Iran’s Threats should NOT be Towards Americans, Air Superiority over Tehran & Tucker doesn't buy Iranian Assassination Plan Week In Review

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
Episode: Iran’s Threats should NOT be Towards Americans, Air Superiority over Tehran & Tucker doesn't buy Iranian Assassination Plan Week In Review
Release Date: June 21, 2025

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1. Introduction to the Week's Major Developments

Timestamp: [02:46] - [03:45]

Ben Ferguson opens the episode by highlighting the week's critical geopolitical developments:

• Trump's Stern Warning to Iran: Former President Donald Trump has issued a clear message to Iran, warning against any attacks on American interests in the Middle East. He emphasized severe repercussions if such threats materialize.

  Quote:
  Ben Ferguson [02:46]: “Donald Trump making it very clear to Iran, do not attack Americans or our interests in the Middle East. And if you do, there will be hell to pay.”

• Israel's Military Advances: Israel has achieved air superiority over Iran, conducting over 720 military strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure and military leadership. This surge in military actions aims to dismantle Iran's nuclear capabilities and weaken its oppressive regime.

---

2. Israel’s Air Superiority and Strikes on Iranian Targets

Timestamp: [03:45] - [09:04]

Ted Cruz's Analysis:

Senator Ted Cruz provides an in-depth analysis of Israel's military operations against Iran:

• Deterrence Through Military Strength: Cruz underscores the importance of deterrence, stating that a strong stance discourages Iran from initiating attacks on American servicemen.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [04:49]: “We want them not to strike our servicemen and women. And by the way, that's the difference between Joe Biden, who was so weak he couldn't deter anything.”

• Focus on Nuclear Facilities: Israel has targeted significant sites like the Natanz facility but has faced challenges with the deeply fortified Fordow nuclear bunker. Cruz suggests that the U.S. should provide Israel with advanced bunker-buster bombs to neutralize Fordow.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [05:09]: “One of the open questions I have for a long time called for the United States to make those bunker busters available to Israel.”

• Strategic Decision-Making: Israel has strategically opted not to target the Ayatollah directly to avoid creating a martyr, instead focusing on military officers who perpetuate the regime's oppressive actions.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [09:16]: “Taking out the leader of the country could backfire, especially given that he is also a religious leader. And you run into a danger of potentially making him a martyr.”

---

3. Potential U.S. Involvement and Strategic Options

Timestamp: [09:04] - [16:20]

Discussion on U.S. Military Support:

• Provision of Advanced Weaponry: Cruz advocates for the U.S. to supply Israel with the necessary military equipment to destroy Iran's most fortified nuclear sites.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [07:34]: “Use maximum pressure and economic sanctions to pressure the regime in a way that might encourage this regime to fall.”

• Avoiding Ground Troops: Both Ben Ferguson and Ted Cruz emphasize the importance of avoiding deploying American troops on the ground in Iran, advocating for strategic military support instead.

  Quote:
  Ben Ferguson [20:35]: “I'm not in favor of putting troops on the ground.”
  Ted Cruz [21:01]: “We will not send boots on the ground. We are not going to invade Iran.”

• Long-Term Stability: Cruz believes that weakening Iran's nuclear capabilities and top military leadership will lead to regime change, enhancing long-term American and Israeli security.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [16:20]: “Taking out Iran's nuclear capabilities is very, very good for America because it makes America safer.”

---

4. Media Critique and Tucker Carlson's Stance

Timestamp: [20:24] - [39:16]

Ben Ferguson and Ted Cruz on Media Misrepresentation:

• Tucker Carlson's Skepticism: Ben Ferguson critiques Tucker Carlson for dismissing credible reports about Iran's assassination plots against Donald Trump and other American officials. Cruz echoes this sentiment, highlighting the disparity between media narratives and established facts.

  Quote:
  Ben Ferguson [30:43]: “Tucker says, I've never heard a word of it. I don't know anything about this.”

• Evidence of Assassination Plots: Cruz references specific incidents, including the indictment of Farhad Shaqiri for attempting to assassinate Trump, to substantiate claims of Iran's hostile intentions.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [32:10]: “Iran has been actively trying to murder President Donald Trump. They have hired hitmen to try to kill him.”

