What Happens in Wuhan, Stays in Wuhan

Summary

Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz – "What Happens in Wuhan, Stays in Wuhan"
Release Date: May 17, 2021
Host: Senator Ted Cruz
Guest: Michael Knowles

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Introduction

In this episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, host Senator Ted Cruz engages in a dynamic discussion with Michael Knowles, delving into pressing political issues ranging from the origins of COVID-19 to abortion funding and economic strategies amidst inflation. The conversation is structured around listener questions from the show's "mailbag," providing Cruz's insights and perspectives on these critical topics.

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Investigating the Origins of COVID-19

Key Discussion Points:

• Wuhan Institute of Virology: Cruz revisits conversations from the previous year regarding the Wuhan Institute's potential role in the genesis of COVID-19. He emphasizes the lack of definitive evidence due to the Chinese government's obstruction of investigations.

• Senator Rand Paul's Exchange with Dr. Fauci: Cruz highlights Senator Rand Paul's line of questioning during a hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci, where Fauci's demeanor was notably confrontational (Timestamp [02:41]).

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz ([02:43]): "The most likely hypothesis is they were studying a naturally occurring virus in the lab and somebody was sloppy."

• Michael Knowles ([00:53]): "We would love it if you would go and subscribe, particularly now when big tech is trying to suppress all of the conservative voices."

Analysis:

Cruz advocates for a thorough and credible investigation into the virus's origins, suggesting that the proximity of the Wuhan Institute of Virology to the initial outbreak zone is "exceptionally daunting" (Timestamp [03:29]). He criticizes Dr. Fauci for his perceived lack of accountability and consistent confidence despite evolving statements about the virus's origins.

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The Hyde Amendment and Abortion Funding

Key Discussion Points:

• Threat to the Hyde Amendment: Cruz addresses concerns about the potential dismantling of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding for abortions, citing Democratic efforts to undermine this longstanding consensus.

• Democrat Radicalization: He asserts that contemporary Democrats are pushing an "unlimited abortion on demand" agenda, disregarding the majority public opinion that opposes such measures (Timestamp [06:01]).

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz ([06:01]): "Democrats want your tax dollars to pay for abortions across the country."

• Michael Knowles ([07:53]): "If abortion is morally comparable to murder, then it shouldn't be legal."

Analysis:

Cruz expresses deep concern over the Hyde Amendment's future, arguing that Democrats are leveraging mechanisms like budget reconciliation to bypass the filibuster and enforce abortion funding. He underscores the shift from a previously broad consensus against taxpayer-funded abortions to the current radical stance endorsed by Democratic leaders, which he contends is supported by only 9% of Americans (Timestamp [06:01]).

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Economic Strategies Amid Inflation

Key Discussion Points:

• Inflation Risks: Cruz discusses the potential for rising inflation driven by Democratic spending proposals, particularly Joe Biden's plans for $6 trillion in new spending.

• Investment Advice: He offers practical financial strategies for everyday Americans to protect against economic volatility, emphasizing investments in real estate, gold, and silver as hedges against inflation (Timestamp [09:38]).

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz ([09:38]): "To the extent you can save, to the extent you can invest in investments that are guarded against inflation, that often includes things like real estate, includes things like commodities like gold and silver."

• Michael Knowles ([12:12]): "I just assumed you would tell people to invest everything in dogecoin."

Analysis:

Cruz outlines the dual economic pressures of a recovering economy and increasing governmental taxes and regulations. He advises limiting exposure to variable interest rates and investing in inflation-resistant assets. Additionally, he humorously acknowledges the volatility of newer investment avenues like cryptocurrencies, reflecting a cautious stance on assets he doesn't fully understand (Timestamp [12:23]).

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Comparing Joe Biden to Woodrow Wilson

Key Discussion Points:

• Historical Context: Cruz compares current President Joe Biden's administration to that of Woodrow Wilson, highlighting similarities in progressive agendas and the impact on federal policies.

• Wilson’s Legacy vs. Biden’s Agenda: While acknowledging Wilson's significant but problematic contributions, Cruz argues that Biden's radical agenda, driven by figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, poses a greater threat to the country (Timestamp [13:31]).

