USAID 'aiding' only Themselves, What can the US do to Help the People of Israel & FBI Dir Confirmation Hearing Week In Review

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
Episode: USAID 'Aiding' Only Themselves, What can the US do to Help the People of Israel & FBI Dir Confirmation Hearing Week In Review
Release Date: February 8, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson
Produced by: Premiere Networks

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Introduction

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, host Ben Ferguson delves into three pivotal topics shaping the American political landscape: the misuse of USAID funds, the United States' support for Israel, and the confirmation hearings for the new FBI Director, Cash Patel. Joined by Senator Ted Cruz, Ferguson provides an in-depth analysis, highlighting critical insights and unfiltered commentary on these pressing issues.

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1. USAID Funds Misuse Exposed

[01:35] Ben Ferguson:
Ben Ferguson opens the discussion by bringing attention to the recent revelations about the misuse of USAID funds. He emphasizes that individuals like Elon Musk and the organization Doge have been instrumental in uncovering the corruption, fraud, and abuse associated with taxpayer money being funneled into questionable projects, including support to terrorist organizations.

[02:59] Ted Cruz:
Senator Ted Cruz elaborates on the extent of the waste within USAID, highlighting specific instances where funds were misallocated:

• $1.5 million spent on advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Serbia's workplaces.
• $2 million allocated for sex reassignment programs in Guatemala.
• $6 million directed towards tourism projects in Egypt.
• Funding for hundreds of thousands of meals that ended up supporting Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria.
• $15 million spent on contraceptives and condoms in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
• $1 million for disabled climate leaders in Tajikistan.
• Financial support for a Hamas-linked charity.

Cruz criticizes these expenditures as symptomatic of a broader issue where government agencies prioritize ideological agendas over effective and ethical aid distribution.

Notable Quote:
[04:07] Ted Cruz:
"They spent $1.5 million for advancing DEI in Serbia's workplaces... $15 million for contraceptives and condoms in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This is all nonsense. This is a waste."

[05:35] Ben Ferguson:
Ben highlights Elon Musk’s criticism of government waste, noting Musk's estimation that government inefficiencies could exceed 20% of spending, a significant increase from his earlier assessment of 10%.

[05:52] Ted Cruz:
Cruz responds by asserting that the massive waste is by design, driven by the radical left’s agenda. He defends Elon Musk’s efforts to curb such spending and critiques Democratic responses, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (AOC) targeting of Musk as unintelligent.

[09:15] Ted Cruz:
In response to AOC’s allegations questioning Musk’s intelligence, Cruz vehemently defends Musk’s intellect and leadership, citing his interactions with other brilliant individuals and emphasizing Musk’s unparalleled brilliance.

[09:37] Ted Cruz:
"I've spent a ton of time with Elon. He's the most brilliant man I've ever met."

Cruz further mocks AOC's lack of substantive arguments by comparing her to historical philosophers he deems irrelevant to current political discourse.

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2. U.S. Support for Israel

[12:31] Ben Ferguson:
Ferguson transitions to the humanitarian and strategic support the U.S. provides to Israel. He underscores the importance of differentiating between USAID's flawed spending and the substantial military aid extended to Israel, which is critical for both nations' security.

[13:21] Ted Cruz:
Senator Cruz clarifies that the U.S. does not provide economic aid to Israel, emphasizing that the $3 billion annual support is strictly for military assistance. He asserts that this support is vital for safeguarding American interests:

• Mutual Security: "Everyone who hates Israel hates America."
• Intelligence Collaboration: The collaboration with Israel's Mossad provides invaluable intelligence on global threats, enhancing U.S. national security.

Notable Quote:
[14:35] Ted Cruz:
"We provide military assistance to Israel because it keeps America safer. It is a frugal investment compared to the immense benefits we receive from Israeli intelligence."

Cruz discusses the shared goals between the U.S. and Israel, particularly in countering threats from Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, and ISIS. He highlights the successful elimination of key terrorist leaders through coordinated efforts, attributing these successes to the strong U.S.-Israel partnership.

[16:19] Ben Ferguson:
Ben reflects on the strengthened trust between the U.S. and Israel, noting that Israel now fully trusts the current administration to support its security needs without the fear of financial misuse prevalent in other USAID-funded projects.