• Public and Political Support: Highlighting a poll mentioned by Cruz, it's noted that 75% of Americans support taking action against Iran to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons.

  Quote:
  Rodney Williams [37:24]: “A poll showed 75% of Americans agree with President Trump that we should act against Iran to prevent them from getting nuclear weapons.”

• Call for Unified Response: Both hosts stress the importance of a united front in addressing Iran's threats, dismissing internal divisions within the Republican Party as temporary distractions.

  Quote:
  Ted Cruz [37:33]: “We've laid out the facts that are undisputed. Even Bernie Sanders, even Elizabeth Warren, doesn't dispute that Iran is trying to murder Trump.”

---

5. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: [39:16] - [41:32]

Ben Ferguson wraps up the discussion by reiterating the necessity of strong American leadership in countering Iran's threats. He emphasizes that President Trump's actions are aligned with "America First" principles, ensuring national and allied security without unnecessary ground interventions.

Final Quote:
Ben Ferguson [41:32]: “I want to have you as a listener to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here on Monday morning.”

---

Notable Quotes Summary

• Ben Ferguson [02:46]: “Donald Trump making it very clear to Iran, do not attack Americans or our interests in the Middle East. And if you do, there will be hell to pay.”

• Ted Cruz [04:49]: “We want them not to strike our servicemen and women. And by the way, that's the difference between Joe Biden, who was so weak he couldn't deter anything.”

• Ted Cruz [09:16]: “Taking out the leader of the country could backfire, especially given that he is also a religious leader.”

• Ben Ferguson [20:35]: “I'm not in favor of putting troops on the ground.”

• Ted Cruz [16:20]: “Taking out Iran's nuclear capabilities is very, very good for America because it makes America safer.”

• Ted Cruz [37:33]: “We've laid out the facts that are undisputed. Even Bernie Sanders, even Elizabeth Warren, doesn't dispute that Iran is trying to murder Trump.”

---

Key Insights and Conclusions

• Strategic Deterrence: A robust military posture and strategic deterrence are essential in preventing Iran from acting against American interests.

• Allied Support: Strong support for Israel's military actions enhances regional stability and weakens oppressive regimes.

• Media Accountability: There is a critical need for media entities to accurately represent geopolitical threats to inform public opinion and policy.

• Unified Political Stance: Overcoming internal political divisions is vital for a coherent and effective national security strategy.

---

Note: This summary focuses solely on the substantive discussions between Ben Ferguson and Ted Cruz, omitting advertisements and non-content segments for clarity and relevance.

Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

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From My favorite Murder. Thanks to Hyundai we got to take a post show drive in the Ionic five.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz. 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, Donald Trump making it very clear to Iran, do not attack Americans or our interests in the Middle East. And if you do, there will be hell to pay. Also, Israel gains air superiority over the entire state of Iran. And now the people of Iran may realize the regime is not as strong as they thought. And finally, Tucker Carlson doesn't believe Iran wants to assassinate or plan to assassinate Donald Trump. It's the week in review and it starts right now. That note that he put out there was very clear because he's saying, hey, hey, we weren't involved in this. And we're going to state that clearly this was Israel doing their thing. But if you think for a moment that you can use this to justify attacking Americans anywhere in the world, there will be hell to pay if you do that.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Look, I think if Iran carries out a significant strike on American servicemen and women, then I think America, if they think the bombs coming from Israel are bad, I think they will face massive retaliation. And that's called deterrence. We want them not to strike our servicemen and women. And by the way, that's the difference between Joe Biden, who was so weak he couldn't deter anything. It helps that our enemies are afraid of the commander in chief. That's where actually in the debates about foreign policy, those who argue for isolationism get it wrong. Because if you're so terrified to engage with your enemies, then you end up causing more war. I think Reagan was right. I think Trump is right that when you're strong, when you tell your enemies if you attack and kill Americans, your military leaders are gonna die. What happens is most of the time they say, you know what? We're just not gonna attack. And you end up avoiding war because. Because they're scared of the commander in chief.

