Dems RAGE against the Deniers, Another Pro-Hamas Campus Protester Deported & Foreign Money Floods our Universities Week In Review

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson Episode: Dems RAGE against the Deniers, Another Pro-Hamas Campus Protester Deported & Foreign Money Floods our Universities Week In Review
Release Date: March 29, 2025

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Introduction to the Week in Review

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson teams up with Senator Ted Cruz to dissect three major stories dominating the political landscape. The discussions are sharp, candid, and delve deep into the pressing issues facing America today. Here's a comprehensive summary of their conversation:

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1. Democrats and the Threat of Violence Against Conservatives

Rising Tensions and Violence

Ben Ferguson opens the discussion by highlighting a disturbing trend: the increasing threats directed at conservatives by Democrats. He points to recent incidents involving high-profile figures like Elon Musk, where threats have escalated to physical attacks on businesses, such as Tesla dealerships. For instance, Ben references incidents in Austin, Texas, where incinerated devices were discovered near dealerships, indicating a tangible rise in violent actions against conservative entities ([01:01]).

Jasmine Crockett's Rhetoric

The conversation takes a critical turn as Senator Cruz addresses the inflammatory remarks of Texas House member Jasmine Crockett. Ben plays a clip where Crockett advocates for physical violence against him, saying:

"I just want to say that I have never promoted violence whatsoever. I think that you punch. I think you punch. I think you're okay with you okay with punching... there is no niceties with him, like, at all. Like, you go clean off on him, right?"
— Jasmine Crockett ([03:07])

Senator Cruz condemns Crockett's stance, labeling it as reflective of the broader Democratic Party's penchant for inciting anger and disorder. He emphasizes the personal toll of such rhetoric, sharing his own experiences with threats and harassment:

"There's no way [...] when you have people on the left encouraging [...] What is wrong with these people?"
— Senator Ted Cruz ([05:25])

Personal Anecdotes and Polarization

Ted Cruz recounts personal encounters with hostility, highlighting how conservative figures are becoming targets both online and in public spaces. He shares instances where verbal abuse occurred in the presence of his family, underscoring the alarming normalization of such hostility:

"When I'm out with my daughter and someone gets in my face... it's like, what is wrong with these people?"
— Senator Ted Cruz ([05:25])

Cruz further elaborates on his approach to handling such negativity, opting for grace and restraint:

"My standard response is, I say God bless you. And I got to tell you, it infuriates them."
— Senator Ted Cruz ([07:49])

This method, while maintaining his composure, often exacerbates tensions, as evidenced by the reactions of his adversaries.

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2. Deportation of Pro-Hamas Campus Protester Momodo Tal

Case Overview

The second major topic delves into the deportation of Momodo Tal, a British and Gambian dual national, from Cornell University. Ben Ferguson outlines Tal's controversial activities and statements, which led to the revocation of his F1 student visa:

"He has called on fellow student protesters to take their cues from the armed resistance in Palestine... Glory to the resistance."
— Senator Ted Cruz ([14:17])

Tal's actions and rhetoric were deemed anti-American and anti-Semitic, prompting intervention from the Department of Justice and ICE ([14:17]).

Antisemitism and Campus Safety

Ted Cruz expresses deep concern over the surge in antisemitic incidents on college campuses, attributing much of this to foreign influence and radical ideologies. He highlights the lack of opposition from Democratic leaders in response to such threats:

"Have you heard a single Democrat in the Senate speak out in favor of revoking his visa?"
— Senator Ted Cruz ([19:54])

Cruz criticizes the Democrats' apparent silence and lack of action against individuals like Tal, questioning their stance on free speech and national security.

Promotion of Extremist Ideologies

The discussion further explores Tal's extremist views, as Cruz cites his social media posts advocating for the end of the U.S. empire and denouncing Zionism:

"We are actually living in an effing alternative reality... Zionists are indeed the chosen people. Chosen for hell."
— Senator Ted Cruz ([19:54])

Cruz underscores the danger of such ideologies infiltrating American institutions and the imperative need for stringent measures against individuals who openly threaten national security and community safety.

