Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) emphatically said he is not interested in serving on the U.S. Supreme Court, saying he would prefer to remain in politics.
Cruz told Fox News host Sean Hannity that his response to President Trump nominating him to the high court would be “not just no, but h**l no.”
“So look, my answer is not just no, but h**l no. And listen, I don’t say that lightly. I mean, it’s a big deal. The court is an institution I revere,” Cruz told Hannity.
“A principled federal judge stays out of politics and stays out of policy fights,” he added.
Watch below:
Sen @tedcruz Shuts Down Being A Supreme Court Justice
"My answer isn’t just no, but hell no."
"A principled federal judge stays out of politics and stays out of policy fights.”
He's not leaving the fight! pic.twitter.com/sxNIoPpA4e
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) September 1, 2026
Fox News shared further:
Trump has floated Cruz’s name for the Supreme Court in the past, joking he’d be the only nominee to get “100% of the Democrat vote, 100% of the Republican vote” because lawmakers would want to “get him out” of Congress.
ADVERTISEMENTBefore entering politics, Cruz graduated from Princeton University and got his law degree from Harvard Law School. After law school, he clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist and later worked in private practice.
During his conversation with Hannity, Cruz called Trump a “good friend,” despite their rivalry during the 2016 Republican presidential primary. He also said that federal judges typically have to stay out of politics and policy battles.
“I love campaigning, going out on the campaign trail being in the fight,” Cruz said.
“Fighting on things like national security. Fighting on things like Israel. Fighting on things like supporting law enforcement and throwing criminals in jail. I like being in the fight with people,” he continued.
Cruz said the sound he kept hearing if he was confirmed to the Supreme Court was a “jail cell clanging shut.”
Watch below:
“The sound I kept hearing was a jail cell clanging shut.”
Senator Ted Cruz on why the Supreme Court wasn’t for him.
Full episode out tomorrow on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. pic.twitter.com/t2iHpp7nfG
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) August 31, 2026
Cruz recently said “it’s no secret” that he wants to be president.
He finished in second place behind Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
The Texas senator said “time will tell” if he runs for president again.
“It’s No Secret That I Want To Be President” – Republican Senator Says
More from The Texas Tribune:
Cruz is currently promoting a biography he penned about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, released Tuesday, and discussed the 2028 presidential field in an interview on MS NOW about the book.
When asked by MS NOW’s Ali Vitali if the party had coalesced behind Vance, Cruz was quick to disagree.
“Oh no,” he said. “There’s going to be a full discussion about who we are and what we believe.”
As for his participation in that discussion — and potentially in the presidential field — Cruz told Vitali, “There will be time to figure that out. I’ll certainly be part of the discussion, because I care deeply.”
This weekend, Cruz will head to Iowa to campaign with U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, who is running for U.S. Senate. It will be the Texan’s second appearance in the Hawkeye State — a decade after he won the Iowa Caucus — this year. Cruz spoke to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition in May.
Cruz won the Republican nominating contest in 11 states, including Texas, en route to his second place finish in 2016. He ultimately suspended his campaign in early May of that year and endorsed Trump that September.
As the GOP considers what kind of platform it wants to adopt after a decade of Trump as its standard bearer, Cruz said he sees two axes in which the party must debate its identity — economic and foreign policy.
What are your thoughts?
