Israel vs. Iran-What's Happening Right Now, plus AG Admits Fentanyl is the Worst Drug Threat in History...and STILL Leaves Borders Open

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson Episode Title: Israel vs. Iran—What's Happening Right Now, plus AG Admits Fentanyl is the Worst Drug Threat in History...and STILL Leaves Borders Open
Release Date: April 19, 2024
Hosts: Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz
Podcast Network: Premiere Networks

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1. Breaking News: Israel's Coordinated Strikes on Iran

Timestamp: 00:22 – 03:18

The episode kicks off with urgent developments in the Middle East. Senator Ted Cruz provides a detailed account of Israel's recent military actions against Iran. As of 11:12 PM on Thursday night, Israel launched coordinated attacks targeting Iranian positions in Syria, Iraq, and Iran itself. Cruz emphasizes the significance of these strikes, highlighting Iran's extensive influence across the region.

Notable Quote:

“Iran is the most malevolent force in the Middle East. They are funding the most dangerous terrorists on earth.” — Senator Ted Cruz [02:37]

Cruz underscores Iran's support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, noting that "90% of Hamas's budget comes from Iran" and similarly for Hezbollah. He criticizes the Biden administration for repeatedly discouraging Israel from retaliating, labeling such advice as "absurd."

2. U.S. Aid Package for Israel and Ukraine

Timestamp: 19:09 – 19:48

The conversation transitions to the U.S. government's response in terms of aid. As the House debates a supplemental bill intended to provide support to both Israel and Ukraine, Cruz expresses skepticism about its passage. He points out the internal conflicts within the House and Senate that could impede the swift approval of this crucial aid.

Notable Quote:

“The House is in the middle of debating that question right now and they're trying to put together an aid package and vote it out.” — Senator Ted Cruz [19:09]

Cruz anticipates delays and potential splits among lawmakers, suggesting that the aid package might face significant hurdles before becoming law.

3. The Fentanyl Crisis and Border Security Failures

Timestamp: 20:07 – 31:13

A substantial portion of the episode delves into the opioid epidemic, specifically focusing on fentanyl. Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before Congress, labeling fentanyl as "the deadliest drug threat that this country has ever faced" [21:18]. However, Cruz criticizes the Biden administration for its inadequate border policies, which he argues exacerbate the problem by allowing fentanyl to flood into the United States.

Notable Quotes:

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat that this country has ever faced.” — Attorney General Merrick Garland [21:18]

“The Democrats simply do not care.” — Senator Ted Cruz [31:13]

Cruz explains the intertwined nature of human and drug trafficking, highlighting how lax border control diverts Border Patrol resources away from intercepting drugs. He presents alarming statistics, such as the increase in drug cartel profits from human trafficking and the minimal fentanyl seizures despite its lethality.

Impact on Public Health: Cruz stresses the severe impact of fentanyl, particularly among young adults. He shares a personal anecdote where he demonstrated the potency of fentanyl using a Sweet'N Low packet, illustrating that just a few grains can be fatal.

4. Impeachment Proceedings and Constitutional Concerns

Timestamp: 32:00 – 46:59

The discussion shifts to the impeachment proceedings against Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security. Cruz criticizes the Democratic-controlled Senate for obstructing the trial, arguing that their actions undermine constitutional protocols.

Notable Quotes:

“Every single Senate Democrat voted that it's not a high crime or misdemeanor.” — Senator Ted Cruz [36:27]

“What you just said made me want to talk about funding for a second.” — Senator Ted Cruz [15:32]

Cruz elaborates on the constitutional implications, referencing historical precedents and asserting that the Senate Democrats have set a dangerous precedent by refusing to hold an impeachment trial when in opposition to the President. He warns that this behavior could lead to future abuses of the impeachment process, potentially targeting President Donald Trump without due process.

Historical Context: Cruz draws parallels to past impeachment cases, such as the removal of Walter Nixon, a federal judge convicted of perjury. He argues that the Democrats' refusal to acknowledge perjury as impeachable misconduct deviates from established constitutional norms.

Future Implications: Looking ahead, Cruz speculates that if Republicans gain control of the Senate, similar obstructionist tactics could be employed against future Presidents, thereby eroding the checks and balances envisioned by the Founding Fathers.

Conclusion: Senator Cruz concludes by emphasizing the gravity of the current political climate, warning that Democratic intransigence could lead to significant erosion of constitutional integrity and accountability. He urges listeners to remain vigilant and informed about these critical national security and constitutional issues.

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Final Thoughts

The episode of The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson delivers a comprehensive overview of pressing international and domestic issues. From Israel's aggressive stance against Iran to the dire fentanyl crisis exacerbated by lax border security, and the contentious impeachment proceedings that challenge constitutional norms, Ferguson and Senator Cruz provide a critical lens on current events. Notable for their incisive commentary and stringent critiques of the Biden administration, the hosts aim to inform and mobilize their audience towards awareness and action.

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Stay Informed: Subscribe to The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson on the iHeartRadio app or your preferred podcast platform to receive daily updates and in-depth analyses on the issues shaping America today.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome. It is a verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. It is after 11:00 at night. I want you to understand when we're doing this as we're going to be talking about this breaking news that deals with this retaliatory strike from Israel on Iran. Senator, your initial thoughts to that?

[B]

Well, as we're recording this, it is 11:12pm on Thursday night and what we know right now is that Israel has launched what what appears to be a of coordinated attacks against Iran in Syria, in Iraq and Iran all at the same time. We'll get into that on this pod in greater detail. We're also going to get into the attorney General's testimony before Congress as to the extraordinary threat fentanyl is that it's the most deadly drug threat that has ever faced this country and it is flooding across our southern border. And finally we're going to get into in the face of fentanyl, in the face of this invasion at our southern border, every single Democrat defied the Constitution and refused to even allow an impeachment trial. I'm going to explain the constitutional issues there, what happened and it's going to make your blood boil.

[A]

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[B]

Why?

[A]

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[B]

Verdict. Why?

[A]

It's going to save you 20 off your first order. And if you travel like me, get the instant coffee. It's phenomenal. Blackout Coffee.com verdict Use promo code verdict for 20 off your first order. Be awake, not woke. That's blackoutcoffee.com verdict Promo code verdict for 20 off your First Order center this is not a surprise that Israel responds, even though every single time they're attacked, this administration, whether it's through the State Department or through the president or through the White House spokesman or Kirby at the White House, they keep telling Israel, don't respond, don't react, don't defend yourself.

[B]

Don't.

[A]

As they describe anything you do that looks aggressive, we're going to say basically no to it. Israel has a right to defend itself. And clearly they said we're going to take steps to do that right now.

[B]

Well, of course Israel has a right to defend itself. And of course that's what Israel is doing. Part of the reason that we specified the time that this is shortly after 11pm on Thursday is that it's unfolding literally this minute. And so by the time this podcast posts on Friday morning, there may have been many more developments throughout the night and in the morning and indeed even what we know now. I have not had a classified briefing this evening, so I don't have any insight beyond what has been publicly reported. And there's always a fog of war when something is just breaking. So we don't know the reliability of the early reports. But what's being reported is that Israel launched a coordinated attack using jets and using missiles against Iran, but attacking Iran in at least three different places. Syria, Iraq, and Iran. And before we get to anything else, Ben, it's worth noting that the scope of the attacks show just how far Iran's reach has extended across the region. What does it say? That if you want to strike back at Iran, you have to do it in Iran and Iraq and Syria. Because they're everywhere. And understand Iran is the most malevolent force in the Middle East. They are funding the most dangerous terrorists on earth. They fund Hamas. 90% of Hamas's budget comes from Iran. They fund Hezbollah. 90% of Hezbollah's budget comes from Iran and Iran, led by the ayatollah and the mullahs. They routinely chant death to America and death to Israel. And it's worth noting, as you just said, from the instant October 7th happened, the Biden administration has been telling Israel, do not retaliate, do not defend yourself. Do nothing. From the instant Iran attacked Israel directly with over 300 drones and missiles. Again, the Biden administration's immediate refrain was do nothing, do not, do not defend yourself, do not retaliate. It was truly absurd. But you have to understand it. Every stage that has been the mantra of the Biden White House and the Democrats is they're undermining Israel's right to, to self defense. I think absolutely Israel should respond. It is responding forcefully. I expect them to respond significantly more forcefully. I don't anticipate that this is the only response we will see. And this may be.

[A]

That was the question I was going to ask you for. Just put it in context so people understand as we're recording this after 11 o'clock at night tonight. I don't think there's anybody that believes that this is the end of the response from Israel. It's probably more like the beginning of the response.

[B]

That's probably right. Although I say we don't know, we will see what unfolds. But you know, it was really striking that when the missiles and both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles and the drones, over 300 were launched from Iran, that there are a number of things that are really striking. Number one, a bunch of them never even made it to Israel, both because their technology was not great and also because they were shot down in the air. They were shot down, number one, using Israel's missile defense, using Iron Dome and Arrow two and three, those systems. But number two, they were shot down with fighter jets. And let me say something extraordinary. So the fighter jets that were shooting them down, my understanding is you had Israeli fighter jets, but you also had American fighter jets that were assisting in shooting them down. But you also had, and this is extraordinary, Saudi fighter jets and Jordanian fighter jets.

