'Pathetic' Ted Cruz Facing Heavy Scrutiny From Critics After He Brands Trump a 'Genius' For Insulting Him
Ted Cruz is facing the wrath of social media after praising Trump for insulting him.
Sept. 18 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
Ted Cruz's praise of President Trump's name-calling as "instinctual genius" has drawn mockery from online critics, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Critics did not hold back their reactions to the senator's compliments of Trump, a former foe who is now a one-sided ally.
Ted Cruz Labels Trump a 'Genius'
Trump and Cruz were once foes, before the Texas senator did a 180.
During his appearance on Miranda Devine's Pod Force One podcast, Cruz, 55, praised Trump’s strategy of attacking him during the 2016 campaign, saying, "the man has an instinctual genius."
He specifically said Trump's "Lyin' Ted" nickname was "politically very effective."
When Trump and Cruz were political opponents during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Trump repeatedly called him "Lyin' Ted," attacked Cruz's wife, Heidi, and promoted an unsubstantiated claim that Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, was the man pictured with Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy.
Fact-checkers found no evidence that the man in the photograph was Cruz's dad.
Critics Go Off on Ted Cruz: 'He Lacks Any Shame'
The two duked it out during the 2016 election, with Trump branding Cruz, 'Lying' Ted.'
Cruz called Trump a "pathological liar" in response and described him as "a narcissist at a level I don’t think this country has ever seen."
Nearly a decade later, Cruz, who has continued to discuss his presidential ambitions and has not ruled out a 2028 run, is serving alongside Trump in the Senate.
Following his podcast comments, critics were quick to call out Cruz, with some branding him "pathetic."
“Little Ted proving daily what a spineless little b---- he is,” one user wrote. Another said, "I know Ted lacks any shame, but I'm embarrassed for his kids."
A user added, "Imagine someone talking s--- about your wife to no end, and this is how you speak about the man that did it?"
Ted Cruz for President?
Cruz has since ended up working alongside Trump, and praising the president.
As Radar previously reported, Cruz’s 2016 Republican nomination campaign was filled with missteps, both literally and figuratively, including when his running mate Carly Fiorina fell off the stage at a campaign rally in Indiana while he continued greeting supporters.
If Cruz does enter the 2028 Republican presidential race, he could find himself competing for the nomination alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, two Republicans who have been discussed as potential successors to Trump.
The Daily Beast has reported that Cruz has been quietly sounding out staffers about a potential 2028 campaign while also making public comments challenging the idea that Vance has the nomination locked up.
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Cruz could potentially run for president in 2028.
Cruz has also made clear that he wants the Republican primary to be an open contest. On Pod Force One, he said, "I think we are going to have a full and vigorous primary and discussion," before adding, "President Trump is a unique historical figure. I'm going to say right now, there is no Donald Trump on the horizon to succeed."
Cruz has previously said, "It is no secret that I want to be president," but he has stopped short of confirming a 2028 campaign.
When asked directly whether he intends to run, Cruz said, "Time will tell." He later said the time to discuss a possible campaign would be after the 2026 midterms.
