It's Clear to Me He's Running for President': Conservatives Will Be Elated to Hear Who This Is About

Among the members of the official U.S. delegation to South Africa for Nelson Mandela's memorial service were Democratic Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Elijah Cummings of Maryland, as well as Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) was part of the U.S. delegation to Nelson Mandela's memorial. (Getty Images/Drew Angerer)

Cummings -- the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee opposite GOP Chair Darrell Issa -- had quite the prediction concerning Cruz after speaking with him during the trip.

"It's clear to me he's running for president -- I don’t have any doubt about it," Cummings told The Baltimore Sun.

Which may be why Cruz reportedly "got an earful" from Lewis, Cummings and others about Obamacare during the journey across the Atlantic Ocean, the Sun added.

"I know he got an earful for 20 hours out and he's going to get another earful for 20 hours on the way back," Cummings said.

"I mean it was a very good conversation, nothing negative," Cummings told the Sun during an interview from Johannesburg. "I just reminded him that I'm concerned about the many people in my state and his state who have no health insurance."

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said "it's clear" to him that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is "running for president." (Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla)

Cruz cemented himself in the national spotlight in September when he spoke for 21 hours on the Senate floor to try to stave off the implementation of Obamacare. He was both lauded and criticized for his efforts, criticisms which included blame for the ensuing partial government shutdown in October.

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