Is the UK's Assault on Free Speech Coming to America? plus Harris & Walz Run Away from their own Radical Records

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson Episode: Is the UK's Assault on Free Speech Coming to America? plus Harris & Walz Run Away from their own Radical Records
Release Date: August 12, 2024

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1. Introduction: The Battle for Free Speech

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson engages in a compelling discussion with Senator Ted Cruz about the escalating threats to free speech both globally and within the United States. The conversation sets the stage for a deep dive into how international policies, particularly those in the United Kingdom, could influence American civil liberties under the potential leadership of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

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2. Free Speech Under Siege in the United Kingdom

[00:01 – 09:10]

Senator Ted Cruz highlights the severity of free speech restrictions in the UK, emphasizing the alarming trend of imprisoning individuals for their social media posts. He warns of the possibility that such stringent measures could be adopted in the United States if leaders like Kamala Harris ascend to power.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz [00:16]: “Free speech is under assault. In the United Kingdom, they are sentencing people to jail for their social media posts... Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz are radicals and zealots when it comes to free speech.”

• British Judge [04:00]: “You will serve up to one half of your sentence in custody before you are released on licence...”

Cruz underscores the UK's judicial actions by playing a recording of a British judge sentencing an individual for inciting racial hatred through a Facebook post, a move he describes as "frightening" and a dire warning for American freedoms.

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3. Implications for American Free Speech

[09:10 – 17:42]

Cruz draws parallels between the UK's crackdown on speech and potential future policies in the U.S., questioning the likelihood of such measures being enforced against extremist figures. He asserts that Western democracies, unlike authoritarian regimes such as China or Russia, would resist infringing upon the First Amendment.

Notable Quotes:

• British Police Chief [09:32]: “We will throw the full force of the law at people... you can be guilty of offenses of incitement...”

• Senator Ted Cruz [17:42]: “There is a guarantee to free speech. It's called the First Amendment to the Constitution.”

Cruz further critiques domestic Democratic leaders, suggesting that their collaboration with Big Tech signals an erosion of free speech. He references a Supreme Court decision, Matal vs Tam, to reinforce the protection of hateful speech under the First Amendment, countering Democratic assertions that some speech should be censored.

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4. The Democratic Party's Shift Against Free Speech

[17:42 – 26:03]

The conversation shifts to a critique of the Democratic Party's evolving stance on free speech. Cruz argues that Democrats have abandoned their historical role as defenders of free expression, instead aligning with Big Tech to promote censorship that aligns with their political agendas.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz [15:20]: “Today's Democrats have decided that free speech, the First Amendment, is incompatible with their desire to control you and to silence speech they don't like.”

• Senator Ted Cruz [26:03]: “It's like anything we don't like, we want to get rid of or redo. We want to change it. They're coming after the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Supreme Court...”

Cruz references law professor Jonathan Turley's article in The Hill, titled "A Harris Waltz administration would be a nightmare for free speech," to bolster his argument about the potential threats posed by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's policies.

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5. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz: A Radical Record

[26:03 – 44:39]

Senator Cruz delves into the specific policies and actions of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, portraying them as the most extreme ticket in major party history regarding free speech. He accuses them of attempting to censor dissenting voices and undermining the First Amendment.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz [19:03]: “Tim Waltz says, ‘there's no guarantee to free speech, on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy.’ That is utter garbage.”

• Senator Ted Cruz [28:38]: “He introduced legislation to exempt tips from taxes because he heard that idea from Donald Trump...”

Cruz critiques their legislative actions, such as the proposal to eliminate taxes on tips—a policy he initially introduced—and their attempts to redefine and control what constitutes hate speech. He emphasizes the inconsistency and authoritarian nature of their policies, arguing that they prioritize political agendas over constitutional rights.

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6. Election Predictions and Conclusion

[44:39 – 51:50]

Wrapping up the episode, Cruz makes bold predictions about the Democratic Party's strategies leading up to the election. He speculates a 40% likelihood of President Joe Biden resigning before election day to pave the way for Kamala Harris as the incumbent president, thereby giving her a significant electoral advantage.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz [50:04]: “I'm going to make another prediction... 40% that Joe Biden resigns between now and election day so that Kamala Harris is the incumbent president.”

• Senator Ted Cruz [51:50]: “Which is why I think they will have a very serious discussion. I think if they can bully Joe Biden into doing it, it'll happen.”

Cruz expresses concern over the media's role in shaping public perception and warns listeners to remain vigilant against attempts to undermine democratic principles. He concludes by urging his audience to stay informed and prepared for the potential shifts in American political landscapes.

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Key Takeaways

• Global Free Speech Concerns: The UK’s severe measures against online speech are presented as a cautionary tale for the U.S., highlighting the potential dangers of extending such policies domestically.

• Democratic Threats to the First Amendment: Cruz asserts that the Democratic Party, under leaders like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, poses a significant threat to free speech, aligning with technological entities to suppress dissent.

• Legislative Actions as Tools of Censorship: Policies proposed by Harris and Walz, such as the taxation of tips and redefining hate speech, are portrayed as mechanisms to control and limit constitutional freedoms.

