Trump's Surprising Tariff Pause Explained w/ Ted Cruz

Summary

Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary: "Trump's Surprising Tariff Pause Explained w/ Ted Cruz"

Episode Information:

• Title: Ruthless Podcast
• Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook
• Guest: Senator Ted Cruz
• Release Date: April 10, 2025
• Description: The Ruthless Podcast elevates next-generation conservative talk by providing incisive and often humorous analysis of current events without sheltering any viewpoints. This episode delves into President Trump's recent decision to pause tariffs, featuring insights from Senator Ted Cruz.

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1. Introduction and Guest Welcome [00:00 - 03:02]

The episode kicks off with introductions, highlighting the significance of the current economic landscape, particularly focusing on tariffs and their impact. The hosts express excitement about having Senator Ted Cruz as the guest, recalling his previous appearance and addressing initial tensions with the media.

Notable Quote:

• "I think there's an incredible opportunity right now... if tariffs worldwide have gone way, way down, that would be an extraordinary outcome."
  — Ted Cruz [00:00]

---

2. Ted Cruz on Tariff Announcements and Economic Strategy [05:57 - 10:35]

Senator Cruz discusses the recent pause in tariffs announced by President Trump and the strategic implications for the administration. He emphasizes the dichotomy between using tariffs as leverage to negotiate lower rates globally versus maintaining high tariffs indefinitely, which could lead to retaliatory measures harming the U.S. economy.

Key Points:

• Tariff Pause as a Strategic Move: Cruz views the tariff pause as a pivotal decision that opens a fork in the road—either use tariffs to negotiate better trade deals or perpetuate high tariffs leading to global economic strain.

• Economic Leverage: He advocates for leveraging American tariff capabilities to reduce global tariffs on American goods, thus fostering a more favorable trade environment.

Notable Quotes:

• "Tariffs are taxes. Yeah, they are taxes. And I am, I have a Republican and conservatives aversion to taxes. I don't like taxes going."
  — Ted Cruz [08:17]

• "Donald Trump is situated to have one of the most incredible economic victories for the American people and the American workers we've ever seen."
  — Ted Cruz [05:57]

---

3. Spectrum Auctions and Job Creation [16:48 - 19:04]

Cruz shifts the discussion to the electromagnetic spectrum and its economic potential. As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, he underscores the importance of auctioning unused government spectrum to private entities, projecting substantial revenue and job creation. He warns against falling behind China in the race for 5G and 6G technology, highlighting national security concerns.

Key Points:

• Economic Opportunity: Auctioning spectrum could generate approximately $100 billion for the federal government and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

• National Security: Losing the race to China in telecom technology could result in security vulnerabilities, as exemplified by the risk of Chinese companies like Huawei intercepting military communications.

Notable Quotes:

• "If we do lose the race to six, then globally the telecom architecture of the world will be put in place by Huawei and China, which is an incredible economic security threat and a national security threat."
  — Ted Cruz [18:11]

• "The sun will come out tomorrow."
  — Ted Cruz [29:49]

---

4. Tax Reform and Budget Resolutions [10:35 - 13:43]

The conversation transitions to tax reform, with Cruz expressing optimism about the House's progress in passing a negotiated budget resolution. He notes the challenges posed by the influx of new Republican members who were not present during the 2017 tax cuts, suggesting that achieving consensus may take longer than anticipated.

Key Points:

• House Dynamics: A significant portion of current House Republicans were not part of the 2017 tax cut negotiations, potentially complicating the passage of new tax legislation.

• Tax Reform Process: Cruz remains hopeful about eventual progress, highlighting his rapport with key House figures like the Speaker.

Notable Quotes:

• "I think it will get done. I don't think it will be super soon."
  — Ted Cruz [10:35]

• "You never know, man. There may be more to."
  — Unnamed Host [36:09]

---

5. Media Relations and New Media Perspectives [43:00 - 67:34]

A substantial portion of the episode delves into the dynamics between traditional legacy media and emerging new media platforms. Cruz and Natalie Winters discuss the challenges and strategies of new media in countering what they perceive as biased and entrenched legacy media narratives. They emphasize the importance of alternative media in shaping public opinion and advocating for conservative viewpoints.

Key Points:

• Legacy Media Critique: The hosts criticize legacy media for being out of touch, biased, and resistant to diverse perspectives, advocating for the rise of new media as a more authentic and responsive alternative.

• New Media's Role: Highlighting figures like Natalie Winters, they underscore the significance of new media in providing unfiltered news and fostering activism among conservative audiences.

• Media Evolution: Discussion on how media has shifted from traditional broadcasting to more interactive and audience-driven platforms, with an emphasis on podcasting and digital content.

Notable Quotes:

• "These hacks that it's at the point where network news anchors are the biggest hack of the year."
  — Unnamed Host [43:43]

• "They don't like the competition."
  — Unnamed Speaker [67:34]

---

6. Audience Engagement and Feedback [31:29 - 36:34]

The hosts read and respond to listener comments regarding President Trump's handling of tariffs. The feedback reveals a split among the audience, with some expressing concern over tariff wars potentially undermining Trump's legacy, while others advocate for trust in his strategies to achieve favorable trade deals.

Key Points:

• Diverse Opinions: The audience exhibits a range of opinions, reflecting the complex and often contentious nature of tariff policies.

• Conservative Discourse: The hosts facilitate a balanced conversation, acknowledging differing viewpoints within the conservative community and encouraging informed discourse.

Notable Quotes:

• "I just think it's part and parcel of our audience. You know, you have a just panoply of."
  — Unnamed Host [32:51]

• "This is a little bit like Homer Simpson squirrel."
  — Ted Cruz [12:36]

---

7. Humorous Segments and Variety [38:22 - 51:01]

Interspersed with substantive discussions are lighthearted segments, including mock advertisements, playful banter about media figures, and humorous takes on current events. These segments serve to entertain and engage the audience, maintaining a dynamic and relatable tone.

Key Points:

• Humor and Satire: The hosts use humor to critique media practices and political figures, fostering a sense of camaraderie and levity.

• Interactive Content: Activities like "Hack Madness," a tournament-style competition among media personalities, engage listeners and build community.

Notable Quotes:

• "We have a champion. Margaret Brennan. Congratulations. Hack of the year."
  — Unnamed Host [38:37]

• "You know, Showtime would do a 30 for 30 on everybody hates Margaret Brennan if they did something like that."
  — Natalie Winters [41:31]

---

8. Closing Remarks and Future Content [51:58 - 70:11]

In the closing segment, Natalie Winters joins to discuss new media's role in shaping public discourse further. The hosts express gratitude for Cruz's insights and encourage listeners to engage with both the Ruthless and Verdict podcasts. The episode concludes with continued humor and promotional content, maintaining the show's signature blend of serious analysis and entertainment.

Notable Quotes:

• "Thank you so much, Senator Ted Cruz. Thank you so much, Natalie Winters."
  — Unnamed Host [68:46]

• "Run."
  — Ted Cruz [42:19]

---

Conclusion

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast provides an in-depth analysis of President Trump's tariff policies, featuring insightful commentary from Senator Ted Cruz. The discussion extends beyond tariffs to encompass broader economic strategies, media dynamics, and the evolving landscape of conservative discourse. Balancing serious policy analysis with humor and audience engagement, the episode offers a comprehensive view of current conservative perspectives and challenges.

Transcript

[Ted Cruz]

I think there's an incredible opportunity right now. You look at the announcement that he put of tariffs on countries all over the world. I think it sets the president up, that there's really a fork in the road that the president and the administration can choose. And I think there is a good path and a bad path, the good path. My hope is that the president will use the leverage from these tariffs to negotiate with our trading partners to dramatically reduce the tariffs they impose on American goods and services, to remove the barriers to our goods and services and do so in exchange for lowering American tariffs. And if the result, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days from now is tariffs worldwide have gone way, way down, that would be an extraordinary outcome.

[Donald Trump]

We will unleash the power of American innovation. We will soon be on the verge of finding the cures to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and many other diseases.

[Natalie Winters]

The cure for cancer is closer than ever. But the Biden pill penalty is forcing researchers to abandon breakthroughs that could save millions of lives. Only President Trump can fix it. He'll ignite a golden age of innovation to defeat cancer once and for all. Tell Congress, end the Biden pill penalty.

[Ted Cruz]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Keep the fate, hold the line and own the lids.

[Natalie Winters]

It's time for our main event.

[Unnamed Host]

Good Thursday to all of you. Welcome back to the Ruthless Variety program. I'm particularly proud of this one. Obviously, there's a lot of news going on. We'll cover taxes and tariffs and all of that stuff. Big new media genre that we're pulling out of this one. You're going to see some recognizable faces. Natalie Winters is with us. Smash, I know you've interacted with her as a member of the White House. Yeah.

