DeSantis, Cruz emerge as early winners for ’28…

The fight for the 2028 Republican primary is taking shape after the GOP’s midterm losses, with Vice President Vance facing criticism for blaming the defeats on the Iran war, The Hill reported. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) are seen as having an opening to challenge Vance, who has long been seen as the front-runner to succeed President Trump. Republican strategist Kevin Madden said: “The election results were bad news for every leader across the party, given the scale of the losses, but they were particularly tough for Vance’s 2028 prospects.”

Trump has doubled down in insisting his administration made the right decision to start the war. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said on X: “The problem was not the Iran War. It was the cease fire.” “Vance needs to announce first with the president’s endorsement,” said Republican strategist Susan Del Percio. Cruz also criticized the Trump tariffs and the Iran war for raising costs.