[Ben Ferguson]

So where does this go from here? And this is where everybody's saying, hey, look, we want an off ramp. Right. Like that's something we do want to. We want this. We want to protect lives. But at the same time, Israel is, I think, making it very clear we have no choice but to do this. And we're doing the world a huge service by doing it.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. So the Israeli government is talking on a timeframe that this could last another week or two. They're engaged in massive bombings. And at some point, you know, at some point, the question is, how much ordinance do they have, how much capacity do they have to keep bombing, and how many targets do they have? You know, I will say also one of the most significant sites is Fordow. Now, Fordow is a nuclear bunker that is built into the side of a mountain. And it's built deliberately to make it very difficult to strike, to carry out an airstrike. And it's where much of their nuclear research is being conducted. Now, there were reports on Sunday that Israel carried out a strike at Fordow. But at least based on publicly reported material, Israel does not have sufficiently effective bunker buster bombs to be able to take out the deep underground laboratories at Fordow. And so one of the open questions is, to the best of my knowledge, the only military that has those bombs is the United States. We have really big bunker busters that are made to take out deep, deep underground facilities like the Ford Owl nuclear facilities. And so one open question I have for a long time called for the United States to make those bunker busters available to Israel. I think taking out Fordow makes a lot of sense. I think if Israel does it. And by the way, I'll point out, look, Israel is, Is. Is a small country. Israel is about the size of the state of New Jersey. And they are fighting against our enemies, our enemies who have pledged they want to murder us, and they're doing so at great risk to themselves. And so that is something to be grateful for. But understand, they're taking out Iran's nuclear capabilities is very, very good for America because it makes America safer. And I think if Israel finishes the job of taking out their nuclear capability, I think this, these attacks likely end within the next couple of weeks.

[Ben Ferguson]

You look at Donald Trump saying we can probably get a deal done is that after we accomplish the mission, if you're reading between the lines here, I mean, you've spoken with them, is this, hey, that we gotta allow our ally Israel to do what they need to do in that timeframe as well.

[Ted Cruz]

So, listen, I'm skeptical that Iran will ever, ever cut a real deal. I don't think you could negotiate with crazy, and I think these people are crazy. And so I think one of the things that would enhance American security massively is to see the ayatollah fall and to see the mullahs lose power, to see different leadership come to Iran. I think that would make Israel much safer. I think that would make America much safer, and I think that would make the Iranian people better off. Now, let me be clear. I'm not advocating that we send in a bunch of American soldiers to make that happen. I am advocating that we use maximum pressure and economic sanctions to pressure the regime in a way that might encourage this regime to fall. Because I think that they have demonstrated that they are homicidal and murderously directing their urges towards killing Americans. And so removing people from power who are trying to kill Americans makes America safer.

[Ben Ferguson]

Let me also go back to something you mentioned earlier, and this seems to clearly be part of Israel's strategy, which is you go after and take out people that are, in essence, holding down the people and silencing the people in Iran in the leadership roles. That's part of who they seem to be going after. That could be huge for allowing what you just described to actually happen a revolution within Israel, or I should say, within Iran.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and listen, one of the conscious choices that it appears that Israel made was not to target the Ayatollah himself. And I don't have. I have no classified information. Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

Out of curiosity.

[Ted Cruz]

So I don't know for sure. I have no classified information on this, but I can give an educated guess, which is that taking out the leader of a country through military forces is a significant step. Now, mind you, the Ayatollah is perfectly fine hiring hitmen to try to murder Donald Trump. So the Ayatollah has no problem doing it. And I have no doubt that if the Ayatollah could. Could murder Prime Minister Netanyahu, he would do so in the blink of an eye. He has not been able to do so. But I think the Israelis, given their success in taking out everyone else, I think it's reasonable to assume that they would have had a real prospect of taking the Ayatollah out had they chosen to do so. My guess is that they made a decision that taking out the leader of the country could backfire, especially given that he is also a religious leader. And you run into a danger of potentially making him a martyr. And it is not clear if you toppled him in those circumstances, you might get a younger theocratic lunatic take over instead. And so I think it is a reasonable decision for Israel to say, rather than target the Ayatollah directly, let's take out every one of their top military officers that they would use to prosecute a war. And by the way, those are the same people they use to push down an uprising, to oppress their people and so degrading their capabilities. It's what they've done with Hezbollah. They've taken out their top leadership. It's what they've done. It's what they've done with Hamas. And I'll tell you, on Saturday, Israel conducted a strike in Yemen, killing the Houthi chief of staff, Mohammed Abdul Karim Al Ghamari, who was responsible for overseeing Houthi military operations and directing the procurement and deployment of a number of weapons systems for them. The Houthis are another arm of Iran. And so what Israel has done is, is weakened Iran on every front and that oppressive infrastructure, their ability to wage war, their ability to kill Israelis, their ability to kill Americans, their ability to fund terrorism, and their ability to, to suppress their people, all of those are substantially weakened. That's a very good thing.