[Natalie Winters]

You know what? She is changing media day by day, and we're very lucky to have her this afternoon.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, totally. We're going to get to some activist judges. We talk about that. Taxes and a whole bunch of stuff that's going on with a very fun guest, fellas. Very fun guest. I think everybody's going to recognize who this person is.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, perfect guest for the topic, too.

[Unnamed Host]

Let's get right to it. Well, when we're thinking about a big news week, we always like to bring in some folks that might have some knowledge and insight into the what's happening around town. You may recognize the man to my right, Senator Ted Cruz. How are you, sir?

[Ted Cruz]

It's good to be back. Is anything going on this week?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, right.

[Unnamed Host]

Did you happen to notice there were some folks around?

[Ted Cruz]

It's been quiet. I've Actually taken just to taking naps every afternoon because there's so little happening that I really have got plenty of time on my hands.

[Unnamed Host]

No trips to the Bahamas, though. That was the first time we talked to you.

[Ted Cruz]

Cancun. Don't knock Cancun.

[Unnamed Host]

That's right. No, no, no, that's right. I think that was the first time we talked to you. One of our favorite, by the way.

[Ted Cruz]

I do intend at some point to do a donor retreat in Cancun. Just as a giant screw you to every knucklehead, you 100% have this idea.

[Unnamed Host]

So for those of you who are not like OG ruthless listeners, the first time we had Senator Ted Cruz on, it was a fun time because there was a, shall we say, some mixed feelings about sort of the relationship that maybe we've all had over the years. And this was a good chance to clear the air. But we were coming off of what the media blew up. You had a scheduled vacation, you went on vacation. Like a horrible event happened, and all of a sudden you're to blame because you're on vacation. But what I respected the most about it is that Ted Cruz was, like, not gonna take the media's bait on this stuff. He'll go and he'll talk to anybody comes into our shop and sits down and we have a lot of laughs. We have a good time. You put the whole thing in perspective. You start telling stories about how the whole thing unfolded and, like, what the media said and what they're trying to say about your neighbors and everything else. And like that to us in year one of our program, like, perfectly illustrated what we were trying to do here. And, like, you were a big part of that. So. So thank you.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, I'm. I'm glad I didn't screw it up.

[Unnamed Host]

You didn't. You didn't. You did a great job. So.

[Ted Cruz]

And I didn't even confess to my meth habit.

[Unnamed Host]

Although I think you did confess to being a serial killer in the 1960s.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, there is that.

[Unnamed Host]

There was some of that. And anyway, listen, fellow podcaster, we're going.

[Ted Cruz]

To get into that, to be honest. Look, my dad killed jfk, so the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Who did you have to bribe to keep him out of the JFK file?

[Ted Cruz]

Look, I'm just really glad for those redactions, they say, and the Cuban, and suddenly it's all blocked out.

[Unnamed Host]

And the Cuban, that's so good. I was looking at a word search cruise. I didn't came up with nothing. I was like, they're still covering it up. All these years are still covering it up.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, you know, I. The president and I work very closely together, and occasionally you have to call in some favors.

[Unnamed Host]

So good. It's so good. All right, so let's just top this off. Obviously, the economic news is what's driving the week and what everybody's concerned about. Liberation Day as of last week. A whole bunch of new tariffs scheduled go into effect. Bunch of countries came to the table. You were amongst people who were advising the president on how you thought you could handle this in a way that ultimately gets to what it is that he wanted to accomplish was renegotiating a bunch of these things without ultimately getting ourselves in an economic conundrum. We saw bond markets and all stock crashes and all these things. Like. Tell us a little bit about your thought process on this.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, look, let me say the announcement today of pausing the higher tariffs that he announced last week, but also raising the tariffs on China, I think it was exactly right. And I'm very glad he made that decision. I think there's an incredible opportunity right now. You look at the announcement that he put of tariffs on countries all over the world. I think it sets the president up that there's really a fork in the road that the president and the administration can choose. And I think there is a good path and a bad path, the good path. My hope is that the president will use the leverage from these tariffs to negotiate with our trading partners to dramatically reduce the tariffs they impose on American goods and services, to remove the barriers to our goods and services, and do so in exchange for lowering American tariffs. And if the result, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days from now is tariffs worldwide have gone way, way down, that would be an extraordinary outcome. Donald Trump is situated to have one of the most incredible economic victories for the American people and the American workers we've ever seen. And that is very much the path I hope the president takes. Now there's another path. And in the White House, in the administration, there are voices on both sides of the path. As you know, I do a podcast every week.

[Unnamed Host]

I'm familiar. Very, very popular podcast.

[Natalie Winters]

We all listen.

[Ted Cruz]

Good, good verdict with Ted Cruz three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So the podcast on Friday was all on the tariffs, and the podcast on Monday was about, as I described, the angels and devils on the president's shoulder. The angels urging path number one, use these tariffs as leverage to lower tariffs worldwide. But path number two is keep high tariffs in perpetuity.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, tariffs are good.

[Ted Cruz]

Tariffs are Good. They're wonderful. Now the result of that will be retaliatory tariffs from all our trading partners and basically walls to trade across the globe. I think that outcome would be terrible. It'd be terrible for Texas and America.

[Unnamed Host]

And also static prognostication of what it all means, right?

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

I mean like you hear all these billions and billions will raise off tariffs, but it also assumes that everybody has the same level of consumption at twice the rate.

[Ted Cruz]

Right. And consumption goes down. Look, tariffs are taxes. Yeah, they are taxes. And I am, I have a Republican and conservatives aversion to taxes. I don't like taxes going.

[Unnamed Host]

Thank you. You're getting to be fewer and further between here at the ruthless variety program.

[Ted Cruz]

We appreciate it, God bless. But I think that this choice will may well be the most consequential choice of this administration. I'll tell you, I spent an hour on the phone with the President last night urging go down path number one. And he has many times articulated that he wants to use tariffs as leverage. And I gotta say, look, there's never been a president before him that uses tariffs as this kind of leverage that understands his point is exactly right, that America was getting screwed and that almost every country we do business with has dramatically higher tariffs than we have on their goods. And look what he announced last week was the highest rate of tariffs since 1933. Now some bad things happen in 1933. But I will say this, and this is what I went in depth on the verdict podcast today. We had markedly different leverage than we had in 1933. Today we're the biggest market in the world today. Listen, if everyone jacks up tariffs, it will hurt America, but it'll hurt everyone else worse because our market is so important now, hurting everybody is not a great outcome. Like a global recession is a really lousy end to this story. A much better end of the story is using the leverage of the disproportionate pain we can put by threatening tariffs to say, all right, get rid of all these garbage. Let's have, let's tear down these barriers. Because I think American farmers and ranchers and small businesses and manufacturers, I think we can kick the ass of every country on earth if there's a fair and level playing field. So that's what I hope we end up.

[Unnamed Host]

Well, listen, I think it's well said last thing on the economic situation. A huge second part of this is taxes. And I know you've been working on this throughout. And look, we'll see what the House ultimately does. The Senate did its job over the weekend by passing the first step of this and that negotiated budget resolution which enables all of this. Is this something that can be done in the near future in your view?

[Ted Cruz]

I think it will get done. I don't think it will be super soon. I love the speaker of the House. He's a good friend. He suggested a very optimistic time frame of next month. I just think it's going to take longer than that. And you know, an interesting stat of the House members. 60% of House Republicans were not here in 2017 when we passed the Trump tax cut.

[Natalie Winters]

A lot of people.

[Unnamed Host]

It's wild, right?

[Ted Cruz]

It is amazing.

[Unnamed Host]

How did you become the old guy?

[Ted Cruz]

It's freaking bizarre. Look, I'm almost. I'm. You're the young rabble rouser. Damn straight. And I'm. Look, I have say this though. You ever want to feel young, get yourself elected to the U.S. senate. Like, holy crap. The median age is 106. And my colleagues reminisce about Eisenhower and they still think, like, I'm damn skippy in short shorts, like playing with my yo yo.

[Unnamed Speaker]

But a lot of butterscotch candies. I'm sure you know a Werther. Yeah, Werther's original.

[Unnamed Host]

Just kid. A Werther or two. They could take it out of the pocket unwrapped.

[Ted Cruz]

By the way, you can tell of my colleagues whether they want to hear what you're saying or not. And it just depends on whether they put you on hearing aid side or not. The sad thing is that's not actually a joke. Sometimes they turn it down. That is in fact a thing.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, no, I.