[A]

Explain why that's so significant.

[B]

Look, if I'd have told you 10 years ago or even five years ago that the Arabs would defend Israel in a military attack against it from Iran, that would have seen absurd. And it really is a testament. It's a testament to the incredible progress that occurred when Donald Trump was president, the peace that was flowering in the Middle east, the Abraham Accords, where we started to see the Arabs and Israelis coming together. And I'll tell you, a big part of what brought them together was mutual concern over the danger Iran poses and that that this is the fruit of what was planted during the Trump administration and the Abraham Accords. But that being said, it's still remarkable. I don't believe there is any precedent for Arabs in conflict in support of Israel. And so that's really quite remarkable. And it does say something. When the Arab states in the Middle east in some ways may be more supportive of Israel than the Biden White House.

[A]

Yeah, great point. And there's also another question that I have for you. And as I was watching right before we were, we were going to record on cnn, they were saying, well, now, now the world really has to be concerned and worried of a massive, and they were using this, these types of words, massive retaliation from Iran should be expected because Iran has said so. They've said that they are going to unleash basically holy hell in response to what Israel has just done. And they said it's going to be on a, on a level that, you know, basically no one's ever seen before, yada, yada, yada. And then they said, you know, this is what the Biden administration had been warning Israel about. It is genuinely shocking to me as I was watching that before we got on here, to think you just want Israel to just keep taking it indefinitely and never defend themselves and never fight back and not hit strategic targets because of the threat that is being given by the same country that literally just attacked you. What world are they living in?

[B]

Look, in many ways, Joe Biden, the Democrats are more supportive of Iran right now than they are of Israel. And that's an astonishing statement. Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East. They share our values. They're an incredibly valuable military ally to the United States. Their intelligence saves the lives of Americans. Their enemies are our enemies. And yet, as we've discussed at every stage, literally from the moment he was sworn in, Joe Biden and the apparatchiks and his administration have been undermining Israel from day one. And simultaneously they have been flooding money to Iran. Billions of dollars. And just a couple of weeks ago when I forced a vote on the Senate floor that we should not send billions of dollars to Iran, every single Democrat but one voted no. The Democrats keep look at it this way. They want to send money to Iran and the Democrats are blocking sending money to Israel. That's extraordinary. And it is. Their radical base hates Israel. The anti Semitic radical left that chants from the river to the sea. That is who the Democrat Party is terrified of. And it's who's, who's setting their tune. And so even their talking points, you know, you know, look, let's go back to October 7th. Remember the night of October 7th, the Biden State Department tweeted out that Israel should not retaliate. That night, as 1200 Israelis were being murdered, as women and children were being raped, as some 30Americans were being murdered and More were being kidnapped as hundreds of Israelis were being kidnapped. The Biden administration's immediate reaction was do not retaliate. They did that on October 7th. They did it again on October 8th. Tony Blinken personally. So that was the reaction at the outset. And understand who started this war. It was Iran. Iran funds Hezbollah. Iran controls Hezbollah. They are an Iran proxy. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Hamas terrorists trained in Iran for October 7th. So it was Iran that invaded Israel and murdered 1200 Israelis. Imagine how America would would react if that happened. And then it was Iran again who escalated directly firing missiles and drones from Iran into Israel. Of course Israel is going to defend itself and retaliate. It has to do so. And yet the Biden administration cannot refrain from from repeating Iran's talking points of oh well, this is terrible. And now of course Iran is going to respond massively. How about having a president telling Iran we stand with Israel, period, the end. That's what Biden should be saying, but it's not what he's saying.

[A]

You also have to wonder, will this administration change course? And I've said this before, you and I have had this conversation several times. I never root for the United States of America to fail on national security issues, especially when it deals with foreign nations. Right. I don't care who the President is. I want Joe Biden to be successful in protecting, defending us always against our adversaries as well as our allies. And he clearly has done a 180 from what the Trump doctrine was foreign policy was. And to stand with Ismaril, like you just mentioned, no matter what, this is not working, this weak posture and just.

[B]

Pause and ask yourself which was better, peace and prosperity or war? Everywhere you look, that's the result of the Biden foreign policy. Is war everywhere, that's the result of the Biden foreign policy. Is our enemy stronger, emboldened and more threatening?

[A]

So will they look at this and at some point do you believe that they may actually change course? Because I mean it sincerely when I say I want us to be safe and I want them to protect Israel.