• Election Dynamics: Predictions about political maneuvers within the Democratic Party suggest strategic efforts to maintain power by manipulating incumbency and possibly removing Joe Biden from the presidential ticket.

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Note: This summary excludes promotional segments for Patriot Mobile and Blackout Coffee to focus solely on the episode’s substantive discussions.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is verdict with Senator Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you. Senator. There is a big war going on when it comes to free speech, not just in this country, but around the world. And real concerns about what could happen with Harris in charge in this country.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Free speech is under assault. In the United Kingdom. They are going after, they are sentencing people to jail for their social media posts. They are threatening to take that enforcement to America to go after Americans. And I'll tell you what is really terrifying is Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz are radicals and zealots when it comes to free speech. We're going to break down just how extreme their record is. This is the most anti free speech ticket that has ever run. At the same time, Kamala Harris campaign have decided on a new strategy. She is going to run as Donald Trump. Suddenly, Kamala Harris wants to secure the border. Suddenly Kamala Harris loves her some fracking. And suddenly Kamala Harris has a brand new idea she cooked up just on her own with no help from anybody else. No taxes on tips. We're gonna talk about how they're trying to gaslight the American people and we're gonna contrast it with Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz's radical extreme record. As I said, they are the most extreme ticket ever nominated by a major party. We're going to break that down right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

Things I never thought I'd hear you say that Kamala Harris is actually going to be Donald Trump. But it is weird when you watch it. Want to tell you real quick about our friends over at Patriot Mobile. If you are a conservative and you're just sick and tired of giving your money to companies that fight against your values, well, then you really need to take a look at your cell phone provider right now. I'm proud to partner with Patriot Mobile because they're on the front line fighting for our first and our second amendments, the sanctity of life, as well as our military, our first responder heroes and our wounded warriors. You can take a stand and stand with a conservative company that's fighting for our values. They make sure that every time you pay your bill, they take about 5% of that bill at no extra cost to you and they give it back to the causes that you want to support. Now you're gonna get the same nationwide coverage that you're getting right now because Patriot Mobile operates on all three major networks mean the same towers you're right now. Plus then when you pay that bill, you know you're standing up for what you believe in. Switching has also never been easier they have a hundred percent US based customer service team that will find the best plan for your needs and many times save you money. Plus you keep your same number you've got now keep your same phone or upgrade to a new one. Now right now go to patriotmobile.com verdict that's patriot mobile.com verdict or call them 972 Patriot and you're gonna get a free month when you use the offer code verdict patriot mobile.com verdict or 972-patriot and get a free month when you use the offer code Verdict today Center. This is very interesting. I also think shocking and concerning to see what is happening in the uk. They are, as you mentioned in the, in the opening, not only like spying on people, looking at what they're putting online, but then deciding, hey, we don't like that we may charge you with crimes and put you in jail. And people are actually going to jail in the UK for this?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, that's exactly right. It is frightening in the United Kingdom now that they've decided that if you post something they don't like, they will arrest you and they'll put you in jail. I want you to listen to this British judge as he's sentencing this, this poor Brit to 20 months in jail. 20 months, that's almost two years for a Facebook post. He posted something on Facebook. The British government didn't like it. They sent him to jail. Have a listen.

[British Judge]

You have been committed for sentence, having pleaded guilty to an offence of publishing written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, intending thereby to stir up racial hatred. The context of your offending is that it arises out of the civil unrest and disorder in many parts of the United Kingdom. On the night of the 2nd and 3rd of August, the Britannia Hotel in Leeds was attacked by people who threw missiles which damaged windows. The police were called and on the 3rd of August the hotel was locked down for the protection of those who were living there at the time. There were 210 occupants, many of whom were foreign refugees and asylum seekers. Similar attacks to the hotel were launched on 4 August. The police attended on each occasion and units were deployed to safeguard the hotel and to provide an increase in the police presence in the area. In between the two attacks, you took to social media in order to encourage others towards participation in the attacks upon the hotel. As is recognised on your behalf, this offence is so serious that an immediate custodial sentence is unavoidable. Would you stand please? The sentence that I pass has been reduced by 1/3 to reflect your guilty plea. The sentence is one of 20 months imprisonment. You will serve up to one half of your sentence in custody before you are released on licence. If you fail to abide by the conditions of your license, you can be returned to prison to serve some or all of the remainder of the custodial term. The victim surcharge will apply and I will make a collection order.

[Ben Ferguson]

Two things are shocking there. One, at the beginning he said what you said was categorized. He gave a list. But then he used the word insulting. So you can now go to jail because you post something that is insulting. And then he also says, by the way, you better be glad that you pled guilty, which reduced your sentence by one third, which was still, as you mentioned, 20 months, almost two years. This is in the UK, not in Russia.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So, and I will say, so this is one of the videos. Every video we do, every pod we do is released on audio. About a third of the pods are also on video. This is one of the ones that's on video. So if you're not watching on YouTube. If you're watching on YouTube, you saw the guy. And, and, and, and I gotta say, first of all, the, the image, if you're just listening to it, go watch it. He, he's wearing a red robe, he's got a white wig on.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I gotta say, by the way, you'd look damn fine in one of those weeks. You could carry it off. You know, it's, it's thinning just a little bit.

