Ted Cruz said Texas might secede if 'things become hopeless' in the US and joked that Joe Rogan could be the state's president

• Sen. Ted Cruz said Texas could secede from the US if Democrats "fundamentally destroy" the country.
• Cruz said if things were to become "hopeless," Texas should "take" NASA, the military, and its oil.

Sen. Ted Cruz said Texas could secede from the US if Democrats "fundamentally destroy the country."

Cruz was speaking at an event at Texas A&M in October when an audience member asked him about his views on secession. Cruz said he wasn't "there yet" when it came to the question of whether Texas should secede but understood the sentiment behind the question.

"I think Texas has a responsibility to the country, and I'm not ready to give up on America," Cruz said. "I love this country."

After going on to further praise Texas, he added: "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, and if there comes a point where it's hopeless, then I think we take NASA, we take the military, we take the oil," he continued, prompting applause.

Cruz also joked that the conservative podcaster Joe Rogan could be the president of Texas if it were to become independent from the US. Cruz didn't elaborate on the suggestion, but the podcast host owns a multimillion-dollar property in Austin, and, in July 2020, when Rogan's move to Texas was announced, Cruz extended a warm welcome on Twitter.

Rogan has not publicly responded to Cruz's suggestion that he be made president of Texas. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There is a so-called Texit movement seeking to make Texas an independent nation. The website of the Texas Nationalist Movement says its mission is to "secure and protect the political, cultural, and economic independence of the nation of Texas and to restore and protect a constitutional Republic and the inherent rights of the people of Texas." The movement says on its website that it has more than 420,000 supporters.

The movement is organizing a campaign to "force the Texit question on the primary ballot in Spring 2022." The organization is calling for supporters to donate to the cause and sign a petition to have the question "Should the State of Texas reassert its status as an independent nation?" placed on the primary ballot next year.

In February, the Texas GOP even moved to endorse legislation to allow residents of the state to vote on whether to secede from the US.