[Ted Cruz]

Listen, I've seen it with my own eyes and by. When the Capitol Hill dermatologist comes once a month to the Capitol physician's office, the next day on the Senate floor, it looks like a war zone. Like, it's just. It's like an old MASH episode with everyone with bandages and. Am I making that up?

[Unnamed Host]

No, you are not making that.

[Ted Cruz]

I mean, that's actually like a true thing about the senate.

[Natalie Winters]

It is 100% true.

[Unnamed Host]

Everybody looks like they were physically assaulted.

[Natalie Winters]

That is so funny.

[Unnamed Host]

I never made that observation. All right, so. But look, I think a big.

[Ted Cruz]

Son, you did ask a question and I went off on a totally divergent tangent.

[Unnamed Host]

Well, you kind of answered it.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, I'm a little bit like Homer Simpson squirrel.

[Unnamed Host]

But you answer the basic part of it. But I think like the larger part. Look, there's some House Republicans that are having a problem with revenue. Whatever. I see the budget resolution as a means to an end in terms of what you're doing on taxes. And so I see it a little bit differently in terms of like long term deficits or whatever. But you, what I appreciate about you always, but, but in this particular context specifically is you're like, all right, you have a revenue problem. I have an actual solution for you. You're obviously chairman, Commerce Committee. Spectrum has been something that has been very important to you. This is something that like, flies outside the lines of most Americans consciousness. But I will tell you, 70% of you that are watching this right now, you're watching it on a wireless deal. You're not doing it on some cable package somewhere that other people choose whether or not you can watch it. It's Spectrum, it's wireless. It's how we're provided the opportunity to get to people. You've understood this, you've worked through the issue over years.

[Ted Cruz]

And for the 5% of you watching on an Etch A Sketch, we can't help you.

[Unnamed Host]

I'm sorry, this is not applicable to you. We'll find a way to make it applic. But the point is, by the way.

[Ted Cruz]

Does anyone know what an Etch A Sketch is anymore?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Oh, I hope so.

[Unnamed Host]

I feel like we left that with mint rock.

[Ted Cruz]

Do they make those?

[Unnamed Speaker]

We're all getting old.

[Ted Cruz]

I am virtually certain my kids who are 14 and 16 have no idea what an Etch A Sketch is.

[Unnamed Speaker]

He's Donald Trump's number one enemy in Congress, Chicago Senator Dick Durbin. And now Dick Durbin has a new scheme, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, consumers have thousands of choices in credit cards, all with equal strong security. But Durbin's plan is less competition and less security. And that means more risk for your credit and your identity. Tell Republicans in Congress, stop Dick Durbin's takeover of your credit card before it's too late.

[Ted Cruz]

Can I tell her? I'm sorry? I'm going to tell a tangent just for the hell of it and then we'll get back to Spectrum and like, real serious topics. But a couple of years ago, I was on a TV show, and I don't remember what it was, but I was talking about Joe Biden. I was talking about him being old and clueless, and I analogized him to Mr. Magoo.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, yeah, I remember this.

[Ted Cruz]

Caught a little heat and I went back to my office and as you know, Capitol Hill staffers are all children. Yes. Not a single one of my staffers had any idea who Mr. Magoo is.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Incredible.

[Unnamed Host]

Like, thanks for the reference, Grandpa.

[Ted Cruz]

And similarly, I also was talking about John Kerry and I analogized him to Thurston Howell from Gilligan's Island. And again, nobody, not one I asked. I'm like, all right, hold on. Does anyone have an idea who it was? And Capitol Hill staffers are all in their 20s or the old guys are in their 30s. And so, all right, I go to the Senate lunch and every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all the Republican senators have lunch together. And I don't know, for some reason I felt like sharing, so I stood up and told the story about how I went on TV and I analogized John Kerry to Thurston Howell. And nobody had any idea what I was talking about because they were all too young. And at that point, Mitt Romney says, you know, Ted, I ran into the same problem and I actually found that if you want to create a picture of an out of touch rich guy, that Mr. Burns works much better than Thurston Howell. By the way, for those of y'all listening that don't know who Thurston Howell is, he was the millionaire on Gilligan's the Millionaire and his Wife. Anyway, yeah, so, so Mitt says, you know, you know, Mr. Burns works much better. And it suddenly struck me, oh, my God, I'm getting lessons on how to be relatable from Mitt Romney.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Amazing.

[Unnamed Host]

We're gonna do a little inventory. We're gonna do a little inventory on this spectrum. Sorry, but seriously, talk about. Because yes, you simply have auction authority that you can do, but it also raises, you know, potentially hundreds of billions of dollars. They can help pay for tax relief to the American people.

[Ted Cruz]

All right, so electromagnetic spectrum, just about everything we use communicates via spectrum. Our cell phones, wireless, WI fi, all of that takes spectrum, takes different slices of the electromagnetic spectrum. The largest holder of unused spectrum is the United States government. And historically, when the government auctions off spectrum, it holds an auction and the highest bidder can purchase that spectrum and put it to productive use. My number one priority is jobs. And particularly as the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, we've got jurisdiction over 40% of the US economy. I'm focused on jobs, jobs, jobs. There are very few policies that can generate as many jobs as moving spectrum into the private sector. And it generates jobs in terms of, number one, hundreds of billions of dollars of new investment, because the people that buy that spectrum and have it can then develop it. But number two, hundreds of thousands of jobs. And this is really critical to win the race for 5G and 6G, which we're starting to move into. And it's a race with China. Who's going to win the race to 6G.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

And by the way, if we lose the race to six, then globally the telecom architecture of the world will be put in place by Huawei and China, which is an incredible economic security threat and a national security threat.

[Unnamed Host]

Look, that's not hyperbolic. I mean that is an actual fact.

[Ted Cruz]

Every soldier, sailor, airman and marine has a cell phone in their pocket. And if they're calling and Huawei has the ability to intercept every one of those calls, tons of that is a disaster. And so I am fighting hard to include in the reconciliation bill Spectrum auction authority and a pipeline to free up 600 MHz of spectrum, which is a lot of spectrum. If we do that, that generates roughly $100 billion to the federal government real money. And that's not a make believe like sometimes you have pay fors on Capitol.

[Unnamed Host]

Hill that are captured. You have to pay for it.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, that's real.

[Unnamed Host]

They like stroke a check and hand it.

[Ted Cruz]

So. So it's an ability to generate real money and we can use that hundred billion dollars to do things we really need to do like secure our border, like rebuild our military, invest it where there are real need, provide tax relief.

[Unnamed Host]

To the American people.

[Ted Cruz]

Damn straight. All, all of that. But even better than the hundred billion dollars the federal government makes from the sale of Spectrum Is is the 2x and 3x multiple of investment and jobs that it produces on the private sector.

[Unnamed Host]

Well, your MSNBC friends are not having it. They're very angry.

[Ted Cruz]

That means I'm right.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, I think you're right. We think you're right. Listen, thank you for covering that because we've talked about this a little bit, but you put a finer point on it.

[Ted Cruz]

And by the way, I don't know if you saw the breaking news, but MSNBC wants to modernize so they're putting all their programs out on Etch A Sketch.

[Unnamed Host]

We have to get one of those to get one of the. I want to play a clip for you because one of the things you're known for is your. Well, if you set the theatrics in a committee.

[Ted Cruz]

What do you mean?

[Unnamed Host]

Let's play this thing clip one place spaghetti go away. Not how he's doing it. And the only reason there's all these injunctions Senator Cruz is because he's violating the Constitution. Why would Trump appointed judges?

[Ted Cruz]

Why don't you file them in red? Red districts, Senators.

[Unnamed Host]

Why get her. What did you just say?

[Ted Cruz]

Why don't you file them in red districts. Why are the Democrat Attorney General seeking. Seeking out Senator Cruz. Left wing, my esteemed colleague.

[Natalie Winters]

Cruz's activity.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Senator. White House.

[Ted Cruz]

He's entitled to. I'm just going to ask for a point of order, Madam Klobuchar. Senator. Senator Moody, we have debates on this committee.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Hell, yeah.

[Natalie Winters]

We'll get back to that.

[Ted Cruz]

If you want to wait. We'll get back to. Senator, welcome to the question or not her choice.

[Unnamed Host]

Go ahead. Following Senator Cruz once again. Excuse me, but I will.

[Ted Cruz]

Excuse me, I didn't hear you. What did you say?

[Unnamed Host]

And I will take more than my time since he's taken more than his time to yell at me.

[Ted Cruz]

Go ahead.

[Natalie Winters]

But what I will say is that I'm not yelling.

[Ted Cruz]

I asked a question.

[Unnamed Host]

You gotta fight.

