Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential bid by leaning into his feud with Tucker Carlson — and staking out turf as a traditional, pro-interventionist Republican.

Why it matters: By poking at Carlson's isolationist foreign policy views, accusing him of antisemitism and more, Cruz is putting himself on a collision course with Vice President Vance, a Carlson ally widely seen as the 2028 GOP frontrunner.

• The senator also is diving into issues that are tearing at President Trump's MAGA movement, namely ideological differences over Israel.
• "We have a responsibility to speak out even when it's uncomfortable," Cruz said in a statement to Axios. "When voices in our own movement push dangerous and misguided ideas, we can't look the other way. I won't hesitate to call out those who peddle destructive, vile rhetoric and threaten our principles and our future. Silence in the face of recklessness is not an option."

The other side: Carlson laughed off Cruz's gambit in a text message to Axios, calling it "hilarious."

• "Good luck," Carlson said. "That's my comment and heartfelt view."

Zoom in: Cruz has been going after Carlson relentlessly in recent weeks, including on his social media feed and in speeches before GOP donors and conservative activists.

• He appeared on Carlson's podcast in June and criticized the host over his opposition to Trump's missile strike on Iran's nuclear weapons facility. He also slammed Carlson over his criticism of Israel's campaign in Gaza and U.S. aid to help Ukraine in its war against Russia.
• "On foreign policy, Tucker has gone bat-crap crazy," Cruz said afterward. "He's gone off the rails."

During the past several weeks, Cruz has accused Carlson of engaging in anti-semitism, blasting him for conducting a friendly interview with white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.

• During a late October speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), Cruz called Carlson a "coward" and "complicit in evil" for his conduct in the Fuentes interview.
• Last week, while speaking to the Federalist Society convention in D.C. this month, Cruz said Carlson had "spread a poison that is profoundly dangerous" when he invited Fuentes, whom the senator called "a little goose-stepping Nazi."
• Some of Cruz's jabs have been echoed by The Daily Wire's Ben Shapiro, who torched Carlson earlier this month over the Fuentes interview, accusing him of polishing abhorrent views conservatives shouldn't embrace.

This week, Cruz plans to address the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly.

What they're saying: Top Republicans say that in challenging Carlson, Cruz is endearing himself to powerful pro-Israel donors who are deeply angered by the podcaster's embrace of Fuentes and worried about the GOP's shift toward isolationism.

• "It's definitely getting noticed," RJC CEO Matt Brooks tells Axios.

• Many of those donors aligned themselves with Nikki Haley, a hawkish former UN ambassador, in her unsuccessful 2024 GOP primary against Trump.

Behind the scenes: Cruz, the runner-up to Trump in the 2016 GOP primary, has been taking steps toward a presidential run.

• He's been hitting the speaker's circuit, including with recent appearances before the Miami-Dade Republican Party and the Maverick PAC, an organization geared toward young conservatives.
• Cruz is set to host a donor retreat next year and has been hosting a top-ranked podcast and syndicated radio show, which has helped him build a formidable network for soliciting small-dollar contributors.
• The senator's chairmanship of the Commerce Committee has given him entree to major financial figures, as has his opposition to Trump's tariff policy.
• Cruz also is endorsing midterm candidates, which could help him win chits for a future run.

Yes, but: Cruz will need to reckon with a Republican primary electorate that has largely abandoned its George W. Bush-era support for an interventionist foreign policy in favor of the more isolationist "America First" approach that Carlson and Vance support.

• Initial polls show Vance as a big favorite in the 2028 GOP primary.
• Some GOP donors may be queasy about crossing the Trump White House and embracing a candidate other than Vance.

Vance — unlike Carlson — has aggressively disavowed Fuentes, calling him a "total loser." Fuentes has made racist comments about Vance's wife, Usha, who is Indian American.