← The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
Terror Threat in America, Biden Admin's Daily Efforts to Undermine Israel & the Latest on the Speaker of the House
00:45:57
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- [00:02]
Ben Ferguson
Welcome in his verdict with Senator Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you. And we have a lot to cover, including the possibility of a terror attack around the world on 13th Friday. This being declared by Hamas as a day for people to go out and unleash war wherever they are in the world if you are a follower of them. Senator, I want to start with this. There's a lot of parents I've talked to, even notes that are coming out now from schools to parents, about this concern of this threat. From your perspective as a senator, what have you guys been told or briefed on? Or has there been anything really? Or is this more just, hey, it's an international threat, a call to arms by a terrorist organization?
- [00:46]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, as senators, we have not been briefed differently from anything that is public right now and in the news. So you and I are sitting here. It is 11:20pm on Thursday night, and we're recording this right now. This, this pod will come out early Friday morning. As of now, nothing has happened in terms of a terrorist attack in the United States. All of us have read the news that Hamas has called for a global day of jihad on Friday the 13th. I don't know what will come of that. I hope and pray nothing will come of that. But one of the things we've talked about on the pod this week on both Mondays and Wednesdays is, in my judgment, the risk of a serious terrorist attack in the United States is right now greater than it has been any time since September 11th. I think there's a confluence of a Number of factors. One, obviously, the most significant war in Israel in 50 years. The most significant attack on Israel in 50 years. Number two, two and a half years of open borders on our southern border. 7.6 million people coming in illegally, including a very significant number of people on the terror watch list. And an exposure that there could be a significant number of terrorists from countries in the Middle east who have come into this country in the past two and a half years. All of that combines. I know that law enforcement in cities across America is on high alert today. Police, police officers, police departments are taking these threats seriously. In New York, obviously, New York has long been tragically a target for terrorism. And New York has a very significant Jewish population. The NYPD is beefing up patrols, in particular at Jewish schools because sadly, with a call to jihad that could be a target of violence or terrorism. My hope, my prayer, is that we don't see that today in America or globally. But I do think the risks are significant. This is a dangerous world and so I think everyone should be careful and be vigilant and be alert. There are scheduled protests across the country by pro Palestinian forces. And that we have seen with Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots. That protests can turn violence, particularly when you have local politicians that prevent the police from doing their jobs. We saw that with the Black Lives riot, Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots. I certainly hope and pray we don't see a repeat of that tomorrow. But I do think this is a time for everyone to be cautious, to be careful, to be alert. And certainly law enforcement is on high alert right now.
- [04:23]
Ben Ferguson
You know, you have talked about this and it's something that keeps coming up with everybody that I've been talking to for the last several days. And that is for years, not months, years you've been warning Congress and the country when you are either on this show or on Fox or wherever you're doing TV or doing other interviews of the national security threat at the southern border. It's not just illegal immigrants coming across. It is a national security threat of who may be coming across. How frustrated are you right now that Democrats refuse to understand, I think is the scariest part, and admit that an open border allows for terrorists to come in. This year, for example, we have gotten five years worth in one year of people coming across the southern border who are on the terrorist watch list, and that's who we've caught. So this year, more people in the last five years combined. That is a shocking number. And that is an official government number. That means Joe Biden knows that number. And yet Democrats refuse to look at the border even from a national security standpoint.
- [05:31]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, I have to say Joe Biden does not know that number. I do not think there is any chance, if you ask Joe Biden that number, that any part of his brain has any awareness of that number. And I have no indication that anyone's briefing him on it. I have no indication that anyone in the administration cares about it, that anyone thinks he cares about it. And I gotta say, that number is not the one that worries me the most. Yes, we are seeing a massive spike in terms of the number of people apprehended who are on the terror watch list. And mind you, you get on the terror watch list because there is credible and meaningful evidence that you are a risk for terrorism. You don't get on that list lightly. What worries me much more is how many people on the terror watch list are among the gotaways. And you have to understand there are two broad categories on our southern border. Those who are apprehended and those who they see. But they get away. And the difference, the people who are apprehended, the vast majority of the people who are apprehended are voluntarily turning themselves in. They're going and seeking border patrol agents and turning themselves in. Which raises the question, the gotaways, why are they bothering to run? Why are they actively evading border patrol and law enforcement? And it raises the natural inference that the gotaways are much more likely to have seriously dangerous characteristics, whether it is that they're convicted felons, convicted murderers, convicted rapists, convicted child molesters, whether they're gang members, Ms. 13 or other gangs, or whether they are, in fact, terrorists coming to America with the intention of committing acts of terrorists. And given the very high numbers in the people we've apprehended, the big concern is how many are in the ones that got away.
