Sen. Ted Cruz expands on <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/11/14/sen_ted_cruz_so_pissed_off_about_midterm_results_the_country_is_screwed.html">his lament about the failure of Senate Republicans to take back the majority</a> during an interview with FBN's Stuart Varney. "Leadership elections need to focus on how actually we're going to lead. The pattern of our current leadership has been to give into the Democrats. Just about every big, bad thing that was passed in the last couple of years was passed with all the Democrats and 10 or more Republicans," Cruz said. "The Democrats never do this. When we had Republican majorities, got nothing passed with all the Republicans and a few Democrats." "And yet, for some reason our current leadership thinks it's a good idea to facilitate the destruction that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are doing," he said. "I don't think our voters want that." <blockquote>SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Well, I'll listen and see what he says tonight. I think we accomplished a lot of good things when Donald Trump was president. If he's the nominee, I'll enthusiastically support him. But I also think that we're going to have a process. We're going to have a primary. We're going to have a debate. That's the way the political process works. And I got to say, you were talking just a minute ago about the results in Arizona. I think Kari Lake losing is really frustrating. I think she was a very talented candidate. And if you look at the results across the country, I'm glad - very glad that Republicans retook the House. That will stop some of the damage of what we've seen the last two years. But Stuart, I am frustrated out of my mind that we did not have the kind of election we should have. The American people are really unhappy with the path we're on. The polling shows about 70 percent of Americans know that we're on the wrong path, and yet, unfortunately, the Democrats defied the odds. They held onto the Senate. We lost some races we shouldn't have lost, and I think that means, at least in the United States Senate, we need to change what we're doing. We need strong-principled conservatives in the Senate to stand and lead, to lead as happy warriors, to lead with a smile but with a clear contrast. We need to not roll over and give into disastrous policies from the Democrats, but rather give the voters a clear and meaningful alternative that makes a difference in their lives, around their kitchen table with their family. VARNEY: You're taking aim at Senator Mitch McConnell. I'm reading between the lines here. You're angry that he is still the leader, and that he - you're basically saying that he lost the Senate for the Republicans. Is that what you're saying? CRUZ: Well, in the next 24 hours Senate Republicans will decide whether or not we have leadership elections. Leadership elections right now are scheduled for tomorrow morning. Personally, I think it is insane. It would be nuts for us to have leadership elections now and simply reelect the exact same leadership. For one thing, we don't even know who will be in the Republican conference. We still don't know who's going to win in Georgia. I think it's critically important that Herschel Walker wins in Georgia. I went down and campaigned with him just two days into the runoff. We had a huge rally. Had over 3,000 people come out, but that race is still not decided. It won't be decided until December 6. And we also don't know who the Senator will be from Alaska. That race is still being decided. And so, the case I'm making to my colleagues - and there are about a dozen of us who have made this case - is we need to delay leadership elections until after the Georgia runoff, until after December 6. And importantly, leadership elections need to focus on how actually we're going to lead. The pattern of our current leadership has been to give into the Democrats. Just about every big, bad thing that was passed in the last couple of years was passed with all the Democrats and 10 or more Republicans. You know, Stuart, the Democrats never do this. When we had Republican majorities, got nothing passed with all the Republicans and a few Democrats. And yet, for some reason our current leadership thinks it's a good idea to facilitate the destruction that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are doing. I don't think our voters want that. I think we need to, as Reagan famously put it, paint in bold colors and not pale pastels. VARNEY: We've got a new poll, and it shows Texas Republicans prefer the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, over Donald Trump for 2024. It seems like the fault lines within the Republican Party are over the old guard - and I'm calling Donald Trump the old guard - and the new guard, the Ron DeSantises of this world. Would you agree with that's the way the split shapes out? CRUZ: Oh, I think there'll be lots of discussion. And you know, I get that political conversation right now constantly revolves around Donald Trump. That is what it is. What I'd like us to be talking about is the policies and principles that we're going to champion that are going to help people stop the disasters that are happening, that are going to tackle and stop inflation, that are going to drive gas prices down so families can afford to meet their needs. They're going to stop the out of control crime that is endangering the safety of so many families across this country, and the policies that are going to finally secure the border. I think we need to be a positive, results-oriented party, and we need to present a clear alternative. One of the reasons why I'm unhappy with our current leadership in the Senate is that they believe as a matter of principle that it's better when Republicans don't run on an agenda, that we just run as, well, we're not the Democrats. We're not as bad as those guys. I think that's a mistake. I think we need to have clear, meaningful policies that will make a difference in voters' lives because the way you win elections is you inspire people to show up and vote, and in this last election, unfortunately, Republicans didn't do that.</blockquote>