Cruz said in March the Iran war wouldn't drag on. After the midterms he says it did

The day after the Nov. 3 midterm election, Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, posted a message more than 30 paragraphs long. He called his party's losses "a Watergate-level repudiation." He also pointed to two reasons for it, writing that tariffs had made everything too expensive and that the Iran war had gone on too long ¹.

Tariffs have made everything too expensive, and the Iran war has dragged on too long

USA Today wrote that the post put distance between Cruz and "a war Trump defended throughout the midterm campaign" ³. Cruz's own record shows the distance runs back to him as well. In March he said publicly that the war would be short. He also says he pressed the president to start it ⁵⁶.

Then: 'Do not miss this opportunity'

The war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, 2026 ¹¹. The next day, Cruz told CBS's "Face the Nation" that he had advised the president the Iranian regime was weaker than ever and close to collapse, and that the moment had come ⁷.

My advice was do not miss this opportunity.

On March 27, Fox News reported Cruz's account that he rode with Trump on Air Force One the day before the strikes. He said he spent most of that day with the president, one on one, talking about whether to attack or keep negotiating. "I said, I don't think there's anything to negotiate," Cruz recalled. He also said the U.S. was "unquestionably winning the war" ⁶.

From Channel GOPJames Talarico on his Texas win and mandateJames Talarico · 139 plays · captioned, with the source named

Then: 'Not a many-month' war, and a 'temporary spike' in oil

On March 9, oil had climbed above $100 a barrel and gasoline and diesel prices were rising fast. Cruz went on CNBC's "Squawk Box" and waved off talk of a long war ⁵.

I don't think there's any possibility that this becomes a long, protracted military engagement.

He said "Iran is not Iraq" and "It is certainly possible this lasts a couple more weeks," adding, "but I don't think we're looking at a many-month or many-year engagement." About the cost at the pump, he said: "In terms of the oil prices, we've seen a temporary spike. I don't think it will be extended." He predicted the war would put "downward pressure on oil prices" over time ⁵.

That didn't happen. Brent crude, the global benchmark price for oil, reached $120 a barrel in March and April. It stayed near $115 in the weeks before the election, then dropped to $93.82 on Nov. 5, after traders began expecting fewer strikes on Iran ¹¹.

In between: against the deal, and against the off-ramp

In late May, Trump described an emerging deal to end the war. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea lane that much of the world's oil passes through, and hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Cruz objected on X on May 23. He wrote that if the result was a regime still chanting "death to America," "now receiving billions of dollars," and able to enrich uranium, "then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake" ⁸.

To be fair to Cruz, he was objecting to the deal's terms, not saying the war should go on forever ⁸. Still, in June he said on his podcast, "I believe President Trump is getting very poor advice on Iran" ⁹. That same month, the Senate voted 50-48 to pass a war powers resolution, a measure meant to make the president get Congress's approval to keep fighting. Only four Republicans voted for it: Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy ⁹.

It should have been brief, decisive and over. It needs to end.

In July, the administration told Congress that military action had restarted. On Sept. 24, the Senate's last chance to weigh in before the midterms, a new war powers measure failed 49-50. The four Republicans who voted to advance it were Collins, Murkowski, Paul and Thom Tillis. Cruz was not among them ¹⁰. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at the time that voters felt "voter fatigue" over high gas and diesel prices ¹⁰.

Now: 'It needs to end'

Since the election, Cruz has been talking about costs. "Food is too high, gas is too high, diesel is too high, insurance is too high, life is too high," he said on his podcast. "Too many Republican politicians seemed like they didn't understand or they didn't care" ².

Texas Democrats won every statewide race on the ballot. That includes James Talarico, who won the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn ¹³. "As we sit here today, I am the only statewide elected Republican who remains in Texas," Cruz said ⁴. Talarico described the result this way: "This was about Texans across the political spectrum demanding change" ¹.

Democrats had warned about the war's cost for months. Before the June vote, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the war would "go down in the history books as one of the worst foreign policy forays America has ever made" ⁹. Experts estimated the war's total cost at close to $100 billion, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Congress for about $80 billion more ⁹.

Time after time, the vast majority of Senate Republicans sided with Trump and his war instead of the American people

The pattern

That matters because Cruz is openly considering a run for president in 2028 ³. He is not the only Republican rewriting his record. After the losses, Vice President JD Vance wrote, "The reason we lost is the war" ⁴. But Cruz's March promises are on tape. He said there was no chance of a long war and called the oil spike temporary. Eight months of high gas and diesel prices later, he is now saying what Democrats had said all along ⁵².