[B]

I think they are ideologues. I think they are self righteous. I think they are naive. I think they believe like a bunch of college professors in the faculty lounge that Iran, if we just get piece of chance, man, you know, Iran, we don't have any right to tell Iran not to have nukes. You know, so what if, if they're crazy religious zealots who say they want to murder us, you know, if we're just nice to Them if we just give them a bunch of money that they'll be our friends. Look, it is hopeless naivete and they believe it like a religion. They keep doing it. Think of the the just how devoted you have to be to appeasement to Iran to in the wake of October 7th still refuse to enforce the oil sanctions today?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Biden is not enforcing the oil sanctions. And by the way, it is also worth noting today on Friday, Biden is announcing massive sanctions against Alaska, our state, the National Petroleum Reserve. They are shutting down production in it is an incredibly rich petroleum reserve in Alaska. Massive reserves. So explain to me how these anti American Marxist zealots can possibly justify. They hate oil and gas in America. They're going to destroy jobs in America, they're going to drive up the cost of gasoline for Americans in America, but at the same time they're going to allow Iran to go from 300,000 barrels a day of oil to 2 million barrels of oil a day. That's what they're doing right now. And apparently Biden and the Democrats, they only like oil and gas if it's produced by crazed zealots who want to murder us and want to kill as many Israelis as possible.

[A]

What you just said made me want to talk about funding for a second. What is sad is because the position that you just mentioned, the Biden administration is absolutely funding Iran and their needs.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

What we're not doing right now is giving Israel funding that they need and aid and support they need and military hardware that they need from the United States of America. How is that possible?

[B]

Because the Democrat Party is captured by the radical left and sadly, the mainstream Democrat Party has turned against Israel. It's not just the fringe. It's not just Ilhan, Omar and Talib and aoc. It's not just the whack jobs. It's Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer is the one that stood on the floor and demanded that Netanyahu be thrown out of office. The democratically elected leader of Israel, it's Joe Biden. Joe Biden is the one who orchestrated a resolution in the United nations effectively condemning Israel for not having an immediate cease fire. It's Nancy, Nancy Pelosi, who signed a letter demanding that America cut off weapons, military weapons, for Israel to defend itself. Those are not fringe Democrats. Those are the leading Democrats in office. And that's an enormous problem.

[A]

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[B]

That's right.

[A]

Choq.com use the promo code verdict for lifetime savings on any subscription. Limited time offer subscriptions cancelable at any time. Choq.com promo code verdict Senator, finally, when it comes to the aid package that Israel needs, what does it look like and how quickly are we going to get an answer for Israel, especially if this turns into a significant, you know, military conflict between them and Iran that goes back and forth. They need it now.

[B]

Well, that, that's up in the air right now as, as we sit here tonight. The House is in the middle of debating that question right now and they're trying to put together an aid package and vote it out. They're putting together a big supplemental bill that they're talking about including Israel aid in that they're talking about including Ukraine aid in which is gonna split some members of the House and some members of the Senate. They're talking about including their bill forcing China to sell TikTok, which is a Very important bill. It's gonna be a big, complicated supplemental. It's not clear right now that they're gonna get the votes to pass any of it, but they are actively battling it out in the House right now as we speak.

[A]

We'll keep you updated on this as it's going to be a very quick moving next, I think, week, week and a half on these issues. We will cover it all for you. There's also another big warning and a moment of honesty that came from the Attorney General, Merrick Garland. He was in front of.

[B]

Hold on a second. Did you just say honesty from the Attorney General Merrick Garland?

[A]

I know, I know. It's. Everybody get right with the Lord because it could be rapture alert here.

[B]

Holy cow. That is a sign of the end times.

[A]

I was wondering if you were gonna let me get away with that moment and clearly. See, this is why I love doing this show, because I was like, am I setting him up? And yes, you took the opportunity.

[B]

Like the. The man is so smug and so dishonest. All right, so what did he say? I mean, I suppose even a stop clock is right twice a day. What. What did he say? That that was actually honest?

[A]

So the attorney General was asked about how bad the, the fentanyl. Not only, you know, deaths and abuse are, but how much is coming across the border and how big of a threat does he see as the Attorney general, He was asked this question, and I want to play it. It's. It's. It's a little bit longer, but it's important because I want you to hear what he said. And the reason why I think this is so important is we also have to tie this back to the impeachment of the man, Mayorkas, who Democrats refused to move on. So at the same time they're doing that, you have the attorney General going, yeah, yeah, we got a major problem with fentanyl in this country. It's killing a hell of a lot of people. Here, take a listen.

