In a recent taping of his podcast on the campus of Texas A&M University, Senator Ted Cruz really went there. A member of the audience asked the conservative firebrand whether he favored Texas leaving the United States, and while he didn’t embrace it “yet,” it was also clearly still on the table for him.

Saying that he understood “the sentiment behind the question,” Cruz insisted that he wasn’t quite on board yet.

I think Texas has a responsibility to the country. And I’m not ready to give up on America. I love this country … Texas is, right now, an amazing force keeping America from going off the cliff. Keeping America grounded on the values that built this country.

After the nationwide backlash to the Texas abortion ban, I think Ted might want to examine what he thinks those values are. But no sooner had he finished assuring listeners that he wasn’t ready to pack up his American flag lapel pin in favor of a Lone Star one than he launched into a list of reasons that he might actually come around to the idea.

Now listen, if the Democrats end the filibuster, if they fundamentally destroy the country, if they pack the Supreme Court, if they make DC a state, if they federalize elections and massively expand voter fraud, there may come a point where it’s hopeless. We’re not there yet.

Notably, all of those conditions have to do with expanding poll access and actually getting legislation done, something that all Republicans know spells doom for them in elections.

And as Cruz waxed on about all the things Texas would “take with them” should they secede from the Union, like NASA and oil production, a guest on the show asked if he would be taking Texas native Joe Rogan — of recent ivermectin fame — with them as well:

Joe Rogan?! He might be the president of Texas!

Big, big yikes, Ted.

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