[Unnamed Speaker]

That is incredible. How do you deal with that? First off, I mean, not only Klobuchar, but you also have Sheldon Whitehouse on that committee. That's a tough place to deal with these folks.

[Ted Cruz]

So I will say Klobuchar. It's interesting. She never did answer the question. So her whole theory is these nationwide injunctions, the fact that. That they're issuing shows that Trump is violating the law. And it's like, wait, why are you going out and seeking out every loon left wing activist that Biden put on the court? And you've got a judge that's a transgender witch. That's who will go to stop deporting Venezuelan gang members. And gosh, if you were confident about the law, you'd go file it in a red district with a judge that, I don't know, maybe follows the law. And no, they don't want to do that. And Klobuchar had nothing to say. No response at all, other than Orange man bad. That was the entirety of her speech. And I will say Sheldon Whitehouse. So Sheldon. Sheldon genuinely believes, like, every right wing conspiracy theory.

[Unnamed Speaker]

All of them.

[Ted Cruz]

He believes all of them.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

More than once.

[Unnamed Host]

We're all on a cabal, by the way. We just sort of plan.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, yeah. That's what we do. More than once. In response to Sheldon's rants in the Judiciary Committee, I've tweeted out. Do you know the meme of the guy connecting all the random like that? Sheldon. And this is connected to here, and it's connected to the here.

[Unnamed Host]

Beautiful mind, right? Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's insane. Like, I think he genuinely believes in all of the crazy stuff. Like, he tried smearing multiple Supreme Court nominees that we've put up with these insane debunked theories.

[Ted Cruz]

And everybody asked Brett Kavanaugh, what is this beer you speak of?

[Natalie Winters]

Yeah, I'll tell you guys, I know why they believe that. It's because that's what they do. And Mr. Chairman, I know you're not surprised to hear that we are very well sourced on Capitol Hill. And one of the things we heard about this week is a speech that you made to Senate Republicans on an issue regarding the GAO and the deep state continuing to try to drive forward this electric vehicle mandate that President Trump has spoken out against. And everybody is talking about what you were saying in that meeting. And I wonder if you could just share a little bit with us about that.

[Ted Cruz]

All right, that is number one, a kick ass question. And let me say to everyone, you guys, this is why you listen to the Ruthless podcast, because nobody else would ask that question. That actually is an incredibly inside. So if you're not subscribed to Ruthless, you ought to. And then right after that, subscribe to Verdict. Yeah, see what I did there?

[Unnamed Host]

That was nice cross promotion.

[Ted Cruz]

Hey, it works. It's all for. I guarantee y'all have a bunch of subscribers that don't subscribe to Verdict. Get on both versa. There you go.

[Unnamed Host]

Get on both.

[Ted Cruz]

All right, so this California has a very weird carve out under the Clean Air act that enables it to get a waiver from national, national laws concerning clean air. And it enables them to be much stricter. And so California, being the loons that they are, passed laws prohibiting the internal combustion engine and mandating that every car sold in California has to be an electric vehicle that you can't buy a gasoline engine. And it kicks in in a few years. But, but they're just incredible. So, and under, under the Clean Air Act, California gets this waiver. And the Biden administration granted them this waiver in order to put the mandate in place. Now the Clean Air act has a weird wrinkle also. Other states can opt in to California's waiver. And so 18 states across the country have opted in. So right now, 18 states have, have a law in effect that is going to ban gasoline engines in just a few years. It is a massive.

[Unnamed Host]

And there's like basically nothing the federal government from the executive side can just sort of do to undo this.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, there is. So the Biden administration, they granted the waiver. They said a, okay, that's good with us. And there is a law called the Congressional Review Act. Congressional Review act gives Congress the ability to reverse rules. And that, that's the critical legal term, a rule. Congress has the ability to reverse it if it's within a narrow window of time. And that often happens. We're doing it right now. In fact, in a few minutes, we're going to go to the floor and vote on a cra, which is, which is my cra, to reverse a Biden era rule that, that mandated, banned the most commonly used tankless water heaters and has the effect of driving up the cost for people to buy a tankless water heater of about 450 bucks and just hurting consumers. We're going to reverse it. So we're going to win that vote in a few minutes on the Senate floor.

[Natalie Winters]

Oh, yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

So what happened? The Biden administration said, oh, this waiver, it's not a rule, and said it. The reason they said it's not a rule is because then they didn't want it to be CRA able. They didn't want Congress to be able to overturn it. Well, when Trump came in, Lee Zeldin, the new head of the epa, took the waiver and submitted it as a rule, said, I'm the head of the EPA and I say this is a rule. And so that triggers the clock on the Congressional Review act to be able to reverse this waiver. Now, Sheldon Whitehouse, getting back to him again, one of his red threads brought him to the gao, the Government Accounting Office. And so he asked for an opinion. Is this a rule? And the gao, look, the gao, I have requests that are six months old that they won't respond to me. Within days, they issued this lengthy opinion saying, damn straight, it is not a rule.

[Unnamed Host]

Have we sent Elon over this joint yet? I feel like dojo is at this point.

[Ted Cruz]

It is clear these guys are resistance green, New Deal hardened, and this was all cooked up. This is in fact a red thread. This. They turn this around so fast. And then what has happened is there's a battle with the Senate parliamentarian. What I was urging my colleagues is I said, look, under the statute, GAO has no say whatsoever in terms of whether this is a rule. And in the entire history of the Senate, whenever an agency has deemed something to be a rule, 100% of the time, the Senate has treated that determination as binding. And so what the case I was making to my colleagues is we should do the same thing. And it's a huge deal substantively. If you don't want to ban cars, which is what the lunatics want to do, then you want this waiver reversed. And it's also a big deal precedentially because this is a massive power grab. By unelected bureaucrats who are saying, we don't want the elected senators deciding on whether to overturn this. We want to protect our crazy man.

[Unnamed Host]

So ultimately, you're advocating for your colleagues to sort of overturn this thing.

[Ted Cruz]

Yes.

[Unnamed Host]

And then. And get to the cra, Treat it like you would and get that thing.

[Ted Cruz]

The hell out of you and revert. Reverse the waiver.

[Unnamed Host]

I hope there's nobody who disagrees with that, because this is crazy.

[Ted Cruz]

I think we're going to prevail on that. I think we're going to get it done. And it means consumers can choice, choose. Look, if you decide. If you decide to buy an electric car, awesome. That's your choice. But if you decide not to.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

It shouldn't be some knucklehead in a windowless office in D.C. forcing it down your throat. Yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

It's just so well said. Thank you for raising that. Thanks for the question, too, because I had forgotten about that, but it's a really big deal.

[Natalie Winters]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

And also, you know, look, not for nothing, we had a full campaign where we talked about this ad nauseam. Electric vehicle mandates. Electric vehicle. And people, like, had a definitive opinion on it. To know that it actually takes the GAO signing off in order for us to actually get that reversed is wild.

[Ted Cruz]

I will say, by the way, I do have a deep personal gratitude to electric vehicles because they've demonstrated that the left are utter and total hypocrites.

[Unnamed Speaker]

That's the truth.

[Ted Cruz]

Because they're out there keying Teslas because Orange man bad, Elon man bad. And so suddenly electric vehicles that were gonna save us all from Armageddon are terrible. And you must carve swastikas into them. And it also shows leftists are idiots because there are cameras all over them. So you show up with a key to carve a swastika in something where.

[Unnamed Host]

You'Re on Candid camera got like 1088.

[Ted Cruz]

A dumb radical hypocrite. And without EVs, we would not have such definitive proof of that.

[Unnamed Host]

Listen, we got to get you out of here so you can vote on your thing, but you got to remember, you got to subscribe to the Verdict. You got to do it.

[Ted Cruz]

Damn straight.

[Unnamed Host]

It's actually a great podcast. You learn a lot. You know, maybe not as much as you do on the Ruthless Variety program. No, I'm just kidding you do. You learn you more. You get a ton of substance and up to the minute stuff.

[Ted Cruz]

We are, I will say on Verdict that there is less musical theater than on.

[Unnamed Host]

You don't like the variety.

[Ted Cruz]

But I will say this. The sun will come out tomorrow.

[Unnamed Host]

Well, maybe we can do a rendition of that next time you're here. Ted Cruz, ladies and gentlemen.

[Natalie Winters]

There's a new front in China's war on America. Illegal vapes for children. Bubblegum flavored, some with video games. Banned in China. They're smuggled into America and sold illegally to kids. What's in them?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Unknown.

[Natalie Winters]

China makes billions selling illegal vapes to our kids. Biden did nothing to stop it. But with President Trump's leadership, we can.