- [07:27]
Ben Ferguson
Those got away numbers are something that have to be haunting to law enforcement, border security as well. You combine that with these new threats, and my biggest fear is we could have stopped these people from getting in, and we deliberately chose not to because the Democratic Party said, I would rather put politics ahead of national security. Did they learn nothing from 9 11? And how frustrating is that from your perspective when you have to work with them on these things in Congress?
- [07:57]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, it certainly seems that this White House and this administration Learned nothing from 911 because they are setting up the conditions for yet another 9 11. And it's worth noting that this horrific terror attack, this act of war carried out by Hamas and Israel, it's the worst attack on Israel in 50 years. It is Israel's 9 11, but it is also an American terror attack. Just yesterday, John Kirby updated the number of Americans killed in Israel. The number from, from the White House is we now know that 27Americans were killed in Israel, and at least 14 stand unaccounted for, which means there's a very real possibility that they are hostages in Gaza right now. 27Americans killed in a terror attack ranks high among the worst terror attacks directed at Americans in history. Now, obviously, the Israelis paid a orders of magnitude higher price, and it was directed principally at the more than 1,200 Israelis who were murdered. But 27Americans being killed in a terror attack is very significant. And I pray that that is not foreshadowing for what could come next.
- [09:23]
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- [10:52]
Ben Ferguson
Aspect of everything that's happened in Israel. We have seen other countries, for example, Mexico quickly evacuate people that were in in Israel who were visiting there. We have seen other nations that have come in as well. And there seems to be somewhat of a slowness in response. There's been criticism of Americans that have been in Israel trying to get out quickly and not seem like it's a, a top priority of this administration to hurry up and allow them to get home. There's a lot of people that go on pilgrimages, a lot of elderly people that are from this country that go on trips to Israel. They're wanting to get home quickly. And there seems to be a lack of urgency compared to other countries. Have you heard from people in Texas specifically that are trying to get home? And what is the government's response on that?
- [11:48]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, we have, we have heard from a great many Texans who are in Israel who are trying to get home. And actually, I have put up on my official Senate website a page of resources. So the website is cruz.senate.gov INFORMATION Four Texans currently in Israel. So it's a little bit clunky, but you can find it by searching for information for Texans currently in Israel. And we have put up a series of links for people who are in Israel who are trying to get home. Links to go through the State Department, links and resources, links to our staff. I have an entire staff of people that are working right now with numerous Texans who are in Israel who are wanting to come home. And it is not necessarily easy, but we are actively working with dozens of Texans trying to assist them in coming home. But it remains a very dangerous time because Israel is in a state of war right now.
- [13:03]
Ben Ferguson
You talk about the national security side of this, and John Kirby, it seems almost like he's the acting President of the United States of America, giving out more information than the president is, is out there. And he talked about the Americans that have died, but also those that are unaccounted for. I want people to hear what he had to say, and then I want to get your reaction to it.
- [13:21]
John Kirby
Start with the saddest of news. We can now update the number of Americans that we know have been killed to 27. And the number of unaccounted for stands today at 14. We're obviously doing everything we can to support and inform the families. Now, sadly, five more families have now gotten the worst possible news than any family can conceive of getting. And we're going to stay in touch with them as appropriate. Same goes for those family members of those who are unaccounted for. And by unaccounted for, we mean that we don't know where they are. They don't know where they are. So we're going to obviously stay in touch with them as well. And certainly we're continuing to work with Israeli officials to make sure that we're getting as much context and information as possible that we will share with them.
