Cruz breaks with Trump on key endorsements as 2028 looms

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is staking out his independence from President Trump ahead of a possible 2028 run for the White House, backing rivals to Trump-endorsed candidates in two high-profile Republican primaries.

Why it matters: Cruz is testing whether there's room in the Republican Party for a 2028 contender willing to break with a president who's maintained an iron grip on the party for the last decade.

State of play: Cruz this week announced he was backing Rick Jackson for Georgia governor and Alan Wilson in South Carolina's race for governor.

• Jackson, a wealthy health care executive, faces Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia's June 16 runoff.
• Wilson, South Carolina's attorney general, is up against running Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in a runoff taking place on June 23.
• Cruz appears to be the only potential 2028 GOP contender to publicly side against Trump in either race, underscoring how reluctant other ambitious Republicans are to cross the president.

Yes, but: Cruz' endorsements carry political risk. If Jones and Evette win, Cruz could face Trump's wrath — likely complicating his 2028 prospects.

Zoom in: As he lays the groundwork for a 2028 bid for president, Cruz has identified a few key policy areas where he's willing to break with Trump's White House.

• The senator privately told donors last year that Trump's tariffs would damage the economy and potentially cost Republicans control of Congress, Axios first reported in January.
• In talks with donors Cruz also has trashed Vice President Vance — another potential 2028 presidential candidate who could run with Trump's support. Cruz has accused Vance of wrongly advancing an anti-interventionist foreign policy.

Flashback: Cruz was Trump's final major rival in the 2016 Republican primary and has spent the years since navigating the tension between his own presidential ambitions and loyalty to Trump.

Behind the scenes: The Texas Republican has been taking steps to prepare for a 2028 run.

• He's been giving high-profile speeches and is hosting a podcast and syndicated radio show, which has given him entree to small donors who could be helpful in a future campaign.
• He also has repeatedly savaged podcaster and Vance ally Tucker Carlson, whom he has accused of promoting antisemitism and an anti-Israel foreign policy.
• By endorsing Wilson in South Carolina, Cruz is building a relationship with a potentially influential ally in a traditional early primary state.

Between the lines: By breaking with Trump in key primaries, Cruz is challenging a central pillar of the president's political brand: His reputation as the GOP's kingmaker.

• Trump has long viewed primary endorsements as a measure of his influence inside the Republican Party.
• So far this cycle, Trump-backed candidates have won every federal or statewide primary except one: Rep. Randy Feenstra, who lost the GOP primary for Iowa governor.

What they're saying: "Ted Cruz attempting to undermine the president in primaries is a curious way to try to help his 2028 bid," a source close to the White House told Axios.

• A Cruz representative did not respond to a request for comment.