The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (Verdict Bonus Episode): “Here are the Receipts - Soros Funds Fake No Kings Rallies, plus Stopping the Mass Murder of 50,000 Christians in Nigeria”
Original Air Date: October 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this bonus episode, Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz dive into two major topics:

1. The Funding and Organization behind the recent “No Kings” anti-Trump rallies, alleging ties to George Soros and other left-wing advocacy organizations, and
2. The ongoing mass murder of Christians in Nigeria, a humanitarian crisis overlooked by mainstream media, and Cruz’s proposed legislative response.

Throughout, the dialogue mixes hard-hitting political commentary with direct appeals to listeners, detailed legislative proposals, and notable interludes featuring outside media voices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. “No Kings” Rallies: Astroturf or Grassroots?

[03:18–24:06]

• Senator Cruz and Ben Ferguson dissect recent anti-Trump “No Kings” rallies (02:00–03:18), asserting that they are not authentic grassroots events but instead orchestrated and funded largely by left-wing networks fronted by George Soros and similar donors.
• The hosts highlight the lack of diversity at these rallies and mock the mainstream media’s framing of them as massive, populist protests.
• Cruz criticizes left-leaning rallies as “Astroturf”—artificial grassroots movements engineered through elaborate funding channels (06:26–07:00).
• Funding Pipeline “Receipts”:
  • Open Society Foundation (Soros) “has given away more than $32 billion,” with at least $7.61 million to Indivisible, which organized or materially supported the “No Kings” events (14:10–16:00).
  • Other groups like Tides Foundation were also cited as significant funders.
• Media Critique: Ben Ferguson alleges pre-rally and real-time media coverage wildly exaggerated march sizes and impact (09:20–10:08).
• Senator Cruz: “The irony of no kings... these are the same radical left wing Democrats that indicted Donald Trump...in an effort to stop the voters from re electing him... Then they tried to remove Trump from the ballot. Thankfully, the Supreme Court said no.” (06:44–08:09)
• Cruz mocks the left's inconsistency: “They call this the no Kings rally. What they really want to protest is the Kings rally... When you coronate someone... and skip the whole voting thing, that is kind of right at the heart of monarchy.” (08:09–09:17)
• Both note that the rally-goers are predominantly older, white liberals; Senator Cruz: “It was like a Patagonia convention with lots of prune juice.” (16:11)
• Disinformation: Both mention falsified videos and social media posts inflating actual protest turnout using recycled past footage.
• Law & Order Angle: Panelists compare “No Kings” issues to ongoing debates about policing, safety, and crime in American cities—arguing activists are removed from those realities and more interested in spectacle than substantive change. (18:33–20:43)

2. Legislative Response: The Stop Funders Act

[20:43–25:44]

• Senator Cruz details his legislative proposal, the Stop Funders Act, which:
  • Would add “rioting” as a predicate act under RICO (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), allowing prosecutors to hold financial backers of violent protests criminally liable.
  • Argues that current funding structures deliberately split across organizations to evade accountability, but this bill would connect the dots and allow prosecution of those who bankroll coordinated riotous activity.
• Cruz expresses confidence in Republican support but notes the difficulties posed by the need for 60 Senate votes to overcome a filibuster, predicting party-line opposition from Democrats (24:18–25:44).
• Ferguson: “This isn't authentic or organic. It is bought and paid for... pay to play politics.” (11:40)

3. Mass Murder of Christians in Nigeria

[30:52–43:14]

