Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz – Exclusive with Scott Jennings on "A Revolution of Common Sense"

Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Date: December 3, 2025
Guests: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson, Scott Jennings
Episode Focus: An in-depth conversation with political commentator Scott Jennings about his new book, "A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization."

Episode Overview

This episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," co-hosted by Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz, features a lively and candid interview with Scott Jennings—a conservative commentator known for his regular debates on CNN—discussing his new book about Donald Trump's second term. The conversation covers the creation of the book, Jennings’ access to President Trump and his cabinet, the strategic differences between Trump’s first and second terms, media outrage cycles, culture war issues, and the future "AI race" with China. The tone is humorous, irreverent, and unapologetically partisan.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Scott Jennings’ CNN Role & Book Backstory

• Jennings describes his journey to CNN:

  • Initially joined in 2017 after having done Fox News commentary in 2016 (08:49).
  • Became a more integral part of CNN’s programming for the 2024 election, serving as a rare conservative voice.
  • Faced open resistance when promoting his book, repeatedly turned away by bookstores for political reasons:

    “We've been hung up on. We've been told no. … I laugh, these lefties constantly complaining about banning books. The only one I ever heard of was this one.” (08:15 – Scott Jennings)

• Genesis of the Book:

  • Title inspired by Trump’s use of “revolution of common sense” in his inaugural address.
  • Jennings directly pitched the book idea to President Trump, arguing conservatives deserve a positive inside account of his administration (09:51).
  • Secured access to President Trump, several cabinet members, and key White House staff, traveling with the president and sitting in on major meetings (10:58).

2. Key Themes and Issues from Trump's Second Term

a. Policy & Governance Shifts (First 100 Days)

• Unprecedented Volume of Executive Orders:
  • Jennings compares the start of Trump’s new term to FDR’s, describing it as "the most active presidency since FDR." (11:24)
  • Immigration cited as Trump’s “biggest success”—with a “99% decrease” in illegal crossings (11:38).
• Other priorities:
  • Major push on energy policy, deregulation, and overturning “DEI” (diversity, equity, inclusion) initiatives from government and corporations (11:40).
  • Significant focus on cultural issues and rolling back left-leaning policies.

b. Trump’s Leadership and Team

• Comparing First vs. Second Terms:
  • First-term team characterized as unprepared “dog that caught the car,” with some disloyal appointments (13:19).
  • Second-term team “matches his leadership style,” staffed by loyalists focused on executing Trump’s agenda, with a “bias towards action” (14:15).
  • Trump conducts frequent, high-intensity cabinet meetings, expects rapid execution from subordinates.

c. Media Outrage and its Limits

• “The Arsenic Quantum of Outrage” Theory (Ted Cruz, 18:26):

  • No matter how much Republicans do, the media’s capacity for outrage is fixed, so by overwhelming them with multiple actions, Democrats and the press become ineffective.
  • Example: All-consuming outrage over minor policy changes, then inability to keep up with dozens of simultaneous conservative policy moves (20:00).

• On CNN’s Coverage:

  • Jennings notes media will fixate on trivialities to create outrage, e.g., “Trump slept through a cabinet meeting” for closing his eyes for a moment (20:07).
  • Immigration and criminal cases (Kilmer, Abrego Garcia) used to whip up anti-Trump sentiment.

3. Democrat Strategy and Polarization

• Cruz and Jennings argue Democrats act from fear and hate for Trump (26:09), often choosing extreme positions simply in opposition to Trump’s stance:

  • “If Trump has sort of an idea of, like, what the 80s are, and he knows they will reflexively pick the 20s because he picked the 80s…” (Scott Jennings, 26:23)
  • Example of Democrats going against popular positions (“80/20 issues”) out of reflexive opposition: border security, policing, and gender policy.

• Democrat “performance theater” and shutdowns:

  • Government shutdowns sometimes serve no purpose other than to publicly signal enmity toward Trump (Senator Cruz, 22:29).

4. Cultural Politics: Straws, Toilets, Paper, and "The War on Common Sense"

• Mockery of environmental policies:

  • Humorous takes on toilet paper, paper straws, and inefficient appliances as evidence of left-wing excess and “common sense” gone awry (28:28–31:36).
  • Notable quote:

    “Is there any person on earth that does not hate a paper straw that disintegrates in your mouth?” – Ted Cruz (30:18)

• Paper Straw Backstory:

  • Jennings relays (with amusement) the origin myth of the paper straw crusade, which started with a child’s school report, and the irony that such straws may be worse for health and the environment (30:25).

5. Trump’s Legacy: Foreign Policy, Immigration, and the AI Race

• Foreign Policy:

  • Jennings predicts Trump will be remembered as the “most consequential foreign policy president,” advocating “peace through strength” in the Reagan mold (31:45).
  • Cruz emphasizes the value of the U.S. president being feared by adversaries.