The Record

1. Feb 28, 2026The United States and Israel launch strikes on Iran, starting the war ¹¹.
2. Mar 9, 2026Cruz says there is no possibility of a long, protracted war and calls the oil price jump a temporary spike ⁵.
3. May 23, 2026Cruz says on X that the outcome of Trump's emerging deal to end the war would be a disastrous mistake ⁸.
4. Sep 24, 2026A Senate war powers measure fails 49-50. Cruz is not among the four Republicans who vote to advance it ¹⁰.
5. Nov 4, 2026After the midterms, Cruz writes that the Iran war has dragged on too long and calls the results a Watergate-level repudiation ¹.

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<h2>Cruz said in March the Iran war wouldn&#39;t drag on. After the midterms he says it did</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Receipts Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/cruz-said-in-march-the-iran-war-wouldn-t-drag-on-after-the-midterms-he-says-it-did">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 8, 2026.</em></p> <p>The day after the Nov. 3 midterm election, Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, posted a message more than 30 paragraphs long. He called his party&#39;s losses &quot;a Watergate-level repudiation.&quot; He also pointed to two reasons for it, writing that tariffs had made everything too expensive and that the Iran war had gone on too long .</p> <blockquote><p>Tariffs have made everything too expensive, and the Iran war has dragged on too long</p><p>&mdash; Ted Cruz, U.S. senator, R-Texas, in a post after the midterms</p></blockquote> <p>USA Today wrote that the post put distance between Cruz and &quot;a war Trump defended throughout the midterm campaign&quot; . Cruz&#39;s own record shows the distance runs back to him as well. In March he said publicly that the war would be short. He also says he pressed the president to start it .</p> <h2>Then: &#39;Do not miss this opportunity&#39;</h2> <p>The war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, 2026 . The next day, Cruz told CBS&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation&quot; that he had advised the president the Iranian regime was weaker than ever and close to collapse, and that the moment had come .</p> <blockquote><p>My advice was do not miss this opportunity.</p><p>&mdash; Ted Cruz, U.S. senator, R-Texas, on Face the Nation, March 1, 2026</p></blockquote> <p>On March 27, Fox News reported Cruz&#39;s account that he rode with Trump on Air Force One the day before the strikes. He said he spent most of that day with the president, one on one, talking about whether to attack or keep negotiating. &quot;I said, I don&#39;t think there&#39;s anything to negotiate,&quot; Cruz recalled. He also said the U.S. was &quot;unquestionably winning the war&quot; .</p> <h2>Then: &#39;Not a many-month&#39; war, and a &#39;temporary spike&#39; in oil</h2> <p>On March 9, oil had climbed above $100 a barrel and gasoline and diesel prices were rising fast. Cruz went on CNBC&#39;s &quot;Squawk Box&quot; and waved off talk of a long war .</p> <blockquote><p>I don&#39;t think there&#39;s any possibility that this becomes a long, protracted military engagement.</p><p>&mdash; Ted Cruz, U.S. senator, R-Texas, on CNBC, March 9, 2026</p></blockquote> <p>He said &quot;Iran is not Iraq&quot; and &quot;It is certainly possible this lasts a couple more weeks,&quot; adding, &quot;but I don&#39;t think we&#39;re looking at a many-month or many-year engagement.&quot; About the cost at the pump, he said: &quot;In terms of the oil prices, we&#39;ve seen a temporary spike. I don&#39;t think it will be extended.&quot; He predicted the war would put &quot;downward pressure on oil prices&quot; over time .</p> <p>That didn&#39;t happen. Brent crude, the global benchmark price for oil, reached $120 a barrel in March and April. It stayed near $115 in the weeks before the election, then dropped to $93.82 on Nov. 5, after traders began expecting fewer strikes on Iran .</p> <h2>In between: against the deal, and against the off-ramp</h2> <p>In late May, Trump described an emerging deal to end the war. Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea lane that much of the world&#39;s oil passes through, and hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Cruz objected on X on May 23. He wrote that if the result was a regime still chanting &quot;death to America,&quot; &quot;now receiving billions of dollars,&quot; and able to enrich uranium, &quot;then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake&quot; .</p> <p>To be fair to Cruz, he was objecting to the deal&#39;s terms, not saying the war should go on forever . Still, in June he said on his podcast, &quot;I believe President Trump is getting very poor advice on Iran&quot; . That same month, the Senate voted 50-48 to pass a war powers resolution, a measure meant to make the president get Congress&#39;s approval to keep fighting. Only four Republicans voted for it: Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy .</p> <blockquote><p>It should have been brief, decisive and over. It needs to end.</p><p>&mdash; Ted Cruz, U.S. senator, R-Texas, on his podcast after the midterms</p></blockquote> <p>In July, the administration told Congress that military action had restarted. On Sept. 24, the Senate&#39;s last chance to weigh in before the midterms, a new war powers measure failed 49-50. The four Republicans who voted to advance it were Collins, Murkowski, Paul and Thom Tillis. Cruz was not among them . Senate Majority Leader John Thune said at the time that voters felt &quot;voter fatigue&quot; over high gas and diesel prices .</p> <h2>Now: &#39;It needs to end&#39;</h2> <p>Since the election, Cruz has been talking about costs. &quot;Food is too high, gas is too high, diesel is too high, insurance is too high, life is too high,&quot; he said on his podcast. &quot;Too many Republican politicians seemed like they didn&#39;t understand or they didn&#39;t care&quot; .</p> <p>Texas Democrats won every statewide race on the ballot. That includes James Talarico, who won the Senate seat held by Republican John Cornyn . &quot;As we sit here today, I am the only statewide elected Republican who remains in Texas,&quot; Cruz said . Talarico described the result this way: &quot;This was about Texans across the political spectrum demanding change&quot; .</p> <p>Democrats had warned about the war&#39;s cost for months. Before the June vote, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the war would &quot;go down in the history books as one of the worst foreign policy forays America has ever made&quot; . Experts estimated the war&#39;s total cost at close to $100 billion, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Congress for about $80 billion more .</p> <blockquote><p>Time after time, the vast majority of Senate Republicans sided with Trump and his war instead of the American people</p><p>&mdash; Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic leader, D-New York</p></blockquote> <h2>The pattern</h2> <p>That matters because Cruz is openly considering a run for president in 2028 . He is not the only Republican rewriting his record. After the losses, Vice President JD Vance wrote, &quot;The reason we lost is the war&quot; . But Cruz&#39;s March promises are on tape. He said there was no chance of a long war and called the oil spike temporary. Eight months of high gas and diesel prices later, he is now saying what Democrats had said all along .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/cruz-said-in-march-the-iran-war-wouldn-t-drag-on-after-the-midterms-he-says-it-did">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/cruz-said-in-march-the-iran-war-wouldn-t-drag-on-after-the-midterms-he-says-it-did.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News Texas, “Sen. Ted Cruz calls midterm outcome a "Watergate-level repudiation" as Democrat James Talarico wins Senate race” (2026-11-04). cbsnews.com/texas/news/sen-ted-cruz-midterm-results-talarico
2. Newsweek, “Ted Cruz is Lonely in Texas: 'The Radicals Are In Charge'” (2026-11-05). newsweek.com/ted-cruz-speaks-out-after-midterm-loses-1266759
3. USA Today (via Yahoo News), “Ted Cruz confronts 'Watergate-level repudiation' with eye on 2028” (2026-11-05). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/ted-cruz-confronts-watergat
4. ABC News, “'Extinction-level event,' 'blue tsunami': How Republicans eyeing 2028 are taking midterm losses” (2026-11-05). abcnews.com/Politics/extinction-level-event-blue-tsunami-rep
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6. Fox News, “Sen Ted Cruz says 'we're unquestionably winning the war' with Iran” (2026-03-27). foxnews.com/politics/cruz-says-trumps-move-strike-iran-most-
7. CBS News, “Transcript: Sen. Ted Cruz on "Face the Nation," March 1, 2026” (2026-03-01). cbsnews.com/news/ted-cruz-texas-republican-face-the-nation-t
8. Fortune / AP, “Trump's Iran ceasefire deal draws Republican criticism from Cruz, Wicker, Graham” (2026-05-24). fortune.com/2026/05/24/trump-us-iran-ceasefire-deal-republic
9. PBS NewsHour / AP, “Senate for 1st time approves war powers resolution to halt Iran conflict” (2026-06-23). pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-again-set-to-vote-on-war-po
10. CBS News, “Iran war powers measure falls short in Senate, despite new GOP support” (2026-09-24). cbsnews.com/news/senate-iran-war-powers-resolution-vote/
11. Al Jazeera, “Vance eyes 2028 reset, as Republicans mull pivot after US midterms drubbing” (2026-11-05). aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/5/vance-eyes-2028-reset-as-republ

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