Senator Ted Cruz is facing intense scrutiny after newly revealed secret recordings showed him sharply criticizing President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during private donor meetings — remarks that are now raising serious questions about Cruz’s loyalty and future ambitions.
The recordings, obtained and reported exclusively by Axios, capture nearly ten minutes of Cruz speaking candidly to wealthy donors in early and mid-2025. In them, Cruz derides Trump’s aggressive tariff agenda and portrays Vance as intellectually subordinate to conservative media figures, particularly Tucker Carlson.
According to Axios, Cruz’s comments represent some of the harshest private criticism directed at Trump and Vance by a prominent Republican since they assumed office. While Cruz has publicly supported the administration on key votes, the recordings reveal a starkly different tone behind closed doors.
In one segment, Cruz reportedly mocked Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, warning donors they could devastate the economy and spark political backlash severe enough to cost Republicans control of Congress in 2026. Cruz recounted a tense late-night phone call with Trump following the tariff rollout, claiming he warned the president that collapsing 401(k)s and rising grocery prices would lead to “a bloodbath” at the polls.
According to Cruz, Trump responded bluntly: “F**k you, Ted.”
Cruz also took aim at Vance, telling donors that “Tucker created JD,” describing the vice president as Carlson’s protégé and accusing both men of steering Republican foreign policy in a less interventionist, more isolationist direction. Cruz suggested that Vance and Carlson were instrumental in the removal of former national security adviser Mike Waltz, who favored a harder line against Iran.
The recordings paint Cruz as positioning himself as a traditional Republican — pro-free trade, hawkish on foreign policy, and skeptical of populist economics — a contrast that has fueled speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run. Axios noted that Cruz’s rhetoric appears tailored to reassure establishment donors uneasy with Trump-era trade wars and the party’s evolving worldview.
While Cruz has not publicly denied the authenticity of the recordings, the revelations are likely to strain his relationship with Trump loyalists and grassroots voters who view such behind-the-scenes criticism as betrayal. For a senator long known for political calculation, the fallout may determine whether Cruz can plausibly bridge the divide between populist conservatives and the donor class — or whether these comments mark the opening salvo of a future primary showdown.
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