism and grassroots MAGA politics, wielding significant influence through its nationwide campus network.