[17:27] Ted Cruz:
Cruz recounts President Trump's decisive actions against ISIS and Iranian leader Qasem Soleimani, praising these moves as effective measures that curtailed significant threats to both American and Israeli security.

[20:46] Ted Cruz:
The discussion shifts to the International Criminal Court (ICC), with Cruz condemning its indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as anti-Semitic and a direct threat to both Israel and the U.S., reinforcing the necessity of U.S. and Israeli cooperation against such international legal challenges.

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3. FBI Director Confirmation Hearings

[25:08] Ben Ferguson:
Ben introduces the final segment on the confirmation hearings of Cash Patel for the position of FBI Director. He notes the Democratic opposition and the broader implications for the FBI's integrity and future operations.

[25:44] Ted Cruz:
Senator Cruz provides an overview of Cash Patel’s confirmation process, describing the Democratic interrogation as "foaming at the mouth" without yielding any substantial opposition to Patel’s qualifications.

[26:55] Ben Ferguson:
Ben explains the preparatory role Cruz played in readying Patel for his confirmation hearing, emphasizing the importance of mock sessions to prepare for aggressive questioning.

[27:16] Ted Cruz:
Cruz details the mock hearing experience, portraying the Democrats as using aggressive and unfair questioning tactics designed to unsettle nominees without legitimate grounds for opposition. He shares insights from past experiences, including preparing John Ashcroft for his confirmation, to illustrate the recurring nature of partisan challenges.

Notable Quote:
[31:01] Ted Cruz:
"Cash Patel will get confirmed. The Democrats did not move a single vote because they felt no consequences for their anti-Israel stances."

[35:16] Ted Cruz:
Discusses Patel’s stance and plans for the FBI, emphasizing a commitment to "protect American citizens and uphold the Constitution." Cruz underscores the importance of restoring integrity and transparency within the FBI under Patel’s leadership.

[36:15] Ted Cruz:
Outlines the timeline for Patel’s confirmation, anticipating a Senate vote following committee hearings and addressing expected delays from minority tactics.

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Conclusion

Ben Ferguson wraps up the episode by reiterating the critical nature of the topics discussed: curbing government waste in USAID, reinforcing U.S.-Israel relations through strategic military aid, and ensuring the FBI remains a bastion of integrity under Cash Patel’s potential leadership. He encourages listeners to stay informed and engaged with these ongoing political developments.

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Notable Quotes Summary

• Ted Cruz on USAID Waste:
  "They spent $1.5 million for advancing DEI in Serbia's workplaces... $15 million for contraceptives and condoms in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This is all nonsense. This is a waste." [04:07]

• Ted Cruz Defending Elon Musk:
  "I've spent a ton of time with Elon. He's the most brilliant man I've ever met." [09:37]

• Ted Cruz on Military Aid to Israel:
  "We provide military assistance to Israel because it keeps America safer. It is a frugal investment compared to the immense benefits we receive from Israeli intelligence." [14:35]

• Ted Cruz on Cash Patel's Confirmation:
  "Cash Patel will get confirmed. The Democrats did not move a single vote because they felt no consequences for their anti-Israel stances." [31:01]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The 47 Morning Update offers a comprehensive exploration of significant political issues, underscored by robust discussions between Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz. By addressing government inefficiencies, international alliances, and critical appointments within federal agencies, the podcast provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the forces shaping contemporary American politics.

For more detailed conversations and ongoing analyses, listeners are encouraged to subscribe to The 47 Morning Update available on the iHeartRadio app or other major podcast platforms.

Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome to this Verdict with Ted Cruz, the Weekend Review, Ben Ferguson with you. And we had some very big stories that you may have missed that we talked about this week. First up, usaid. The abuse that has been found out of our government, tax dollars going to corrupt organizations, even to terrorists is now all being exposed because of Elon Musk and Doge. So what have we found out? We'll give you a list in just a moment. Also, what are the needs of Israel? Well, Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with Senator Ted Cruz for about two hours talking about exactly what's happening in Israel and what they need from us. We'll break all that down for you as well. And finally, it's going to be a new day at the FBI. It's if Cash Patel can get the votes needed this week. So what did he have to say To Senator Cruz, we have that for you. It is the Weekend Review and it starts right now. People that listen to the show and conservatives out there said, okay, let's let everybody know where your tax dollars is going. After Elon Musk and Doge yet again blowing the whistle. They're gonna, I mean, they're, they gotta be exhausted because they're finding so much waste, fraud and abuse in our government. And a perfect example of this is USAID and some of the abuse that they found. Walk us through it.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, I got to say, Elon Musk is doing a fantastic job. He is working around the clock at Doge and really focused on reining in government spending and reining in the absolute abuse, the abuse that you would never see in a private company, but yet in government is commonplace and is a result of politicians funding their own political hobby horse, their own political pet project. And so I gotta say, one of the areas that Doge and the new White House has done is freeze funding at usaid. And Democrats in the media have been losing their minds over this, have been lighting their hair on fire. In fact, a bunch of Democrats went to the USAID offices to storm the offices this week, which was really pretty ridiculous. But they're really, they're very, very upset about it.

[Ben Ferguson]

They're not upset, by the way, about the abuse of the money and the fraud at all. They're just upset that they've lost their power. Right.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, they're upset that the abuse is stopping. But you know, when reporters have asked me about it, I've said, listen, the President got a mandate from the American people. And part of the mandate is to stop the out of control spending and debt. And USAID engages in all sorts of abuse. Let me give you some of the examples. USAID spent $1.5 million for advancing DEI in Serbia's workplaces. They spent $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala. They spent $6 million for tourism in Egypt. They paid for, quote, hundreds of thousands of meals that went to Al Qaeda affiliated fighters in Syria. They gave funding for the production of opium, the primary ingredient in heroin in Afghanistan, which benefited the Taliban.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

They spent $1 million to help disabled people in Tajikistan become, quote, climate leaders. They spent $1 million for Hamas linked charity and they spent $15 million for contraceptives and condoms in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. This is all nonsense. This is a waste. And there's a reason Elon Musk is going after it. There's a reason President Trump is going after it. And there's a reason Democrats in the Press are horrified that this gravy train is stopping.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is a gravy train and it's a very, very big one that's costing taxpayers massive amounts of money. Elon Musk said early on that he thought there was probably like 10% waste in our government. He's now changing those numbers. I want to get your reaction. He's saying it could be well above 20%.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, there's massive waste and it is by design. Understand it's not just that they pay picked things out of a hat. These are all ideological. This is the agenda of the radical left. They're funding the agenda of the radical left. But it shouldn't be the taxpayers paying for this nonsense. And let me give you an example of one of the ones that I found frankly funniest. AOC Alexandria Ocasio Cortez went off on Elon Musk this week and listen to what she says. Her argument is that Elon Musk is a dummy. Give a listen.

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[Ben Ferguson]

I mean this is one of those moments where you actually get to watch the, you know what the sausage being made in her brain. She's making it up and pausing as she goes to try to figure out a way to hit a guy that's having massive success at saving taxpayers. Dol.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, I gotta say I laughed out loud when I, when I listened to that and watched that. It should be a Saturday Night Live skit. Of course Saturday Night Live wouldn't actually make fun of liberals, so they wouldn't show it. But listen, you can criticize Elon Musk on all sorts of fronts, but the one front you can't criticize him on is being a dummy. I've spent a ton of time with Elon. Listen, I've been blessed, Ben. I have known a lot of brilliant people. I'VE known Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas and Chief Justice William Rehnquist. I have known brilliant, brilliant scientists and world leaders. And I believe Elon Musk, this is without exaggeration, is the most brilliant man I've ever met. I've spent a lot of time with Elon. If you think about the distribution of intelligence, you assume roughly 8 billion people on planet Earth. Intelligence is distributed along a bell curve. Someone is at the bleeding edge of that bell curve. And I think Elon Musk is that person. And I mean, I've sat with him for two, three, three and a half hours talking with him. And it's fascinating watching his brain work because the guy, it's not even that he thinks outside the box. He doesn't know there is a box. And so listening to AOC say he's unintelligent, I, I gotta say, it reminded me of a scene from, from my favorite movie.

[Ben Ferguson]

Oh, I know where we're going with this one.

[Ted Cruz]

And so give a listen to, to what AOC was saying. And she was really, she was channeling Vicini. Give a listen. You're that smart. Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes.

[Ted Cruz]

Morons.

[Ben Ferguson]

Really?