[Ben Ferguson]

Final question for you on this is as we move forward through this week, I think it's pretty obvious the media is obsessed with Donald Trump somehow not standing with Israel or trying to drive a wedge. Do you think there's any chance at all that can happen? Because in the early questions, it was almost like, you guys are idiots. Come on.

[Ted Cruz]

I think President Trump has been the strongest pro Israel president in the history of America. It's an exact contrast with Joe Biden. Joe Biden was the most anti Israel president in the history of America. The fact that they occurred back and back. You want to talk about whiplash, you'll recall we did this podcast when Bibi came to Washington and I met with him for about two hours. He is a good friend. I have not spoken to Bibi since this war broke out, although I did speak with the Israeli ambassador to the United States on Thursday night, the night the war began. And listen, their successes are significant, but they have the complete backing of the Trump administration, and that is important. I do think there are some voices within the administration that are pressing back. And part of the reason I talked to President Trump today was to say what you're doing is exactly right. You're making America safer by allowing Israel to take out Iran's nukes, and you're also protecting American servicemen and women. Keep doing it. And he agreed emphatically.

[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.

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[iHeart Podcast Host]

We had snacks, laughs, and we even recorded a special episode featuring some unforgettable car themed stories.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Now on to story number two. Let's also talk about what's happened with the air superiority or the lack of security that Iran actually had over their own country. Y and and that could also spell trouble for the leadership in Iran because now the people may realize, wow, we may have been played by these, these, these horrible leaders. And there is total air superiority now by Israel or anybody that wants to go after Iran.

[Unknown Speaker]

So Israel and potentially America have complete air superiority over Iran and Israel has taken out Iran's air defenses, so they're not able to stop Israeli jets in the air. And the bombers are bombing the hell out of as of two days ago, there had been over 720 military strikes in Iran. The number's substantially higher now. I don't have the current number, but it was 722 days ago. And Iran is not able to do anything about it because their air defenses have been destroyed. And so they're just sitting ducks. They're just and I will tell you the dynamic. So there's a delicate question. Israel has been able to and it actually has succeeded in taking out a massive amount of the military leadership of Iran. They have also succeeded in pounding the hell out of Iran's nuclear facilities like the Natanz facility, which is where they do much of the nuclear enrichment Israel has bombed the living crap out of. The one exception that Israel is not able to take out is the Fordo nuclear research facility. Now Fordo is built literally in the base of a mountain and it was built into a mountain particularly to withstand a bombing attack. And Israel does not have the military hardware to take out Ford out. Their bombs are not big enough. America does. We have bunker buster bombs that are £30,000, that are massive bombs that can take out an underground under mountain nuclear facility like Forda. Israel also does not have bombers that are big enough to carry a 30,000 pound bomb. That's a big ass bomb. And so the B2 bomber which America has is big enough to carry that bomb. Israel doesn't have bombers that big. And so one of the open questions Israel has asked America, will you fly in the B2 bombers and drop your bunker busters on Fordo and take it out? As you and I sit here at 12, what is it? 12:43am on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, I do not know if President Trump's going to do that. This is being actively debated. It could, by the time this podcast comes out, it is possible that America will drop those bunker busters. I think that is a real possibility in the next few hours, in the next few days. And in my view, with that being.

[Ben Ferguson]

Said, then I gotta ask this question so that people understand. I said this earlier tonight on Chris Cuomo show and I said on Piers Morgan's show and I said on Fox the same thing. I am not in favor.

[Unknown Speaker]

But Ben, you're going on a lot of lefty shows.

[Ben Ferguson]

Pierce Morgan, I'm fighting the commies every.

[Unknown Speaker]

Day, my friend, you know, is like, does Bernie Sanders have a show aoc? Like, are you going on with, with Xi of China?

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm trying to go on with Tucker next, you know, and just see if I can, I can, I can explain them what, what my foreign policy is. But it's, I'm not in favor of putting troops on the ground. Donald Trump's on favor of putting troops around.

