JD Vance and Ted Cruz are fighting for control of the GOP. The problem? Neither is called Trump

With the midterm elections a month away and Republicans looking weak in the polls, Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz have started trading barbs over who will lead the party after Donald Trump. Polls show Vance leading for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, though CNN analyst Harry Enten calls him one of the least popular vice presidents in history, and he has reportedly alienated some party members through his doubts about the Iran war, according to The Guardian.

In August, Cruz told MS Now that Vance was not guaranteed the nomination and that the party still had to decide what it believes. Vance responded in an NBC News interview on Friday, saying it was obvious Cruz is running for president while he himself is focused on electing Republicans. Cruz told Politico on Saturday that he is not thinking about 2028 and that people who throw political bombs tend to feel insecure.

Columnist Arwa Mahdawi notes that both men harshly criticized Trump in 2016 and are now his allies. She also points to Rachel Maddow's suggestion that Trump may install a relative as his successor; Trump has said there "could be" a dynasty.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →