SCOTUS, FIFA, Politics
Trump Floats Ted Cruz for Supreme Court, Citing 100 Votes and Unexpected FIFA Praise
Anonymous
Key Points
1
The Cruz Supreme Court nomination discussion occurred during an Oval Office event promoting Trump Accounts, a federal savings program for children, illustrating how the moment was framed within a broader political and policy backdrop rather than a straightforward judicial vacancy briefing.
2
Cruz publicly thanked Trump for getting rid of the Balogun red card, calling the intervention 'spectacular' and noting there was a reason the FIFA trophy sat in the room for so long, highlighting a rare moment of bipartisan optics around an international sports decision.
3
Multiple outlets noted that Trump’s Balogun intervention sparked corruption-era speculation, with reports that Trump pressed FIFA for a review and critics accusing both Trump and FIFA of improper influence over the decision.
4
Trump asserted that Cruz would secure 100 votes for confirmation, claiming that 'All Republicans will vote for him. All Democrats will vote him because they want to get him the hell out of the Senate,' underscoring the jest about easy confirmation and the contrast between intra-party and cross-party dynamics.
President Donald Trump floated nominating Sen. Ted Cruz to the Supreme Court during a White House event, joking that Cruz would sail through confirmation with 100 votes. 'All Republicans will vote for him. All Democrats will vote for him because they want to get him the hell out of the Senate,' Trump said, according to Mediaite.
The remarks came during an Oval Office event promoting 'Trump Accounts,' a new federal savings program for children. Trump called Cruz a 'brilliant lawyer' and suggested the confirmation would be easy — framing the moment as equal parts political theater and genuine praise, per CBS19.
Trump's 100-Vote Quip Lands as Both Joke and Jab
Trump's comments drew immediate attention for their double-edged nature. On the surface, he praised Cruz as a respected legal mind. But the punchline — that Democrats would vote to confirm Cruz simply to remove him from the Senate — landed as a clear shade at the Texas senator's standing among colleagues, Mediaite reported.
Trump has floated Cruz's name before in discussions about potential Supreme Court vacancies. No vacancy currently exists on the Court. Still, the remarks fueled speculation about Cruz's future in Republican politics and whether Trump sees him more as a judge than a senator, according to MEAWW.
Cruz Thanks Trump for Reversing Balogun's Red Card
Cruz's response to Trump's Supreme Court quip was notably warm. He publicly thanked Trump for pressing FIFA to reverse a red card issued to U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun. Cruz called the intervention 'spectacular' and pointed to a FIFA trophy sitting in the Oval Office as a symbol of Trump's sway over the sports world, per MEAWW.
Balogun had received the red card during a recent match. Trump reportedly pushed FIFA directly to review the call. The decision to reverse it drew both applause and sharp criticism. Critics accused Trump and FIFA of improper influence over an officiating decision, raising corruption-era comparisons, according to CBS19.
Bipartisan Optics Mask a Complicated Political Relationship
The exchange between Trump and Cruz was rich with political subtext. The two men famously clashed during the 2016 Republican primary. Trump mocked Cruz relentlessly, calling him 'Lyin' Ted.' Cruz later became one of Trump's staunchest allies in the Senate. Their Oval Office banter signaled how far that relationship has evolved, Mediaite noted.
Cruz did not push back on Trump's Supreme Court suggestion. His warm response — praising Trump's FIFA intervention and standing beside him at the podium — painted a picture of a senator fully inside Trump's orbit. Whether the Supreme Court talk was serious or not, Cruz played along without hesitation, per MEAWW.
What a Cruz Nomination Would Actually Require
Trump's claim that Cruz could win 100 Senate votes is almost certainly an exaggeration. The Senate has 100 members. A simple majority of 51 votes confirms a Supreme Court justice under current rules. No modern nominee has come close to unanimous support. Cruz would still face a full confirmation hearing and a Senate vote, CBS19 noted.
There is also no open seat on the Court right now. All nine justices are sitting. A nomination would only happen if a justice retired, died, or was removed. Trump's comments appear to reflect political signaling rather than an imminent plan, according to MEAWW.
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