Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, says his presidential ambitions have not disappeared, acknowledging this week that he still wants to occupy the White House while declining to say whether he will enter the 2028 Republican primary, as reported by the New York Post.

Cruz made the comments Wednesday during an interview on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's podcast, just days after arguing that the Republican Party is not prepared to simply hand its next presidential nomination to Vice President JD Vance.

“It’s no secret that I want to be president,” Cruz said.

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When asked whether he intended to make another run for the White House, Cruz did not provide a direct answer.

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“Time will tell,” the senator said.

Cruz, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, suggested that presidential ambitions can be difficult for politicians to abandon once they have taken hold.

“I will say, this is a bug that history has proved is rarely ended,” Cruz said. “It is a permanent and often fatal bug.”

The Texas senator's comments came after an interview Monday with MS NOW host Ali Vitali, during which Cruz pushed back against the idea that Republicans have already settled on Vance as President Donald Trump's successor.

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“Oh, no – there is going to be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe,” Cruz said.

“I’ll certainly be part of the discussion,” he added.

Cruz argued that Republicans should have a significant debate before selecting their next presidential nominee.

He said one major question will involve the party's foreign policy direction and whether Republicans want to become “an isolationist party that withdraws from the world or do we believe in American leadership.”

The Texas Republican also said the GOP will face an economic debate over whether it remains “a small-government, free-market conservative party” or moves toward becoming a “big-government, nanny-state party.”

Cruz's comments add another potential name to what could become a crowded Republican field in 2028.

Vance is widely viewed as an early favorite to seek the presidency after serving as Trump's vice president, although he has said he will not make a decision about a potential campaign until after the midterm elections.

The prospect of a Cruz-Vance contest could also put the future direction of the Republican Party at the center of a competitive primary.

Cruz has made clear that he does not believe the nomination should simply be treated as a coronation for any one candidate.

President Trump has also mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a possible part of the Republican Party's future presidential ticket.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose current term ends in January, is also believed to be considering another presidential campaign after his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in 2024.

For Cruz, the immediate answer remains that “Time will tell.”

But after openly acknowledging that he still wants to be president, the Texas senator has made one thing clear: the 2028 conversation may have another serious participant.

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