The nearly 10-minute audio compilation represents one of the most brutal Republican critiques of Trump and Vance since they assumed office one year earlier. Cruz used the early and middle 2025 sessions to establish himself as a conventional free-trade, interventionist Republican, positioned against Vance's less hawkish approach ahead of possible 2028 primary contests, according to the outlet.

Cruz depicted Vance as Tucker Carlson's puppet throughout his remarks to donors. The senator has clashed publicly with Carlson over the conservative podcaster's promotion of antisemitism and anti-Israel foreign policy.

Axios received the recordings from a Republican source who documented Cruz's comments at early- and mid-2025 gatherings, the outlet reported. In one audio segment, Cruz warned donors that Trump's tariffs threatened economic devastation and potential impeachment. After Trump unveiled tariffs in April 2025, Cruz joined other senators on a call urging the president to reverse course, he explained. The late-night conversation – stretching beyond midnight – "did not go well," featuring Trump "yelling" and "cursing," Cruz revealed.

"Trump was in a bad mood," Cruz informed his audience. "I've been in conversations where he was very happy. This was not one of them." Cruz recounted warning 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," Axios stated.

The senator continued: "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 replied: "F**k you, Ted," Cruz disclosed, Axios reported.

When a donor mentioned "Liberation Day" – Trump's marketing label for the tariff rollout – Cruz responded sarcastically: "I've told my team if anyone uses those words, they will be terminated on the spot. That is not language we use." Cruz described "battling" administration officials over a trade pact with India, according to Axios. When asked which figures resist such agreements, Cruz identified White House economic adviser Peter Navarro, Vance, and "sometimes" Trump, the outlet noted.

Throughout the recordings, Cruz repeatedly invoked Vance, connecting the vice president to Carlson and claiming he advances Carlson's anti-interventionist foreign policy. "Tucker created JD. JD is Tucker's protégé, and they are one and the same," Cruz stated. He has mounted sustained social media campaigns against Carlson for months but avoided publicly linking Carlson to Vance, who are friends, before these recordings surfaced, Axios noted.

One audio segment features Cruz alleging Vance and Carlson orchestrated former national security adviser Mike Waltz's dismissal over Waltz's support for Iran bombing, which Trump eventually endorsed. Waltz "supported being vigorous against Iran and bombing Iran — and Tucker and JD took Mike out," Cruz told donors. Vance publicly backed the June strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.

Cruz also accused Vance and Carlson of championing Daniel Davis – an Army veteran and harsh critic of US-Israel support – for a senior national intelligence role. Cruz labeled Davis "a guy who viciously hates Israel" and said he helped orchestrate Davis's rapid removal. Carlson informed Axios he "didn't have anything to do" with Waltz's ouster or Davis's hiring.

A Cruz spokesperson declared the senator serves as "the president's greatest ally in the Senate and battles every day in the trenches to advance his agenda," Axios stated. "Those battles include fights over staffers who try to enter the administration despite disagreeing with the president and seeking to undermine his foreign policy," the spokesperson continued.

Trump and Vance spokespeople offered no responses to Axios's comment requests.

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Members of the media raise their hands to ask U.S. Vice President JD Vance questions, in Kiryat Gat, Israel, October 21, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

He said his vice presidential responsibilities stem from Trump's trust, with the role being "very dependent on the president of the United States" and his accomplishments possible "because the president trusts me and he's empowered me with a lot of responsibilities." Vance praised Trump as someone who "is such a unique person unbelievably people have no idea," noting he "really sleeps less and still has more energy than anybody that I know that's 40 years younger than he is" – "trust me I've seen it from the inside he has unbelievable energy." Trump "has unbelievable instincts" and "automatically understands when somebody is trying to get one over on him," Vance explained.

Trump privately discussed a 2028 "dream ticket" pairing Vance with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, his "best friend in the administration." Vance considers this "premature," maintaining focus on current work with the belief that "if we take care of business the politics will take care of itself."

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Last month, Musk publicized plans to form the America Party to serve voters disillusioned with the two-party system. According to The Wall Street Journal, he has since redirected his efforts toward nurturing his connection with Vice President JD Vance, a prominent figure in the MAGA movement. Musk's recent communications with Vance reflect his concern that a new party could jeopardize this relationship, sources told The Wall Street Journal.

Discussions among Musk's confidants suggest he may channel his substantial wealth into backing Vance for a 2028 presidential run, The Wall Street Journal reveals. After spending nearly $300 million to support President Donald Trump and GOP candidates in 2024, Musk remains open to the party idea but has taken no concrete steps to advance it. The Wall Street Journal confirmed that a scheduled meeting with third-party campaign specialists was canceled, with Musk's team emphasizing his focus on corporate responsibilities.

In July, Trump derided Musk's party plans, while Musk insisted it would promote voter "freedom." Vance, speaking to the Gateway Pundit, remarked, "So my hope is that by the time of the midterms, he's kind of come back into the fold," signaling his desire for Musk's alignment with conservatives. The Wall Street Journal notes that Musk and Trump have recently ceased public hostilities, with Trump expressing support for Musk's businesses on Truth Social.

A new executive order easing rocket launch regulations could bolster SpaceX, suggesting a thaw in Musk-Trump relations. Despite interest from Andrew Yang and Mark Cuban, The Wall Street Journal reports that Musk has not pursued discussions with them or his political advisers about the party. Steven Nekhaila, Libertarian National Committee chair, told The Wall Street Journal, "It's almost an eerie silence," highlighting the absence of action toward establishing the America Party.

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