[Ted Cruz]

So that's aoc, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Elon Musk. Morons. Aoc. She knows what's right.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

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[Ben Ferguson]

Now on to story number two. Let's talk about the humanitarian side of this and the real need needs of the people in Israel. What did Bibi say from that standpoint? Because there is obviously a great humanitarian need. We're talking about all this money with Doge that we're finding that we're giving to all these people, many of them that are. It's just waste and fraud and abuse and absurd things like transgendered plays in certain countries when, you know, as an American, I don't mind helping our allies in times of need. Israel is a great example of this. There is so much money, though, that's being used in such fraudulent ways that I do think there's a hesitancy now to just say, okay, what do you need? Because it seems like everyone was taking from us and abusing it. I think Israel is very different, and that's why I want to bring this up. But what are the needs?

[Ted Cruz]

So let me say, do you know what the amount of economic aid and assistance is that we give to Israel?

[Ben Ferguson]

How much?

[Ted Cruz]

$0 and 0 cents. We do not provide economic aid to Israel. Israel's not asking us for money to feed its citizens. Israel's not asking for money to provide housing or clothe its citizens. Israel's not asking for money for relief. The only assistance the United States provides to Israel is military aid. Each year, we provide roughly $3 billion in military assistance, but that's. We do no economic assistance. We're not paying welfare. We are providing military assistance. And do you know why we do that?

[Ben Ferguson]

Why?

[Ted Cruz]

This is something critically important to understand. We provide military assistance to Israel because it is good for America. Israel. Think about this for a second. Everyone who hates Israel hates America.

[Ben Ferguson]

Bingo.

[Ted Cruz]

And by the way, those who hate Jews hate Christians. And everyone who Israel is fighting against, they're doing so to protect Israel. Of course.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, there's a reason why it's almost simultaneous. You hear death to Israel chants and death to America chants. A lot of times they're intertwined.

[Ted Cruz]

The Ayatollah refers to Israel as the Little Satan and America as the Great Satan. And so listen, one of the things I said to Bibi, and I've said this to him many times, I said, thank you. Thank you for killing terrorists, for taking out Hamas, for taking out Hezbollah. These are lunatics that want to murder Israelis and they want to murder Americans. And they have. Look, October 7th was a horrific terrorist attack against Israel, but it was also a horrific terrorist attack against America. Many Americans were killed. Many Americans were taken hostage. And so we provide military aid to Israel because it keeps America safer. And it also is incredibly frugal as a monetary matter, because the benefits we get from Israeli intelligence. The Mossad is one of the most effective and potent intelligence networks in the world. And the Mossad has incredible intelligence on Hezbollah, on Hamas, on Iran, on. On Al Qaeda and ISIS and. And all enemies of Israel, but also enemies of America. And historically, they have shared that intelligence with us. If we tried to recreate the benefits we get from Israeli intelligence and their military, it wouldn't cost us $3 billion a year. It would cost us tens of billions of dollars a year. And so we make that investment because it keeps America safe. And. And they spend that investment, to be very clear, on taking out the people who want to kill Americans.

[Ben Ferguson]

When you look at the money and you look at what's happening and you look at the. The meeting today that you had and the needs that. That are there, I think there's a couple of just overall themes. One, we've. Israel now knows that America does, in fact, have their back. Two, they can start sharing intelligence and talk about honest plans to protect Israel and America because they can trust this administration. And that seems to be maybe the most valuable part of this. Three, we both have a true, genuine agreement in our foreign policy that we must stop Iran from gaining that nuclear weapon. And that also means now you got to figure out how you're going to stop it from happening. And that could be using military prowess to do it. Which brings me to my final question to you. Donald Trump's a guy that has been very proud about saying, I haven't started any wars. Um, I get us out of wars, and I. I try to end them. Would you look at this? A war or more of a just a straight up attack on a nuclear weapons site. How should Americans look at this?

[Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, it. It's important to understand it. It. President Trump is right. He has not started any wars. We did not have. And in fact, he ended wars. He inherited the war with ISIS from Barack Obama. ISIS had a caliphate, had territory about the size of the state of Indiana. And Trump, within months, defeated ISIS altogether and ended that war because they were defeated and conquered the caliphate. There are some who try to say that America first foreign policy is isolationist, is just withdrawing from the world and not engaging with our enemies. That has not been the foreign policy of Donald Trump. It's worth remembering that when President Trump, in his first term, he gave the order to take out General Soleimani, the Iranian leader responsible for the murder of over 600American servicemen and women. The Iranian leader, who had played a critical part in planning, planning terrorist attacks against the United States and against Israel for years. And Soleimani, along with Nasrallah, were probably the two most important terrorist leaders on the face of the planet. And President Trump ordered General Soleimani taken out, and Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered Nasrallah taken out. And now neither one of them are able to threaten America or Israel.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's incredible. I'm glad that you guys got to have this meeting. I also just am really thankful, as you described it, that now I think Israel can trust that they have a partner in the US and they're not trying to. They're not having to hide from the United States what they're trying to accomplish. And we have the same goals.

[Ted Cruz]

Yes. And by the way, another aspect of it. So look, the efforts to attack Israel, you saw them directly through terrorism through October 7, you saw them through Hamas and Hezbollah. And to be clear, the Biden administration was responsible for a very substantial part of the funding for that October 7th attack. But you also saw it through lawfare through using international institutions to go after Israel. And one of the most profound examples of that is the International Criminal Court, which has indicted Bibi for committing war crimes. And that decision is grotesquely false. It was an anti Semitic attack on Israel. But it is also a profound threat to America. Israel is not a party to the International Criminal Court, neither is America. And the International Criminal Court, there's a real risk of it being used to go after American officials and American soldiers. The same enemies of Israel want to use the ICC to accuse American soldiers of committing war crimes when we stand up to terrorists. And so, you know, just a few days ago in Congress, we voted on legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court. And I'll tell you, it was really sad. Every Democrat in the Senate, except one, except John Fetterman, voted no. They all voted against Israel.

[Ben Ferguson]

Amazing.

[Ted Cruz]

And to be clear, is there going.

[Ben Ferguson]

To be hell to pay politically, you think, for this? I mean, the Democratic Party has become really, a lot of their leaders are just straight up anti Semitic. Is there going to be hell to pay for that at some point?

[Ted Cruz]

Well, there hasn't been so far. And the Democrats feel that there are no consequences. Chuck Schumer was among the leaders who met with Netanyahu and was trying to give excuses for why he and all the other Democrats voted against sanctioning the ICC today. President Trump issued sanctions as president, and they were very strong sanctions. That's one thing Bibi was very happy about, is he now had a president that would stand up to the International Criminal Court for going after him. Look, Bibi is not able to travel to much of Europe because they're European nations who have threatened they will arrest Bibi if he steps foot on their soil. That is a profound attack on the government of Israel. Think about it. That there are many European countries that he simply won't go to. Now, let me ask a simple question to anyone listening. Trump sanctioned the ICC today. Why didn't Joe Biden. The ICC did this under the Biden's presidency. And the answer is, I think the Biden administration wanted the ICC to go after Benjamin Netanyahu. And I think we're going to see facts come to light in the weeks and months ahead that show some real complicity of the Biden administration for the lawfare attacking Israel. And that really underscores the difference one election can make. And thank God we have a president now who will stand up for America and who will stand up and stand alongside Israel as before.

[Ben Ferguson]

If you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic. You can go back and download the podcast from earlier this week to hear the entire thing.

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[Ben Ferguson]

I want to get back to the big story number three of the week you may have missed. I want to move on to another big issue, and that is confirmation hearings. Cash Patel's was, was at the end of last week as well. And we are now seeing a lot of people that are getting their adios. See you later. Thanks for serving. You're out of a job in the deep state. This is another reason why we need to get Casper tell in there quickly. Let's talk about where that is. And also, you had a very interesting back and forth with him over some of the things that the left is trying to attack him on.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, the hearing. The Democrats went after Cash Patel furiously. As I said on Hannity last week, the hearing reminded me of Shakespeare's Macbeth. It was a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. The Democrats did not get any traction. They were foaming at the mouth. They were coming after him ferociously. And yet I don't think they moved a single vote. I think Cash Patel will get confirmed. Now. Every Democrat on the committee's gonna vote no, and my guess is every Democrat in the Senate is going to vote no on him. But I think we will get. We might get to 53, but we will at a minimum get to 50 with JD Vance breaking the tie. And I don't think the hearing moved a single vote. When my questioning occurred, you know, the week before, I had spent a couple of hours helping moot Cash Patel, helping get him ready. I actually got to play Sheldon Whitehouse, who's a very liberal senator in the moot. And I gotta say, it was fun. Just raving at him, screaming at him. I tried to insult him. I was a total jerk in the, in the mood. Which, which if you're doing a moot.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, explain for people that don't know how this works. You get people, and I've gotten to do this a couple of times, it's really fun. You get somebody ready for a confirmation hearing and, and, and many people like you just described, you play the other side. You try to get them ready for what they're going to face. And, and the setting that you do it in, was this more relaxed or was it more formal?