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3. Influx of Foreign Money into American Universities

Report Findings and Implications

The final segment addresses a concerning report from Americans for Public Trust, revealing that a staggering $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts have been funneled into U.S. universities. Notably, $795 million of this comes from nations long-standing adversaries of the United States, including China, Russia, Venezuela, and Yemen ([25:26]).

Historical Context and Legislation

Senator Cruz reflects on his past efforts to curb foreign influence in academia, particularly his role in shutting down Confucius Institutes funded by China:

"I introduced legislation that banned any money from the federal Department of Defense going to university that had a Confucius Institute... resulting in more than 20 Confucius Institutes across the country being shut down."
— Senator Ted Cruz ([28:21])

He warns that the current influx surpasses previous threats, posing significant risks of espionage, propaganda, and intellectual property theft.

Call for Transparency and Regulation

Cruz advocates for robust legislative measures to ensure transparency and accountability in foreign funding:

"We need transparency. [...] The legislation I'm introducing puts punitive tax penalties. If you get money from a country that is an enemy of America, in my view, the federal government ought to put penalties in place where you end up being taxed more than you get."
— Senator Ted Cruz ([29:22])

He emphasizes the necessity of prioritizing American interests and safeguarding educational institutions from becoming vessels for foreign agendas.

Potential Consequences and Recommendations

Ben Ferguson questions the government's response, stressing the importance of regulatory oversight to prevent the undermining of American education and national security:

"If they're buying the minds of American students or influence, or even what worries me the most is stealing intellectual property or spying on America... what should the government's response be?"
— Ben Ferguson ([28:21])

Senator Cruz concurs, outlining a multi-faceted strategy to combat the issue:

"Yes, and we ought to penalize the hell out of it. If Iran is funding your university, you're doing something fundamentally wrong."
— Senator Ted Cruz ([31:32])

He calls for immediate legislative action to address the pervasive and overt foreign influence threatening the integrity of American higher education.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz provide an unfiltered exploration of the escalating threats against conservatives, the deportation of extremist individuals from educational institutions, and the alarming influx of foreign money into American universities. Their candid discussions underscore the pressing need for decisive action to safeguard national security, uphold free speech responsibly, and maintain the integrity of American educational institutions.

For a more in-depth analysis and additional insights, listeners are encouraged to download and listen to the full podcast episode.

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Notable Quotes:

• "It's like piling hot coals on their heads."
  — Senator Ted Cruz on responding to hostility ([07:48])

• "Zionist Jewish students are claiming to be unsafe, scared and somehow everyone is calling for their genocide while we are witnessing a genocide of the Palestinian people."
  — Senator Ted Cruz ([19:54])

• "We need transparency. [...] punitive tax penalties."
  — Senator Ted Cruz on foreign funding in universities ([29:22])

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Disclaimer: This summary is based on the transcript provided and aims to capture the key discussions and viewpoints presented in the podcast episode.

Transcript

[Ritual]

Hey there, Ritual. Here to give a big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. The magic of those family moments, that was you. And now there's new milestones to Prep for in 2025 this new year. Check clean quality pregnancy nutrient support off your to do list. With Ritual. We've done the research to create science backed pregnancy support like our prenatal multivitamin, natalcholine and fertility support. All designed to be taken alongside each other. But don't just take our word for it. They're also third party tested for microbes and heavy metals and clean label projects certified. So whether you're trying, thinking about trying or already there, we don't have to tell you that prioritizing yourself can be the hardest part. That's why we're helping you get started today with 30% off a three month supply for a limited [e-mail] podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is verdict with Ted Cruz, the week in review. Ben Ferguson with you. And here are the big stories that you may have missed that we talked about this week. First up, Democrats continue to threaten conservatives with violence if you disagree with them. So is this basically the Democrat political playbook? We break it down for you. Also, Donald Trump making good on a promise that if you are a pro Hamas terrorist protester on a college campus, well, there's a very good chance you're going to get deported. And finally, foreign cash is pouring into universities. So what is the payback and why are these universities willing to take so much money from shady countries? We'll break it down for you. It's the week in review and it starts right now. All right, so Senator, there's been a lot of violence. We've witnessed this. It's been directed towards Elon Musk. Threats against Elon Musk. Threats now are expanding to Tesla dealerships. We're finding incinerated devices, bombs and dealership, for example, in Austin, Texas. And then there's people. Now they're threatening you. This seems to be the Democratic Party's playbook. Now if there's someone we don't like, we go after them, we go after their businesses. We, we tried to destroy what they built. We tried to financially ruin him. All of this, what they did to Donald Trump. And we saw that the rhetoric literally almost cost Donald Trump his life in that first assassination attempt that actually got him. And now they don't seem to be Backing down at all.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, the Democrats today are the party of rage. They're the party of anger. And I will say there's a House member in Texas, Jasmine Crockett, who this week has been a rough week for her. She has been unhinged. She has called for violence against me. She has denigrated and mocked Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, because he is in a wheelchair, because he has a disability. And it really does show who today's Democrats are. And I want you to listen to what she said first about me and then about Greg Abbott.

