Trump, Vance Stalled Trade Deal With India: US Senator's Leaked Audio
The audio also highlights broader ideological cracks within the Republican Party, which was historically pro–free trade before Trump’s rise
Internal divisions within the Donald Trump administration have come into sharp focus after purported leaked audio recordings surfaced of US Senator Ted Cruz sharply criticising Vice President JD Vance, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and, at times, President Trump himself over trade policy and the stalled India–US tariff agreement.
According to reports, the nearly 10-minute audio recording, shared by a Republican source, dates back to early and mid-2025. In the recording, Cruz is heard speaking candidly to private donors, presenting himself as a traditional free-trade Republican while distancing himself from what he describes as the administration’s increasingly isolationist approach.
Cruz reportedly told donors that he has been “battling” the White House to secure a trade deal with India, blaming Navarro, Vance and occasionally Trump for blocking progress. The comments come amid prolonged India–US trade negotiations, which gained urgency after the Trump administration imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods linked to India’s oil trade with Russia, taking total duties to 50%.
The audio also highlights broader ideological cracks within the Republican Party, which was historically pro–free trade before Trump’s rise. Cruz is heard saying that he and several Republican senators tried to dissuade Trump from launching the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs announced in April 2025, warning that the policy would raise prices, hurt retirement savings and lead to major Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections.
In one account from the recording, Cruz recalls a tense late-night call with Trump after the tariffs were rolled out. He warned the President that a sharp fall in retirement accounts and rising grocery prices could result in Republicans losing both the House and Senate and facing constant impeachment efforts. Cruz claimed Trump responded angrily, dismissing his warning.
The senator also mocked the administration’s branding of the tariff rollout as “Liberation Day,” joking that anyone on his team using the phrase would be “terminated on the spot.”
A significant portion of Cruz’s remarks focused on India, where he expressed frustration over stalled negotiations and explicitly named Navarro and Vance as key obstacles. He also suggested that Vance’s views were influenced by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, accusing Carlson of promoting an anti-interventionist and antisemitic worldview in foreign policy debates.
Despite the reported tensions, President Trump has recently struck a more optimistic tone on India–US trade ties. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence that the two countries would reach a favourable bilateral trade agreement.
The White House has not commented on the authenticity of the leaked recordings.
