Podcast Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Verdict with Ted Cruz — Honoring and Remembering My Tia Sonia

Episode Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: Ben Ferguson (guest host), Senator Ted Cruz ("Michael" in transcript)
Guest: Sonia Cruz ("Tia Sonia"), Senator Cruz’s aunt

Main Theme & Purpose

This special episode is a personal tribute by Senator Ted Cruz to his late aunt, Sonia Cruz (Tia Sonia), who passed away on January 25, 2026. Departing from the usual political commentary, the episode centers on her extraordinary life as a survivor of both Batista’s and Castro’s dictatorships in Cuba, her fierce commitment to liberty, and the lessons her story holds for current political discourse in America—especially on socialism, communism, and their real-world impacts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sonia’s Background and Legacy

• Senator Cruz introduces Tia Sonia’s passing (03:01)
  • Cruz pays tribute to his aunt, noting her larger-than-life personality and her role as a “warrior for liberty.”
  • He recalls her history: daughter, fighter in the Cuban counter-revolution, and survivor of Castro’s torture and imprisonment.
  • Notable quote:
    “I called her my Tia loca, my crazy aunt. She is fiery… She loved liberty, she loved America.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (03:01)

2. Initial Revolutionary Hopes in Cuba

• Public sentiment at the start of the revolution (06:40)
  • Sonia describes the initial hope when Castro seized power, promising equality and opportunities.
  • Quickly, these promises collapsed into universal poverty.
  • Memorable explanation:
    “In reality, yes, everybody went the same, but everybody was poor. Everybody went down… Everybody lost.” — Thea Sonia (06:40-07:18)

3. Cuban Totalitarian Tactics & Indoctrination

• Culture of Fear and Surveillance (07:56-09:47)
  • Sonia details how the regime turned families and neighbors into informants, with a designated government watcher on every block.
  • She shares a story about discrimination even when returning as an American citizen.
  • Quote:
    “If you’re Cuban, you can’t do [certain things]. You’re Cuban, so you can't…” — Thea Sonia (09:47)
• Indoctrination in Education (12:26-14:19)
  • Sonia’s mother, a teacher, had to “play crazy” to avoid indoctrinating children in communist propaganda.
  • Cruz adds:
    “My grandmother pretended she was insane… she wasn’t allowed to quit. She would rather have the stigma… than indoctrinate these kids.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (13:17)

4. Myths Versus Realities of Cuban Socialism

• Refuting Political Praise of Cuba (14:19-15:43)
  • The episode critiques American politicians (notably Bernie Sanders) for romanticizing Cuban socialism.
  • Sonia rebuts tourist perceptions and government-fabricated visits:
    “They take you where they want you to go. They showed you the model school, best hospitals… That is not true. He is lying.” — Thea Sonia (15:29-15:43)

5. Personal Cost of Dissent

• Persecution and Survival (16:27-17:27)
  • Sonia recounts being hunted, arrested, and held without her family’s knowledge for her counter-revolutionary activism.
  • Quote:
    “You were pretty clearly fighting against the regime?”
    “Totally against Castro. Yes.” — Senator Ted Cruz & Thea Sonia (16:37-16:40)

6. Everyday Hardships and Poverty

• Chronic scarcity, healthcare failures, and resilience (17:32-19:22)
  • Sonia and Cruz describe the dire lack of basic goods and healthcare.
  • Memorable and vivid:
    “She leaves… her underwear and bra… nobody has underwear [in Cuba] because there’s so much poverty.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (17:48)
  • On Cuban healthcare:
    “Doctors come to your house in a bicycle and they're hungry… I bought [food] and the doctor said, 'Can I have one?'” — Thea Sonia (18:43-19:22)

7. American Perceptions and "Glamorization" of Socialism

• American youth and the appeal of socialism (23:05-24:32)

  • Discussion of polls showing American millennials/Gen Z favoring socialism while lacking understanding of its meaning or history.
  • Quote:
    “What is drawing young Americans to this evil ideology?... It doesn’t work guys. It does not work… There’s nothing given to you. You need to work and achieve your dream by hard work.” — Thea Sonia (23:38-24:04)

• Iconography and ignorance (24:48-25:21)

  • Cruz jokes about the ubiquity of Che Guevara T-shirts:
    “If you’re going to celebrate people that torture and murder, maybe put up a poster of Hitler next?” — Michael/Ted Cruz (25:00)

