Trump, Vance blocked India-US deal, US Senator claims:Report

US Senator Ted Cruz has blamed President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and White House trade adviser Peter Navarro for 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 secure a trade deal with New Delhi. The comments come as trade negotiations between India and the US, ongoing for several months, remain unresolved. The report, which points to continued political challenges standing in the way of an India-US trade deal despite numerous rounds of trade talks, also reflects broader divisions within the Republican party, which was traditionally supportive of free trade prior to Donald Trump’s rise to power. Cruz warns donors that Trump's tariffs could decimate the economy and lead to his impeachment.
According to Axios, Cruz also told supporters that he and several Republican senators had tried to dissuadeTrump from rolling out sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs on multiple countries in April last year. He reportedly warned that higher tariffs could drive up consumer prices, hurt retirement savings and cost Republicans control of both the House and the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections.
The remarks point to growing divisions within the Republican Party, traditionally a supporter of free trade, but increasingly split under Trump’s protectionist economic agenda. The report also suggests unease among senior Republicans over the party’s electoral prospects in 2026. Cruz is widely thought to be considering a run for the Presidency in 2028 in an effort to challenge Trump and Vance’s control over the party. Senator Cruz - who lost to Trump when both men ran to be the Republican party’s nominee for President in 2016 - has also been a supporter of close ties with India.