Cruz reportedly says Trump yelled and cursed over warning of midterm election 'bloodbath' [View all]
Source: The Guardian
Mon 26 Jan 2026 10.16 EST
Last modified on Mon 26 Jan 2026 21.54 EST
Ted Cruz warned Donald Trump, his fellow Republican, that he would face a bloodbath in the November midterm elections if prices continued to rise, prompting the president to respond, fuck you, Ted, the US senator told donors, according to a secret recording of the private conversation obtained by Axios.
Cruz reportedly delivered the reality check to the president in a phone conversation after Trump presented sweeping tariffs a few months after returning to the Oval Office in early 2025. The president was unhappy, Cruz said and yelled and cursed in a conversation with Republican senators.
Mr President, if we get to November of [2026] and peoples 401(k)s are down 30% and prices are up 1020% at the supermarket, were going to go into election day, face a bloodbath, Cruz said he told the president, according to Axios. Youre going to lose the House, youre going to lose the Senate, youre going to spend the next two years being impeached every single week.
Only 34% approve of how Trump has handled the cost of living while 64% disapprove, according to a recent New York Times/Siena poll. There is also evidence the economy may be motivating those who voted for Trump in 2024 but now disapprove of him, according to the Times.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/ted-cruz-trump-midterm-elections