[Ben Ferguson]

Benjamin, with you. There's gonna be some bet one day where I have to host verdict with a white wig on.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And look, he's sitting there. It is now an offense apparently to post something that could be insulting. So, you know, apparently if you play the, you know, play a song from Hamilton where King George is portrayed as an effete looking, wig wearing, limey bastard.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Then apparently that could be justifiable if it's inciting of hate.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes. And what if someone just decides they don't like a person online, they say, oh, they incited me to do this and that's why I went out and did this, therefore go after that guy.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Now I'm curious, what do you think are the odds that the Brits will enforce that against say, a radical Islamic cleric who's calling for jihad?

[Ben Ferguson]

To quote you, 0% 0.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

No, no, no, no, no. You're not allowed, by the way, when people are pointing out the violence that is occurring in Britain, if you actually point out that you have, because of massive immigration into Britain, you have violence, many from People who are engaged in acts of radical Islamic terrorism. This law is being enforced not to stop the violence, but to stop someone from pointing out who's committing is literally, you know, George Orwell was British and I gotta say, Orwell wouldn't be surprised. He predicted this in 1984. The judge saying, not saying, we will stop you from pointing something out. We will silence you and erase any narrative contrary to the regime.

[Ben Ferguson]

And by the way, this is a threat not just against people that are British citizens. There's also a threat of going to jail if you're a foreigner who happens to offend them as well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Oh, come on. I love the Brits too much. They would never threaten to violate the first amendment of the constitution, would they?

[Ben Ferguson]

Never. Never.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Okay, I want you to listen to this police chief, police chief from England explaining that he's coming after you, he's coming after Americans, he's going to cross the pond. Here he comes. Give a listen.

[British Police Chief]

We will throw the false force of the law at people. And whether you're in this country committing crimes on the streets or committ crimes from further afield online, we will come after you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Talk to me about that because we have seen some high profile figures whipping up the hatred. You talked about it in there with the officers. In fact, about this being added to by online commentary. I mean, I'm even thinking of the likes of Elon Musk getting involved. What are you considering when it comes to dealing with people who are whipping.

[British Police Chief]

Up this kind of behavior from behind a keyboard and maybe in a different country. Being a keyboard warrior does not make you safe from the law. You can be guilty of offences of incitement, of stirring up racial hatred. There are numerous terrorist offences regarding the publishing of material. All of those offences are in play if people are provoking hatred and violence on the streets. And we will come after those individuals just as we will physically confront on the streets the thugs and the OB's who are taking, who are causing the problems for communities.

[Ben Ferguson]

I love the part at the end. And for people that aren't getting to watch this, there's a slide that was up at the end of this report and it's a warning that happened like on X. Warning people, be careful what you post because if you post something we don't like, you may go to jail. And then ex owner Elon Musk, who, who I just, I love Elon. Every time I see him just clap back like this. Made waves when he responded to footage of someone allegedly arrested for offensive online comments by asking, is this Britain or the Soviet Union. Now, to be clear, in an article, quote, the crackdown on social media includes a threat by the British government to extradite American citizens from the US to be jailed in the UK for violating their rules about political free speech. So this is my question, Senator. If I tweet something in America about the uk, could they then come after me based on what they're now saying? Because that offended somebody in the uk?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, to be clear, the Chinese Communists claim the power to do that. Dictators across the world claim the power to do that. I am sanctioned in communist China right now. They have sanctioned me.

[Ben Ferguson]

Congratulations.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm quite proud of that.

[Ben Ferguson]

What did you do?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I don't even know. I probably called them murdering, tyrannical communist bastards. But I'm sanctioned in China. I think I'm also sanctioned in Iran. I can't quite. That's a good list. I can't quite keep up. And I think the Russians also. But it's hard to keep up with how many oppressive regimes have sanctioned me. But you know what? I never thought I'd put the Brits on that list. I've joked, Heidi and I. Heidi. I like to say Heidi and I are a mixed marriage. She's a Francophile, I'm an Anglophile. I love the Brits, and it breaks my heart. Look, the Magna Carta is on fire. The United Kingdom led the world in championing liberty. But let me point out to any Brit that wants to extradite an American, and by the way, Elon Musk is an American citizen. You want to come after Elon, you better come. Come through me and the rest of us first. You know, we did have a little disagreement with the UK it was minor. It was in a year called 1776. They tried to tax our tea, by the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

I just want to go back in history, make sure. Yeah, we did. Okay, Keep going.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

They try to tax our tea. We threw that stuff in the Boston harbor, we pulled out our muskets and we whipped their ass and became free. And the idea that they would claim. Look it. Actually, it's sad. Great nations rise and fall. The United Kingdom has been incredibly important for liberty worldwide. And by the way, I could see some lefty picking this little exchange and saying, oh, but the Brits were slave traders. And it is true, the United Kingdom, their biggest industry for a period of time was the slave trade. Until incredible heroes like William Wilberforce led the fight to abolish the slave trade in the United Kingdom. The UK has a great history of fighting for liberty Is it perfect? No. But whether it is winning World War I and World War II with America's mighty help. Look, there is a reason why in my office in the Senate, I have three busts. In my office, I have Ronald Reagan, I have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And I have Winston Churchill, because Churchill was an extraordinary leader. And by the way, if I were to put a fourth bust up, I might put Margaret Thatcher up. I mean, two of the British leaders have been among the most extraordinary leaders the world has ever known. And yet to see where the UK Is now, it's heartbreaking. There's an arrogance and also a loss of fundamental identity, a loss of who we are.

