Behind closed doors, Ted Cruz had a lot to sayâand none of it was pretty.
Explosive leaked audio obtained by Axios reveals that Senator Ted Cruz, long seen as a loyal Trump ally in public, torched both Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a series of donor calls last year. The recordings, nearly 10 minutes in total, capture Cruz slamming Trumpâs economic policies, warning of electoral disaster, and suggesting that Vance is little more than a puppet of Tucker Carlson.
According to the recordings, Cruz fumed over Trumpâs tariffs, describing how he banned his staff from using the phrase âLiberation Dayâ when Trump announced the sweeping tax hikes. He detailed a late-night call with Trump and other GOP senators where he warned the then-president of a coming economic collapse and potential impeachment threats.
âMr. President, if we get to November of and peopleâs 401(k)s are down 30% and prices are up 10â20% at the supermarket, weâre going to go into Election Day, face a bloodbath,â Cruz allegedly said. The response from Trump? A blunt and furious: âFâ you, Ted.â
Despite this, Cruzâs office is now playing damage control. While not denying the recordingsâ authenticity, they insisted the Texas senator âbattles every day in the trenches to advance agenda.â
The leak couldnât come at a more sensitive time. Cruz is widely expected to launch another presidential campaign in 2028 and sees himself as a traditional conservative alternative to the Trump-Vance brand. But standing in his way is Vice President JD VanceâTrumpâs handpicked successorâwho prediction markets like Kalshi currently show as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.
Vance didnât escape unscathed in Cruzâs donor rants. According to Axios, Cruz ridiculed Vance as a âpawnâ of conservative commentator Tucker Carlson. âTucker created JD,â Cruz reportedly said. âJD is Tuckerâs protĂ©gĂ©, and they are one and the same.â
The feud appears to go back to Cruzâs public spat with Carlson over U.S. military action in Iran. Cruz, a vocal supporter of intervention, accused Carlson and Vance of orchestrating the ouster of former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz after Waltz pushed for strikes on Iranian targets.
Carlson flatly denied involvement when asked by Axios.
Trump and Cruz have always had a volatile relationship. During the 2016 GOP primary, Trump branded Cruz âLyinâ Tedâ and even mocked his wife, Heidi. But Cruz eventually fell in line, backing Trump in the 2020s and campaigning for him in 2024.
These latest leaks, however, reveal a much deeper riftâone that could shape the battle lines in the post-Trump Republican Party.