- [14:13]
Ben Ferguson
That is very concerning if you're an American who has a loved one that's still missing, what have you been told? And what are we doing behind the scenes to get them back? Because we still have not seen a very clear statement from this White House that you do not harm Americans. And if you do, there will be hell to pay.
- [14:31]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, and for. For those 27Americans who've been murdered, there has been no suggestion from this White House of consequences. Israel is exacting consequences. But look, one of the things that has been so frustrating, we're now just under a week into this war. Virtually every single day, the Biden administration has put out statements, one after the other, undermining Israel, urging Israel not to react, urging Israel not to engage in military conduct, urging Israel to have a ceasefire. And let's just run through a few of those, because the night of the first attack, as the atrocities were happening. Here's what the Biden State Department tweeted out. We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that is incurred. We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing. Now, a couple of observations about. About that tweet. Number one, the opening sentence, we unequivocally condemned the attack of Hamas terrorists. Okay, that. That part is okay. And the loss of life that has incurred. Now, it's interesting, that is written in the passive voice. Have you ever heard that, that phrasing, the loss of life that has incurred. That is someone trying desperately to say to remove the passive voice is. When you remove the actor, you remove that Hamas terrorists have murdered now over a thousand Israelis. Instead, it's simply loss of life that has incurred. It just happened magically, not through any actor murdering them. And then we urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. So who are the retaliatory attacks? That's clearly directed at the Israeli military. And then terror and violence solve nothing. Now, as you know, this came out at three in the morning, and within minutes I had a response out on Twitter denouncing it, saying, this is disgraceful, and every single person involved in drafting and approving this tweet should be immediately expelled from the US Government. And within minutes of my pointing it out, the State Department deleted that tweet. That was the first day, the very first instinct, as Israel's being invaded, as terrorists are murdering their civilians, as their citizens are being kidnapped, as infants and children are being murdered. The position of the State Department was do nothing. Do not engage in retaliatory strikes. Just sit there and allow the terrorists to continue to murder your citizens. Now, the next day, the State Department posted a summary of a call between Tony Blinken, the Secretary of State, and the Turkish government. And the next day, the State Department said they were working on an immediate ceasefire. Now, an immediate cease fire. This is after the. The massive terror attack carried out by Hamas. The position of the Biden State Department on day two was they wanted a cease fire. And by cease fire, they mean Israel. Do nothing. Do not attack Hamas. Again, I blasted that as indefensible. And again, they deleted the tweet. Now, two days ago, President Biden gave, after much delay, a serious speech on the issue. And, and on the face of it, the. The speech seemed pretty solid. Uh, he finally said unequivocally that America would support Israel. Period, full stop. W. Without the caveats that his administration had been putting in day after day after day. But it's worth noting that before and after the speech, the Biden administration continues to undermine Israel. So the day before Biden's speech, the deputy national security adviser went on MSNBC and warned the Israelis. Here's the quote. It is our advice that this war be conducted based on principles of international law. Well, Ben, what the heck does that mean? Has Israel ever not fought its wars based on principles of international law? Why is that something they're lecturing Israel on right now? And then as the speech concluded, reporters started asking Biden's staff to explain. Now, Biden refused to take questions. He ran out of the room. And Politico asked the National Security Council, why is it they're talking about the need to follow the rule of law? And to be clear, the State Department also put out a statement and said, quote, we also discussed how democracies like Israel and the United States are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law. Again, what the hell are they talking about? When is Israel not fought according to the rule of law? So they're lecturing them. They're saying that it has to be conducted based on the principles of international law that has to be in accordance with the rule of law. That suggests the Biden White House doesn't think Israel will do that. And here's what the National Security Council said when asked, quote, we support Israel taking necessary and proportionate action. Understand what they're saying. At every step. It almost seems a daily basis, the Biden White House is telling Israel, do nothing, stand down. And if you look at those two adjectives, necessary and proportionate action. Here's what's coming next, Ben. We're going to hear the Biden administration, we're going to hear left wing Democrats and we're going to hear the media blasting Israel that their actions are not necessary and they're not proportionate. That's going to be what they're going to say next. And they're going to say it especially because. And listen, we need to be ready. Tragically, there are going to be a significant number of Palestinian civilian casualties. Now, that is not the desire of the idf. That is not the objective of the Israeli military. And in fact, the Israeli military goes to greater lengths to avoid civilian casualties than any military on the face of the planet. But the reason that we know there will be very significant Palestinian civilian casualties is Hamas wants those Palestinians to die. And they deliberately use Palestinians as human shields. They put Palestinian women and children around their Military targets, around their missiles, around their terrorists, around their headquarters. And their intention is for those Palestinian civilians to die. Because then the media does what they can always be counted to do, which is to use those images as an excuse to blast Israel. And all of these quotes about international law and the rule of law, necessary and proportionate. This is all foreshadowing where the Biden administration and the press intend to go.