[Ben Ferguson]

And that worries me. For this standpoint in America right now, I don't think we're that far off from this. I worry about what freedom of speech in this country. I go back just over the last six, seven, eight years. You know, you couldn't post an article about Hunter Biden's laptop, right? That was something that, like, oh, no, no, that's not real. We had people that we're supposed to trust in, our CIA directors and others that came out and signed a letter knowing they were lying to the American people. And there was no accountability, for example, for that, saying, oh, this is something that has the markings of Russians. I mean, you look at what's happening in this country with free speech, I don't think we're that far off, especially if you look at Harris and what she says as well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, and I want to demonstra. Because, look, the most important part of this podcast is underscoring, you know, a few years ago, if I would have said the UK is gonna lock people up for making social media posts, you probably would have dismissed that as. Come on. That they still respect individual liberty too much to do that. And now they're doing it. We are very close to that in today's Democrat Party. In the last few years, one of the greatest concerns I've had is the Democrat Party there used to principled, passionate defenders of free speech. In the Democrat Party, they don't exist anymore. And today's Democrats have decided that free speech, the First Amendment, is incompatible with their desire to control you and to silence speech they don't like. And today's Democrats being in bed with Big Tech, they view it as a machinery of censorship and oppression because power matters more to them than free speech. You know, there's a great article Jonathan Turley, the great law professor, wrote just a few days ago in the Hill, and it's entitled A Harris Waltz administration would be a nightmare for free speech. And I want you to look at Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz's record on free speech, because this is the most extreme and radical record on free speech of any ticket that has ever run for president with a major party. So you look at Joe Biden. Joe Biden has made censorship a critical part of his legacy. He has accused social media companies of, quote, killing people. That's Joe Biden for not censoring more. So that's his position. If you don't censor, you're killing people. The administration created an office like, quote, the Disinformation Governance Board, remember, led by that wacko who loved musical theater and who had these bizarre smarmy singing things on Twitter, who wanted to silence anyone she disagreed with. Thankfully that disbanded cuz the pushback was so significant. But I want you to listen to Tim Waltz on MSNBC what he says about free speech. Give a listen.

[Tim Waltz]