• Humanitarian Crisis Illustrations:
  • Over 50,000 Christians killed, 18,000 churches and 2,000 schools burned by Boko Haram and other Islamist militants since 2009. (31:19–33:20)
  • Senator Cruz reads from the U.S. State Department’s 2024 report, documenting grave human rights abuses, including targeted violence against Christians.
  • Nigerian government is accused of “acquiescence” and, in some cases, direct prosecution/persecution of Christians under blasphemy and Sharia laws.
• Legislative Action:
  • Cruz has introduced a bill requiring the Secretary of State to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” imposing sanctions on officials complicit in or turning a blind eye to atrocities.
  • Pushes for both Congressional action and executive (possible Trump administration) intervention.
• Why Isn’t the Media Covering It?
  • Ferguson and Cruz repeatedly lament the near-silence in Western and particularly American mainstream media, attributing lack of coverage to bias and disinterest (“It’s Africa... and they should be [talking about it],” Cruz at 40:07).
  • Cite frustration that leftist groups and students protest aggressively over Gaza but ignore far greater documented mass violence against African Christians.
• Quotes & Outside Voices:
  • Bill Maher (via Real Time): “If you don't know what's going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck... This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza... They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country. Where are the kids protesting this?” (39:26–40:01)
  • Van Jones (CNN): “Africa right now is being overrun by Islamist terrorists, including Boko Haram, with no conversation about that at all... There’s almost no response from the global left and no attention from mainstream media is a crime against African people, black people and human rights.” (40:58–41:52)
  • Senator Cruz: “There are not many issues that bring together. Me, the Pope, Bill Maher, and Van Jones.” (43:14)
• Call to Action:
  • Cruz urges listeners to share about the crisis, pressure Congress and the administration, and “highlight 50,000 Christians massacred since 2009, the single greatest mass slaughter of Christians anywhere in the world.” (37:18–38:00)

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Astroturf Funding:

• “Turns out that deranged Trump hating America hating radical socialist, Marxist anarchist police abolishing nutcase billionaires can fund what looks like an awful lot of action. I gotta say, given all that cash, what is striking to me, Ben, is how lame the result was.” — Sen. Ted Cruz (15:09)
• “It was like a Patagonia convention with lots of prune juice.” — Sen. Ted Cruz (16:11)

On Media Framing:

• “Meanwhile, the average American was watching football on Saturday.” — Ben Ferguson (10:08)
• “Their messaging is incoherent, but at the end of the day, there is no messaging other than a primal scream. They hate Trump.” — Sen. Ted Cruz (08:46)

On Nigeria and Injustice:

• “The most Christians being murdered anywhere on the face of the planet is happening in Nigeria.” — Sen. Ted Cruz (34:25)
• “No Jews, no news.” — Van Jones (41:41)
• “You can't read about it in mainstream media.” — Sen. Ted Cruz (40:08)

Outside Voices:

• “This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza.” — Bill Maher (39:41)
• “No Jews, no news. As long as you can put the Jewish state in the conversation, it's going to be a big conversation. If you can't, you get no attention at all.” — Van Jones (41:44)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:18–12:35 — Discussion starts on “No Kings” protests, media coverage, demographics, and authenticity.
• 12:35–16:42 — Breaking down Soros/Indivisible/Tides funding; analysis of turnout, social media inflations.
• 16:42–24:06 — Broader discussion on protest funding, accountability, Cruz’s Stop Funders Act.
• 24:18–25:44 — Political prospects for passing the Act; legislative mechanics.
• 31:19–36:59 — Deep dive: State Dept. report, mass killings of Nigerian Christians, Nigerian govt. response.
• 37:18–43:14 — What happens next, foreign policy pathways, media response, Bill Maher & Van Jones soundbites, final call to action.

Tone & Style

• Conversational, sardonic, and strongly opinionated, with humor and rhetorical pointedness throughout.
• Frequently shifts between serious policy detail and cultural/political mockery.

Conclusion

This episode of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (Verdict) offers a dense, spirited critique of the left’s protest strategies and the U.S. media’s selective outrage, while sounding the alarm over an underreported humanitarian tragedy in Nigeria. Senator Cruz presents both political analysis and direct legislative proposals, challenging listeners to scrutinize protest funding and advocate for oppressed Nigerian Christians, all while lampooning what he casts as the left’s inconsistency and performative activism.

Listeners are encouraged to share the episode, engage with their representatives on the issue of Nigeria, and hold media and politicians accountable for selective outrage and inaction on genuine global crises.