- [22:06]
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- [23:33]
Ben Ferguson
See the press because even the press is, is, is still basically being apologists for Hamas and the Palestinians. And that part is so frustrating. I also want you to hear what John Kirby had to say and I want to get your reaction to this as there were many members of the media that were trying to debunk that babies were killed by Hamas. New images have been put out showing babies murdered by Hamas. But American, actual American journalists are trying to debunk this to imply, oh no, it really didn't happen. Oh no, that's some sort of line or propaganda. And John Kirby was asked not just about that, but also he was asked about the president and us not hearing about him very much, hearing from him very much. Take a listen to this from msnbc.
- [24:25]
Unknown Journalist
Understood the last question. I don't know exactly if or how you'll answer it, but viewers may know you have a back, you have a military background. You also have an extensive government communications background. And in the days ahead, there's a communications aspect to all this where the president, who's been quite forceful across the week, can sort of pull back and go back to governing. You're busy with trying to find out who the new speaker is going to be and deal with a lot of other priorities at home or sort of double down or extend this with a communications approach. And so I'm curious, can you tell us anything about whether there'll be any other formal address to the nation, formal address to Congress, evening address to the nation, as you know, and other past terror attacks, including on allies over time there, there either is a kind of an ebb or where people say, oh, well, that was last week's news and it's that country's problem over there. And sometimes there's more of a priority of summoning the US Sustained attention again. I know you guys aren't going to break any secret news tonight, so to speak, but can you speak to any of that in the days ahead and what's on the mind of the communicators in the White House?
- [25:27]
John Kirby
Sadly, we don't think this is going to end anytime very soon, certainly in coming weeks for sure, if not longer. So I think you can count on hearing from President Biden in the future about this particular conflict and what we're doing to support Israel. I have no doubt that you'll continue to hear from him, but I also think you're going to continue to hear from him on a range of other issues that are important to governing in other places around the world, such as Ukraine, such as the Indo Pacific. I'm sure he'll continue to, as he did this week, talk about, you know, economic issues, the junk fees. So you're going to, you're going to continue to hear him talk about issues that also matter on a domestic scale as well. That's what being president is. That's what being commander in chief is. You got to handle it all. And he's more than equipped and more than ready to do that at the White House.
- [26:16]
Unknown Journalist
John Kirby, thanks for taking a break from some of your work to speak with.
- [26:19]
Ben Ferguson
I mean, that's the biggest non answer I've ever heard when this is going on. Americans are being held hostage, like. Well, you might hear from him in the future and about future Hamas attacks in the future, but you're not going to hear from them all the time on it. And there's going to be other things as well that are just as important. What? I guess that's global warming.