Years ago it was the little things telling people to vote the day after the election and you know, we kind of brushed them off. Now we know it's intimidation at the ballot box. It's undermining the, the idea that mail in ballots aren't legal. I think we need to push back on this. There's no guarantee to free speech, on misinformation or hate speech, and especially around our democracy. Tell the truth, where the voting places are, who can vote, who's able to be there. And you know, watching some states continue to weaken the protections around the ballot, I think is what inspiring us to lean into this again. All we're asking is to make it as easy and simple as possible to exercise their right to vote and participate in our democracy. And I'm in 100% agreement with you that makes it so that more people are there, you get more opinions brought in. And I think it tempers that extremes that we get because again, I can't imagine someone going and standing in line for eight hours to try and vote and then being told that, you know, maybe the votes didn't count or maybe something's wrong. You have these candidates who lose and are on these ridiculous court cases that they keep bringing up and losing on here in Minnesota. We're going to bring faith back into that system. It's already been here. We're very proud that we're near the top in voter turnout, but there's more that we can do.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So I want you to hear those words because that is radical, it is idiotic, and it is wrong. So here's a quote that he Just said, quote, there's no guarantee to free speech, on misinformation or hate speech. And especially around our democracy. Now, that is utter garbage. There is a guarantee to free speech. It's called the First Amendment to the Constitution. It is in the Bill of Rights. And listen to what he said. There's no guarantee on misinformation, by the way. And he said, look at these candidates who filed lawsuits challenging elections. So apparently he wants to go after you and prosecute you if you file a lawsuit challenging an election. And he says, for example, misinformation. He, he, he says, we just want to make sure everyone has the right to vote. Well, you know what, Mr. Waltz, I charge that as misinformation because your party tried to throw Donald Trump off the ballot in Colorado, Illinois and Maine.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You don't just want to make sure everyone has the right to vote when you're trying to stop them from voting for your opponent. And understand the only reason that didn't succeed is because the Supreme Court unanimously rejected your party's assault on democracy. And when he says, I can't imagine waiting eight hours in line to vote and then being told that your vote somehow matters less. Okay, are you planning to prosecute Hillary Clinton when she said that the election where Donald Trump beat her was rigged? It is. It is exactly like the Brits, by the way. It is purely one sided. You don't see Tim Waltz saying, we're going to go after some radical Islamic cleric who is promising that you will have 72 virgins if you just go murder innocent people. If you go murder Jews, that will be. He would not apply it there. What he means is, if you dare say something contrary to the regime, you have no right to free speech. That is dangerous and it's radical and it's wrong.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. And it's something that people need to understand moving forward in this election. This is who they are. Believe them when they tell you they are radical. I've said that over and over again. If you just look and listen to what they're saying, you can see what their plan is.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And by the way, by the way, Waltz is not alone. Let me give you an example. So Stacey Plaskett, who is a Democrat in Congress representing the Virgin Islands, she declared, quote, I hope that all members recognize that there is speech that is not constitutionally protected, referencing hate speech. In particular, Ben Cardin, Democrat senator from Maryland, said, quote, if you espouse hate, you're not protected under the First Amendment. Now, if he wrote that, he's a lawyer. If he wrote that as a first year law student in constitutional law, he would flunk. That's not even a D answer. That's an F answer. By the way, Howard Dean, remember, former governor of Vermont, Democrat, ran for president. Here's what he said. Quote, hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment. By the way, the Supreme Court, it's a famous case, the Skokie case, where they upheld the right of Nazis to march in Skokie, Illinois, because the First Amendment protects the right to speak, even if what you're saying is hateful. And to be clear, I despise Nazis. They are bigoted, evil idiots. The First Amendment protects the right of bigoted evil idiots to speak. Their idiocy. And the response, by the way, is not for government to censor them, not for government to lock them up for 20 months as they're doing in the United Kingdom. The response is to stand up and say, you're Nazis, you're morons. It was a great moment in Raiders of the Lost Ark when your faces melted because you are evil and foolish. The answer, as John Stuart Mill said, the bad speech is more speech. And by the way, if you don't want to listen to me on it, listen to the Supreme Court of the United States. Because the position of Tim Waltz, the position of all those Democrats I quoted, has been directly refuted. I'm going to give one example. In the 2016 case of Matal vs Tam. Here's what the Supreme Court wrote, quote, this position, rather this position, that hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment, quote, strikes at the heart of the First Amendment, speech that demeans on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, or any other similar ground is hateful. But the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence, prudence, is that we protect the freedom to express the thought that we hate. I want you to hear that phrase again. The proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express the thought that we hate. By the way, Matal vs Tam was a decision that was unanimous. Nobody dissented from the judgment. And yet where are the Democrats? Well, let's look at Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris, on her disasterly failed 2020 presidential campaign. Here's what she said. She ran on censorship and she pledged, quote, that her administration will hold social media platforms accountable for the hate infiltrating their platforms because they have a responsibility to help fight against this threat to our democracy. In 2019, Kamala Harris said directly to Mark Zuckerberg, the lead owner of Facebook quote, this is not a matter of free speech. This is a matter of holding corporate America and these big tech companies responsible and accountable for what they are facilitating. Understand Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz. If they win, they intend to go after your free speech. They intend to pressure big tech to censor even more. And what they define as hate is anything contrary to their agenda. So for example, if you point out as, say, hypothetically, someone may have in Milwaukee at a speech at the Republican National Convention to the world that every damn day Americans are being murdered, women are being raped, children are being brutalized by illegal aliens that Kamala Harris is releasing, in the world of Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz, that might be deemed misinformation. Why? Because it's hateful. And what do they mean by hateful? It's inconvenient for their political agenda, so they want to censor it. And maybe not far from the Brits, they want to put you in jail for saying it.

[Ben Ferguson]

You go back and you think about one thing here. The Democrats have been attacking the Supreme Court recently. They don't like the Supreme Court very much. So just pack it, undo that as well. It's very interesting to see how they're playing this out here. It's like anything we don't like, we want to get rid of or redo. We want to change it. They're coming after the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Supreme Court. The list goes on and on from this team.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And by the way, you know what Benjamin Franklin said about this? I'm going to give you a quote from Ben Franklin. Quote. In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech, which is the right of every man. That statement, Ben Franklin. There's a reason Ben Franklin's on the hundred dollar bill. There's a reason Ben Franklin sat at the Constitutional Convention. The famed exchange. When Franklin walked out of the Constitutional Convention after they drafted the Constitution and a Passerby asked him, Mr. Franklin, what have you given us? And he said, a republic, if you can keep it. I will say with today's radical Democrats who have decided free speech is inconvenient to their thirst for power, they're doing everything they can to give up our republic.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yep.

[Ben Ferguson]

They are a radical ticket that the Democratic Party has never seen before. I think that's saying something. We've had pretty extremist candidates before that have run. We've never seen a dynamic duo like this where it's almost like they try to one up each other on how extreme they can go.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, Ben, how could that be true? I've seen in the news that Kamala Harris was not the border czar, that she never had anything to do with the border. I've seen in the news how fracking Gosh golly, she just loves her some fracking. I've seen in the news now that she has proposals straight from Donald Trump's tax plan. I mean, it is amazing how Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz are trying to whitewash their entire record. You go to Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz's website, which I don't advise, but there are no policy positions on it.

