Trump Floats Ted Cruz For Supreme Court 2026 | Image by Maxim Elramsisy/Shutterstock
President Donald Trump is reportedly mulling over the idea of appointing U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to the Supreme Court during a speech in Corpus Christi on Friday.
While discussing energy independence on February 27, Trump mentioned Cruz as a potential Supreme Court nominee, prompting applause from the crowd.
“We have a senator who’s really an amazing guy, I’m thinking about putting him on the Supreme Court,” Trump said. “Getting these nominations through is very tough. He’s the only guy I know – he’ll get 100% of the Democrat vote, 100% of the Republican vote.”
Trump said Democrats want to get Cruz out of the Senate because “he is such a pain in the ass.”
“He’s so good and so talented – Ted Cruz,” Trump said. “He’s a great guy. He’s a very talented guy too; smart.”
Cruz has served as a Republican senator from Texas since 2013. He lives near Houston, and prior to his legislative career, he had an extensive legal background.
He obtained his undergraduate degree in Public Policy from Princeton University in 1992 and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1995. He then worked as a law clerk to then-Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He also served as the associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice, then as the Texas solicitor general from 2003 to 2008.
Supreme Court justices serve terms for life. Justice Clarence Thomas is currently the oldest member on the bench, and he adheres to a strict philosophy of originalism, which, according to the National Constitution Center, interprets the Constitution as written and intended by the framers.
When Thomas vacates the seat, the President must appoint a replacement, whom the Senate must confirm.
Cruz has gained a reputation for the same originalist philosophy as Thomas, with Vox labeling him in 2016 “arguably the national politician most closely identified with originalism.” If appointed, he could carry forth Thomas’ judicial philosophy.
During the rest of his remarks, Trump lauded America’s economic rebound under his administration.
He invited Texas oil workers on stage and highlighted the new Trump Accounts, which offer a $1,000 investment fund to every American child. As The Dallas Express reported, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently visited Addison, Texas, to promote the program.
Ahead of the remarks, Trump declined to answer questions about a potential strike on Iran, but signaled he was “not happy” with negotiations so far. As The Dallas Express reported, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee directed embassy staff on February 27 to leave Israel as soon as possible.