- [26:37]
Senator Ted Cruz
Oh, no, no, no. Remember, he mentioned junk fees. So clearly they've got their priorities right. We've got the worst attack in Israel in 50 years. We have a war in the Middle east, and their concern is we need to address junk fees right now. Look, this is not a serious administration. And. And their instincts, they want Israel to stand down. Prime Minister Netanyahu is committed to eliminating Hamas. He's right in that the Israeli government and the Israeli military, I believe they've convened a war cabinet. They are going to do exactly that and throughout that journey, and it is going to be in all likelihood months that it's going to take, and it is going to be a long and arduous and bloody ground battle with. With significant casualties on both sides. This White House doesn't want to get into that, doesn't want to talk about the need to eliminate Hamas, doesn't want to talk about Iran in any respect. If you look at Biden's speech, he didn't talk about Iran. He didn't talk about Iran planning this attack. He didn't talk about Iran funding this attack. He didn't talk about Iran directing this attack. None of that did he address. Now, we've talked at length on this pod before about how the Biden White House treats every issue, not as a national security matter, but as a public relations matter. And so as it concerns Iran, I think a lot of Democrats felt a PR problem with the $6 billion that was recently paid as a ransom for five American hostages released. And so we saw just yesterday the news break that the Biden administration is gonna freeze that $6 billion. Well, that's great. They never should have offered it in the first place. But if they're freezing it, that needs to happen. But that is about as easy as possible. And a bunch of Democrats, particularly vulnerable Democrats running in red states who realized, holy cow, we're actually funding the terrorists who are committing this. That's a problem. So a lot of Democrats had come out against that 6 billion in the last couple of days, and it said, freeze it. Now, mind you, very few of these Democrats had the courage to say, don't send it, when Biden initially sent it, but suddenly they discovered it. But as we've talked about at length. The 6 billion is the tip of the iceberg. And they need to not only freeze the 6 billion, they need to stop the 10 billion that went several weeks earlier from Iraq to Iran. And beyond that, the most important flow of funds is the over 40 billion in oil revenues. And they need to immediately vigorously enforce the oil sanctions to shut down that revenue. And you're not seeing Democrats talk about that. They think that with the 6 billion, okay, we're done. That's our price. We're taking the 6 billion. We're freezing that. So, okay, we're not vulnerable on Iran anymore. Look, tomorrow the Ayatollah should not sell 2 million barrels of oil. And the Biden administration has the ability to make that happen. And yet Democrats are not calling for it. And listen, their instinct. I want us to play a different clip. And this is a clip from a pro Israel rally where Democrat Senator Ed Markey is speaking. And he's speaking. And along with him on the stage is Elizabeth Warren. So you have two very liberal Democrats. And take a listen to what Markey says and then take a listen to the crowd's reaction. There must be a de escalation of the current violence. The United States.
- [30:42]
Ben Ferguson
His face, by the way, because I.
- [30:45]
Unknown Advertiser
Could see the video.
- [30:45]
Ben Ferguson
He was like, he was in shock.
- [30:47]
Unknown Advertiser
That people would be booing.
- [30:48]
Ben Ferguson
It was like, whoa, wait, wait.
- [30:50]
Unknown Advertiser
I thought you guys would want to hear that.
- [30:52]
Senator Ted Cruz
He was in shock. And standing behind his left shoulder is Elizabeth Warren. And she's in shock. They're both, because, look, their instinct is Israel's the bad guy. And Israel needs to stop. There needs to be no effort to defeat Hamas because we're Democrats. We stand with the Palestinians. And that exchange, number one, it reveals the instincts of today's left wing Democrat Party. They are already denouncing Israel for retaliating. They want de escalation. De escalation and cease fire. Understand what that means? Every time a Democrat says it, it means Israel, do nothing, stop trying to destroy the terrorists. And the look of shock from both Markey and Elizabeth Warren in that clip, I think it's very revealing. And I think we're gonna see a lot more exchanges just like that.
- [31:53]
Ben Ferguson
Well, and then you have the other side, which is aoc. She comes out and says that, by golly, the United States of America has a responsibility to, I guess, intervene and prevent the attacks on Hamas. She claims it's to prevent a, quote, ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Here's her. Here's what she said in her own words.
- [32:15]
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
It's our responsibility is to the stability and the security of the region. That means being able to support, not support, yes, Israel and its defensive capacities. Right. In its ability in that context. But it also means that the United States has a responsibility to ensure accountability to human rights, to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and to ensure that horrors do not happen in the names of victims who do not want their tragedy used to justify further violence and injustice.
- [32:58]
Ben Ferguson
Right.
- [32:59]
Senator Ted Cruz
Beautifully said.
