Sen. Ted Cruz is fueling speculation that he'll announce a presidential run as soon as Monday, billing an appearance at the private Liberty University as the venue for an "important speech."
"You're going to want to be there," the Texas Republican told the
Daily Beast.
Aides to Cruz wouldn't divulge any details Friday, but the speech's timing would be "right for getting somewhat ahead of the curve on announcing a White House run, at least among senators,"
Roll Call reports.
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul is expected to make his own announcement in Louisville on April 7, Roll Call notes.
Cruz won his Senate race in 2012 and has strong support from the hard-line conservative wing of the Republican Party. He's also one of the most outspoken critics of
Obamacare.
"This is an amazingly talented fellow. Tons of energy," Bruce Buchanan, a professor of political science at the University of Texas at Austin, told the
International Business Times.
"But he's at this moment almost more of a message politician in that he has a point of view but not an extraordinary base of support outside the state of Texas, where he is quite popular."
"He hasn't displayed the ability yet nor had the opportunity to display the willingness to build coalitions toward the center right now, and that's what he'll have to do to move to a position of greater credibility," Buchanan said.
Cruz also
spoke at the Christian university in Virginia last April.
"For a nation that was founded by pilgrims fleeing religious oppression, how, through the looking glass, have we gone that the federal government is now litigating against our citizens trying to force us to violate our faith?" Cruz asked at the time, Roll Call reports .
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