Cracks have emerged within the Donald Trump administration following the surfacing of audio recordings featuring Republican Senator Ted Cruz. The Texas lawmaker openly criticised Vice President JD Vance, White House adviser Peter Navarro, and at times even President Trump himself.

These recordings, provided by a Republican source to Axios, total nearly 10 minutes and date from early to mid-2025.

In the private conversations with donors, Cruz positioned himself as a champion of traditional free-trade and pro-interventionist Republicanism. He appeared to be laying groundwork for a potential 2028 primary challenge against the more isolationist Vance.

The leaks spotlight deep rifts over Trump's aggressive tariff strategy, which Cruz warned could devastate the US economy.

Cruz ridiculed Trump's tariff policy, dubbing its launch "Liberation Day" in a sarcastic tone. He instructed his team to fire anyone using such phrasing, calling it unacceptable language. The senator claimed the tariffs, introduced in early April 2025, risked plunging 401(k) retirement funds by 30 per cent and inflating supermarket prices by 10-20 per cent by the November 2026 midterms.

He recounted a tense late-night call with Trump and fellow senators urging him to abandon the tariffs. The discussion stretched past midnight, with Cruz describing Trump as furious, yelling and cursing at 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 warned Trump of electoral catastrophe: losing the House and Senate, followed by relentless impeachment attempts. Trump's retort, per Cruz, was blunt: "F**k you, Ted." This exchange underscores the personal animosity now fracturing Trump's inner circle.

A key flashpoint was the stalled India-US trade deal. Cruz revealed he had been "battling" the White House to secure the agreement. Donors queried who was resisting, and Cruz pointed fingers at Peter Navarro, JD Vance, and "sometimes" even Trump.

Navarro, known for his hawkish protectionism, and Vance emerged as primary blockers. Cruz portrayed Vance as a puppet of conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson, whom he accused of peddling antisemitism and an anti-Israel stance. Their public spats have simmered for months.

"Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker's protégé, and they are one and the same," Cruz asserted in the recordings. He has campaigned against Carlson on social media but stopped short of publicly tying him to Vance, despite their friendship. This marks an escalation in Cruz's crusade against perceived anti-interventionism.

The recordings highlight broader Republican tensions. Trump's tariff push, aimed at shielding US industries, has alienated free-trade stalwarts like Cruz. For India, the blocked deal represents a missed opportunity amid its push for deeper economic ties with the US under the Make in India initiative.

As 2026 unfolds, these divisions could reshape US trade policy and Republican primaries. Cruz's leaks, timed amid economic jitters, amplify calls for moderation. Trump's team has yet to respond publicly, but the fallout promises to intensify.

Based On NDTV Report