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz ([13:51]): "Wilson was an avowed racist... he was a massive progressive. He pushed the League of Nations, he pushed the Federal Reserve."

• Michael Knowles ([17:00]): "You're seeing in some ways Woodrow Wilson is this progressive genius who sets up progressivism in the federal government."

Analysis:

Cruz expresses a bias towards Woodrow Wilson’s academic background but criticizes his racist policies and progressive reforms, suggesting that Biden’s administration could inflict more harm due to its alignment with radical progressive agendas. He references his personal experiences with academic institutions to illustrate the ongoing cultural and ideological battles in contemporary politics.

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Light-Hearted Exchanges and Final Thoughts

Key Discussion Points:

• Investment in Cryptocurrencies: A humorous exchange about investing in Dogecoin and Bitcoin serves to lighten the conversation on economic advice.

• Award Rescission Incident: Cruz recounts an incident where students voted to rescind his James Madison Medal due to his political stances, which was ultimately vetoed by trustees (Timestamp [13:31]).

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Knowles ([12:17]): "I think the bulbs are coming back. I'm very long tulip."

• Senator Ted Cruz ([13:31]): "All of which is a digression to say Woodrow Wilson... I am not a Woodrow Wilson fan."

Analysis:

The conversation concludes with a mix of humor and personal anecdotes, providing insight into Cruz's personality and experiences outside of his legislative duties. This segment underscores the balance between serious political discourse and relatable, human moments in political dialogue.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Verdict with Ted Cruz offers a comprehensive exploration of significant political and economic issues through the lens of Senator Ted Cruz's perspectives. From scrutinizing the origins of COVID-19 to defending the Hyde Amendment and providing economic advice, Cruz addresses each topic with depth and conviction. The episode also highlights the intersection of personal experiences with broader political narratives, making it a compelling listen for those interested in conservative viewpoints and current political debates.

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Notable Timestamps:

• Introduction of Mailbag Segment: [00:00] – [00:53]
• Wuhan Institute of Virology Discussion: [00:53] – [05:37]
• Hyde Amendment and Abortion Funding: [05:37] – [09:19]
• Economic Advice Amid Inflation: [09:19] – [13:09]
• Comparing Biden to Woodrow Wilson: [13:09] – [17:00]
• Light-Hearted Exchanges and Closing Remarks: [17:00] – [18:10]

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this summary are those of Senator Ted Cruz as presented in the episode and do not reflect those of the summarizer.

Transcript

[Michael Knowles]

There is a whole lot going on. On. You know what? You know what? Enough. Enough for me. I've talked enough on this show, this episode. I only want to hear from you. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. Senator, I can't. I say this with no false modesty. I've been asking too many questions. Of late. We have not been taking nearly enough questions from the mailbag of our wonderful Verdict subscribers who regularly leave us five star reviews on Apple podcasts, which we greatly appreciate, if you wouldn't mind doing that right now, who subscribe to us on YouTube, who listen to us on all of the podcasting apps that they have. So what do you say? Should we just make this all about the mailbag?

[Ted Cruz]

I think that's a great idea. But I will say, when you talk about YouTube subscribers, as of this week, we're at 194,000, which means we're just 6,000 short of 200,000. It'd be nice to break that, Mark.

[Michael Knowles]

I'm not saying you have to. Just throwing that out there, folks. We would love it if you would go and subscribe, particularly now when big tech is trying to suppress all of the conservative voices. Without further ado, Senator, first question from Mark. This is, this is a little bit of a flattering question for us. So that's obviously why I wanted to choose it first. Mark writes, I just watched that hearing with Dr. Fauci. I've just been seeing the Wuhan Institute in the news. I've just been seeing reports about US Funding of Wuhan Institute research. Where did I hear about all of that? Oh, that's right. Last year on Verdict with Ted Cruz. Keep up the great work. Love the show. I guess that's not really a comment. I suppose that's just a applaud it, but I'll take it.

