Senator Ted Cruz has some major explaining to do. Newly obtained secret recordings reveal Sen. Cruz trashed President Trump and JD Vance during private meetings. Cruz reportedly made ill comments about Trump and Vance during a secret meeting with donors. Axios reported the content of the recording exclusively: Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican eyeing a 2028 White House run, torched Vice President Vance and ridiculed President Trump’s tariff policy during private meetings with donors, according to recordings obtained by Axios. Cruz’s rebukes, during two meetings last year, are some of the harshest criticisms of Trump and Vance by a fellow Republican since they took office a year ago. The recordings — nearly 10 minutes in total — provide an unvarnished look at how Cruz is positioning himself as a traditional free trade, pro-interventionist Republican ahead of a possible 2028 primary campaign against the less hawkish Vance. During his talks, Cruz cast Vance as a pawn of conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson. Cruz has accused Carlson of promoting antisemitism and an anti-Israel foreign policy in their well-publicized spats. The recordings of Cruz were provided to Axios by a Republican source. They were made in early and middle 2025. In the latter recording, Cruz warns donors that Trump’s tariffs could decimate the economy and lead to his impeachment. He tells them that after Trump introduced the tariffs in early April 2025, Cruz and a few other senators had a call with Trump in which they urged him to stand down. Cruz says the lengthy call, which stretched past midnight, “did not go well,” and that Trump was “yelling” and “cursing.” “Trump was in a bad mood,” Cruz tells the donors. “I’ve been in conversations where he was very happy. This was not one of them.” Cruz says he told Trump: “Mr. President, 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 response, according to Cruz: “F**k you, Ted.” Here an excerpt from the recordings: NEW: Ted Cruz torched JD Vance and ridiculed Trump’s tariff policy during private meetings with donors, according to recordings obtained by Axios. “Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker’s protégé, and they are one and the same.” Cruz on Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs: “I’ve told my… — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 25, 2026 Full text: Ted Cruz torched JD Vance and ridiculed Trump’s tariff policy during private meetings with donors, according to recordings obtained by Axios. “Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker’s protégé, and they are one and the same.” Cruz on Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs: “I’ve told my team if anyone uses those words, they will be terminated on the spot. That is not language we use.” Mint reported that in the recordings, Cruz claimed Tucker Carlson and JD Vance were behind Trump’s former National Security adviser Mike Waltz being removed: Cruz alleged that Vance and Carlson were involved in the removal of former national security adviser Mike Waltz, who supported military action against Iran, according to the recordings obtained by Axios. “Waltz supported being vigorous against Iran and bombing Iran — and Tucker and JD took Mike out,” Cruz said. Vance has publicly said he supported US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last June. Cruz also said Vance and Carlson backed the appointment of Army veteran Daniel Davis — a critic of U.S. support for Israel — to a senior intelligence role. Tucker Carlson reportedly told Axios that he “didn’t have anything to do” with the removal of Waltz or the hiring of Davis. Is this a sign Cruz will run in 2028? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!