[Ted Cruz]

Absolutely.

[Unknown Speaker]

No, no, no. No troops on the ground.

[Ben Ferguson]

So what we're advocating for is simply this. If America gets involved, it would be to do exactly what you just said it would be to do what Israel can't do. To take out a nuclear drop, a couple of threats. Yes.

[Unknown Speaker]

To drop a couple of bombs. To drop a couple of bombs that Israel can't like. Their bombs are not big enough to take out Fordo. And I will say this from a perspective. My overwhelming touchstone is what protects American national security interests, what keeps Americans safer.

[Ted Cruz]

It's America first.

[Unknown Speaker]

It's President Trump's foreign policy. That is my foreign policy. And I will say when he and I talked on Sunday, his comment and when I was telling him, you're doing a great job, what you're doing is fantastic. His comment is, he said, ted, on foreign policy, you and I are twins. And that's right. I agree with him on foreign policy. The reason there is, I think, a compelling argument for America to take out Fordo is Fordo, they are doing research on nuclear weapons technology. They're trying to develop nuclear bombs. They're not doing it because the Ayatollah thinks climate change is a problem and he wants to create civilian nuclear power generation. It is entirely creating a bomb that could murder millions of Americans or millions of Israelis.

[Ted Cruz]

They put it in the basement of.

[Unknown Speaker]

A mountain because they didn't want to be bombed. Only America can take them out. And I got to say, I think dropping those bombs, I have zero interest. We will not send boots on the ground. We are not going to invade Iran. And I have zero interest in coming into the country and trying to turn it into a democratic utopia.

[Ted Cruz]

We don't.

[Unknown Speaker]

Look, it would be wonderful if Iran woke up tomorrow and it was Switzerland, but I'm not willing to risk your children or my children to go in and fight a war to make that happen. It is a very different calculus to say, should we drop a couple of bombs and take out a lab and facility where they're developing nuclear weapons to murder Americans? And I think that's a compelling argument. And I gotta say, I think there's a real possibility in the next few hours or days that's exactly what's gonna happen.

[Ben Ferguson]

Final question on this. If Donald Trump does, in fact make this decision, I actually don't think this is a tough decision or a hard decision. I think it's a simple decision, as you described it, of we must protect the homeland and we must protect our allies at the same time. And we're both a target. And we know what Iran would do if they got a nuclear weapon. And we know that even if they didn't do it, they might give it to their proxies to do it as well. You add all that up, I think this decision is actually pretty clear. If the President does that and we move forward. There's also this big obsession in the media now. There's some massive divide in the MAGA world, and this is going to split the Republican Party. I actually think that's going to be a blip and we're going to move back on to all the issues that we do agree on. I'm not taking the bait on that. I want your take on it as well.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, look, so I did Sean Hannity this evening and, and Hannity had a poll that just came out that showed 75% of Americans agree with President Trump that we should act against Iran to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapons using. And the question in the poll was whatever means necessary. 75%. I don't know that 75% of Americans agree on butterflies or rainbows or peanut butter and jelly. Like that's a big percentage in today's divided world. And so it is, frankly, a handful of people who are disagreeing. Tucker is really an outlier in this and I made the point and we're going to talk about this. Friday's POD is going to be all about this. But Tucker used to be. Twenty years ago, Tucker was a neocon interventionist who was a cheerleader for the Iraq war and he practically had on a short skirt and pom poms. I think the Iraq war was a catastrophic mistake. And so I think he was far too interventionist. And Tucker does too. He thinks he was wrong. And I respect that. Look, look, intelligent people will assess, change circumstances and be willing to change their position based on the facts. And so I respect that he changed his views. But the point I made is he went from being an interventionist, far too eager to send in the Marines, to being an isolationist who says we should.

[Ted Cruz]

Never ever use the military, even when.

[Unknown Speaker]

We'Ve got a lunatic theocratic zealot who is trying to murder Americans and has murdered hundreds of Americans. And so I actually think that view is a really fringe view in America. It's a fringe view in maga, and it's a fringe view across the country. And I think the American people want a president who's going to say we will protect ourselves against people who want to kill us. That's exactly what Donald Trump is doing.

