Exclusive: In secret recordings, Cruz trashes Trump, Vance [View all]
Source: Axios
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.
Why it matters: 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.
Zoom in: 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.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/2026/01/25/cruz-trump-vance-secret-tapes
I’m guessing that someone from Cruz’s camp leaked this (with Cruz’s blessing).
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