[Unnamed Host]

All right, so you heard from fellow podcaster Doug Cruz, an appreciator of new media. You're going to hear later on in the program from Natalie Winters, who's sort of pioneering an awful lot of this. So our question of the day for all of you in the new media front, because we know that you consume an awful lot of this, is who do you want to see next? Who in the new media do you want to see next? On Ruthless? We're going to get to all of your comments like and subscribe. Get those comments in there. We'll read them all. We'll get back to you on Tuesday. Well, we want to get to your comments from the question of the day on Tuesday, which I think was a good one. And I. There's context. All this has played out through the week. And your comments are very helpful to sort of guide our thinking of, like, what the rest of the country. There tends to be some, like, panic in major epicenters of things, and you kind of got to see through that and see what the people are thinking. So this is very helpful if you like and subscribe. We read your stuff.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

And we read all of these. The question was, do you trust Trump on tariffs to do that? We always start with a voice.

[Natalie Winters]

Okay. First comment comes from Jesse Ortegon. And Jesse writes, I have to say, fellas, if Trump could have picked one single thing to ruin his second term, it would be his tariff wars. If he continued the agenda from term one, deregulation, tax cuts, energy independence, he would be remembered as the greatest president of the new millennium. I fear the economic and political turmoil from these tariffs will wipe out that legacy and give Dems a boost in the midterms. And in 28, Jesse has sort of a negative view on what the president is doing with tariffs. And I think it's part and parcel of our audience. You know, you have a just panoply of.

[Unnamed Host]

It's a real split. And it's not, it's not, you know, look, everybody knows who we are. You wouldn't listen to us if you didn't think we were right of center. We are. We've got a right of center view. We're certainly not sycophantic about anything. We try to tell you exactly what it is that we see and we hear and we laugh along the way. And I think that you see that in the audience. Right. They have different points of view on you come about these things differently. And I can completely understand what he's talking about.

[Natalie Winters]

Yeah, but your typical Republican out there, they're watching the market, they're concerned and they express that, you know, it's all.

[Unnamed Host]

Funny games until your own pocketbook just evaporates.

[Natalie Winters]

Right.

[Unnamed Host]

48 hour.

[Natalie Winters]

Right in time. And so our audience, we have people who are honest with us, you know, they're not just saying, oh yeah, rah rah, rah rah rah. It's a conversation.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And also hindsight's 20 20. I mean, you know, now that we have seen, you know, the market's ripped, this is now completely focused on China. It's different, but at the time there were tons of people.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

When we did the episode on Tuesday, it looked real dark.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, a lot of confusion.

[Unnamed Host]

Real dark. Awesome.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Comment to this is from David. I trust Trump on the tariffs. We've got to force change. China however, has always been stubborn and if they cave, they'll eventually violate the deal. What breaks my heart are the rushesque low information voters who only know and believe what Lester Holt tells them. Yeah, I like the rush shout out in that.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, that's good.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, that's good.

[Unnamed Host]

I wonder if Titzer ever got any shit in high school.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, be a tough one.

[Unnamed Host]

Listen, we know your nickname. We know it. I thank you. Thank you a lot for, for commenting. It's actually a really good comment. That's, that's insightful stuff. And you're right, the low information stuff all just reacts to our, you know, the echo chamber. Yeah, you know, Exactly. Exactly right. Comment 3.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This comes from Z Lung Butters and they write, I elected Trump because I trust him to be able to fix this broken country. I'm not going to panic, but give him room to implement his plan. I mean, you look at the markets, the way they ripped.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah. I mean, look, I think this is part of the thing that we have, have struggled with and I think a lot of people struggle with because of the bifurcated messaging within the administration where you've got the Navarro's of the world that are saying tariffs are good. They raised billions of dollars, and they're going to be here for the long haul. And then you had, you know, Bessant and Howard over there, and, you know, a whole crew of people saying, like, no, it's a means to an end because we got to get a fair deal for the American taxpayer. And I think all of us who assumed that that was basically Trump's point of view, if you read the art of the deal, like, you know what his point of view is, like, nothing is solid until it's a deal. And that comment is a perfect example of, give him some room. Give him some room to try to make a deal. And, you know, this isn't over by any stretch of the imagination, but if people are making deals, they're making deals.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. I think, like, there's a lot of conservatives out there, and I probably count myself among them, who want the most conservative thing possible in almost every single instance. But, like, there's some situations, at least in my personal politics, where I feel like if we have generational institutional problems in this country, I'm willing to try or trust Donald Trump to find heterodox solutions to them, at least in the short term, and try to figure it out, because the guy clearly has been doubted in so many ways throughout his life.

[Unnamed Host]

He's been a Rasputin in almost every element of his life, dating back to, like, 1980.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, but I'm not gonna sit here and be like, I think tariffs are an intrinsic good that we should keep up forever, because I don't believe that.

[Unnamed Host]

Not true. Yeah, right. I mean, there's a difference between just adopting something that somebody says and saying, like, I don't know, man. There may be more to.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, maybe he can figure it out.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, that we think.

[Natalie Winters]

But the best thing about these comments, and I think the best thing about our show, is we are not for anchormen reading you the news and telling you exactly what you should.

[Unnamed Speaker]

He could do that, though. He could really do that.

[Natalie Winters]

You know what I'm saying? Like, actual Republicans and conservatives out there are having a conversation, and it is not one view or the other. It is all of them talking. And that's what we do on this show, people.

[Unnamed Host]

We were up on Capitol Hill today. We were up on Capitol Hill today. This is the conversation you're hearing, the conversation that everybody was having up there. Like, what are we doing? Like, is this work? Does that work? I trust them to do this. I'm a little worried about this. Like, this is the conversation that people who are involved in the process are having, which I, you know, we try to bring you on a daily basis, and your thoughts are immensely helpful. Thank you for liking and subscribing and being a part of this overall discussion. So with that, listen, when we come back, we're going to hear from our Variety.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You might not see it on your receipt, but there's a hidden tax driving up the cost of everything from your car insurance to your hospital bill. It's lawsuit abuse. Frivolous lawsuits are costing every American family over $4,000 a year. And it's getting worse. Trial lawyers are suing Medicare, suing small businesses, even suing President Trump, not for justice, but for profit. And guess what? The billions they rake in get funneled back to the politicians who protect their rigged system. President Trump has a plan to stop them. His loser pays. Reform would make the people who file junk lawsuits pay the price, not taxpayers like you. Experts say the president's plan could save us over $2 trillion. It's time to end the lawsuit abuse. It's time to make America affordable again. Go to more affordable USA.com paid for by Make America Affordable Again.

[Unnamed Host]

All right, fellas, how about a little variety?

[Natalie Winters]

Love it.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Let's do it.

[Unnamed Host]

I always like hearing from Ted Cruz. We got Natalie winners coming up, but, you know, like, let's have some fun. The thing that we do the best, which everyone's followed along with, is hack madness.

[Unnamed Speaker]

There's the music.

[Unnamed Host]

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We do. And I think I want to first say thank you so much to all the minions for the hundreds of thousands of votes which were cast. And it came down to one hell of a battle.

[Unnamed Host]

It was a battle, folks.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We have a champion. Margaret Brennan. Congratulations. Hack of the year. Hack madness can do that.

[Unnamed Host]

How about that?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Hard fought, hard won.

[Unnamed Host]

I mean, really, you gotta put in time, the effort, day after day, Sunday after Sunday.

[Natalie Winters]

But that's the only way you go wire to wire like she did. There was a moment last fall when everybody watched her in that deb. And everybody, I think, knew she was going to win this tournament.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I do think she had an easy final, you know, Joy. Joy Reid was fired.

[Unnamed Host]

Agreed.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Fired by msnbc.

[Unnamed Host]

Couldn't provide new stuff.

[Unnamed Speaker]

She's in the transfer portal.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

You know, Nicole Wallace could have given a better match.

I think so tomorrow.

[Unnamed Host]

No question in my mind.

[Unnamed Speaker]

But I think ultimately the issue for. For her, you know, Nicole Wallace at msnbc, sort of like Joe Burrow at the Bengals. A lot of talent at a failing franchise.

[Unnamed Host]

Oh, my God. That's just sunburn.

[Natalie Winters]

I will look past that comment. And I wish, I really wish I had a broom for sweep. I mean, she swept this entire thing start to finish, you know, I mean.

