Ted Cruz Not Sure Mitch McConnell Would Run Again If Trump Wins, 'Lot of Bad Blood' Between the Two

By Bob Hoge | 5:57 PM on February 18, 2024

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz appeared on "Sunday Morning Futures" with Maria Bartiromo and discussed a variety of topics ranging from the ongoing disaster at the southern border to Biden's weaponized Department of Justice to the fentanyl epidemic.

One exchange stood out: Bartiromo asked Cruz whether he thought Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would run again when his term expires in 2026 should Donald Trump win the '24 presidential election. Cruz admitted that he didn't know, but there was a lot of "bad blood" between the two:

You know, I don't know. That's a decision for Mitch to make. Obviously, there's a lot of bad blood between Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump.

Mitch will have to make that decision.
What I want to see is, I want to see Republicans in the Senate stand and lead and fight.

That does not sound to me like Cruz would bet money on McConnell going for one more round. The Texas senator's comments come at the 9:00 minute mark:

It's certainly not a secret in D.C. that the two don't see to eye very often.

McConnell’s relationship with Trump, or lack thereof, is well known on Capitol Hill, as the former president has repeatedly criticized the GOP leader since his 2020 reelection loss. The Kentucky Republican has occasionally fired back his own jabs at the ex-president.
In an interview with The Hill last week, McConnell acknowledged Trump is the most prominent Republican in today’s political climate while defending his decision to stand up to the former president on certain issues.

McConnell is one of the few leading GOP lawmakers not to announce his support for Trump. The former president maintains a solid lead in the race for the Republican nomination and is predicted to easily beat challenger Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the U.N, in the SC primary on February 24.

Cruz is bullish on the GOP's prospects this fall:

I believe November is going to be a very good election. I think we're going to see Donald Trump reelected as president of the United States. I think we're gonna see Republicans keep and grow our majority in the House, and critically -- I think we're going to win the United States Senate.

He also fired hard at President Joe Biden, who he accused of basically being Obama's puppet:

Ted Cruz just said, "Barack Obama is driving the train, and Joe Biden is Mr. Magoo just wondering around confused."

Yep, he's 100% correct. Mr Magoo is the perfect description for Biden. He's very easy to control. pic.twitter.com/JDyVo9iRWg
— PAMELA HENSLEY🇺🇸 (@PamelaHensley22) February 18, 2024

Mr. Magoo... Ouch, that one's going to sting.

Cruz also emphasized the importance of his own contest as he runs for a third term:

I will say my race here in Texas, this is a battleground race. The Democrats are spending over $100 million. Chuck Schumer's made clear I'm his number one target. George Soros is pouring millions of dollars into the state of Texas.

The Texas GOP primary will take place March 5, and Cruz will face off against Holland Gibson, a retiree, and Rufus Lopez, an attorney. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio are vying for the Democrat nomination.

One-Time Foe Ted Cruz Endorses Trump for President, 'I Believe This Race Is Over'