[Ted Cruz]

I don't know. It was done exactly like a hearing. He was sitting at a table. We were around him, like firing questions at him. And sometimes you do it this way, sometimes you don't. But in this instance, they gave me the role of Sheldon Whitehouse, who's one of the most partisan Democrats on the committee. I've served with Sheldon 13 years. I know him well. And so, you know, I mean, I was screaming at him. And, yeah, I mean, my questions were wildly unfair, but you gotta get ready for wildly unfair questions. I was not trying to be nice to him in the mood because that if you're doing that, you're not doing your job in a mood. And I gotta say, he did. So it was interesting in the mood a couple of times, like, Cash would try to pop back and we would stop and say, look, it's not your job to punch the Democrats in the face in this hearing. My advice, by the way, to every hearing nominee, is be boring right now. Today, you've got the votes to be confirmed. From the Democrats perspective, the only way they can change that is get you to say something in the hearing where you step on a landmine and blow yourself up. If you don't do that, you will be confirmed and you will go do the job the president has asked you to do. And so a good role of a hearing, you know, someone you know very well, is John Ashcroft. So when I was a young baby lawyer, I was part of the team that helped prepare John Ashcroft for his confirmation hearing to be Attorney general. And I was, you know, 30 years old, a baby lawyer. But I'd been on the Bush campaign and Ashcroft gets nominated bag. So I remember we're prepping him, and just like with Cash Patel, we were asking horrible questions. We were asking. I mean, we were just. Just. And in the prep session, Ashcroft would get pissed and he yell at us, and we'd say, senator, you're exactly right. That question was terrible. It was unfair, it was dishonest, it was abusive. Senator, can we remind you, you have the votes right now. Like, they want you to get pissed. And so I was glad he yelled at me and he yelled at the other people in the mood because it got it off his chest. And I still remember. You go back and watch Ashcroft's confirmation hearing, and there was one exchange, and I'm paraphrasing, it was 24 years ago, but he had given a speech about the Second Amendment, and he had talked about the Second Amendment that the framers had intended as a Second Amendment, as a check on tyranny from the government. And Ted Kennedy, who was questioning him, goes, tyranny from our government, The American government. You know what? That is treason, man. I say, you're a traitor. And he, like, screams at the top of his lungs calling Ashcroft a traitor. And at the actual hearing, Ashcroft, I don't think his heartbeat exceeded 65 beats a minute. And he very calmly said, senator, if I'm confirmed as Attorney General, I will follow the law and I will enforce the law. And it got confirmed. So Cash Patel, likewise. He got some of his yelling out at the Mooters, actually, though not much. He did a good job of not losing his cool in the moot and then in the hearing. I think he did an excellent job when it came to my turn. They had been beating him up a lot on January 6th. And so I wanted to give him a chance to get out some basic facts. So give a listen to my cross examination of Cash Patel this past week on his confirmation hearing for Director of the FBI. You will be and have been accused of just about everything they can. But I want to focus on what several Democrats have done recently, which is trying to blame you for the violence that occurred on January 6, which even in the annals of ridiculous attacks, this one really takes the cake. So. So let's just. Let's just focus on some facts. Let me ask you a question. What role did you occupy in the days immediately before January 6th?

[Leesa]

Chief of Staff of the Department of Defense.

[Ted Cruz]

You were the Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense?

[Leesa]

Yes, sir.

[Ted Cruz]

So. So to be clear, you were not rioting at the Capitol?

[Leesa]

No, sir.

[Ted Cruz]

Where were you physically on January 6th?

[Leesa]

In the office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon.

[Ted Cruz]

And what were you doing on that day?