[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.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know what's great about your investment account with the big guys? It's actually a time machine. Log in and zoom. Welcome back to 1999. It's time for an upgrade. At public.com you can invest in almost everything. Stocks, bonds, options and more. You could even put your cash to work at an industry leading 4.1% APY. Leave your clunky, outdated platform behind at public.com go to public.com and fund your account in five minutes or less. Pay for by Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Full [e-mail] disclosures hey, it's Karen and.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Georgia from My Favorite Murderer. Thanks to Hyundai, we got to take a post show drive in the Ionic five.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

We had snacks, laughs and we even recorded a special episode featuring some unforgettable car themed stories.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Take a listen. The Montgomery Bus Boycott. Success was dependent on the action and dedication of many individuals, of course. But today we're going to focus on the work of one of those people in particular. A woman in her 30s. And yes, I love her name. It's Georgia Gilmore.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

Oh yes. Today's story is centered on a group of courageous women dedicated on taking down Hitler during World War II. They banded together to form an all female ambulance cor which became the first unit of its kind to join an official combat division on the Western front. This is the story of the Rochambeau group best known by their nickname, the Rochambelles.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

Right? This episode is brought to you by the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5.

[Travis Holloway]

You know, in the book of Genesis, God makes a promise to your offspring. I promise this land. Now, that promise is the foundation of Israel. A land the Jewish people have returned to after centuries of exile and bondage and even the horrors of the Holocaust. But that promise is still under threat. Especially after October 7th. Now, Israel's safety today depends on the very brave men and women of the idf, the Israeli Defense Forces. Every citizen is required to serve. Your gift of $45 will help provide aid to soldiers and their families. And by helping to provide food and other bare necessities for these families and emergency supplies for soldiers now, you can help secure their future. Honor those who are defending the holy land. Call now 888-488 IFCJ. That's 888488 IFCJ. Just go to their website. It's ifcj.org and you can give. Today they are in desperate need of help.

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[Ben Ferguson]

I want to get back to the big story number three of the week you may have missed. I want to get back into the Tucker Carlson interview that you did and Sinner. There was some interesting themes that came out of this interview. He was obviously attacking you. He was attacking Israel. He was attacking groups that support Israel. But then there was an even weirder point where I think Tucker probably is hoping that we don't play this or that people didn't watch watch the whole interview and hear this part. It was about the Iranian regime. They've been trying to murder Donald Trump. They've hired hitmen. They've been trying to hire hitmen. They've come after former cabinet members of Donald Trump. And when you brought it up, he acted like he'd never heard of this before and that you were either lying or this is shocking news to him.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, this was utterly bizarre. And I gotta say, in the whole course of the two hour interview, this was the strangest portion for the last two years. Iran has been actively trying to murder President Donald Trump. Iran has hired hitmen to murder President Trump. Iran also has been trying to murder Mike Pompeo, President Trump's former Secretary of State, John Bolton, President Trump's former national security adviser, and Brian Hook, President Trump's former Assistant Secretary of state. All of them, Iran has hired hitman and has been targeting them bizarrely. And this has been widely reported. These are objective facts. But bizarrely, Tucker Carlson assisted insisted this has never happened here, give a listen.

[Rodney Williams]

I just want to pull that thread because it's so important. I voted for Donald Trump. I campaigned for Donald Trump. He's our president, and we're on the cusp of a war. So if Iran. If there's evidence that Iran paid hitmen to kill Donald Trump and is currently doing that, where is that? Like, what are you even talking? I've never heard that before. Okay, where's the evidence? Who are these people? Why haven't they been arrested? Why are we not at war with Iran?

[Unknown Speaker]

That's a great question to ask.

[Rodney Williams]

How do you know that that's true?

[Unknown Speaker]

We know that it's true because we have been told that by the military and our intelligence community for the last two years.

[Rodney Williams]

We, meaning who Congress has in the public.

[Unknown Speaker]

I mean, they had multiple testimonies. I can send you testimonies.

[Rodney Williams]

Know the names of the people or where this happened or what they tried to do to kill Trump.

[Unknown Speaker]

We do not. We have not apprehended an Iranian hitman trying to kill him.

[Ted Cruz]

We know that Iran is trying to.

[Rodney Williams]

Do so in the United States.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yes. And by the way, like, Iran, this.