[Ben Ferguson]

She's gonna have some though, coming eventually.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I've never seen a presidential campaign website without policy positions. It really is remarkable.

[Ben Ferguson]

And doing no interviews as well. That's weird.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And she's trying to run as the candidate of change, as the incumbent.

[Ben Ferguson]

In fact. Senator, there's a great montage that went viral this week online. And I think it goes exactly the point you were making, which is they're constantly changing who they are to try to fit what they think will get them elected. Now this is brilliant. Take a look.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Kamala Harris pretends she wants to fix the broken border, but she has attacked and vilified everyone responsible for enforcing it.

[Tim Waltz]

Klan was what we would call today a domestic terrorist group.

[Kamala Harris]

Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws? And do you see any parallels?

[Tim Waltz]

I do not see any parallels between.

[Kamala Harris]

I'm talking about perception. Are you aware that there's a perception.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Puts ICE in the same category as the kkk?

[Kamala Harris]

We've got to critically re examine ICE and its role and the way that it is being administered and the work it is doing. And we need to probably think about starting from scratch.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I was the chief of the Border patrol. I commanded 21,000 people. I've never had one conversation with the president or the Vice President for that matter.

[Tim Waltz]

That's a problem.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Jen Psaki, Vice President Kamala Harris.

[Tim Waltz]

Others have seized on this photo of a Border Patrol agent on a horse.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

In Del Rio over the weekend. They said visuals were horrific, in their words.

[Kamala Harris]

I was outraged by it. There needs to be consequence and accountability. It also evoked images of some of the worst moments of our history where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country, has been used against African Americans during times of slavery.

[British Police Chief]

And that is just blatantly false. First off, these agents don't have whips. We have a couple of them behind us right now. Look, we'll show it to you. What was seen in the photos is they have what are called split reigns.

[Ben Ferguson]

The Border Patrol agents were attacked by the Vice President of the United States and now the Department of Homeland Security. He had still photos that of course.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The media blew up to mean something that it wasn't.

[British Police Chief]

But the agents are very frustrated by the narrative out there.

[Tim Waltz]

They threw Border Patrol members under the bus.

[Ben Ferguson]

You are that Border Patrol member who's.

[Tim Waltz]

Being compared by the Vice President to A slave owner.

[Ben Ferguson]

It was clear from the beginning that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

They were not whipping any migrants. Do you have plans to visit the border?

[Kamala Harris]

Not today.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is a woman, to be clear, that said we needed to just abolish ICE and start all over. Now she's saying, I'm gonna be tough on the border because we gotta secure the border. This is the same woman that said that the border wall was racist. But now the media is like, oh, hey, we gotta change the narrative here because people are concerned about the border. We know it's a presidential election year issue, and we're going to act like somehow now she's going to get tough on the border. It's absurd. But they're helping her do this lie, perpetrate this lie on the American people.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And listen, as you know, I spend a lot of time at our southern border. I know a lot of Border Patrol agents very, very well. This demonization, she said at a hearing she compared ICE agents to the Ku Klux Klan. That's grotesque. And she compared Border Patrol agents to slave owners whipping African Americans. And by the way, that photograph that the press went crazy with, and then she eagerly leapt on that photograph. That characterization was wrong. That Border Patrol agent was simply riding his horse. Those were the reins. And it was wrongfully characterized that anybody was being whipped. And I've talked to Border Patrol agents who were deeply offended at the vice president, at the administration, demonizing the brave men and women who risked their lives to keep us safe. She is a radical who has consistently argued for abolishing ice. By the way, she's also supported defunding and abolishing the police. When it comes to law enforcement, anytime.

[Ben Ferguson]

Kamala Harris get people out of jail, by the way, in Minnesota who were involved in the riots while they were burning down the city, well, it's why.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

She and Tim Waltz are such a good pair. Because Tim Waltz was governor of Minnesota when Minneapolis burned, when Antifa and Black Lives Matter radicals were burning the city, were firebombing police cars, were looting stores, were attacking police officers, were attacking citizens. He did nothing. He did not send in the National Guard. He held it back. And what did she do? As you said, she raised money to bail the violent rioters out of jail. Consistently. Given the choice between law enforcement and criminals, Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz choose the criminals. Given a choice between Border Patrol and ICE and illegal immigrants, Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz, they choose the illegal immigrants. That's their record. And they're magically trying to make that go away.

