Cruz unveils national security team before Trump

By Ryan Lovelace, Ryan Lovelace

Published March 18, 2016

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday unveiled his national security advisory team, which includes a list of headliners such as Elliott Abrams and former Sen. Jim Talent.

Abrams was an assistant secretary of state in the Reagan administration and a deputy national security adviser during George W. Bush's administration who directed much of the president's policy toward the Middle East.

Talent formerly advised Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on their failed presidential campaigns, and said as recently as last week that Rubio was "head and shoulders" above the rest of the Republican field on foreign policy.

"These are trusted friends who will form a core of our broader national security team," Cruz said in a statement. "After two terms of a failed Obama-Clinton foreign policy, our allies are confused and frightened, and our enemies are looking for opportunities. This is the moment for all those who believe in a strong America that is secure at home and respected abroad to come together and craft a new path forward."