‘It was a bloodbath': Cruz, Carlson feud offers preview of 2028
The ongoing war of words between the two high-profile conservative thought leaders — both of whom have left the door open to a possible 2028 presidential run — could offer a glimpse at what the first Republican presidential primary of the post-Donald Trump era might look like.
'It was a bloodbath,' Cruz said of his appearance on Carlson's podcast on an episode of 'Verdict with Ted Cruz,' the show he hosts. 'The two of us, frankly, beat the living daylights out of each other for two hours straight.'
Carlson and Cruz's contentious conversation — in which both men repeatedly shouted at each other and traded personal insults — revealed fissures on the right between pro-Israel Republicans urging the White House to launch an attack on Iran and conservative isolationists who hope the president will uphold his commitment to keep the U.S. out of foreign conflicts.
On Friday, both insisted on their respective podcasts that the other was leading the U.S. down the wrong path. Carlson said Cruz's ominous warnings of Iran's nuclear capabilities were part of an effort to 'justify American involvement in regime change.'
'[Carlson] has gotten to a place of hardcore isolationism that I think is really dangerous,' Cruz said on his podcast.
Cruz and Carlson's disagreement over the U.S.' policy over the escalating conflict in the Middle East will play out in the coming days. Trump told reporters in New Jersey on Friday he's taking 'a period of time' to decide whether to strike Iran, and that the self-imposed two-week timeframe to launch a strike the White House announced on Thursday would be the 'maximum.'
But the two men may also find themselves in competing lanes of the 2028 Republican presidential primary, where the intraparty debate between war hawks and isolationists could be a fault line for Republican primary voters.
Carlson said he would consider running for president in 2028 in an episode of his podcast last year, while conceding in the same breath, 'I don't think I'd be very good at it.'
'I would do whatever I could to help,' he told fellow conservative podcast host Patrick Bet-David. 'I want to be helpful.'
Cruz, who ran for president against Trump in a bitterly-contested 2016 primary that was punctuated with personal attacks, has not closed the door on a 2028 presidential run.
When asked about the possibility of running in 2028 by POLITICO in April, Cruz said he's focused on delivering legislative victories for Republicans — even as he uses his new post heading the Senate Commerce Committee to put his stamp on the direction of the party.
Perhaps further forecasting another dynamic of the 2028 primary, Trump refused to show a preference for Carlson or Cruz's position, instead offering praise to both men when asked about the interview.
'Tucker is a nice guy. He called and apologized the other day, because he thought he said things that were a little bit too strong, and I appreciated that,' Trump told reporters on Thursday. 'And Ted Cruz is a nice guy. He's been with me for a long time.'
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The Hill
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That's up from $737 million, or $3.25 per share, a year ago, but the results were affected by insurance payments from its 2023 East Palestine derailment and restructuring costs. Without the one-time factors, Norfolk Southern made $3.29 per share, which was just below the $3.31 per share that analysts surveyed by FactSet Research predicted.
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21 minutes ago
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Union Pacific and Norfolk seek 1st transcontinental railroad through a massive merger
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Any deal would be closely scrutinized by antitrust regulators that have set a very high bar for railroad deals after previous consolidation in the industry led to massive backups and snarled traffic. But if the deal is approved, the two remaining major American railroads — BNSF and CSX — will face tremendous pressure to merge so they can compete. The continent's two other major railroads — Canadian National and CPKC — may also get involved. Some big shippers like chemical plants may be wary of the merger because of fears about the monopoly power the combined railroad would wield over rates, but other major rail customers, like Amazon and UPS, may back the deal if it means their packages will arrive more quickly and reliably. Those big companies, along with unions and communities across the country that the railroads cross, will have a chance to weigh in on the deal before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. 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21 minutes ago
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Wiley Nickel exits North Carolina Senate race the day after Roy Cooper announces candidacy
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