Ted Cruz on 2024: Let the voters decide

Cruz declined to back any GOP primary nominee but said he respects them all
The senator supports the Biden impeachment inquiry in the House
The U.S. needs to avoid strangling innovation when it comes to AI, Cruz said

Updated: Sep 14, 2023 / 09:19 AM CDT

(NewsNation) — Speaking with NewsNation, Sen. Ted Cruz declined to back any of the candidates running for the 2024 GOP nomination, saying it was up to voters to make that decision.

“I know them all. I respect them all,” Cruz said, with regard to his decision to stay out of the presidential race. “I trust the voters to make that determination.”

Cruz said he will enthusiastically support whichever Republican candidate emerges with the nomination. In the meantime, he told NewsNation he would focus on his reelection campaign and representing the people of Texas.

As the Republican primary race continues, Cruz rejected the idea that the conservative and populist wings of the party are at odds. A conservative, he celebrated the rise of the populist wing, noting it shifted the GOP’s image away from being a party of the wealthy.

“Trump being president celebrated the Republican Party becoming a blue-collar party,” Cruz said.

While former President Donald Trump currently leads the race, Cruz urged caution when making predictions about the nomination.

“I remember in the 2016 campaign, and at this point in the calendar, Jeb Bush was the dominant favorite,” he noted.

The senator also said he has never seen things as extreme in Washington, D.C., as they are right now, with regard to the Biden administration.

Cruz also offered his support for the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, saying he believed there was direct evidence of Biden accepting bribes.

“The facts are considerable,” he said, pointing to an alleged WhatsApp message sent from Hunter Biden that implied Joe Biden could retaliate against a foreign business contact.

The message has not yet been proven to be authentic and was sent in 2017, when Biden no longer held the office of vice president.

He rejected that it was political or could be compared to the impeachment of Trump, stating he didn’t see any evidence that connected Trump to the crimes he was accused of. Trump has since faced four indictments, including one related to his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, which was also the driving force behind his second impeachment.

Cruz also weighed in on artificial intelligence, warning that the U.S. could lose the AI race if lawmakers pass too many regulations that could inhibit innovation.