How India–US Trade Divides Trump’s Camp: Leaked Audio Reveals Republican Infighting

Fresh fault lines within the Republican establishment have come into view following reports of leaked audio recordings in which US Senator Ted Cruz sharply criticises senior figures in Donald Trump’s administration over trade policy and the stalled India–US tariff negotiations.

The nearly 10-minute recording, said to have been shared by a Republican source and dating back to early and mid-2025, allegedly captures Cruz speaking candidly to private donors. In the audio, he positions himself as a traditional, pro–free trade Republican while distancing himself from what he describes as the administration’s increasingly protectionist and isolationist stance.

Cruz is reportedly heard saying he has been “fighting” the White House to push through a trade agreement with India, placing the blame squarely on Vice President JD Vance, trade adviser Peter Navarro, and at times, Trump himself, for blocking progress. His remarks come against the backdrop of prolonged India–US negotiations, which intensified after Washington imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi’s oil trade with Russia, taking total duties to 50%.

Beyond the specifics of India–US trade, the recording is said to underscore deeper ideological rifts within the Republican Party, which was largely pro–free trade before Trump’s rise. Cruz reportedly recounts how he and several Republican senators attempted to dissuade Trump from rolling out the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs announced in April 2025, warning that the move would push up consumer prices, dent retirement savings and trigger heavy Republican losses in the 2026 midterm elections.

In one anecdote from the audio, Cruz describes a tense late-night phone call with Trump after the tariffs were unveiled. He claims he cautioned the President that falling retirement accounts and rising grocery bills could cost Republicans control of both the House and Senate and expose the party to sustained impeachment efforts. According to Cruz, Trump reacted angrily and brushed aside the warning. The senator is also heard ridiculing the “Liberation Day” branding, joking that anyone on his team using the phrase would be “fired immediately.”

India features prominently in Cruz’s criticism, with the senator reportedly expressing frustration over the lack of progress and naming Navarro and Vance as principal roadblocks. He also suggests that Vance’s foreign policy views have been shaped by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, accusing Carlson of promoting an anti-interventionist and antisemitic worldview.

Despite the reported tensions revealed in the recording, Trump has recently struck a more upbeat note on India–US relations. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, he praised Narendra Modi and said he was confident the two countries would eventually clinch a favourable bilateral trade deal. The White House has so far declined to comment on the authenticity of the leaked audio.