Ted Cruz says on podcast “It’s no secret I want to be president”

Sen. Ted Cruz told Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's podcast Wednesday that "it's no secret that I want to be president," reigniting speculation about whether the Texas Republican will mount another White House run in 2028.

Cruz, who finished second to Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries, has represented Texas in the U.S. Senate since 2013. The conversation came as early chatter about the 2028 field grows louder, and Patrick used the moment to point out that the GOP's 2028 convention is set to land in Houston.

Patrick told Cruz he "can't imagine you not being on the stage," citing Cruz's appetite for politics and debate. He also speculated that Gov. Greg Abbott harbors his own White House ambitions. Cruz didn't close any doors, but he didn't exactly fling them open either.

For Texans watching the 2028 field take shape, the podcast exchange signals that at least two of the state's highest-profile Republicans are thinking well beyond Austin. A Texas-heavy primary field could scramble the early math for every candidate in the race, depending on how many of them actually get in.

Cruz described his presidential ambitions as "a permanent and often fatal bug," which is either a candid self-assessment or the most Texas way possible to announce you're running.