[Unnamed Host]

I knew in the first two rounds when she was posting like 90, it was gonna be a tough deal.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's been a while since we've seen something like that. Like, it's like early Jen Rubin, early Gen Ruben performances when it was just like absolute domination. But I really do think, I mean, so many Americans saw that debate with JD Vance where she tried to make herself the story, cutting him off. And then it didn't stop there. It's not like a one hit wonder. It became a week in, week out kind of thing where she's like, well, you know, not all buildings in Colorado were taken over by criminal, illegal gangs. And he's like, I don't care. You know, like she made herself the story so many times.

I'm so glad you mentioned that. Smug. Because I think this is a hack madness unlike any other, you know.

[Unnamed Host]

Oh, I think that's exactly right. Well said on Masters Week.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Right. Because most of the hacks who win this thing over the previous years, they've.

[Unnamed Host]

Like opinion, opinion folks. Right.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Or, or they're doing primetime cable. This is network, you know, broadcast is.

[Unnamed Host]

Supposed to be the most serious show on the network.

[Natalie Winters]

Right.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This is, this doesn't have.

[Unnamed Host]

This is, this is a different thing.

[Unnamed Speaker]

This illustrates how far the media has fallen.

[Unnamed Host]

The fact that that has offended our listeners more than like Joy in the Finals or like a Keith Olbermann or it tells you where CBS is. It is a seminal moment. We've never had a network. I'm not sure we've had a network Final Four. We now have a network champion.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's incredible.

[Natalie Winters]

Yeah, I really think ESPN needs to do a 30 for 30 on everybody hates Margaret Brennan if they did something like that. I mean, every, like I would watch.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, I mean, Wolf can throw something together.

[Natalie Winters]

Great idea.

[Unnamed Host]

You know, we got a historic season.

[Unnamed Speaker]

We got, we got to give a shout out to Sean who won our prediction bracket, who he won 217 to 216 over Carol. So Sean, wherever you are, we'll get your information. Be in touch. We're going to have to send you a bunch of.

[Unnamed Host]

Sean, you're going to get a lot of goods, buddy. You got a lot of free gear coming your way. Hats off to your participation. And for the thousands of you who sent in brackets, thank you for doing it. For the hundreds of thousands of people who voted on this thing, thanks for participating. It wouldn't Work without you.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Incredible. Incredible.

[Ted Cruz]

Run.

[Unnamed Host]

It really was the old tweet account. I imagine the Menchies were just a complete disaster.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. I just, I can't get over. And I think the whole reason is, folks, now see clearly how biased this media's become. These hacks that it's at the point where network news anchors. Yeah. Are the biggest hack of the year.

[Unnamed Host]

Can I, can I ask you something? So when we started Hack Madness four or five years ago, when we initially unveiled brackets and had all the stuff, a lot of complaints from journeys, they were all over the Menchies. I was getting texts everywhere, like, why would I be included? I try to be fair and balance. Like, they, they were very. I didn't detect this year, not as much.

[Unnamed Speaker]

They've come to accept it.

[Unnamed Host]

I think they've come to accept.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I think for the longest time they tried to, like, act like they're, oh, fair and balanced.

[Unnamed Host]

And now they're like, no, we know.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, we know.

[Unnamed Host]

We know.

[Unnamed Speaker]

At this point, everyone knows.

Badge of honor for them.

Yeah, yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

They're like, we know. We got it.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's incredible.

[Unnamed Host]

It's really something. It's one of our favorite things that we do. Most wonderful time of the year. Hack Madison. Now concludes Margaret Brennan, our new champion. The biggest hack in all of journalism. It joins an elite sorority fraternity of. Of champions that we have here.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah. Brian Stelter, Jen Rubin Taylor, Lorenzo Renz. Heavyweights.

[Unnamed Host]

Heavyweights.

[Natalie Winters]

A co ed hall of fame.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah. I mean, it's raft name the rafters type stuff. It's really good. All right, we got another clip for you. This is old, old president Donald Trump. He's got some things to say. We always find it fascinating. Let's play clip two, please.

[Donald Trump]

We are screwing around with wind. Wind. These people are crazy. They say, oh, it's great for the environment. Yeah, it kills all your birds. You want to see a bird cemetery? Walk under a windmill somewhere. Birds all over the place. They're screaming for help. They got whacked.

[Unnamed Speaker]

They're screaming for help.

[Donald Trump]

The environmentalists. It's an environmental dream. You know why? Because you're never going to have energy. They're the most expensive form of energy there is. 10 times more expensive than clean natural gas. 10 times much more expensive than coal. And not very unreliable. Like if they wanted to watch us tonight on television. Alice, Alice. I want to watch the president tonight. I'm sorry. The windmills aren't blowing.

[Unnamed Speaker]

The windmills aren't blowing.

[Natalie Winters]

I mean, last week we launched our Go to the Week segment and this Week President Trump has to win. Go to the week.

[Unnamed Speaker]

He has to that because of like the way he paints the picture.

[Unnamed Host]

It's so good.

[Unnamed Speaker]

For those of you on audio only, you know, he says the windmills and then he does the circle with his hand in the air. And then he's talking about bird cemeteries. Like, the guy's just, he's a, he's a showman.

[Unnamed Host]

It's showman's illustration of this larger idiocy that we're confronted by being normal, you know, that we've been told forever. It's like, ah, we can't have oil and gas despite the fact that we have more of that than anybody else in the world. We can't do any of these things that actually provide energy. It's windmills that work. But he's entirely right. Like the. But he's been doing this for a while. Remember he would do this to like Kennedy compound. Talk about the windmills out. We didn't have a problem with windmills, right. Until they tried to put it in front of the Kennedy compound. Didn't like the view. I mean, it's just, it's great stuff. I love it. In other stories, you're gonna get three, three part variety today.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Lots of good variety.

[Unnamed Host]

So China, which, you know, look, it's a tough spot.

[Unnamed Speaker]

They're in a tough spot.

[Unnamed Host]

They're a tough spot for a lot of reasons this week, but they're a China court auctions off 100 tons of live crocodiles for half a million dollars. But the winner must pick it up the lot at their own risk. I need to know more about this. So I clicked on it and here's what we've got. It could be a while for these crocodiles. The Chinese corps is trying to auction off 100 tons of live croc. Is that how you measure a crocodile?

[Unnamed Speaker]

I've never heard of crocs sold in this, like by the pound.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's like, wouldn't you say you've got like a hundred crocodiles? They're like, no, we have tons. They're weighed in tons anyway. 100 tons.

[Natalie Winters]

That's a lot.

[Unnamed Speaker]

That's a lot of crocodile.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, it totally is. For the third time since they were acquired from a bankrupt company. So they're basically trying to settle a bankruptcy. And this in this company that they're. That has gone bankrupt, not surprisingly, because they have 100 tons of live crocodiles. No idea what they're doing with them.

[Natalie Winters]

But here's the thing. If I were a billionaire, I would call the president, I'd say, Mr. Trump, buy the crocodiles. If one of these countries refuses to deal with you on tariffs, I am going to buy these crocodiles and I'm going to dump them in the place that matters most to their people. Like just throw it in Beijing right there.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah. So they quantify this though, helpfully for us. The New York Post, it just, it does great work. It's roughly 200 to 500 beasts as they say.

[Natalie Winters]

That's an army.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah, yeah, 4 million won, which is, you know, about $550,000. Anyway, they've got all these things and they don't know what to do with it. But the company, because the company failed to meet its obligations, they have to liquidate it. But in liquidating it, they have 200 to 500 beasts. And apparently everybody says China is so cruel. I'm not sure the United States in a court, if somebody was like, hey, we got to liquidate this company and you have 500 crocodiles. And we wouldn't be like, well, let's just put a bullet in 500 heads.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Think about all of the cowboy boots.

Yeah, yeah. I'm trying to, I read ahead, I'm trying to see what the hell this company even does. It's called the Guangdong Hong Yi Crocodile Industry Company.

[Unnamed Host]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Which was founded by Mo Junrong, quote the crocodile God. And it says that in China, crocodiles are top commodity and are used in more than 100 products ranging from makeup to wine.

[Unnamed Host]

So wait, is this like a, like a cattle ranch in China?

[Unnamed Speaker]

I mean, yeah, farming.

[Unnamed Host]

Is that basically what this is, a cattle ranch?

[Unnamed Speaker]

And also there is crocodile wine.

[Unnamed Host]

No, that's not, it said straight up.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It says they're used in 100 products ranging from makeup to wine.

[Natalie Winters]

I'm telling you, if you took a truck and you brought all of those crocs into Ottawa and you just let them go in Canada and you said deal with it. Canadians, you think the Mounties are so great. You think your country is so great, you deal with this.

[Unnamed Host]

Wouldn't you be like if you were Canadian, wouldn't be like, wait for winter.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, they're cold blooded.

[Unnamed Host]

Wait for winter.

[Natalie Winters]

If they can make it that far, crocs might start eating them.

[Unnamed Host]

Oh yeah, it's true, it's true. It could take a Canuck out or two. No question about it. Anyway, they've offloaded this thing. They said they're not going to pay any shipping or handling. You've got to actually pick up these crocs which Is an interesting deal. Like, I don't think we've had this in the United States. You have livestock auctions and all these kind of things. People have big semi trucks. They're like custom made for them to stand up. And they drive down the free. Everybody's seen them. You live in the Midwest, you've seen them. For crocs loading up 500 crocodiles, it strikes me as a more difficult task.

[Unnamed Speaker]

And they're not like alligators because there's a significant difference. Alligators are the ones that, like, drag themselves by the belt. They're slow moving.

[Ted Cruz]

Crocs are quick.

[Unnamed Speaker]

They're up on their feet, and they can move.

[Natalie Winters]

Demon like, they're very difficult to deal with.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Crocodile Dundee over here is giving us the specs.

[Unnamed Host]

Would you. Wouldn't you just make boots immediately?

[Unnamed Speaker]

Boots and belts.

I'm not taking delivery of these things live. I'm not trying to take delivery of them live. I'm not gonna try to collect them live. They've got all gotta go.

[Unnamed Host]

Just boots. Right?

[Unnamed Speaker]

I mean, like. Well, I mean, there's a million things you could do with the croc, you know, I mean, I, I, hell, I'd make a rug.

Just please do not.

[Unnamed Host]

You love the rug. Just do not say time. We talk, every time we talk about.

[Natalie Winters]

It's rugs.

[Unnamed Host]

Any animal at all, he's like, I.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Want rug croc rugged.

As long as they don't send them to the Wuhan live market. Give us another coronavirus, we're gonna pay with whatever they do.

[Unnamed Host]

Instead of bat soup, we're gonna have, like, croc lung.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Host]

You know, it'll be like, oh, and the only antidote is a croc tooth. Yeah, you got to go harvest another 500 to get us the antidote to this thing. And then you get the. What do they call them? The rods.

[Unnamed Speaker]

No, the rods don't want the rod.

[Natalie Winters]

You don't want it.

[Unnamed Host]

You want the rod. Anyway, that's what's going on in China right now is they're threatening trade retaliations if they've got a croc situation on their hands.

[Natalie Winters]

Very creative.

[Unnamed Host]

Anyway, when we come back, a great guest. Fells, I'm sorry I couldn't make the interview. You've done a terrific job. She's terrific. And actually sort of pioneering this new media space that our friend has helpfully pioneered in the White House by reporting news from something other than, like, the four major dailies that have crowned themselves the White House correspondents. Natalie Winters.

[Natalie Winters]

Hardworking Americans know when it's time to roll up our sleeves and get the job done. Now is the time to unleash our nation's energy to create jobs, secure our future, and make life better, more affordable, and full of opportunity for all Americans. That's the power of America's oil and natural gas. Learn [e-mail] paid for by the American Petroleum Institute. I want to welcome to the program a new media sensation from the war room, Natalie Winters. Thanks for joining us today.

[Unnamed Host]

Hi.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Thank you guys so much for having me in your wonderful studio. I'm envious of the tiles, the neon sign. It's very nice.

Can you believe this used to be a conference room?

No, it doesn't have bad vibes. This is good vibes.

[Natalie Winters]

We're doing our best. And I remember, so when I asked the question at that press conference, I remember sitting in that chair and looking back around the room and I saw in the seats were all the legacy media types, all the old people who've been doing this forever and who was standing around the sides? It's all of the new media people, conservatives. And I saw Natalie's face and I will tell you that they're the ones who are working the hardest to deliver the news to people in a way that they want to consume it. And Natalie, I just can't thank you enough for joining us to talk about new media today.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Well, thank you. And thank you for being the first person brave enough to sit in that seat. I'm sure you and I probably understand the arrows that have been, I guess, hurled at people who've dared to sort of breach the new media Rubicon, lexcon. Right. That they, I think, have really pushed back against. Every day now I'm fielding interview requests from whether it's international media outlets or legacy media outlets, sort of trying to, I think, smear me as a propagandist. And the whole new media operation is something that's very akin to like state funded, state sponsored propaganda. So it's been an interesting thing to sort of push back on. I thought I'd just be in there being able to kind of report the war room worldview. But instead now I seem to be defending the new media initiative.

Where do you think that comes from? Like, I, I mean, my theory of it is like they know they're losing market share. And you look at the way Donald Trump won his election last fall and it was new media, it was podcasts, it was breaking outside of this bubble of the establishment legacy media and talking directly to voters. And obviously the Trump administration has put an emphasis on that. In the Briefing Room, Is it desperation? Is it like, you know, these folks, they know they don't have the viewers anymore and so they're trying to figure out a way to tear you down or us down or basically anybody else.

I think it's twofold. One, I always say we're on perpendicular tracks, right? If you look in terms of viewership, but more importantly, I think impact, right? And I think our show, like War Room, a lot of the new media outlets that are in there, we don't just have viewers, but we have a very activism oriented audience, which I think is very different from the sort of cohort that the CNNs of the world are talking to, right? They wish they had the audiences that we had who are willing to pick up phone calls and call their senators, call their members of Congress, call even whoever, right, to state legislature, you name it. So I think that's one fundamental difference. And I think having just my face in there is sort of a, I guess, harsh reminder. That Briefing Room has also gone through, I think, a very kind of Darwinian evolution, right? So many layoffs, so many firings. So those people are really struggling with that. But even I think to your point, right, talking about bringing the news to the people, you know, our conception of what constitutes news is wholly disparate from what everyone who represents the seated people, right, what they would constitute to represent news. And I think that for so long they have used that briefing room, but that institution more broadly, not just to push left wing talking points, I think that's a reductive trope, but to really run cover for sort of the establishment for this just sort of, whether it's a narrative that's benefiting the military industrial complex, or just a discussion that never entails an actual open, free and fair handed discussion about legal immigration or legal immigration, they'd rather focus on one trend. Nairagua member right? That's not what the American people want to hear. So I think that it's just a fundamental shift in what media is, which really can only be chalked up to, I think, a continuation of the trajectory that the campaign really embraced, which was these alternative media sources. But lastly, I would just add that I think there's an interesting kind of inherent conflation that a lot of the legacy media outlets have placed upon new media where they say, oh well, you're all right wing, right? You're all Trump propagandists. Not necessarily. It's just that new media, right, what people want to listen to that sort of expanding demographic. It just so happens that it's more conservative or right of center, because I think that that's what people. It's just truth, right? It's not some USAID funded spin, right?

[Natalie Winters]

No, it's such a great point. I mean, the audiences wouldn't be flocking to different sources of media if not for a reason. And that reason is that they've been lied to by legacy media over and over and over again and they're just tired of it. And it really seems like this White House is taking a different approach to media. I mean, they are shuffling around that briefing room slowly but surely. I mean, there was the whole dust up with the Associated Press and then they sued to try to get back into the room or to get into the pool coverage, but they're already a part of it. You know, they just want more and exclusive access. It's just like they feel like they're entitled to something that actually belongs to the people.

[Unnamed Speaker]

They're so entitled. And I always say they're such pseudo intellectuals. I was like so disappointed. Not that I was expecting them to be anything intelligent, but I really think it's the trope of like, you know, you're a cog in the corporate wheel, you're sitting in the cubicle. If you die the next day, you're irrelevant. Same with these people who have such, I think, inflated senses of self because they're the ones, you know, asking the questions and they have the shows, so they think they're so important. But I also think why they're so desperate, sprit and why we really pose such an existential threat to them. I think on the war Room, we focus a lot on the concept of color revolutions and the opposition and resistance to President Trump. And obviously they tried to impeach him right when they had the House. But since they didn't take the House, obviously not the Senate and certainly not the presidency with a popular vote, an overwhelming one at that, they're sort of relegated to, I think, really being only able to wage their resistance from really two spheres of influence, one being the media and controlling people's kind of public opinion. Which I think is why you see the protesters, the shock troops, right? There's that sort of inherent connection there. Or the lawfare stuff, the judges, the activism that we're seeing coming from the bench. So I think that's why they're doubling down so hard and why they really, it's almost projection, right? When they say that I'm a state funded propagandist, right? Whenever they attack President Trump as a dictator or an autocrat. I think that it's sort of their internal way of coping with how to justify opposing a democratically elected president, despite the fact saying, oh, well, we just love democracy so much, so you have to smear him as a dictator, as an autocrat, to justify this sort of like outside the system, political change. And when you look at the people who are funding these protests, the sort of really revolutionary. I mean, they're very hardcore. This isn't just activism. This is like political warfare. I think it shows you how desperate they are. And I guess I get a dose of it every day in the briefing room, but as you know, it's very. It's very bad energy in there. It's very bad vibes.