[B]

Senator Moran and I both mentioned in our opening statements, as did you, the continuing fight against the opioid epidemic, substance misuse, the drug cartels. I continue to be very concerned about fentanyl use and poisoning. New Hampshire has lost too many people to fentanyl overdoses. Can you talk a little bit about DOJ's efforts to interdict these drugs and efforts to find a way to prosecute those responsible? Yes, Senator, I have said, and I deeply mean this, that fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat that this country has ever faced. I've met with families at the DEA whose children, whose teenagers, whose infants, whose grandparents have died, mostly not even knowing that what they're taking is fentanyl, thinking it's another kind of prescription pill that they were able to get over the Internet. We don't even refer to this as overdoses anymore, refer this as drug poisoning, because that's what it is. So we are facing this with the urgency it requires.

[A]

Let me just stop there. He says we are facing this with the urgency that it requires. If this is as urgent as he just said, and I want to. I want to read that back to you, Senator, I have said, and I deeply mean this, that fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat that this country has ever faced. I've met with the families at the DEA whose children, whose teenagers, whose infants, whose grandparents have died, mostly not even knowing that what they were taking is fentanyl, thinking it's another kind of a prescription pill that they are able to get over the Internet. We don't even refer to this as overdoses anymore. This is drug poisoning, because that's what it is. So then he says that we are. We are facing this with the urgency that it requires. If that was true, Senator, wouldn't you be then closing the southern border and not having it wide open like it is right now?

[B]

Of course, this is not complicated. The drug traffickers are the human traffickers. It's the same drug cartels. In 2018, the drug cartels made $500 million from human trafficking. In 2022, they made $13 billion from human trafficking. That's a 2,600% increase. The people making fentanyl are getting extraordinarily rich under Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas and Merrick Garland's open borders, they are flooding the border. And the human trafficking and drug trafficking are completely intertwined. It's the same people doing it. It's the same cartels doing it. And the way they do it is they'll send a flood of migrants over one portion of the river, and Border Patrol will all go there. And while Border Patrol is dealing with the migrants, and by the way, because Biden's policy is catch and release, once Border Patrol apprehends a group, and let's be clear, the group is normally finding Border Patrol and turning themselves in, then the majority of agents are spending their time processing those migrants or staying with them in the detention facilities or getting them diapers or getting them food or caring for this massive influx. And so the percentage of agents on the border that are actually Deployed drops precipitously because the vast majority of the agents are processing migrants and doing administrative work. And then what the cartels do is a mile up the river, that's where they move the fentanyl across, where the Border Patrol agents are dealing with the illegal immigrants, they move the fentanyl somewhere else. And so the two are very closely intertwined. And if. If. If Joe Biden and Mayorkas and Garland were willing to deport illegal immigrants and follow the law, what that would mean is that Border Patrol agents could be on the border and stop the fentanyl from coming in, but they can't. And I'll tell you, I'll give you an. Some amazing stats. So do you know how much. How much drugs were seized at the southern border in March? In one month, how much of fentanyl? £1,389. And understand, look, fentanyl is so powerful, just a tiny grain or two is enough to kill you.

[A]

Tell the story you told us a while ago, but I think it's important for people to understand that just so they have context. Fentanyl is not a heavy drug. Okay? Like, you see like, a kilo of cocaine, and it looks pretty heavy and pretty dense. And then you look at, you know, a kilo, for example, of marijuana, it's obviously a pretty big package. But. But there's talk about the grains when you met with the agents. Explain just how little can kill you and the story that you told with your own daughters using a Sweet and Low packet.

[B]

Yeah, this is something that a DEA agent told me, and he had me and several other people take out a packet of Sweet N Low, tear open the packet of Sweet N Low, and dump all the contents out. Empty all the contents. And then he said, okay, stick your pinky in the empty, empty bag of Sweet and Low, and you pull your pinky out, and there are two or three little grains that are on your pinky. He said, that's enough fentanyl to kill you. Just the residue that's in the packet after you've emptied it. And so what I did with both my daughters is I got three packets of Sweet'N Low, and I tore one open. I had them tear it open. I had them empty out the contents, and then do exactly that because, look, it's terrifying. My girls are 13 and 16. They're good kids. But what is so frightening about this epidemic is it's not. Look, it's one thing if you know a heroin junkie on the street who's abusing drugs for years and years and years if they overdose. That's sad when anyone dies, but. But that's the result of extended conduct. What is terrifying about this crisis is the people who are dying are not drug addicts. And in many instances, they're not even drug users in the ordinary sense of things. They're a teenager or a young adult who goes to a party and they're at a party and someone says, hey, you want to try a Xanax? You want to try a Percocet, you want to try, you know, a Ritalin? And look, should you take those drugs if they're not prescribed to you? No. But a teenager doing that, that didn't used to be a death sentence. Because if they get a pill that someone, say, got on the Internet and it happens to have fentanyl in it, they literally can drop dead. And that is happening over and over and over again. I'll give you an amazing stat.

