U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is making clear that he’s not interested in serving on the U.S. Supreme Court, despite President Donald Trump recently naming him to a group of potential nominees.
When Trump announced Cruz as part of the 20-name list Wednesday, the senator issued a statement suggesting he was satisfied with remaining in Congress. He more explicitly said he wasn't interested during a Fox News interview Sunday.
Recommended Videos
"Do you want the job?" host Maria Bartiromo asked.
“I don’t," Cruz responded. "It is deeply honoring, it’s humbling to be included in the list … but it’s not the desire of my heart. I want to be in the political fight."
Cruz, the former solicitor general of Texas, has been mentioned before as a possible Supreme Court pick, and he's given a similar answer. He also said in 2016 that serving on the high court was "not the desire of my heart."
Trump also named a second Texan, James Ho, to his list of potential Supreme Court picks. Ho is a judge on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and former Texas solicitor general.
Cruz has written a book about the Supreme Court that is due out Oct. 6. Cruz promoted the book Monday as part of a tweet where he said Democrats were trying to “steal” the presidential race, responding to the newly reported formation of a legal operation focused on ensuring the integrity of the November election.
Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.