[Ted Cruz]

You're right. A year ago on Verdict, we talked about the Wuhan Institute for Virology. We don't know for sure if that's the source of the virus. Why? Because the Chinese government destroyed all the records and prevents anyone from actually determining what happened in the Wuhan Institute for Virology. But today, my colleague Senator Rand Paul had a very effective series of questions with Anthony Fauci where he asked him about, you know, do you regret the NIH giving a bunch of money for the Wuhan Institute for Virology? And Fauci, you want to talk about someone who's just unrepentant. He almost said, duran, screw you. Because everything about Foushee's demeanor and temperament was, you know, you know, it reminded me of, like, a guy in Goodfellas, you know, hurling Italian curse words at Rand and. Michael, I don't. Don't mean to upset you by. By suggesting that Italians can curse.

[Michael Knowles]

Yeah, I've never heard it.

[Ted Cruz]

The defiance of it. I mean. I mean. I mean, Fauci, like, doesn't apologize for sending a bunch of money to Wuhan. Doesn't express any responsibility. I think it is more likely than not that the virus escaped from one of those two labs. It's not proven, it's circumstantial, but the odds are exceptionally daunting that you would have labs studying this exact kind of virus exactly where the outbreak occurs, and. And there not be a connection. And I think we need to have a serious, credible investigation to figure it out. And Fauci doesn't seem remotely concerned. He changes what he says seemingly every week, and every time he says it, he is confident as hell. Until next week, he says something different.

[Michael Knowles]

Of course, and he'll have the same confidence that following week. You know, this observation, this strange coincidence of the presence of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, right where the virus was found, right near this supposedly awful wet market.

[Ted Cruz]

400 bloody yards. 400 yards. That ain't far.

[Michael Knowles]

Yes, this is being called a conspiracy theory. It was being called a conspiracy theory last year, more than a year ago now, I guess, when we were speaking about it, and you know how much I hate to say we told you so, but I am pleased that we talked about it on the show.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and you remember, Michael, we talked about how the Washington Post and other reporters tried to refute the conspiracy theory, and their refutation was that if you looked at the genetic markers, and this is where it's dangerous to have a lawyer pretending to talk about science, because I'm not a medical doctor or virologist, but the Washington Post reported that if you looked at the genetic markers, they didn't believe it was a virus that was constructed in a lab, but rather one that occurred naturally in nature. And so they said, oh, the theory that the escape from the lab is bogus. Look, I find that plausible. Could it have been constructed in the lab? Sure. And I think that needs to be investigated. But I find it an entirely plausible hypothesis that this was a naturally occurring virus that they discovered in a cave in China. And by the way, the bats in question have caves 900 miles away from the wet market.

[Michael Knowles]

Right? Right.

[Ted Cruz]

So last I checked, most bats don't fly 900 miles to hang out in a wet market and spread A pandemic. But I think the most likely hypothesis is they were studying a naturally occurring virus in the lab and somebody was sloppy. Do I believe the Chinese government deliberately released this? Probably not. I don't think the chances are zero. But I think the most likely thing is someone was sloppy and either an animal or person got spread outside the lab. And then what the Chinese government did do is cover it up, hide it, arrest the whistleblowers, do everything they could to suppress it, which allowed it to become a pandemic and spread across the globe.

[Michael Knowles]

Next question from Thomas. I would like to hear the Senator's prediction on the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment theoretically stops taxpayer dollars from going to fund abortion. Obviously, money is fungible. So if money is going to an abortion organization, then obviously they're gonna spend the money. But this is now coming under threat by Democrats, including Joe Biden, who for years said they support the Hyde Amendment. Now they're against it.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I'm very concerned about the Hyde Amendment. If you look at today's Democrats, they're radicalized. They're radicalized on virtually every issue. You know, we've talked in this podcast about the book I wrote a few months ago called One Vote How a Single Supreme Court Seat Can Change History. There's a chapter in that book on abortion, on life, and it talks about how today's Democrats, their position is they support unlimited abortion on demand up until the moment of birth, partial birth abortion with no parental notification, with no parental consent, and with full taxpayer funding with the taxpayers paying for the abortion. And that view is so extreme that 9% of Americans agree with it. So 91% of Americans disagree with the unlimited radical abortion view. That right now is the view of just about every Democratic politician in Washington when it comes to the Hyde Amendment. Democrats want your tax dollars to pay for abortions across the country. We're seeing Joe Biden, through executive orders and through regulatory action, trying to expand that. And we're also seeing the Democrats, and they're using the vehicle of budget reconciliation to try to get around the filibuster and to ram through funding that ignores the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment has been the consensus for decades in Washington. Although people can disagree on the question of abortion and protecting life, and you and I are both strongly pro life, there used to be a wide consensus that it wasn't fair to use taxpayer funds to pay for abortion, to force people who are pro life to pay for taking the lives of unborn children. Today's Democrats, they don't care about that. Consensus because they've been radicalized. So I think that question is a very real and active threat.