[Leesa]

On that day, specifically responding to preparing to mobilize and deploy the National Guard once we got the lawful request from the local governing authority, which was the mayor of D.C. and the speaker of the House.

[Ted Cruz]

Now, how many days in advance were you working to prepare the Department of Defense to help secure the Capitol on January 6th?

[Leesa]

Days in advance? Senator, we were in the Oval Office on an unrelated national security matter with the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and myself. And the President authorized up to 20,000 plus National Guardsmen and women to secure any security measures necessary related to the Capitol. So we were moving to the fullest extent of the law before the requisite request came from a local governing authority days ahead of time.

[Ted Cruz]

And while you were Chief of Staff at dod, how many times did DOD approach Capitol Police and ask if they needed National Guard assistance?

[Leesa]

I believe those letters are well documented. Numerous instances. And numerous of those instances, they were. Those requests were shut down.

[Ted Cruz]

Now, am I correct that the Capitol Sergeant at Arms Said assistance was unnecessary.

[Leesa]

That's correct, Senator.

[Ted Cruz]

Who did the Sergeant at arms report to?

[Leesa]

The speaker of the House.

[Ted Cruz]

That would have been Nancy Pelosi at the time, is that correct?

[Leesa]

Yes, Senator.

[Ted Cruz]

And would that also be Chuck Schumer, then the Senate Majority Leader, the sergeant at arms?

[Leesa]

Yes, Senator. Reports up there.

[Ted Cruz]

Did Mayor Bowser, the Democrat elected mayor in D.C. either request or allow National Guard assistance?

[Leesa]

She put in writing on the days leading up to January 6, a declination for National Guard additional support. And that letter is available publicly to the world.

[Ted Cruz]

So. So. And just to speak English for folks at home, a declination meant she said, no, don't send National Guard. Is that right?

[Leesa]

Yes, sir.

[Ted Cruz]

Let me ask you a simple question, because from the questioning from my Democrat colleagues, they might think otherwise. Do you condemn violence against law enforcement?

[Leesa]

All of it.

[Ted Cruz]

And by the way, is that true whether the violence is right wing or left wing or anywhere else?

[Leesa]

There is no discriminating between types of violence against law enforcement.

[Ted Cruz]

And do you believe those who assault and commit violence against law enforcement should be prosecuted and should be sent to.

[Leesa]

Jail, especially those that kill him?

[Ted Cruz]

Mask. How many years have you worked in public service?

[Leesa]

About 16, Senator.

[Ted Cruz]

And how many years have you worked in particular in law enforcement and prosecution and national security?

[Leesa]

Over a decade, Senator.

[Ted Cruz]

You know, I have to say it is ludicrous but sadly predictable that Democrats are endeavoring to tarnish you, to paint a false caricature based on innuendo and smoke. And so you're working to protect the Capitol on January 6th, and yet they're trying to blame you for the violence that occurred. Let me ask you this just as a straightforward matter. What is the job of the FBI and what will the FBI's role be if and when you are confirmed as its director?

[Leesa]

The simple motto on the website of the FBI's homepage is to protect American citizens and uphold the Constitution. If I am confirmed as the next director of the FBI, that's what we're going to do and redirect resources and making sure that occurs every single day.

[Ted Cruz]

Thank you for your willingness to do so. And this committee will hold you to account on restoring integrity at the FBI. And I thank you also for your commitment to transparency. I think that is incredibly important to bringing back integrity, and I'm grateful for it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Wouldn't it be nice if the media would fact check the Democrats on the committee that were trashing him, trying to connect him to January 6th like he was an insurrectionist and their words, and just tell the story of what he was actually doing. I'm so thankful that you asked those questions.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, don't hold your breath on that. The media has their story to tell and they're not going to get let facts get in the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

So last question on this. This is a really important position, being in charge of the FBI. When are you guys going to actually get to vote on this?

[Ted Cruz]

So we will vote on Cash Patel in a week. So this week there'll be a markup. But the way the Senate Judiciary Committee works is the minority has a right on any vote to hold it over for a week and delay it for a week. So they will do that this week and so they'll delay that. Now. Pam Bondi will be confirmed on the floor of the Senate this week, so by the end of this week she'll be Attorney General. Next week we'll vote on Cash Patel and Judiciary Committee and then I'll go to the Senate floor after that.

[Ben Ferguson]

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

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[Ben Ferguson]

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