A leaked audio recording has revealed significant divisions within the Trump administration, showing US Senator Ted Cruz openly criticising Vice President JD Vance, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, and at times even President Donald Trump, for delaying a proposed trade agreement with India.
The recording, reported by Axios, is nearly 10 minutes long and captures Cruz speaking candidly to private donors during meetings held in early and mid-2025.
US Senator Ted Cruz Criticises Trade Stalemate
In the audio, Cruz sharply criticises the administration’s focus on tariffs, saying that resistance from senior officials repeatedly blocked progress on the India-US trade deal.
The Texas Republican, long a supporter of free trade, told donors he had “battled” the White House to push the agreement forward. When asked who was obstructing efforts, he named Navarro, Vance, and “sometimes” President Trump himself.
Rift Over Tariffs
Cruz ridiculed Trump’s tariff policies and warned that broad import duties could harm the US economy and have serious political consequences. He recalled a late-night call with Trump and other Republican senators shortly after the April 2025 tariff announcements, during which they urged the President to reconsider.
He described the discussion as tense, saying, “Trump was in a bad mood,” and added that the President “yelled” and used profanity. Cruz warned that prolonged economic fallout could hurt the 2026 midterms, citing potential drops in retirement savings and rising grocery prices. Trump reportedly dismissed these concerns with an expletive-laden response.
Cruz also mocked Trump’s label of the tariff rollout as “Liberation Day,” joking that he had instructed his staff never to use the term.
Criticism of Vice President JD Vance
Cruz’s comments extended beyond trade policy, repeatedly targeting Vice President JD Vance. He described Vance as closely aligned with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, whom Cruz has accused of promoting antisemitic views and an isolationist foreign policy.
“Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker’s protégé, and they are one and the same,” Cruz said, accusing Vance of advancing Carlson’s anti-interventionist agenda.
Although Cruz has actively criticised Carlson online in recent months, he had generally avoided publicly linking those criticisms to Vance, who maintains a personal relationship with the podcaster.