[Rodney Williams]

Just seems like a huge headline, and you're acting like everyone knows this.

[Ted Cruz]

I didn't know that Iran put out.

[Unknown Speaker]

A whole video about murdering Trump.

[Rodney Williams]

Right. But I've never heard evidence that there are hitmen in the United States. I mean, trying to kill Trump. Right now. We should, like, have a nationwide dragnet on this, and we should attack Iran immediately. If that's true, don't you think?

[Unknown Speaker]

No.

[Rodney Williams]

If they're trying to assassinate our president.

[Unknown Speaker]

They have been for two years.

[Rodney Williams]

Then why are we at war with them?

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, we are trying.

[Rodney Williams]

Why don't we just nuke Tehran if they're trying to murder our president, there's nothing that you could do that would be worse for the United States than murdering Trump. And I just don't understand why you're not calling for the use of nuclear weapons against the Ayatollah right now.

[Lisa Booth]

I'm serious.

[Rodney Williams]

If they're. If you really believe there's nuclear weapons. Whatever part of the problem of. So you don't seem to take the allegations seriously.

[Travis Holloway]

I do.

[Rodney Williams]

If you believe they're trying to murder Trump, we need to stop what we're doing and punish them.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, insanely bizarre. We went from let's not do anything to oh, they're trying to kill Trump. Well, if that's true, let's just nuke them.

[Unknown Speaker]

So you're right. The entire two hours, Tucker's position was do nothing on Iran, do nothing on Iran, do nothing on Iran, do not support Israel, do not support Israel, do not support Israel. But if Iran is trying to murder Trump, then we should nuke them. Okay, Ben, that's absolutely wacky. And look, it's the sign of someone who's not presenting an argument in good faith, no, we should not be nuking Iran. That's not a good idea. And by the way, this is a point where actually facts matter. And part of what was frustrating about this interview is that Tucker just says things that are blatantly false and he doesn't care if they're true or false. So this is an objective fact. I'm going to read to you from a political article on November 8, 2024, not very long ago. Here's the title. Iran ordered an operative to assassinate Trump before the election, federal prosecutors say. The alleged would be assassin is believed to be in Iran and remains at large, prosecutors said. Here's the beginning of the article. The Iranian government ordered an operative to assassinate Donald Trump before the 2024 election, Manhattan federal prosecutors said Friday, the latest in a string of assassination plots directed at the former and future president. In recent months. Prosecutors charged Farhad Shaqiri with murder for hire and providing material support to foreign terrorist organization. He is believed to be in Iran and remains at large, prosecutors said. The article continues, quote, according to a criminal complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal Court, Shaqiri said during an FBI interview that in September he was directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran to surveil and kill Trump, whom the charging papers identify as victim for when Shaqiri told an IRGC official that doing so would prove expensive, the official responded that money's not an issue, which Shaqiri understood to mean that the IRGC had previously spent a significant sum of money on efforts to murder victim 4 and was willing to continue spending a lot of money in its attempt to procure victims for assassination, according to the charging papers. So there's literally a Department of justice indictment specifically against an assassin for attempting to murder Trump. There Also, by the way, was a separate assassin who was arrested for renting an apartment next to John Bolton, an Iranian assassin that was there to murder Trump's former national security adviser. And as I noted, the Iranians put out an entire video, a minute and a half video. It's an animated video that shows Donald Trump playing golf and shows the Iranians using a drone attack to kill him. All of that is objectively true. And yet Tucker says, I've never heard a word of it. I don't know anything about this. And I want to play this video right here. This is in Farsi, but I want to play it. And then I'm going to tell you what, what, what he's saying. So give a list.

[Ben Ferguson]

So let's just be clear. That's the IRGC commander live on Islamic Republic of Iran State tv. And tell people what he just said.

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, his name is Amir Ali Hajizadeh. He's the commander of the irgc. He's on national television, and he says, quote, God willing, we'll be able to kill Trump, Pompeo, General McKenzie and other U.S. commanders. That's on TV. Now, Tucker spent the entire interview denying that Iran was trying to kill President Trump. That's objectively false. Facts matter. And bizarrely, he said, well, if that fact was true, he thought we should immediately attack Iran and we should nuke Iran. Well, no, that's not the case. We should not nuke Iran. But we should do what President Trump is doing right now, which is support Israel in taking out Iran's nuclear capability and their senior military leadership. That actually makes sense. And I'll tell you that the day after our interview aired, President Trump was asked about the conflict between me and Tucker in the Oval Office. And here, give a listen to the back and forth President Trump had in the Oval with the reporter.

