Trump Floats Ted Cruz for Supreme Court, Jokes He'd Get '100%' Bipartisan Vote

President says putting Cruz on the bench would 'solve that problem' of getting him out of Congress

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

President Donald Trump joked about nominating Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the Supreme Court, saying he would get 100% of the Democratic and Republican votes because lawmakers would want to 'get him out' of Congress. Trump praised Cruz as a 'very talented guy' but also called him a 'pain in the a--'.

Why it matters

Trump's comments about Cruz highlight the ongoing political tensions between the two Republican leaders, who were rivals in the 2016 presidential primary. Putting Cruz on the Supreme Court would remove him from the Senate, where he has been a vocal conservative critic of the president at times.

The details

During a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas, Trump floated the idea of nominating Cruz to the Supreme Court, joking that he would get unanimous bipartisan support because lawmakers would want to 'get him out' of Congress. Trump praised Cruz as a 'very talented guy' but also called him a 'pain in the a--'. Cruz has argued nine cases before the Supreme Court and was previously the Solicitor General of Texas.

  • On February 28, 2026, President Trump made the comments about potentially nominating Sen. Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States.

Ted Cruz

A Republican senator from Texas who previously ran against Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We have a senator who's really an amazing guy. I'm thinking about putting him in the Supreme Court. … Getting these nominations through is very tough, and he's the only guy I know who'll get 100% of the Democrat vote, 100% of the Republican vote. They want to get him out of there.”

— Donald Trump, President of the United States (foxnews.com)

“He is such a pain in the a--, but he's so good and so talented. If we ever had a problem, I just pick Ted. That would solve that problem. … He's a great guy, and he's a very talented guy too — smart.”

— Donald Trump, President of the United States (foxnews.com)

What’s next

It is unclear if President Trump will actually nominate Sen. Cruz to the Supreme Court. Any such nomination would require confirmation by the Senate.

The takeaway

Trump's comments about Cruz highlight the ongoing political tensions between the two Republican leaders, who were rivals in the 2016 presidential primary. Putting Cruz on the Supreme Court would remove him from the Senate, where he has been a vocal conservative critic of the president at times.