[Michael Knowles]

Right? Yeah. This was always the fear of the safe, legal and rare line from Democrats, which never made a lot of sense. If abortion is morally comparable to murder, then it shouldn't be legal. If it's not, if it's just a choice and has no effect on anyone else, then it shouldn't be rare. But that at least was the consensus for a long time. But it would appear that we've ditched the rare part of that argument.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, I mean that's no longer. Bill Clinton said that in a State of the Union address. I don't know of a Democrat in the Senate who believes that that's no longer their position. Yep, it is. Unlimited abortion on demand. And by the way, when we have votes on things, and I talk about this in one vote away, when we have votes on things like the pain capable legislation, which is legislation that says unborn children after 20 weeks of development, the science shows that unborn child can feel pain, that he or she writhes in pain during abortion, writhes in agony. And it's a limitation on late term abortions when the unborn child can feel pain. The Democrats vote party line against that restriction. They're perfectly happy with partial birth abortion, late term abortion. Most Americans are not. But today's congressional Democrats listen to the radical activists and not actual voters back home.

[Michael Knowles]

Very practical question from Real Truth Cactus, who I suppose is our colleague on the show. I can't believe that the cactus would write into the show this way. The cactus asks what are some practical things everyday Americans can do to protect their financial well being in economically chaotic times such as these?

[Ted Cruz]

I think inflation is a real risk. That means to the extent you can limit your exposure to variable interest rates, that's a good thing. I think we are likely to see interest rates rising significantly. We're likely to see mortgage rates rising significantly. We're likely to see the cost of goods rising significantly. When you have Joe Biden and the Democrats proposing $6 trillion in new spending, I think there's a good chance that's going to prove significantly inflationary. So to the extent you can hedge yourself against that, that that is a good thing. I think we've got cross cutting economic factors right now. On the plus side, we just went through a year where the entire economy was shut down and we artificially basically froze our GDP and we had a double digit decrease in gdp. The fact that we've got vaccines now and the economy is opening up Means we're seeing economic growth, we're seeing the economy come back significantly. The countervailing factors on that are, number one, I'm hearing over and over again from small businesses and employers that the federal government is paying people more not to work than to work. And they're having a very hard time getting employees to come back. Because if you pay people not to work, wonder of wonders, they actually don't work. I also think the massive taxes and regulations coming from the Biden administration are going to hammer. Hammer the economy. And so you've got kind of two vectors. One, the economy taking off because it's reopening. Two, the taxes and regulations pushing it down. How that plays out exactly, I don't know. I'm not smart enough to have a crystal ball on the economy, but I think I would expect some real volatility. And so, you know, to the extent you can save, to the extent you can invest in investments that, that. That are guarded against inflation, and that often, often includes things like real estate, includes things like commodities like gold and silver, where if there's inflation, real estate or gold and silver are likely to go up to. To. To. To go along with inflation. I think those are all sensible, but. But with the caveat that I ain't your fiduciary. And if you're taking financial advice from a lawyer and Supreme Court litigator who's a senator, you might want to rethink your financial priorities to begin with.

[Michael Knowles]

Well, I'll tell you, Senator, I just assumed you would tell people to invest everything in dogecoin or something. That was always my really stable investment strategy. And depending on the hour of the day, I'm either bankrupt or a trillionaire.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. I got to admit, Michael, so the whole bitcoin, dogecoin. I have some friends who've invested in it who've actually done quite well, and they've encouraged me. I have not invested anything in it. And maybe I'm a fool. No, nor have I. I don't really understand it. I don't really understand it, and I'm worried. You look at, like, Holland and the tulip bulb mania, where tulip bulbs got bit up and up and up and up, and it became a bubble, and then it all cratered and everyone lost everything. And maybe I'm just a Luddite and I don't understand that Bitcoin is the future. I think it's fine if people want to do it. I'm quite libertari about it. But in terms of my assets to invest, I don't like to invest in things that I don't fully understand. And I will readily admit I don't fully understand the bitcoin world.