[Ted Cruz]

Have you seen the Tucker Carlson Senator Ted Cruz interview?

[Lisa Booth]

It seems like this issue on whether.

[Ted Cruz]

Or not the United States should strike is kind of dividing a lot of your supporters.

[Unknown Speaker]

No, my supporters, if I'm.

[Ben Ferguson]

My supporters are America first. They make America great again.

[Unknown Speaker]

My supporters don't want to see Iran.

[Ben Ferguson]

Have a nuclear weapon. Tucker's a nice guy.

[Travis Holloway]

He called, apologized the other day because.

[Ben Ferguson]

He thought, he said things were a.

[Unknown Speaker]

Little bit too strong, and I appreciated that.

[Travis Holloway]

And Ted Cruz is a nice guy.

[Unknown Speaker]

I mean, he's been with me for a long time.

[Travis Holloway]

I'd say once the race was over.

[Unknown Speaker]

He'S been with me ever since. Right.

[Ben Ferguson]

But very simple.

[Unknown Speaker]

And if they think that it's okay for Iran to have A nuclear weapon.

[Travis Holloway]

Then they should oppose me. But nobody thinks it's okay.

[Ben Ferguson]

This goes back to the very beginning and why I think Tucker was so hostile. He wanted a distraction from the fact that he had messed up with Trump. He had to call Trump and apologize. And he thought, all right, if I just go after Ted Cruz, maybe that'll fix all my problems. I don't think it worked well.

[Unknown Speaker]

And look, the reason that Tucker had to apologize to Trump is that he had been publicly blasting Trump. He said Trump was complicit in Israel's war. And he said what Trump was doing was not America First. And President Trump tweeted out and said, look, I'm the one who created America first and I decide what it is. And allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon, that is not America First. And that's exactly what President Trump said in the Oval. You know what's amazing? We've laid out the facts that is undisputed. By the way, out of 100 senators, all 100 agree that Iran is trying to murder President Trump. Even the looniest, even Bernie Sanders, even Elizabeth Warren, doesn't dispute that Iran is trying to murder Trump because it's an objective fact. I've laid them out, those facts out repeatedly. You know, Tucker has not responded once to that. He has not said, oh, I was wrong on that. He hasn't said, oh, well, gosh, I said, if that was the case, we should attack Iran immediately and nuke them. Which, by the way, to be clear, we should not. At the end of the day, facts matter. And the good news is the Commander in Chief's job is to be clear eyed and do what is necessary to keep America safe. President Trump is doing that. I spoke to him just a few days ago And I said, Mr. President, thank you. Thank you for standing with Israel. Thank you for standing up for America. Thank you for defending our servicemen and women. You notice Iran has not attacked our servicemen and women because the President has made clear the consequences of would be massive for doing so. And President Trump right now is being strong and resolute, and I'm proud to stand with the President that he is doing exactly the right thing. He is embodying America first and he's keeping this country safe.

[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.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Karen Kilgariff]

Georgia from My favorite Murder. Thanks to Hyundai, we got to take a post show drive in the Ionic five.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

We had snacks, laughs and we even recorded a special episode featuring some unforgettable car themed stories.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Take a listen. So I'm going to tell you a story today, Karen. It's about a pivotal role that cars played in none other than the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

Okay, well, yes, it's right there in the title, right? This episode is brought to you by the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5.

[Ben Ferguson]

Stuck in the same day to day routine. Wake up, go to work, eat, sleep, repeat. Break through the boredom this summer and download Call of Duty Mobile for free. Enjoy fan favorite maps, modes and operators from classic Call of Duty titles plus new mobile exclusive content. Today doesn't have to suck. Cure your boredom for free with Call of Duty almost anywhere, anytime. Call of Duty Mobile is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for free today. Rated M for Mature.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak Podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building WEFT doesn't look the same for everyone.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What happens when it doesn't go right?

[Ted Cruz]

How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you.

[Unknown Speaker]

Thrive and help others do the same.

[Rodney Williams]

Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartradio app.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast.