Cracks within the Donald Trump administration came into the spotlight after an audio recording of Senator Ted Cruz surfaced, in which he openly criticised Vice President JD Vance and, at times, even President Trump. Cruz, a Texas Republican, slammed Trump’s tariff-driven trade policies and blamed Vance, White House adviser Peter Navarro, and occasionally the President himself for blocking the India-US trade deal, according to an Axios report.
The nearly 10-minute recordings, reportedly provided by a Republican source, were made in early to mid-2025 and capture Cruz speaking to private donors. In the conversations, Cruz presents himself as a traditional free-trade, pro-interventionist Republican, positioning for a potential 2028 primary challenge against the less hawkish Vance.
Disagreement Over Trump Tariffs
Cruz ridiculed President Trump’s trade policy, warning donors that US tariffs could harm the economy and even lead to the President’s impeachment. He said that after Trump introduced the tariffs in early April 2025, he and a few other senators held a call with the President urging him to reconsider.
The call, which stretched past midnight, reportedly did not go well. Cruz said Trump “yelled” at them and “cursed” them. “Trump was in a bad mood,” Cruz told donors. “I’ve been in conversations where he was very happy. This was not one of them.”
Cruz also recounted warning Trump: “Mr. President, if we get to November of 2026 and people’s 401(k)s are down 30 per cent and prices are up 10–20 per cent at the supermarket, we’re going into Election Day facing a bloodbath. You’re going to lose the House, you’re going to lose the Senate, and you’ll spend the next two years being impeached every single week.”
Trump’s reported response, according to Cruz: “F**k you, Ted.”
When a questioner mentioned “Liberation Day”—Trump’s branding for the tariff announcement—Cruz joked, “I’ve told my team if anyone uses those words, they will be terminated on the spot. That is not language we use.”
India-US Trade Deal
Cruz also spoke about “battling” the White House to approve a trade agreement with India. When asked who in the administration was resistant, he named White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, Vance, and “sometimes” Trump.
JD Vance Adversary
In the recording, Cruz portrayed Vance as a protégé of conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson, accusing him of advancing Carlson’s anti-interventionist foreign policy. “Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker’s protege, and they are one and the same,” Cruz said.
Cruz has been engaged in a months-long campaign against Carlson on social media but has avoided publicly linking him to Vance, who are reportedly friends. (Agencies)