[Jasmine Crockett]

Give a listen just in case the slow people listening decide to clip this up later. I just want to say that I have never promoted violence whatsoever. I think that you punch. I think you punch. I think you're okay with you okay with punching. You know, I think. And I love Colin, and I think towards the end, he started to punch a little harder. But, like, it's Ted Cruz. I mean, like, this dude has to be knocked over the head, like, hard, right? Like, there is no niceties with him, like, at all. Like, you. You go clean off on him, right?

[Ben Ferguson]

I hear that, and I just shake my head, Senator, because, of course, when the fire is of the spotlight is on her, she's like, oh, I've never called for violence. And then you play the clip right there. It's very clear what she's saying.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, I got to admit, I've never met this woman, Jasmine Crockett. I don't know her. She's a new congresswoman from Texas. She seems really angry. She seems really radical. She seems to be the darling of the radical left because she calls for crazy things. I will tell you, look, I've been in the Senate 13 years. One of it's an incredible privilege. I'm blessed. I jump out of bed every day excited, because I get to fight for Texas. I get to fight for America. I will tell you one of the downsides of this job. I have literally hundreds of death threats against me.

[Ben Ferguson]

And by the way, I want to be clear. You and I, we spend a lot of time together. We travel. There are a lot of people that come up and encourage. But, man, some of the things that people say, and I've had the threats, not like you've had threats, but it's, like, part of the business. Now, which is the worst part about it is that if you're in politics and you're conservative, there are people that want you to die and come after you. But you and I, we went to a game, and people are screaming the F bomb in front of your daughter who was with us. And there was several times it happened. And it's like, there is no. Just like you're a dad in that moment, you're a father. I'm a dad. When I'm out my son and someone gets in my face to the heb and starts screaming exos at me in the cereal aisle, it's like, what is wrong with these people? And yet it seems to be getting worse, not better.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, there are a lot of people that are just unhinged and filled with hate. And I'll tell you, look, I'll give you an encouragement. Listen, the folks that listen to verdict. You guys are amazing. I'm so grateful for you. You're incredibly engaged and you're passionate. You're fighting to save this country. I will tell you, when I travel around, the ratio of positive to negative comments, it is more than 90% positive. It's probably 95% or even 98% positive. So it's encouraging. When I'm out at an airport, when I'm out at a shopping mall, people say nice things. They, they say thank you. They say that I appreciate you. And that's gratifying, that that makes me happy. There are regularly people who don't. And, and, and people on the left now, I gotta say, many of them on the left, when they say something negative, they'll, like, screw up their courage. They'll run up and they'll go, f you, and they'll just like, yell at me. And it's very funny. It's like, wow, you spent a long time thinking about that. That was the best you could come up with. That was very clever and my standard response. And unfortunately, it happens often enough that I have to have a standard response. My standard response is, I say God bless you. And I got to tell you, it infuriates them. And, you know, there's a principle in the Bible that if you repay hatred with kindness, that it is like piling hot coals on their heads. So I'll say God bless you. And I'll smile. I'll be very happy. Like, when they say f you, my response is God bless you. And there was one time in Houston where this, this, like, liberal woman screamed, f you. And I said, God bless you. And she's like, I don't want your God's love. And I said, that's okay, Jesus loves you anyway. And it drove her nuts. Like, she almost had an aneurysm when I said that. And I try to be smiling and Show a contrast. Now, I will say, just a couple of days ago, I had a young woman who was screaming f you. And I did say something to the effect of, you're very charming. Your mother must be very proud.

