During his first two Senate terms, Ted Cruz has earned his reputation as a bombastic culture warrior, taking special pleasure in provoking the libs as well as colleagues in his own party. (Famously, former House Speaker John Boehner once called him “Lucifer in the flesh.”) But like the rest of the G.O.P. of late, he has tended to be in lockstep with Donald Trump—which is why his recent independent streak has been so noteworthy. First, earlier this year, he warned that Trump’s signature tariffs could “hurt jobs and hurt America.” And in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder, he criticized both A.G. Pam Bondi, for suggesting she’d prosecute hate speech, and F.C.C. Chair Brendan Carr, for threatening broadcasters over Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks on the shooting.