[Ben Ferguson]

You and I were at the Republican convention. You and I both had the conversation last night that we were worried that we came out of there too confident because it was such a great convention. Everything started all over with Kamala Harris. Now be no one's voted for, but apparently that doesn't matter. She's the nominee and we're sitting.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

No, no, but, but Tim Waltz said all they want is democracy. Yes, that's true, but does democracy mean people actually have to vote for the candidate? Or what about the millions of Democrats who voted for Joe Biden? Do they not have a right to democracy?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, fair point. But you look at this and you see where we are now. I'm very concerned about this election. I think it's a complete reset. And I'm also very concerned with the in kind contribution coming from the media. What I mean by that perfect example of this is Donald Trump seized on something that was very authentic and organic. He was out in Vegas, he was having a conversation with people in the service industry. He had an idea, apparently wrote it on a napkin. We shouldn't tax tips. Help people survive, help people make a living. And it. And he said it at a rally and it just work. And it stuck. And people loved it because he was a guy looking out for the little guy. He was advocating for these hardworking people that rely on tips as part of their income. And it obviously played well with many people in this country. Fast forward to a few days ago. Kamala Harris says the same thing.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, and let me give a little more narrative on that. So Trump announced it at the Vegas rally. And I think the next week he was in D.C. and I had lunch with him. He had lunch with all the Republican senators. He was actually telling us the backstory of it. And he said, well, you know, this was not an idea that came from a bunch of policy experts that had a bunch of white papers. He said he was in Vegas right before the rally and he said he was having, I think, lunch or dinner. I think it was lunch. And he said there was a waitress who came up who complained about the really oppressive enforcement from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris of their efforts to tax tips and how it was really burdensome, the record keeping, and it was really hard. And Trump says at dinner, pulled out a piece of paper and just wrote down no taxes on tips. And then he said he went to the rally and he just said it and he said. And they went wild. They went wild. I gotta say, there are moments I think of political genius and I think that was one of them. So the next Week I introduced legislation in the Senate to exempt tips from taxes because I heard that idea and it's exactly right. And the reason I introduced legislation, there are a lot of reasons, but one right at the heart is for over a decade, for as long as I've been in the Senate, I have been advocating that the Republican Party, we should be a blue collar party. We should be the party of waiters and waitresses, we should be the party of bartenders, we should be the party of hairdressers and nail salon workers and taxicab drivers and everyone who has calluses on their hands cuz they're working hard. And as a policy, the contrast is night and day. That's who we should be fighting for. And you know, it's striking. I introduced that legislation, it's got a number of co sponsors, you know, who also joined it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Who's that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Both Democrat senators from Nevada.

[Ben Ferguson]

Really?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Jackie Rosen and Katherine Cortez Masto both joined my legislation because about 25% of the workers in Nevada are tipped workers. And I gotta say, my reaction when I heard him make that proposal, I said, donald Trump will carry Nevada on that policy issue. By the way, the culinary union has come out emphatically in support of Trump's proposal, emphatically in support of my legislation exempting tips from taxes. And so this week, here's Kamala Harris. I want you to give a listen first to Trump in Nevada announcing the policy proposal and then Kamala just shamelessly copying him. Give a listen because when I get to office, we are going to not.

[Ben Ferguson]

Charge taxes on tips, people making tips.

[Kamala Harris]

Eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean that's just straight up stealing. But I do think so.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

June 9th is when Trump said it. August 10th is when she said it. And she didn't have the dignity to say, you know, I actually would have respected it more if she says, look, there are lots of areas where I disagree with Donald Trump. I'm a left wing Democrat kook.

[Ben Ferguson]

He's not.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

However, he had an idea. That's a really good one. And I'm here to tell you right.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, I would do the same thing.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I would do the same that I could respect. But she doesn't acknowledge it. And the irony is she also doesn't acknowledge what prompted it, which is that her administration, the Biden Harris administration, she was the tie breaking vote on the legislation that provided millions for the IRS to go after waiters and waitresses and everyone who's making tips and to enforce it vigorously and to hammer on them and yet she doesn't acknowledge any of that. This is Gaslighting 101.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is why, by the way, I love doing this show. And I will say to everybody right now, listening or watching this is when I ask you share it. And here's why. Know when the media is going to tell you this in February, because what you just said is not something 10 years ago. And then she had a change of heart. Okay. It's not like it was a policy 10 years ago and there was some negative effects came out of it that you didn't realize. And then you're like, hey, look, that was a long time ago. A decade ago, In February of 2023, it came to light that Biden's IRS plan to crack down on the service industries reporting on tips. The Service Industry Tip Compliance Agreement program was to be a voluntary TIP reporting system in which the IRS and the service industry companies cooperated, which is where they would crack down on the actual workers. The program was meant to, quote, improve TIP reporting compliance, reduce administrative burdens, and provide more transparency and certainty to taxpayers. Again, going after the little guy here. And the program feature included, quote, monitoring of employer compliance based on actual annual TIP revenue. So big brother watching you and charge TIP data from an employer's point of sale system. So now the computer's tracking you. An allowance for adjustments in tipping practices from year to year to protect the employer from getting in trouble by turning in, in essence, their employees. And who did this? Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. And now she's out there saying, I want you to not have to pay taxes on your tips. When again, 2023. February wasn't that long ago.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, and look, this is a standard practice and pattern of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris siding with the big guy, siding with giant corporations, whether it's big tech or giant corporations against the little guy. You know, there was an interesting story the same lunch where Trump was telling us the backstory of this proposal. The day before the lunch, Trump and Lindsey Graham had played golf. And Lindsey told everyone, he said, look, the two of us were playing golf, and they're both big golfers. And you know, look, your son is one of the best golfers in the world. But Lindsey described how midway through the golf game, he said their two caddies came up and hugged Donald Trump because he had just made the proposal of no taxes on tips. And listen, golf caddies like barbers, like bartenders, there are all sorts of professions where a big chunk of their revenue, and many of them are just barely making Ends meet. They're just starting to climb the economic ladder. And they literally came and hugged him for that proposal. And so Kamala Harris is now trying to pretend. Look, I'm glad she's supporting my legislation. I gotta say, this is a first. I do not believe Kamala Harris has ever before publicly endorsed legislation that I filed and I'm the lead author of now. She didn't mention it was my legislation. She didn't mention it was Trump's idea. And to be clear, I took the idea from Trump. It was his idea.

