Washington: US Senator Ted Cruz has accused President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro of delaying a proposed trade agreement with India, according to purported leaked audio recordings cited in an Axios report.
In phone calls with donors, the Texas Republican is heard saying he has been “battling” the White House to move forward on a trade deal with New Delhi. The remarks come as trade negotiations between India and the United States, underway for several months, remain unresolved.
The report emerges amid heightened trade tensions following President Trump’s decision to impose an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over India’s continued oil trade with Russia, taking total US duties on Indian imports to 50 per cent.
According to Axios, Cruz also told supporters that he and several Republican senators had urged the administration not to proceed with sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs announced in April last year. He reportedly warned that higher tariffs could increase consumer prices, weaken retirement savings, and hurt Republican prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.
The comments point to divisions within the Republican Party, which has traditionally supported free trade but has increasingly split over the administration’s protectionist economic policies. The report also reflects concern among some senior Republicans about the party’s electoral outlook.
Cruz has previously advocated stronger ties between India and the United States. During a visit to India in 2019, he described the two countries as “natural allies,” citing shared democratic values, support for free markets and common strategic interests, including countering China’s influence.
