Senator Ted Cruz's Private Critiques of Trump and Vance Revealed in 2025 Donor Meetings
In a significant revelation, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas delivered sharp private criticisms of President Donald Trump's tariff policy and Vice President JD Vance during closed-door meetings with Republican donors in 2025. According to a report by Axios, audio recordings from these sessions, obtained by the publication, offer a rare glimpse into internal Republican tensions as Cruz potentially positions himself for a future presidential bid.
Audio Recordings Expose Harshest Private Rebukes
The recordings, provided to Axios by a Republican source, were made during two private donor meetings in early and mid-2025. These remarks represent some of the most pointed private criticisms leveled against Trump and Vance by a fellow Republican since they assumed office a year prior. The disclosures shed light on Cruz's strategic maneuvering as a free-trade, pro-interventionist Republican, possibly ahead of a potential 2028 presidential campaign.
Cruz Warns of Economic and Political Fallout from Tariffs
According to the Axios report, Cruz explicitly warned donors that Trump's tariffs could severely damage the U.S. economy and might even lead to impeachment proceedings if Republicans suffer substantial losses in the 2026 midterm elections. Cruz recounted a late-night phone call with Trump shortly after the tariffs were announced in early April 2025, during which several senators urged the president to reconsider the policy.
"That call did not go well," Cruz stated in the recording, describing Trump as "yelling" and "cursing." He added, "Trump was in a bad mood. I've been in conversations where he was very happy. This was not one of them."
Cruz emphasized that he warned Trump about the potential political devastation, saying, "If we get to November of [2026] and people's 401(k)s are down 30% and prices are up 10–20% at the supermarket, we're going to go into Election Day, face a bloodbath. You're going to lose the House, you're going to lose the Senate, you're going to spend the next two years being impeached every single week." Trump's reported response was a blunt, "F**k you, Ted."
Attacks on Vance and Alleged Links to Tucker Carlson
In the recordings, Cruz repeatedly criticized Vice President JD Vance, portraying him as politically aligned with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. "Tucker created JD," Cruz asserted. "JD is Tucker's protégé, and they are one and the same." While Cruz has publicly feuded with Carlson over foreign policy matters, he has generally avoided explicitly linking Carlson and Vance in public forums. The private recordings, however, show Cruz making this connection directly.
Allegations Involving Iran and Internal Power Struggles
Cruz further alleged in the recordings that Vance and Carlson were involved in the removal of former national security adviser Mike Waltz, who supported military action against Iran. "Waltz supported being vigorous against Iran and bombing Iran — and Tucker and JD took Mike out," Cruz claimed. Notably, Vance has publicly stated that he supported U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in June of the previous year.
Additionally, Cruz indicated that Vance and Carlson backed the appointment of Army veteran Daniel Davis—a critic of U.S. support for Israel—to a senior intelligence role. In response to these allegations, Tucker Carlson reportedly told Axios that he "didn't have anything to do" with Waltz's removal or Davis's hiring.
These private critiques underscore the deepening fissures within the Republican Party as key figures like Cruz navigate policy disagreements and personal rivalries. The revelations from the 2025 donor meetings highlight the strategic calculations and internal dynamics that could shape the political landscape leading up to the 2028 presidential election.
