Amid ongoing tariff tensions between India and the United States, a leaked audio recording of a US senator’s remarks has revealed new details about the obstacles delaying progress on trade deal talks between the two nations.
According to an Axios report, Republican Senator Ted Cruz is heard in the audio blaming President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro for impeding the trade deal with India. Cruz is also heard telling his supporters that he was "battling" the White House to secure the deal, exposing fractures within the Trump administration.
Exclusive: In secret recordings, Cruz trashes Trump tariffs, Vance https://t.co/oN5K9XBmsm
— Axios (@axios) January 25, 2026
The report further reveals that Cruz criticised Trump’s trade policy and warned donors that US tariffs, introduced in April 2025, could devastate the economy and lead to Trump’s impeachment.
Cruz also disclosed that he, along with several other senators, had urged the President to cancel the tariffs during a call with him. He cautioned Trump that imposing the tariffs would lead to higher prices, negatively affect Americans' retirement savings, and potentially cause the Republican Party to lose both the House and Senate to the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
However, Cruz claimed that Trump was in a bad mood during the call, reportedly shouting, “F**k you, Ted.”
NEW: In a secret recording obtained by Axios, Senator Ted Cruz can be heard trashing Trump and Vance.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 25, 2026
Cruz recalls a conversation with Trump in which he warned him:
“You’re going to lose the House, you’re going to lose the Senate, you’re going to spend the next two years being… pic.twitter.com/m9jRLQ2yDp
Earlier this month, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that the trade deal had stalled because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not directly called Trump. So far, the two countries have held six rounds of negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement. The deal is expected to include a framework to address the 50% tariffs on Indian goods entering the US.
In a podcast, Lutnick stated that he had asked Modi to call Trump to close the deal, but India was reportedly “uncomfortable” with the idea, leading to Modi not making the call.
US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, later assured that both sides remain actively engaged in finalising the trade deal. "The United States and India are bound not just by shared interests but by a relationship anchored at the highest levels," Gor said. "Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end."