[Ben Ferguson]

How'd that turn out?

[Ted Cruz]

Oh, she just stormed off. And I'm sure as she was driving home, she's thought of 50 different responses, but she didn't say any of them. She's just like, yeah, I randomly scream f you at people in the airport. I'm. I'm a great person. But listen, when you have people on the left encouraging. Listen, Jasmine is saying, you need to hit him in the head and hit him really hard. I'll be honest, Ben, I. I really hope someone doesn't hit me in the head really hard. Like, I would prefer not to have my brains bashed in.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is the part where I think it's a bigger issue that concerns me. It's the dog whistles that come from the leadership of the Democratic Party.

[Ted Cruz]

Donald Trump put it in your face. You had two assassins who tried to kill him.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

We've got Democrats who are firebombing Tesla and radical leftists, and no Democrat is condemning it. They are calling for violence. These are the same people that had Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots. And so the threat of violence is very real. We had, at the baseball practice, we had a radical leftist, a Bernie Sanders supporter, who came and said. He asked someone, hey, are those Republicans there? They said, yes, and he came with a rifle and shot people and had. It was pure happenstance that Steve Scalise, who was a member of House leadership, was there because he had a security detail, and that security detail shot and killed this radical leftist. If, let's say, scalise had been 10 minutes late that morning, let's say he'd been delayed. He'd been taking his kids to school. He'd been doing something else, and he was delayed. That radical leftist would have murdered over a dozen House members and two U.S. senators. We came incredibly close to a massacre because of the active solicitation of violence. And let me be clear. This is. On one side, the left is calling for violence. I categorically oppose violence. I don't want anyone to engage in violence against leftists. I'm not calling for this nutcase jazz, Jasmine Crockett, to face any violence. No, no, no. Now, I think her views are anathema. And I want you to play what she said like a day or two later, attacking Greg Abbott because it is equally noxious. Listen to this.

[Jasmine Crockett]

We in These hot ass Texas streets, honey, y'all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there. Come on now. And. And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot ass mess, honey. So. So yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, you listen to that. It's like one. What do you think's gonna come of that? The other thing is the backdrop behind her is she's literally speaking at the Human Rights Campaign. And that's what she's preaching. And people are laughing and clapping as she's on stage for Again, by the.

[Ted Cruz]

Way, baby, do you know why Greg Abbott is in a wheelchair?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it was, if I remember the story correctly, he was running at the park and a random tree limb fell on his head and paralyzed him, broke his back.

[Ted Cruz]

And I'll tell you, I worked for him five and a half years. Greg Abbott is a dear friend. He's been a boss, a mentor. And he would tell a joke. Like when I first went to work for him, he would tell a joke, he'd get up and say, okay, I know what you're thinking. How slow was that guy running to get hit by a tree? And like the first time he jokes about it, you're not sure what to say. Like, wait, am I allowed to laugh about it? And he would, he would tell jokes about it. And you could be like, okay, I mean, I guess if you can joke about it, I can laugh about it. But you know, it was tragic. And he's been paralyzed for 20 plus, maybe 30 plus years, a long time in a wheelchair. And she's sitting there at supposedly the Human Rights Campaign. Now it's a leftist radical group that is obsessed with lgbt. I mean, that's really what they exist to, but they're cheering, yes, Governor Hot Wheels. He's disabled in a wheelchair.

[Ben Ferguson]

Ha ha ha.

[Ted Cruz]

What the hell's wrong with these people? I mean, that is. That is nasty and hateful and it's who's today's Democrat party is.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, you can go back and listen to the full podcast from earlier this week.