- [33:00]
Ben Ferguson
Beautifully said.
- [33:01]
Unknown Advertiser
Right, Beautifully said.
- [33:02]
Ben Ferguson
So America's job is, after terrorists kill Americans, is for us to make sure that none of the terrorists and the people around them get killed.
- [33:10]
Unknown Advertiser
Is that.
- [33:10]
Ben Ferguson
I mean, that's what she's saying, to.
- [33:13]
Senator Ted Cruz
Intervene, to defend the terrorists. That is what she is calling on. And look, this is one of the most powerful and influential Democrats in the House of Representatives. The other House Democrats are terrified of aoc. She campaigns for Democrats all over the country and they are all scared to cross her and understand what she's saying. She's accusing Israel. She says we don't want to see an ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. She's accusing Israel of wanting to carry out an ethnic cleansing. That is an absolute slander. It is a vicious lie. It is an anti Semitic trope. It is something leftists do all the time, which is they take the horror and evil that has been directed at Jews, most prominently in the Holocaust, and they then say that's what Jews want to do to others. Israel has never engaged in ethnic cleansing. Israel would not engage in ethnic cleansing because they are a liberal democracy that values human rights and they go to extraordinary lengths to save human life. But Israel is also surrounded by terrorists who want to kill them. And Israel is willing to stand and fight to defend themselves. And understand this is not some fringe kook on the Internet. This is one of the most influential Democrats in the House of Representatives accusing the state of Israel of. Of wanting to engage in ethnic cleansing and saying the US Military needs to intervene to stop Israel from carrying out a genocide. That is a lie and a vicious lie and it ignores the actual atrocities and war crimes that these Hamas terrorists have carried out over the past week.
- [35:08]
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- [36:40]
Ben Ferguson
Be very interesting to see what happens with this, especially American foreign policy with the President that doesn't want to step up here. We're going to keep you up doing this. I also want to get to some other news and that is Steve Scalise who got the majority of the votes in conference to become the speaker of the House. He has now broke made big breaking news by saying this about dropping out of the race.
- [37:04]
Steve Scalise
I know we've been following this. It's been quite a journey and there's still a long way to go. I just share with my colleagues that I'm withdrawing my name as a candidate for the Speaker. Designee. If you look at over the last few weeks, if you look at where our conference is, there's still work to be done. Our conference still has to come together and is not there. There are still some people that have their own agendas and I was very clear. We have to have everybody put their agendas on the side and focus on what this country needs. This country is counting on us to come back together. This House of Representatives needs a Speaker and we need to open open up the House again. But clearly not everybody is there and there's still schisms that have to get resolved.
- [38:00]
Ben Ferguson
This is not that surprising to me, Senator, because it was clear he wasn't going to have the votes. Just like with Kevin McCarthy, he didn't have the votes. That means is this now a pathway for Jim Jordan to become the Speaker? Because you also came out and endorsed Jim Jordan saying you believe he's the most fiscally conservative, the best guy for.