[A]

You go back to Garland's exact words, and I think it's important, important that people hear this as he described it. We don't even refer to this as an. As an overdose or overdose anymore. This is drug poisoning because that's what it is.

[B]

Right? This is a point I've tried with my kids to emphasize it, but it's frightening because, look, teenagers do stupid things, and it can be just one random. And the reason why Garland is right to use the term poisoning, because an overdose suggest a drug user that takes too much. And what's happening with fentanyl is you have things that are laced with fate, Fentanyl, that they don't know they're taking fentanyl. That's why it's a poisoning, because taking a Xanax pill will not kill you. But if there's fentanyl in it, and if there's a little bit too much, you can literally just drop dead right there. And here is the stat that is amazing and terrifying right now. Today, Fentanyl is the number one cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45.

[A]

Number one.

[B]

Number one. More than car accidents, more than heart disease, more than anything.

[A]

By the way, did you say to 45?

[B]

18 to 45.

[A]

So what that means is, if you remember, at the end of last year, it was 18 to 39. So it's expanded now to 45.

[B]

I'm not sure if the numbers have expanded or just the category that I'm looking at, but 18 to 45, it's the number one cause of death.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And here, let me give you a quote from Biden's DEA administrator Ann Milgram. She said cartels are quote, killing Americans with fentanyl at catastrophic and record rates like we've never seen before. And that begs the question then why the hell are you making cartels incredibly rich and allowing them to bring 10.4 million illegal immigrants into this country?

[A]

Senator, I'm not sure what's worse is it the fact that we have an attorney general that is genuinely being honest now with the American people about the threat, talking about this being the number one killer for those 45 to 18 in this country and knowing it and publicizing it and then yet they're not doing a damn thing to stop the flow of the drug coming across the southern border or securing that border. So what is the takeaway for the American people? We know that you're dying at record rates, but we need illegal immigrants to come in to fundamentally change this country. So we're willing to sacrifice your lives and your kids lives and your grandparents lives.

[B]

So Ben, I'm going to give you the very sad takeaway. The Democrats simply do not care. Now that sounds harsh, that sounds political. But what other conclusion can you draw when they continue to put in place the policies that enriches the cartels and that allows them to keep flooding this country with fentanyl? And you know, there's some irony about that exchange. So the senator who was questioning Merrick Garland was Gene Shaheen. Jean Shaheen is a. Is a Democrat from New Hampshire. Literally the day before yesterday, Gene Shaheen sat on the Senate floor along with every single Democrat and voted to shut down, to not have a trial on Alejandro Mayorkas, to block even one word of testimony, to block any and all evidence of the invasion at our southern border. Any and all evidence of the fentanyl poisonings. That was a major element of why Mayorkas was impeached. And every single Democrat voted straight party line. Look, the vote on Wednesday, you need to understand how dramatic and unprecedented it was. And let me say on two fronts. Number one, now, 22 times in our nation's history, the House of Representatives has voted to impeach an individual and has sent articles of impeachment to the Senate 22 times prior to yesterday. The 21 times in every single time when the Senate had jurisdiction. In other words, when the person who'd been impeached hadn't died or resigned from office. Every single time the Senate held a trial, heard evidence, and then the senators adjudicated the case, voted guilty or not guilty. Yesterday is the first time in over 200 years of our nation's history where the Senate refused to do its job and it, it, it defied the Constitution. And, and listen, I remember well, I was standing on the Senate floor when Harry Reid, then, then the Senate majority leader in 2013, the Democrat, exercised the nuclear option and blew up the Senate filibuster for appointees. And it did enormous damage to the Senate. It broke the rules of the Senate. And I remember turning and turning to Amy Klobuchar, Democrat Senator from Minnesota at the time, and I told her, I said, amy, you are going to regret this. This is going to result in a lot more judges and justices in the mold of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. And every Democrat, nonetheless, like lemmings, jumped off that cliff. And ironically, the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe versus Wade never would have happened if Harry Reid and the Democrats had not nuked the filibuster in 2013. That was the direct result. Because there's no way on earth that Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and probably even Neil Gorsuch could have gotten 60 votes to get confirmed, which is what would have been required if the filibuster still existed. And what happened yesterday is the Democrats nuked not the Senate rules, but the Constitution, the Constitution's power of impeachment for the Senate. And I. And as a result of yesterday, never again will there be an impeachment trial when the Senate is of the same party as the President. And so, by the way, this could happen less than a year from now. I think it is likely that Donald Trump is going to win in November. I hope he does. I think it is likely that Republicans are going to take the Senate. I hope we do. It is also possible, unfortunately, that Democrats take the House. I hope they don't. But it is a real possibility. It's a very, very close majority. If that happens, if we start January of next year with a Democrat House, a Republican Senate, and Trump in the White House, I'm here to predict what's going to happen. The Democrats are going to impeach Donald Trump again a third time, and who knows, maybe a fourth and a fifth time, they hate him. They'll do it again if they have a majority in the House. But you know what will happen if they do that? They'll send it to the Senate. And I guarantee you Senate Republicans are going to say, nope, we're not having a trial. We're going to follow the Democrat precedent. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. So no trial for you. That's a bad thing. And by the way, it is worth noting, that was the scenario for the first Trump impeachment. The first Trump impeachment. There was a Democrat House, a Republican Senate, and obviously Trump was in the White House. And we could have done what Chuck Schumer and the Democrats did yesterday, but we didn't. We could have just thrown it out at the outset, but we said no. We have a constitutional responsibility to hold a trial. We think this impeachment is garbage, but we have a responsibility to respect the Constitution and allow the House managers to present their case and then to make an adjudication.

