Ted Cruz Signals 2028 Presidential Bid, Potential Three-Way Clash with Vance and Rubio

By Solange Reyner | Saturday, 05 September 2026 02:28 PM EDT

Republican strategist Dick Morris said Sen. Ted Cruz may enter the 2028 presidential race, which would turn the early competition for the party’s nomination into a three-way contest with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Morris stated Saturday that Cruz has signaled his potential candidacy by criticizing the Trump administration’s recent oil agreement with Venezuela. He noted that Cruz’s remarks also target Marco Rubio, who negotiated the deal with Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez.

“ heating the deal that Trump made with Venezuela, and that’s a shot at Rubio because Rubio really negotiated that deal,” Morris said. “So he’s kind of putting his cards out there with everybody.”

Morris added: “It’s possible that he may run. But I think he probably is polling it, and we’ll see what he says.”

Cruz expressed significant concerns about the arrangement announced by President Donald Trump on August 28, though he had previously described the deal as potentially beneficial for the U.S. economy while advocating for free elections in Venezuela.

Rubio led negotiations with Delcy Rodríguez, who publicly thanked him and Trump for the agreement. Under the deal, the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital takes a 35% stake in a company holding development rights to 17 Venezuelan oil fields. The agreement has drawn criticism from Democrats and questions from some Republicans.

Cruz sought the nomination in 2016, winning the Iowa caucuses before withdrawing from the race as the last major candidate standing against Trump. He was reelected to the Senate in 2024 and is not up for election until 2030. Cruz has not confirmed whether he will run.

Early polling centered on Vance and Rubio. An Emerson College survey conducted May 24-25 showed Vance at 36% and Rubio at 35% among likely Republican primary voters, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley each at 5%, while 15% remained undecided. Cruz was not included as an option in the survey.

Morris, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton who has become a prominent Trump supporter, is a frequent political analyst.