[Ritual]

Hey there, Ritual here to give a big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. The magic of those family moments, that was you. And now there's new milestones to Prep for in 2025 this new year. Check clean quality pregnancy nutrient support off your to do list. With Ritual, we've done the research to create science backed pregnancy support like our prenatal multivitamin, natalcholine and fertility support, all designed to be taken alongside each other. But don't just take our word for it. They're also third party tested for microbes and heavy metals and Clean Label Project certified. So whether you're trying, thinking about trying or already there, we don't have to tell you that prioritizing yourself can be the hardest part. That's why we're helping you get started today with 30% off a three month supply for a limited [e-mail] podcast. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Now on to story number two. Senator, I want to move to the other story that you mentioned earlier. And, and this goes in the category of, of promises made, promises kept for Donald Trump. A another pro Hamas protester is in serious trouble after his actions on a college campus. This is making liberal heads explode, but this is exactly what the president said he was going to do and he's making good on promise yet again.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and this is something we discussed in the podcast you and I did at CPAC when we interviewed Pam Bondi and we talked about the fact that the Trump administration is going to go after these radical, anti Semitic, anti American, anti Israel protesters. And if you threaten violence against fellow students or if you are attacking America, you have no entitlement to be allowed into this country. And it's interesting, you're seeing Democrats who, who, who, who are have suddenly discovered free speech. Mind you, when it comes to Americans speaking, they don't give a about free speech. When it comes to big tech censoring you, they don't care about free speech. American citizens have no First Amendment rights in the Democrats bizarre lexicon. But if you are a vicious antisemite, if you hate America, if you hate Israel and you're not an American, well then suddenly they think you're protected and it is insane. So the latest radical who had his visa revoked is a student at Cornell and he's an individual named Momodo Tal. Now, moment. Oh Tal, according to the Washington Free Beacon, is a graduate student who has called for the destruction of the United States, has celebrated the October 7 attacks by Hamas and has said that he takes his, quote, cue from the armed resistance in Palestine. Now, who is Mama Delta? He is a British and Gambian dual national, so he's not an American. And he began studying in Cornell on TW in 2022 on an F1 student visa. That student visa has been revoked. Good. And. And. And Tall received an email from the Department of justice that said ICE invites Mr. Tall and his counsel to appear in person at the HSI office in Syracuse at a mutually agreeable time for personal service of the notice to appear and for Mr. Tall to surrender to ICE custody. And of course, what did Tal do? He engaged in lawfare and went and filed a lawsuit seeking to block it. Now, what has Tal said? Tal has said, number one, he's called on fellow student protesters to take their cues from the armed resistance in Palestine. Armed, by the way, not just resistance. Armed resistance. He has also said, quote, we are in solidarity with the armed resistance in Palestine. From the river to the sea. He also said just. Just after October 7th, hours after he said, quote, the dialect demands that whenever, wherever you have oppression, you will find those who are fighting against it. Glory to the resistance. Now, the dialect. Look, this guy is a communist. He's a Marxist. We talked about how cultural Marxism, they divide the world into oppressors and victims and they actively cheer on the violent revolution of the so called victims against the so called oppressors. Now, this is hours after October 7th. This is as women and little girls are being raped, as 1200 civilians are being murdered. And here is what he's saying. The dialect demands that wherever you have oppression, you will find those who are fighting against it. Glory to the resistance. That's not all he said when he applied for his student visa. He wrote, quote, and this is on Twitter, the end of the U.S. empire in our lifetime. Inshallah. Months later, the idiots in the Biden administration gave him his student visa and he wrote, student visa issued. We are going to America, baby. Alhamdulillah. I don't know what that means, but. But I'm guessing it is not nice. Shortly thereafter, he tweeted, my hatred of the US Empire knows no bound wallahi. Again, I don't know what that means, but I'm. I'm guessing again, it. It is celebrating against America. Hit. One other thing he posted, quote, when the enemy is US imperialism, then absolutely anyone the US calls an enemy is my friend. Let me be clear. This anti American, anti Semitic radical who hates America needs to get the hell out of our country. He has no entitlement to be here. And we have no obligation, we have no legal obligation, we have no constitutional obligation and we certainly have no moral obligation to say, hey, people who hate America, people who say, quote, anyone who calls the US an enemy is my friend. You know what, if that's true, get your ass out of this country. We don't need you here. Threatening Americans.

[Ben Ferguson]

It really is about threatening Americans and threatening kids on college campuses. And we've seen antisemitism, for example, that has just skyrocketed on college campuses. And a lot of this is well organized. We continue to see that a lot of these agitators and protesters are acting in groups and pre planning this around the country. And that has to be very concerning, I think not only for college students, but especially for students that are Jewish, but really concerning for I think everyday Americans understand that we've been allowing these people in and this is what they're.

