PoliticsFox's Larry Kudlow Pushes Ted Cruz to Make 2028 Presidential Move: 'You Might Wanna Think About It'
Larry Kudlow suggested Ted Cruz announce his next presidential campaign after the midterm elections, just Like Donald Trump once did.
Sept. 9 2026, Published 10:55 a.m. ET
Fox Business host Larry Kudlow suggested Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) announce his next presidential campaign immediately after the upcoming November midterm elections.
During an appearance on the network's show Kudlow on Tuesday, September 8, he noted that Donald Trump successfully used this playbook in the past.
'You Might Wanna Think About It'
Larry Kudlow suggested Ted Cruz launch a presidential bid right after the midterm elections.
“One of the things that President Trump did in the last go-around, right after the midterms, he declared his candidacy,” Kudlow said. “And that had a huge, huge impact. I’m just putting it out there. You might wanna think about it. I mean, right after he did that, a lot of people scratched their heads, and it turns out that was a close outbid. It really was.”
The Texas Republican declined to commit to a specific timeline or confirm a 2028 presidential bid. Instead, he redirected the focus to the high stakes of the imminent 2026 midterm elections.
Ted Cruz has not confirmed if he will run for president.
Cruz stated that with the midterms less than 60 days away, his absolute priority is campaigning across the country to secure Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
He warned that if Republicans fail to win Congress, all legislative progress will "grind to a halt," resulting in "two years of warfare" against President Trump and his agenda.
When pressed on his future plans, Cruz responded that there will be "plenty of time to have that conversation after the midterms.”
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Which Republicans Could Run?
Ted Cruz said he doesn't know who will run in the 2028 presidential election.
Later that evening, Cruz appeared on CNN's The Source with Kaitlan Collins. When asked about other potential 2028 GOP contenders — such as Vice President J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Cruz maintained a neutral stance, saying, "I don't know who's gonna run. We'll find that out next year."
Widely viewed as the "heir apparent" to the America First movement, Vance consistently places first across major tracking metrics. A recent Harvard/Harris poll positioned him at 44 percent among GOP respondents, with Rubio emerging as his primary rival.
Cruz ran for president in 2016, finishing second in total delegates behind Trump before dropping out.
Ted Cruz unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016.
Since entering the Senate in 2013, Cruz has frequently clashed with leadership in both parties.
High-profile maneuvers — such as reading Green Eggs and Ham during a 21-hour speech to force a 2013 government shutdown — alienated mainstream colleagues.
Peers often joked publicly about his lack of popularity on Capitol Hill. The late Sen. Lindsey Graham famously quipped, "If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.”
