Cruz calls out Trump for not spending on Senate candidates

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is calling out former President Trump for not spending more of his $100 million war chest to boost Republican Senate candidates ahead of next week’s midterm elections.

In an episode of his podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” that aired on Monday, Cruz lamented that Trump had spent “almost none” of his massive cash reserves in key Senate races, arguing that it should be up to the former president to provide crucial air cover for candidates whom he has endorsed.

“I will say by the way I wish Trump was spending some of his money,” Cruz said. “Trump’s got $100 million and he’s spending almost none of it to support these candidates.”

Cruz also accused Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) of withholding critical political dollars from “pro-Trump” candidates, while funneling money into races where “moderates” and Trump critics are running.

“It would be nice if Trump would spend some of that $100 million to help some of these candidates who Mitch is abandoning because they’re pro-Trump,” Cruz said. “Those are the two pockets of money that are there, and right now neither of them are spending in a number of these states. They’re not.”

Cruz’s comments echoed a point of criticism raised by many Republicans for months that Trump hasn’t spent enough to help his preferred candidates at a time when the GOP has a real shot at recapturing control of the Senate.

While Trump hasn’t sat on the sidelines entirely, his involvement in the midterms for much of the past year and a half has mostly consisted of issuing endorsements and holding occasional rallies for politically aligned candidates. Meanwhile, Republican Senate nominees have routinely struggled to keep pace with their Democratic opponents in fundraising.

Republican outside groups have stepped in and ramped up their spending over the past month. That includes a newly formed super PAC backed by Trump called MAGA Inc, which was created to serve as the former president’s primary political vehicle in the final stretch of the midterm campaigns.

Cruz ran against Trump in 2016 for the White House and has hinted strongly that he’s could run again in 2024. The former president, meanwhile, is also openly flirting with another presidential bid.