[A]

And it's sad because now there's this, like you said, it doesn't matter what you do. If you're in the party that has majority, you can pretty much get away with murder, especially on the Democratic side. And they will not hold, hold you accountable or even have a trial and defend you. They'll just say you don't get that opportunity at all. All right, I want to tell you real quick about a really, really, really cool company. And it's called Ammo Squared. It's an American family owned company, owned and operated, started by a husband and wife team. And what they do is something that's just phenomenal. Ammo Squared helps you stay stocked up on ammunition. Automatically ammo is delivered to you on demand or automatically when you need it and stored for free when you don't. It's like a 401k of ammo. Ammo square, like I said, is family owned. And what they do is they get you the best price on ammo and you have a way to build a stockpile of ammo month after month after month. It's also a way to literally invest in ammunition. You can buy low and dollar cost average over time, and then you can actually cash out when prices rise. We saw what happened with ammo prices during COVID You couldn't find ammo and ammo prices went through the roof. Well, that's where you could have cashed out or taken delivery of your ammo and had it at your house. You can buy as little as a few dollars a month and let it grow over time, or you can buy a bunch all at once and you have it when you need it. Now, this is not reloads. This is manufactured premium ammunition. Typical customers will accumulate about three to six months and then they ship. But some ship every month. Others just accumulate thousands of dollars worth of ammo and they may not ship it for years. It's up to you. But the best part is when There is a run on ammunition. You know, you have ammunition stored up, and it can ship with one click of a button. Now, I want to get you some free ammo right now. And I can do that by you going to ammo squared.com Ben. That's ammo square.com Ben. You can sign up and get free ammo in your account right now. Ammo squared.comBen to sign up and get some free ammo in your account right now. Finally, Senator, what exactly did Democrats do yesterday on impeachment, just so people understand how they pulled this off?

[B]

Well, at 1pm yesterday, we convened on the Senate floor. This is pursuant to the Senate rules. When we enter impeachment, we were all sworn in, and then we all signed the oath book. One at a time, we signed the oath book. And what is supposed to happen next is that we adopt a resolution laying out a trial schedule of how the House managers are going to present their case. But instead, what happened is Chuck Schumer rose on a constitutional point of order. And a constitutional point of order is you stand and say what is on the floor violates the Constitution. And he raised a constitutional point of order. And he said, Article 1, the first article sent over by the House does not allege a high crime or misdemeanor. And so what happened next is we voted on whether Article 1 alleged a high crime or misdemeanor. High crime or misdemeanor is what you need to be able to impeach someone. Now, Article one focused on Alejandro Mayorkas defiance of federal law that he was refusing to follow explicit and clear federal law. Federal law that says that illegal immigrants shall be detained, that illegal immigrants with criminal convictions shall be detained and shall be deported over and over again. Immigration law is mandatory. It says, shall, shall, shall, shall. And he's defying it at a level it's never happened before. It's not that he's bad at his job. It's that he is utterly flouting and defying federal law, and that that's the first article of impeachment. And they argued. Actually, they didn't argue. They just made a motion that it's not a high crime or misdemeanor. They presented no argument. They did not give a legal argument. They did not write a brief. They did not present an argument. And I was the person who raised the lead objection to that. Now, under the impeachment rules, you can't debate on the Senate floor. You're supposed to be silent because you're jurors.

[A]

I was gonna say, why Is that. But that makes sense because you're a juror, not a lawyer, I guess, presenting.