- [38:20]
Senator Ted Cruz
This job well, that's right. I did. And it's worth going back and explaining why I did that, because we had talked on the podcast previously that I intended to stay out of the House leadership election. And that's what I've done. The 11 years I've been in the Senate, I've stayed out of every House leadership election we've ever had. And my standard position has been that questions of House leadership are for the House members to decide. And that's what I had said on the podcast repeatedly. I'd said it to reporters in Capitol Hill repeatedly. That was a position I was very comfortable with. And then a couple of days ago, Jim Jordan called me, and he made a very direct ask. He asked for my support. Now, Jim is a friend. He's a good friend. I know Jim very well. Jim has been a guest on this podcast. We had him on two consecutive episodes doing a deep dive into the fantastic work that he's doing as focusing on the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the FBI and government. And Jim is someone I've worked with the entire time I've been in the Senate. He is a strong conservative, and he asked for my support, and he leaned in hard on it. And I thought about it, and I thought carefully, and my general philosophy on political endorsements, and I make endorsements all over the country in Senate races and House races and gubernatorial races, in school board races, all sorts of races, is that I support the strongest conservative who can win. And both of those are important. I want a proven record that you're a real conservative. And I want a path to victory. I'm not interested in tilting at windmills. I'm not interested in. In a candidate that does not have a path to victory. And as I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that Jim was that person, that he would be certainly the most conservative speaker we had ever had, but that he had a real and viable path to win, that he had real and meaningful support. Now, obviously, his chief rival and the only two declared candidates at the time for speaker were Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise. And Steve is a friend as well. Steve and I are good friends. We spend a lot of time together. I like Steve. Steve is a conservative. And Steve, look, the statement that you just played, that was not an easy statement for Steve to give, and I respect that he gave it. I think it was heartfelt. Steve is obviously hurting, but I think he's also trying to do the right thing. And I'll tell you, before I endorsed Jim Jordan, when I hung up the phone with Jim before I put out the endorsement. I picked up the phone and I called Steve and the first thing I did is just ask Steve how he was doing health wise. He's dealing with a rare form of blood cancer and I've been concerned and praying for him. And he told me he is doing better and the treatment is proceeding very well. But, but I gave him the heads up, just man to man, as I said, listen, you're my friend, Steve. I'm going to make this endorsement of Jim. He asked me to do it and Jim and I have been very close and I'm going to endorse him. But I told Steve at the time, and I believe this, I said, listen, I think you'd make a terrific speaker and I think Jim would make a terrific speaker. So. So do not take this endorsement as a negative comment on you, but rather just a statement of that. I think Jim Jordan is the strongest conservative who has a path to win. And Steve was very gracious about it and we're friends and I certainly anticipate continuing to work with Steve in the years ahead. Now, what happened this week is the House Republican Conference met and they had a closed door meeting and they had a vote and Scalise won the vote by a vote of 113 to 99. So Jordan got 99 votes, Scalise got 113. And actually the press coverage was saying, well, that's it, Scalise is the Speaker. And what happened subsequently is there were a number of House Republicans who did not vote for Scalise, who said over the hours and days that followed that they were not going to vote for Scalise. And they dug in, apparently, and it did not appear that Steve had a path to 218. And so I think he's pulling out because he, at least at this point, doesn't see a path to 218. Does that mean Jim Jordan is going to be the choice? I don't know. With a House majority of just four votes, any five Republicans can say no and veto. Anyone. And Look, Jordan got 99 votes in the conference. That tells you there were over 100 Republicans who didn't vote for him. I hope Jim can earn the support of his colleagues and unify. I will say, listen, it's a tough time. I mean, one of the things that's playing out in the House is there are a lot of raw emotions. People are angry. You have the individuals who voted last week to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. I think those individuals have strong feelings. But I also think McCarthy and his core allies are very, very angry. And so look, anytime you have people that are emotional and angry, it's hard for them to come together. Now, for folks worried that this chaos will last forever, I don't think it will. I think we will have a speaker and I think we'll have a speaker relatively soon. I don't know how long it will take. I still think we'll have a speaker by the end of this week. So by the end of Friday or Saturday, but I don't know. It may bleed into next week. And it is possible if Scalise doesn't have the votes and if Jordan doesn't have the votes, that someone else will emerge as a third option that is some sort of compromise candidate. And there are a couple of names that are floating around, but it's not clear at this point what will happen. But I will say to anyone concerned, we will have a Speaker of the House. The Republicans will come together. It just may take a little more time and a little more opportunity for emotions to cool.
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Ben Ferguson
Yeah. And, and I think we can all agree it's something that we want to get done sooner than later. But you don't want to rush it too fast and just put somebody in there and then have them be failed right afterwards. Just like we saw with Kevin McCarthy where it doesn't work out long term. That's a huge problem. Don't forget we do this podcast Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Make sure you hit that follow or subscribe or auto download button. We are going to keep you updated on the latest things happening in Israel. Also in the speakers race as well. Plus any other major breaking news. We are thinking about those that are affected by what's happened in Israel and the Americans as well. Don't forget you can go to the official site for Senator Cruz and you can get info if you do have loved ones in Israel. So make sure you use those resources as well and we will see you back here in a couple of days.