• Immigration Enforcement:

  • Trump’s approach to enforcing current immigration law cited as a defining achievement.

• AI and the U.S.-China Race:

  • Both Cruz and Jennings frame the AI race as an existential struggle:

    “Either the United States is going to win or China is going to win. … If China wins, AI worldwide will reflect China’s values… If America wins, hopefully AI will reflect American values of freedom.” – Ted Cruz (36:39)

  • They acknowledge public fear of AI technology (Cruz cites 70/30 poll splits against AI), economic dislocation, and the “elite discontent” as even white-collar jobs are threatened by automation (39:06–41:07).

  • The need for clear policy, pragmatic education changes, and solutions to economic disruption is stressed.

6. The Trump-Musk Dynamic

• Behind-the-Scenes Story:

  • Cruz and Jennings recount the moment of Elon Musk publicly breaking with Trump, which happened during a school choice policy meeting in the Oval Office (44:07).
  • Both express relief—and a dash of humor—over the two leaders reconciling, emphasizing their importance to “saving the West” (46:05).

• Media and Leftist Outrage Against Musk:

  • Cruz highlights the hypocrisy of the left for turning on Musk, despite his climate achievements, simply due to his Trump support (48:03).

7. Scott Jennings’ Approach to Political Debate

• Jennings as a “Happy Warrior”:

  • Cruz praises Jennings for being “devastating and beautiful” on CNN, arguing with humor and poise rather than bitterness (49:36).
  • Jennings cites Reagan’s lessons and the efficacy of arguing “with a smile on our face.”

• Who Should Buy the Book?

  • Jennings suggests gifting it to relatives afflicted with “Trump derangement syndrome” for the holidays (49:36).
  • Cruz jokes about a previous co-host’s success selling a blank book as a gag about Democrats’ lack of wisdom (50:40).
  • The group humorously references a (fictitious) embarrassing photo section in Jennings’ book to close the segment (51:51–52:14).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He does so with a smile. He does so with a light touch. He absolutely dominates the lefties.”
  – Ted Cruz on Scott Jennings’ CNN appearances (03:06)

• “I think when you become a Republican president, you have entrenched things that are working to destroy you … you have media that's trying to destroy you, bureaucrats trying to destroy you... and they're all sort of work together to overwhelm you. And he basically just decided, 'I'm not going to be overwhelmed, I'm going to overwhelm them.' That's the story of the book.”
  – Scott Jennings (12:17)

• “If you have a moment that is 90 seconds that you're just like body slamming someone, I inject it like heroin into my veins.”
  – Ted Cruz on watching Jennings’ viral CNN clips (06:37)

• “We argue best when we argue with a smile on our face and a little bit of humor and a little bit of self-reflection.”
  – Scott Jennings (49:36)

• On AI:

  “Either the United States is going to win or China is going to win... Either China will have won the race, in which case AI worldwide will reflect China’s values, or America will have won, and hopefully AI will reflect American values of freedom.”
  – Ted Cruz (36:39)

• On Democrat strategy:

  "They operate only out of fear, not principle, not ideas. It's strictly operating out of fear, and it's also strictly operating out of hate."
  – Scott Jennings (26:23)

Important Timestamps

• Start of core content / introductions: 02:38
• Discussion about the book pitch to Trump: 09:51
• Key issues in Trump’s second term: 11:24–12:45
• First vs. second-term differences: 13:08–14:53
• Media outrage cycles (“arsenic quantum”): 18:26–20:00
• Democratic opposition as a product of “fear and hate”: 26:07
• Humor segment on straws, toilets, and common sense: 28:28–31:36
• Trump's foreign policy and AI legacy discussion: 31:45–37:13
• AI, employment, and economic transformation: 39:06–42:47
• Trump-Elon Musk “breakup” and reconciliation: 44:07–47:53
• Jennings' debate style and final book pitch: 49:36–51:17

Conclusion

Episode Takeaways:
The episode blends in-depth political discussion with storytelling and humor, offering a rare look inside the workings of Trump’s post-2024 presidency and the Republican messaging strategy. Scott Jennings’ book, "A Revolution of Common Sense," is positioned both as a positive conservative insider account and as a resource to combat “Trump derangement syndrome” during family gatherings. Topics such as the volatile AI job market, polarized media narratives, and enduring culture war battles are woven through the narrative, with Cruz and Jennings agreeing on the urgency of these issues for the future direction of the West.

Recommended For:
Listeners interested in post-2024 American conservative politics, Trump’s second term strategies, the role of mainstream media, and the intersection of culture, technology, and governance.

Further Resources

• Book: [A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization by Scott Jennings]
• Scott Jennings’ radio show: Salem Network
• Verdict podcast archive: Available on all major platforms

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