[Ben Ferguson]

And you ran with it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I just had the sense of saying, that's a damn good idea. Let's do it. And so I went and put pen to paper to actually draft it to make it happen. But, but, but I readily credit it was Trump's idea. Kamala could not be bothered to acknowledge anything other than pretending. This has always been her view.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, I want you to listen to two clips that really sums up just how extreme they are. The first is from Tim Waltz, and he's talking about his fellow Minnesotan Ilhan Omar. And to be clear, Ilhan Omar is one of the founding members of the squad. She is a radical, anti Semite. She hates Israel. She is extreme. Listen to what Tim Waltz thinks about her.

[Tim Waltz]

Something I'll never get tired of saying. I think all of you. Congresswoman Omar. Wonderful.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Doesn't that sound.

[Tim Waltz]

When I'm having a tough day or I'm out on about 5 of my run and I'm feeling kind of down and the world's pressing on me? I think Ilhan Omar is a congresswoman and it just brightens you up.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So.

[Tim Waltz]

Thank you.

[Ben Ferguson]

I just wonder, like, mile three, is he sitting there thinking about. That's the same congressman that said that the terrorists that attacked us on 911 were some people that did some things.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, Ilhan Omar is a congresswoman, and that's something that just brightens you up. That's what he said. This is. Everyone will acknowledge one of the most radical and extreme zealots. And that brightens his day. That tells you who he is. Now, if you think that's bad, I got something worse. Do you like Christmas?

[Ben Ferguson]

Love Christmas.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Okay, well, you're not Kamala Harris. Give a listen to Kamala.

[Kamala Harris]

When we all sing happy tunes and sing Merry Christmas and wish each other merry Christmas, these children are not going to have a merry Christmas. How dare we speak Merry Christmas? How dare we?

[Ben Ferguson]

I haven't seen somebody get that crazy about hating Christmas in a long time.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And understand what she's saying there in context. She's talking about illegal immigrants, and she's saying illegal immigrants are having a lousy time. So how dare we say merry Christmas when illegal immigrants. I mean, it is. This is a woman whose entire career has been siding with criminals and with illegal immigrants. And in her Mind even saying Merry Christmas is unacceptable as long as there is one illegal immigrant who is not basking in luxury. All right, final point before we wrap up, I'm going to make a prediction. So 11 months ago on Verdict, I predicted that the Democrats would throw Joe Biden off the ticket.

[Ben Ferguson]

You were correct. Let's have that moment.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

At the time, many in the media.

[Ben Ferguson]

I think you're so wrong. By the way.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I do, too.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It wasn't what I wanted to have happen. It was a prediction. And by the way, over the 11 months, I gave a scaling set of odds that increased as we got closer and closer and closer. The night of the debate between Trump and Biden, you and I recorded a podcast immediately after the debate. I said that night, the Democrats will push Joe Biden off. I put the odds at 100% at the time.

[Ben Ferguson]

And they did.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And they did. So I'm going to make another prediction, and it's not one that I want to have happen. I'm going to put the odds at 40% that Joe Biden resigns between now and election day.

[Ben Ferguson]

Really? 40%. So that they can see her as president so it'll be easier to get her elected.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That's exactly right. So that Kamala Harris is the incumbent president. She is running for a reelection. I still think it is 60, 40. They don't that Biden's high. That Biden. They pushed him out. They pushed him out. I think he's pretty ticked. He'd have to go along with it. But I think there are going to be very serious discussions in the White House by all the partisans whose paycheck is written by continuing the regime, everyone who stays in power is going to say, you know, if you say your health has reached a point that you need to step aside, which clearly it has. Of course, it had a year ago, two years ago, three years ago, four years ago. But if you say that and she's the sitting president, from the Democrat perspective, I think they would say it increases our chances of her winning and we want to win. And they put winning above everything else. I don't think it's greater than 50. 50, but I think it is a very real possibility right now, today.

[Ben Ferguson]

I don't like that prediction. I don't either, but I don't.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I don't either. I don't want it to come true.

[Ben Ferguson]

It gives like, it gives her a huge advantage. Huge advantage.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Which is why I think they will have a very serious discussion. I think if they can bully Joe Biden into doing it, it'll happen.

[Ben Ferguson]

Don't forget we did a show Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Make sure you hit that subscriber auto download button wherever you're listening. And if you miss this video pod, it's on YouTube as well and you can watch it and share that on social media. And the Senator, I will see you back here in a couple of days. You never know what predictions may come out of the show.