[Ted Cruz]

Doing and understand the threats. Let me read you another tweet that he sent. Quote, we are actually living in an effing alternative reality. Although he did not abbreviate effing Zionists living comfortably in the US And Zionist Jewish students at Ivy League institutions are claiming to be unsafe, scared and somehow everyone is calling for their genocide whilst in 4K we are witnessing a genocide of the Palestinian people. And many of these same folks who claim to feel scared are cheering on the actions of of the IOF bffr. I don't know what that means. Every single Zionist is a sick, sick individual and there can be no path forward except for the complete eradication of Zionism materially and mentally. And then he tweets a little bit later, zionists are indeed the chosen people. Chosen for hell. Now understand one game that anti Semites play, which is many times they use the word Zionist when what they mean is Jew and they just think it's like, oh, I'm pretending to be slightly less bigoted by calling it Zionists. Look, they consider and he actually at one point says Zionist Jewish students. This is an anti Semite who hates Jews and who is calling for the complete eradication of Zionism, by which he means the complete eradication of Jews. And he says they are the chosen people, they are chosen for hell. This is a bigot who hates America. And you know what, what, what, what was happening after the Trump administration moved to deport this radical leftists were protesting in support of him. And by the way, have you heard a single Democrat in the Senate speak out in favor of revoking his visa? No you had left wing activists on Cornell protesting his deportation on Thursday and they were chanting hands off momadu. Waving signs opposing mass deportation. Listen, any reporter, every reporter, ought to ask the Democrats, do you believe we have to give student visas to people who say they're enemies of America and hate America? There's no legal basis for that. And I have yet to see a Democrat explain why they cheer on pro Hamas radicals. But I gotta say, let's say you're a moderate Democrat but, but not swept up in the, in the sort of Trump derangement syndrome anger. You gotta ask why Washington Democrats, when they look at October 7th, when they look at the radicals on campuses, why the Democrats say we stand with Hamas and we stand with the pro Hamas protesters. That's gotta make you wonder what the heck has happened to the Democrat Party.

[Ben Ferguson]

As before, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic, you can go back and download the podcast from earlier this week to hear the entire thing.

[Ritual]

Hey there Ritual here to give a big shout out to you for making it through the hectic holiday season. The magic of those family moments, that was you. And now there's new milestones to Prep for in 2025 this new year. Check clean quality pregnancy nutrient support off your to do list with Ritual. We've done the research to create science backed pregnancy support like our prenatal multivitamin, natalcholine and fertility support. All designed to be taken alongside each other. But don't just take our word for it. They're also third party tested for microbes and heavy metals and clean label projects certified. So whether you're trying, thinking about trying, or already there, we don't have to tell you that prioritizing yourself can be the hardest part. That's why we're helping you get started today with 30% off a three month supply for a limited [e-mail] podcast cast these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want to get back to the big story number three of the week you may have missed. Which brings me to story number three. And this is one where we have, I think led on exposing the amount of foreign money that's been pouring into universities. We also exposed it with the Biden crime family and the amount of foreign dollars coming in to the Biden Institute, for example, and other universities. And we've witnessed the amount of money coming in to a point where you say this doesn't make sense economically. This is My opinion, I think now you're looking at a bigger issue, which is what are they actually getting in return for the staggering amounts of foreign money that's pouring these universities? Is this covert ops by foreign nations? Is this trying to control the next generation of American minds? Is this about spying? What is it? But when you look at this new report from a nonprofit and a nonpartisan government watchdog group, they're sounding the alarm, saying this amount of money coming in is not just from do gooders. This money's coming in is coming in for something big. Senator, what is that?

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, this is not covert. It is overt. It is open. It is out and brazen. So there's a story in Fox News entitled, quote, new report sounds alarm on staggering amount of foreign money pouring into US universities. The report says that $795 million has gone from foreign adversaries to American universities. And here's what the article says. I'm going to quote a little bit of it. Quote, a new report from a nonprofit and nonpartisan government watchdog is shedding light on the tens of billions of dollars, tens of billions that have poured into U.S. universities in recent years, including $20 billion to some of the most prestigious universities in the country. The report produced by Americans for Public Trust and released this week found that $60 billion, again $60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts were funneled into American colleges and universities, including $20 billion alone, to elite schools like Harvard, Yale and others. Within that total, $795 million came from nations that are long standing adversaries to the United States, including China, Russia, Venezuela and Yemen. This is shocking. It is fundamental corruption. I can tell you. I've introduced legislation to require the minimum that universities report every dollar of foreign money they receive so that we have scrutiny. And I'll tell you, Ben, one of the very first pieces of legislation I ever passed when I was a brand new baby Senator 13 years ago was dealing with this issue of foreign money flooding into universities. And China had been funding these things called Confucius Institutes. Confucius Institutes were institutes on American college campuses that taught Mandarin, that taught the Chinese language, and they were used, number one, as hubs of espionage, where China would send spies to engage in espionage in the United States. And number two, as tools of propaganda, where they would push propaganda that that was favorable to the Chinese communist government. And when I was a brand new baby senator, I introduced legislation that banned any money from the federal Department of Defense going to university that had a Confucius Institute. And at the time I introduced it. We had a Democrat Senate when I got elected, Harry Reid was the majority leader. The Democrats were in the majority. I was on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I introduced this amendment. And Ben, I'll tell you, I got bipartisan support. I got Democrats to support me and Republicans. We passed it into law. And the legislation I passed resulted in more than 20 Confucius Institutes across the country being shut down. This was a problem back in 2013. I gotta say, in 2025, it's much, much worse.

[Ben Ferguson]

So what is the government's response now? What should the government response be moving forward? And is it time to actually look at these universities and ask questions or have regulations about money coming in from foreign countries, especially those that are adversaries of the United States of America? I don't like government overreach. I want to make that clear. But the wild, wild west that we're looking at right now from this report, and 60 billion in foreign gifts and contracts are funneled into American colleges and universities like that, they're getting something in return. 20 billion alone to Harvard, Yale and other elite schools. They're getting something in return. And if they're buying the minds of American students or influence, or even what worries me the most is stealing intellectual property or spying on America and future leaders, this scares the hell out of me. So what should the government's response be?

[Ted Cruz]

Yes, yes, yes, all of the above. So they're doing this to buy influence. They're doing this to push propaganda. They're doing this to engage in espionage. They're doing this to steal intellectual property. And so many of our universities, especially our elite universities, have eagerly jumped in bed with them. Look, you and I discussed early on in the wake of October 7, when the Anti Semitic protests were breaking out, if you look at the universities with the highest percentage of foreign students, it almost perfectly maps to the universities with the most, the most virulent, the most nasty, anti semitic protest. Universities like Columbia and NYU are at the very top of the list. And when you let in a bunch of foreign students. Now look, universities like foreign students because they pay full tuition, they pay full freight. They're cash cows. But why are American universities in the business of educating foreigners, especially foreigners who hate America and are undermining America? I don't see a reason for that. But not only that, but they're pushing this to drive a political agenda. And so what should we do? Number one, we need transparency. As I mentioned, I've introduced legislation to require transparency if a university is getting money from a foreign country. We need to know about it, how much from which country and I'll tell you. The legislation I'm introducing puts punitive tax penalties. If you get money from a country that is an enemy of America, in my view, the federal government ought to put penalties in place where you end up being taxed more than you get. We don't need the enemies of America funding our universities and actively undermining our education. We need leaders who are willing to stand up for America first, and I think that's incredibly important.

[Ben Ferguson]

If you look at the money that came in, a perfect example of this is within that total I gave you the 20 billion alone going to those elite schools, 795 million came from nations that are long standing adversaries of the US including China, Russia, Venezuela and Yemen. Is it also time to look at certain countries and say you can't have donations coming in from there?

[Ted Cruz]

Yes, and we ought to penalize the hell out of it. If Iran is funding your university, you're doing something fundamentally wrong.

[Ben Ferguson]

As always, thank you for listening to Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson with you. Don't forget to download my podcast and you can listen to my podcast every other day. You're not listening to Verdict or each day when you listen to Verdict afterwards. I'd love to have you as a listener to again the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here on Monday morning.

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