[Natalie Winters]

It's bad. I mean, I wonder if you could you just give the audience a little bit. I tried my best to explain my take on it, but you're in there so much more than I. You know, I was just there that one time. Like, surely there are little fights going on between these people that nobody ever knows about. And, like, they're elbowing each other out and it's wild.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It's not fun. The best way I describe it as, you know, when you're at a party and you see someone who. It's like a friend's friend that you maybe know, but you don't know. You don't know whether or not to say hi. Like, I'm sure everyone can feel that sense of awkwardness so times that by like a thousand. And instead of it being someone that you know through mutual friends, it's someone that you know because you've probably attacked them on tv. So that's sort of the vibe in there, which real friends, which I love. Right? It's great because I think these people. I think war room, too. I mean, I love Steve. Like, we're very. About mocking institutions that deserve to be mocked. And in some ways, even the criticisms of what I wear, I'm like, I refuse to affirm this as a legitimate institution. I respect the White House and I respect Caroline Levitt and President Trump, but the people who are in there are not serious intellectuals doing work that means anything other than just pure propaganda. The vibes in there. So for reference, when you watch it on tv, on the right side is where a lot of the new media people, until we get our seats, which we're hoping to see a rearrangement there, they all sort of have gathered there during. During the briefings. And the room is also just a lot busier than it ever was. Not just because people stopped going under Joe Biden. But they've added so many people, right? Especially from the new media court. So it's really hard to get through. And I think the best way that the legacy media people will kind of display their animosity or contempt for us is when they try to sort of scoot by that way or, like, walk down that corridor. They'll be so dramatic. They'll be like, it never used to be like this. Or, oh, it's so busy. All you guys are here, and we're just like. And some of them are really. I mean, there are cat fights over, like, people leaving bags to save spots. And then one girl's like, you can't save spots. And then they'll start.

[Ted Cruz]

That's like high school.

[Unnamed Speaker]

It really is. I try to kill everyone with kindness. I'm always like, oh, I love your shirt. No, but that's so cute. Where'd you get it? But it's really weird. I really don't like going there. It's like the worst part of my job. But, I mean, it's a lot of personality disorders probably coming together, all fueled by narcissistic narcissism and large egos.

The thing that you said earlier about, you know, calling them like, left wing is sort of reductive, and I think that's exactly right. It's. I would say it's sort of a lack of curiosity. And I think the growth of alternative media and podcasts and things like that is just people approaching stories from a different angle and thinking about the news differently or what actually the American people care about. I'm curious, as someone who spends a lot of time in that briefing room, can you predict, like, what are the three questions? What are the five questions they're gonna ask? Because it feels like they have such a narrow view of what constitutes news and, you know, the angle that they're going to use.

Of course, I. I love watching msnbc. So it's usually. It's the best. So they probably just pull whatever.

Theoretically. I'll rewatch the 2024 election night coverage. It's great. You can watch the entire thing without commercials.

[Unnamed Host]

I know.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I am addicted to it. And it's because it's very dopamogenic in the sense that you never know when they're gonna say the next crazy thing, right? So you gotta keep watching. You never know when you're gonna get a Jackson. You never know when Rachel Maddow is gonna say, like, that's it. We should just kill all Trumps, right? Like, who knows? But yeah, it's. So I actually, I like to go and sit in the briefing room for like 10 minutes before my hits and just to kind of. I know no one's listening, but just to eavesdrop on what they say, because it's, it's really funny. Are the long faces on certain issues. They were really apoplectic over Doge, obviously. And I remember I was like waiting in line for the restroom and there were a couple people behind me, I think. I don't know what outlet they were with, but I can guarantee you they were not new media. And they were. It was like a Tuesday. It was very early in the week. And like this week it's so long. Like, I just don't know. How do we. They're like, how do we report this to the American people? They don't want to hear this. Like, he's destroying the government. I'm not being drunk, just. They're just dismantling everything. They were going on and on. I was like, this sounds great. This is what the American people voted for. But there's just that contempt. And honestly, you know, love me or hate me, I think that through the coverage that they've sort of voiced on me, I think I've sort of become maybe a bit of a representation for like the whole new media push and the sort of like Maga, Bannon, whatever people being in there and the disrespect, I would say, or just on seriousness that they treat me with is really how they would treat you, right? If not you, but like your audience or any of us, if we were in there. And they just fundamentally don't take me seriously, which I think is. Is kind of funny. But no, their questions. I mean, you can tell that they're collaborating behind the scenes. And you can also tell, I mean, for how smart they are, they ask the same freaking question, right? And I think like the immigration and I actually was just filming yesterday with cnn. That's another reason why I'm convinced that they all hate me. Because all of these outlets, legacy and a lot of the international ones have wanted to do stories on the new media stuff. And I guess thanks to the Daily Mail, I'm now their go to girl. So every time, like, I have to go and walk and they'll film me walking and it looks like I think I'm like, really self important. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. It's. It's the Japanese that are filming me. Like, it's not me. And Secret Service is like, are you A celebrity. I'm like, no, CNN just really dislikes me. But when I was in there, I just lost my train of thought, getting PTSD from all the stuff that I have to deal with them. But I was saying the immigration thing is I think, a very instructive, illustrative, rather, paradigm through which I've sort of pushed back on the idea that what they're doing is journalism. Because that's an interesting pushback that probably the top line of defense that I get, whether it's cnn, New York Times, any of these outlets, that if you were to kick out the legacy media outlets, that the conservative institution and infrastructure is not enough to actually do fact finding, like we couldn't report. And it's like they don't want to talk about the actual issues of immigration. They want to myopically focus on one makeup artist that may or may not have had MS.13 tattoos. That's not what the American people want to talk about when it comes to immigration.

[Natalie Winters]

Right, right. Because. Because they're actually not getting to the truth. They're actually not reporting. They are parroting what they hear from their sources inside the federal bureaucracy. And I think.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Inside trend.

[Natalie Winters]

Exactly. And I think it's very revealing that they were losing their minds so much over Doge, because when Doge happens, that means that their entire structure is falling apart. That means that their entire establishment is actually crumbling. And for the life of me, I do not understand why they go so hard into the paint on immigration. I mean, it's like, we have laws in this country. If there are violent terrorists in our country, they should be out. Obama himself deported 3 million people. So it shouldn't be so controversial to move these people out of our country who shouldn't be here in the first place. And yet the press is acting like, no, this is our mission is to make sure that all of the violent criminals and terrorists who want to be here can be here. It blows my mind, but it's, you know, the benefit is to alternative media.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Well, and thankfully we have people like Natalie in that briefing room every day getting us the news. Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it.

Thank you guys for having me.

[Natalie Winters]

I mean, she's so great. We need to have her again. She is really a pioneer in new media. And I gotta be honest with you, fellas, what she is doing is really upsetting the apple cart with the legacy media and with so many people who have been at it for a long time, because she is. She's normal. She is a very normal person. And Presents information in a way that normal people would like to consume. And so they don't like the competition.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Bottom line, they don't like the competition.

[Unnamed Host]

Oh, I was like to see like a next generation get involved and take it a little bit further. Right. I mean, we never had the opportunity when we were in Natalie's age to even dream about doing this kind of thing. But President Trump has obviously opened the aperture of what's available, and then you get talented people to run through it, and that's what she's doing, which I find. I mean, personally, I think it's absolutely terrific. So listen, fellas, our question of the day. Who in the new media do you want to see on Ruthless?

[Natalie Winters]

Great question.

[Unnamed Host]

So, you know, like, you hear from Natalie, we had Teddy Ballgame on here. He's a new media guy.

[Unnamed Speaker]

Yeah, yeah. Big podcast.

[Unnamed Host]

Big, big podcaster. Maybe most known first podcasts, but rude, you know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. But. But honestly, we would be interested because you all follow a whole bunch of different things. We do too. And we're big fans and we interact with people like we've always said, we see ourselves as a little bit like the band. We play a set with everybody. And so who's your favorite? Tell us who's your favorite and we'll try to get them on next with that. Fellas, look, I think we did it.

[Unnamed Speaker]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, thank you so much, Senator Ted Cruz. Thank you so much, Natalie Winders. And thank you so much to the Minions. Remember, if you have not yet, go to the YouTube, hit that subscribe button. It's more fun and videos. So until next time, Indians, keep the faith. Hold on the libs. We'll see you on Tuesday. Stay ruthless.

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