[B]

Right, right, right. And so I made a motion for us to move into executive session. If we move into executive session, we throw the reporters out, we turn the TV cameras off, but then we can debate it. And I said, look, you're making a major legal point. You presented no argument. And what you're saying is quality is fundamentally wrong. And I'll tell you the amazing thing is the idea that refusing to follow the law, defying the law, is not a high crime and misdemeanor, is not impeachable. It is contrary to the original understanding of the Constitution. Joseph Story, who was a Supreme Court justice, one of the leading constitutional scholars right at the very beginning of our country, and his commentaries on the Constitution are widely cited for understanding what the founding generation believed the Constitution to mean. And he talked about, he wrote at length about high crimes and misdemeanors, and he gave lots of examples, including the Lord Admiral refusing to protect the high seas. And he said that is a high crime or misdemeanor. And that is virtually analogous, very closely analogous to the head of Homeland Security refusing to secure the border. It's the same principle of allowing lawless piracy to threaten and invade America. So Joseph Story and the founding generation understood this to be a high crime and misdemeanor. And amazingly enough, Ben, the Biden Justice Department argued in front of the U.S. supreme Court that impeachment was the remedy for the Biden administration refusing to follow the law. So in Texas versus the United States, Texas sued the Biden administration for refusing to secure the border. And the Supreme Court ended up agreeing with the Biden administration and saying, well, Texas can't sue. And the Biden doj, the Solicitor General for Biden argued, look, if you have a cabinet member who's refusing to follow the law, Congress has remedies, including impeachment. And so I stood up and said, listen, the Biden Department of Justice argued last year this was impeachable. It didn't matter. Every single Democrat, all of them, and by the way, even the so called moderates, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, they voted also, nope, not a high crime or misdemeanor. And as a result, because they had a majority, the point of order carried. They got 51 votes for it. And so the first article was thrown out and then they did it again on the second one. And I'll tell you, the second one is even more astonishing. So as a result of the first vote, it is now the position of Democrats that any cabinet member can refuse to follow the law, can defy the law, can utterly ignore the law, and you can't impeach him for it. I mean, that's an astonishing and dangerous proposition in Democrat looney land. But the second article of impeachment was for breach of trust, and it focused on mayorkas repeatedly lying to Congress under oath about what was happening at the border. And again, Chuck Schumer rose on a point of order and said, this is not a high crime or misdemeanor. Now, mind you, they're saying lying under oath to Congress is not impeachable. It is a felony. It is a felony that you can serve jail time for. And it's worth remembering Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury. The House impeached him. And what did the Senate do? They didn't throw it out, they didn't dismiss it. The House managers presented the case. They hurt, conducted a trial and ultimately the Senate acquitted him. But they did their duty to hold a trial. And actually before that, there's someone I'm sure you've never heard of, a guy named Walter Nixon. You know who Walter Nixon was?

[A]

Who is that?

[B]

Walter Nixon was a federal judge. He was a federal judge actually from Mississippi. You're an Ole Miss grad. He was a federal judge from Mississippi, but he was not a good guy. He. And he was convicted of perjury before a grand jury. And you know what happened? The Congress impeached him. The House impeached him, the Senate convicted him and he was removed as a federal judge for perjury. So even though it was clear, there was clear precedent that yes, perjury, lying under oath is a high crime or misdemeanor, it is impeachable. Every single Senate Democrat voted that it's not a high crime or misdemeanor. So now apparently again, in Democrat wonderland, lying to Congress is a. Okay. And understand this was not about the Constitution. They didn't care. They had no arguments as to why the Constitution said this. This was about power and this was about protecting their political backsides because they're terrified of the American people hearing what is happening at the border. The fentanyl, the deaths, the rapes, the children being abused. They do not want that evidence before the American people. And I'll say this as a final point to wrap up. Do you want to see proof of why this is all political and why the Democrats did what they did?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, you know what? You know what? Ms. You know what? MSNBC and CNN covered all day yesterday. Trump 24 7, the Trump trial, Stormy Daniels. Ooh, smut lying process. Like apparently there was no impeachment proceeding in the Senate. Nothing happened. There's no border crisis. The only thing they would cover is is the attack on Trump.

[A]

Yeah, facts. Don't forget, by the way, this is a really fun show. We covered a lot. I hope you guys will share it on social media wherever you are so other people can hear what we're talking about here. Please write us a five star review and don't forget to hit that subscribe, auto download or follow button depending on where you're listening. You also tell Alexa or Siri, hey, play Verdict with Ted Cruz. It'll automatically play. And on those in between days when we're not doing the show, I will keep you updated on what's going on, especially between Israel and Iran. Make sure you download the Ben Ferguson podcast as well and I'll keep you updated and the Senator and I will see you back here on Saturday for the week in review.