Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz – “Terror Comes to America from Biden Afghan Terrorists”

From: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: December 4, 2025
Main Speakers: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the fallout from the Biden administration’s evacuation and resettlement of Afghan nationals in the U.S. It examines a recent deadly attack on National Guard members by an Afghan immigrant, critiques the vetting process (or lack thereof) of Afghan refugees, and discusses the political and ideological motivations behind these immigration policies. Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson assert that these events were foreseeable and discuss the broader security, social, and humanitarian implications for America.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recent Attack by an Afghan National

• Incident Details:
  • [03:07] Senator Cruz recounts the shooting of two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom (age 20, died) and Andrew Wolfe (age 24, in critical condition), by an Afghan national shortly after their swearing-in.
  • The shooter was an Afghan brought in under Biden administration policies with "very limited vetting."
• Sen. Cruz’s Reaction:

  “If that is not infuriating, then I don’t know what is. … This was sadly the predictable and the predicted outcome.” (Senator Ted Cruz, [03:07])

2. Critique of Biden Administration's Afghanistan Policy

• Synopsis of Withdrawal:
  • [04:54] Cruz details the rushed withdrawal, abandonment of Bagram airbase, and subsequent chaos in Kabul—resulting in the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers.
  • Highlights the administration’s focus on political optics (wanting to be out by 9/11 anniversary) over security or planning.
• Ideological Accusations:
  • Cruz accuses Biden and his team of refusing to acknowledge the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.

  “This is an administration that refused to recognize radical Islamic terrorism exists.” (Senator Ted Cruz, [05:41])

3. Vetting Failures and the Refugee Resettlement Process

• Lack of Vetting:
  • [10:00] Cruz reads his own 2021 tweet warning of inadequate vetting and advocating for resettling Afghans in a “neutral and safe third country” unless a rigorous security screening was passed.
  • [11:21] Emphasizes moral obligation to allies, but accuses Biden’s team of “insanity” in letting unknown individuals freely enter the country.
• Numbers Game:

  “It was just a numbers game after the disaster, to try to make it go away.” (Ben Ferguson, [12:11])

• Child Marriage and Abuse Concerns:
  • Cruz highlights reports of older men arriving with child brides during intake, citing disturbing statistics on domestic violence and child marriage in Afghan culture ([14:31], [17:20]).
• Notable Quote:

  “According to the World Health Organization, more than half of the women in Afghanistan are married as child brides. And 90% of women are subject to domestic abuse. 90%.” (Senator Ted Cruz, [14:31])

4. Testimony and Government Admissions

• Senate Hearing with Tony Blinken (Secretary of State):
  • [13:23–16:46] Cruz presses Blinken on whether the State Department provided lists of allies and Afghans to the Taliban and probes about the intake of individuals potentially involved in child marriage or abuse.
  • Blinken confirms manifests were given in “limited situations,” but avoids specifics.

5. Predicted Dangers and Media Narratives

• Senator Cruz’s Previous Warnings:
  • [20:01] Plays a clip from a previous “Verdict” episode (Sept 2021) warning of the risk of terrorism and other abuses due to lax vetting.
• Media Spin:
  • Ben Ferguson notes media attempts to shift blame to Donald Trump, while the show asserts the responsibility lies with Biden ([20:58]).

6. Pattern of Violence and Immigration Policy

• Further Security Incidents:

  • [23:36] Cruz describes another Afghan national’s arrest in Texas—caught via TikTok video threatening to bomb a Fort Worth building.

• Broader Security Concerns:

  “When you let people in, you don’t vet them, this violence and this terrorism is predictable.” (Senator Ted Cruz, [24:20])

• Open Southern Border:

  • Ferguson and Cruz discuss the intersection of the Afghan resettlement and continued issues at the US-Mexico border, including known terrorists on watch lists entering the U.S. ([26:09], [27:24]).

7. Ideological and Partisan Dimensions

• Progressive Silence on Islamist Extremism:
  • [30:58] Cruz and Ferguson highlight the refusal of Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib to condemn chants of “Death to America” in her district.
  • [33:15] Cruz calls this “ideological incoherence” and evidence of problematic priorities within the progressive wing.
• Impact on Women’s Rights:
  • Cruz lambasts Democrats’ failure to defend women’s rights in cases involving abuses by Islamist groups, arguing identity politics trumps concern for these victims ([19:42]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On predictability of the tragedy:

  “Some of us, including the two of us, including the Verdict podcast, have been predicting this was going to happen for more than four years.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz ([03:56])

• On Biden’s evacuation plan:

  “They were both over inclusive and under inclusive … They were waving people in.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz ([12:44])

• On the refusal to condemn extremism:

  “If you are a member of the United States Congress … it ought to be easy to say, ‘Yeah, of course, death to America is wrong.’ It speaks volumes that Rashida Tlaib was unwilling to even condemn chants of death to America in her own congressional district.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz ([33:15])

• On intersection of policy failures:

  “On the one hand, they’re opening the southern border and letting anyone come in … on the other hand, they’re affirmatively flying tens of thousands of Afghans.”
  —Senator Ted Cruz ([27:24])

Major Segments & Timestamps

• [03:07] – Explanation of the National Guard shooting by an Afghan immigrant
• [04:54] – Critique of the Afghanistan withdrawal and political context
• [10:00] – Cruz presents his 2021 warning tweet on Afghan refugee vetting
• [12:44] – Discussion on "over inclusive and under inclusive" nature of evacuations
• [13:23–16:46] – Exchange between Cruz and Blinken on vetting, child brides, and State Department actions
• [20:01] – Playback of 2021 podcast clips warning of security risks
• [23:36] – News of another Afghan national arrested for bomb threats in Texas
• [26:09] – Open borders policy and border security failures discussed
• [30:58] – Rashida Tlaib refuses to condemn "Death to America" chants in Dearborn, MI, with clip
• [33:15] – Cruz critiques progressive ideology overriding condemnation of extremism

Final Takeaways

• The hosts argue that tragedies like the National Guard shooting are a predictable result of the Biden administration’s ideological approach to Afghan refugee resettlement and border security.
• They suggest that political priorities and progressive ideology led to a lack of meaningful vetting, putting Americans at risk, and that these warnings were made years in advance.
• The episode calls out Democratic figures for failing to condemn extremist rhetoric and connects these security risks to larger trends in immigration and national policy.

For listeners seeking insight into the conservative critique of Biden’s Afghanistan policy and its domestic ramifications, this episode provides a detailed, emotionally charged analysis, punctuated by direct quotes, government testimony, and repeated calls for accountability.