[Michael Knowles]

Well, I don't know about you, I think the bulbs are coming back. I'm very long tulip, but I guess only time will tell. Before we go, this, this question actually is incendiary, but I find it difficult to answer. This is from Chelsea, who says, hey, Michael, big fan of the show. Which president is worse, Joe Biden or Woodrow Wilson?

[Ted Cruz]

All right, so as you know, Woodrow Wilson, I have a slight bias towards because he was president of Princeton University and I am a Princeton alum. Although I'll tell you, you want to talk about something irritating. So when I was in college, I was a college debater. As you know, I was one of the cool kids going to all those.

[Michael Knowles]

Cool debate parties every weekend.

[Ted Cruz]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Very, very impressive. Red solo cups, kegs of stale beer. Really cutting edge stuff. So the debating society at Princeton is called the American Whig Classophic Society. And it was actually two different societies. One was the American Whigs, the other was the Classophic Society. They're both over 200 years old. One, the American Whigs, was founded by James Madison, the father of the Constitution. Classophic Society was founded by William Patterson. The two merged and today the Classophic Society are the conservatives and the Whigs of the liberals. I actually find it ironic because James Madison, the founder of the Whigs, I agree with on practically everything. But when I was in college, I was chairman of the Classophic Society, so the conservative part of the Debating Society. And in 2016, Wig Clio awarded me their James Madison Medal for. For public service while following the whole January 6 thing. And the left and the academic world going into a fit and screaming insurrection and doing it completely disconnected to actual facts of what I did as a senator, giving a speech on the Senate floor and urging for a commission to examine electoral claims of election fraud. The students voted to rescind my James Madison Award, which. Which frankly kind of irritated me that you have a bunch of lefty students who decided we want to rescind the award. The trustees of Whig Clio actually vetoed the students decision. So they didn't in fact rescind my award, but the students voted and it was apparently a pretty close vote. It was something like 36 to 37 to 35 or something like that. So all of which is a digression to say Woodrow Wilson, before he was president, was governor of New Jersey before he was governor. Of New Jersey. He was president of Princeton University. So I have some mild predilection towards Wilson. That being said, Wilson was an avowed racist, which is consistent with a lot of Democrats. He aired a film about the Ku Klux Klan in the White House. He was a massive progressive. He pushed the League of Nations, he pushed the Federal Reserve, he pushed the income tax. He did a lot of damage. So Wilson set up the disaster that has befallen us. That being said, what Joe Biden is doing, he has handed the government over to Schumer and Pelosi and to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and AOC and they're pushing the most radical agenda. We're 100 days in. There's never been a president with a more radical agenda than we've seen these first hundred days. So as problematic as Wilson is, and Wilson did a lot of damage, I am not a Woodrow Wilson fan. I think Biden, if he succeeds with a radical agenda that's coming from Bernie and AOC and Elizabeth Warren, would do even more damage to the country than Wilson did.

[Michael Knowles]

And you're seeing in some ways Woodrow Wilson is this progressive genius who sets up progressivism in the federal government. But now you're seeing the flowering of that. So Joe Biden, I don't think he's a deeply read man. I don't think he's particularly scholarly. I'm not telling tales out of school here. He's had some issues with his academic claims over the years, but he is, as you say, boring. But radical. He's kind of the flowering of that. So I would have to agree. And Senator, before we go, just to give you one more book club, it occurred to me when you mentioned the very tense vote between the trustees of the society, that that vote was very nearly one vote away. If only they had read your book, perhaps they would have understood the law better. The matters at stake, we have to hold it there. We look forward to taking more mailbag questions from our wonderful subscribers very soon. Please send those in. If you happen to leave a five star review on Apple while you do that, if you happen to get us over that hurdle on YouTube by subscribing, that would be terrific. In the meantime, I'm Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz.

[Ted Cruz]

Foreign.

[C]

This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, Freedom and Security pac, a political action committee dedicated to supporting conservative causes, organizations and candidates across the country. In 2022, jobs, freedom and Security PAC plans to donate to conservative candidates running for Congress and help the Republican Party across the nation.