8. Suppression of Religion

• Communism vs. faith (25:33-29:02)
  • The anti-religious nature of communist regimes is explored.
  • Story about soldiers teaching children to pray to Castro for candy to demonstrate indoctrination (29:02-29:33).
  • Quote:
    “[In schools] soldiers would… tell the children to pray to Jesus for candy… nothing. Pray to Fidel Castro—then they got candy. This is the literacy program Bernie Sanders is praising.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (29:02-29:33)

9. The "God That Failed" and Communism as Substitute Religion

• Core emotional and philosophical disillusionment (32:32-34:08)

  • Cruz asks Sonia about her deepest shock and despair as communism collapsed:
    “The biggest… was seeing the people suffering for not being able to even get food to put on the plate. It’s so basic.” — Thea Sonia (32:58)

  • Economic reality:
    “An average person makes $30 a month… [they] drink water with sugar to fill their stomachs.” — Thea Sonia (33:35, 33:45)

  • On hypocrisy:
    “The Communist Party rulers… Fidel Castro lived like a billionaire… the rulers live like kings and everyone else is miserable.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (34:01-34:08)

10. American Political Risks and Warnings

• Could it happen here? (34:32-35:54)

  • Debate over whether Americans could elect a socialist, and media complicity in downplaying extremist views.

  • Cruz’s warning:
    “It’s all fine and good to celebrate [socialism failing]… Unless he ends up winning. God help the direction this country goes if that happens.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (35:51)

  • “There’s no place to go after America.” — Thea Sonia (36:00-36:03)

11. Personal Reflections and Farewell

• Senator Cruz closes with final thoughts about Sonia’s legacy (36:22)
  • Recounts final moments—assuring Tia Sonia that “the Cuban communist regime is going to fall next,” which made her smile even in her last days.
  • Emotional tribute:
    “She is truly a warrior for liberty. Thea Sonia, I love you.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (37:18)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “What Bernie is saying is bunch of garbage.” — Thea Sonia (07:22)
• “They indoctrinated the people since they were tiny little kids.” — Thea Sonia (29:50)
• “You need to work and try to achieve your dream by hard work and by doing what you want to get ahead.” — Thea Sonia (24:04)
• “If you look at these communist regimes, they persecute faith. They persecute. They prevent people from… [worship].” — Michael/Ted Cruz (27:58)
• “Communism has been called the God that failed. Right. It was a substitute religion, a substitute God. And it failed.” — Senator Ted Cruz (32:32)
• “There’s no place to go after America.” — Thea Sonia (36:00)
• “She is truly a warrior for liberty. Thea Sonia, I love you.” — Michael/Ted Cruz (37:18)

Important Timestamps

• 03:01 – Introduction to Sonia’s life and legacy by Senator Ted Cruz
• 06:40 – Sonia recalls initial promise and quick disillusionment under Castro
• 07:56-09:47 – Stories of surveillance, discrimination, and repression in Cuba
• 12:26-14:19 – The story of Sonia’s mother’s resistance in education
• 15:29-15:43 – Sonia debunks American political praise of Cuban socialism
• 16:27-17:27 – Persecution and detainment for anti-communist activism
• 17:45-19:22 – Experiences with deprivation and Cuban healthcare
• 23:05-25:21 – American youth's ignorance about socialism and the glamorization of Che Guevara
• 25:33-29:33 – Faith under communism and examples of indoctrination in schools
• 32:32-34:08 – The emotional failure of communism; elite hypocrisy
• 34:32-36:03 – Could it happen in America? “Nowhere left to run”
• 36:22-37:18 – Senator Cruz’s final tribute to Tia Sonia

Tone & Language Notes

• Tone alternates between deeply personal, reflective, and urgent warning.
• Senator Cruz and Sonia speak with warmth and humor, but the episode remains passionate and cautionary about the real-world impact of political ideologies.
• Language is direct, with vivid personal anecdotes and clear political views.

For listeners: This episode provides a deeply personal and historical perspective on the perils of socialism and communism, told through the firsthand experiences of a Cuban survivor and the intergenerational reflections of her family. Beyond the political polemic, it is an emotional tribute to courage, the love of freedom, and the warning not to forget lessons from history.