A CONVERSATION WITH TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZ

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show – A CONVERSATION WITH TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZ

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Guest: Senator Ted Cruz (Texas)
Platform: SiriusXM POTUS Radio / Podcast

---

OVERVIEW

In this riveting episode of Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith, Stephen goes "beyond sports" to interview Senator Ted Cruz in front of a live studio audience in Washington, D.C. The episode dives deep into hot-button political issues such as the federal government shutdown, the controversial release of the Epstein files, the role of bipartisanship, redistricting, immigration, antisemitism, and more. The discussion ranges from the nitty-gritty of Senate rules to the future of the American left and right, always fueled by Stephen’s signature straight-talk and Cruz’s unfiltered conservative perspective. Listener questions drive the latter segment, resulting in a refreshingly nuanced, candid dialogue rarely heard in today’s polarized media landscape.

---

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Federal Government Shutdown and Congressional Dysfunction

[17:17] Stephen A. Smith: "First things first, the shutdown is over. Thank the good Lord."

• Cruz explains the 43-day government shutdown resulted from Democratic political infighting, particularly pressure on Chuck Schumer from the party’s progressive wing.
• The filibuster's 60-vote requirement means bipartisan consensus is necessary, but party divisions prevent progress.

“The Democrats, I think, wanted a shutdown... It was basically just political anger that shut the government down. But a lot of Americans were hurt by the consequence.” — Ted Cruz [17:26]

“Isn't this just kicking the can down the road, though?” — Stephen A. Smith [19:15]

2. The Filibuster Debate

• Cruz staunchly defends the filibuster, arguing that removing it would unleash a wave of progressive legislation, including federalizing election law and packing the Supreme Court.

“If the Democrats take over, they'll end the filibuster. But from our end, we're not going to participate in the demise of the institution.” — Ted Cruz [21:47]

3. Redistricting & Gerrymandering

• Cruz admits Texas’ redistricting benefits Republicans, but claims both parties gerrymander and cites even more lopsided districts in Democratic states like Massachusetts and California.

“Both sides do it and they've done it from the beginning of all time... Politicians are going to be political.” — Ted Cruz [25:07]

• Stephen challenges the double standard, asking, “Isn't that playing the same game you accuse Democrats of?” [24:56]

4. The Influence of Progressives and Party Moderates

• Cruz expresses concern over the absence of Democratic moderates and fears the far left has taken control.

“When Trump was elected in 2016, he basically, I think, broke the brains of the Democrats... The effect of Trump is basically the moderates were chased out of the Democrat Party.” — Ted Cruz [29:11]

5. Cruz’s Relationship with Trump

• Stephen bluntly asks Cruz how he can support Trump after personal attacks in the 2016 race.
• Cruz says his duty to Texas outweighed personal grievances and touts policy accomplishments.

“If I was going to get my feelings hurt and say I'm going to take my ball and go home, I could do that. But I better be prepared to resign from the Senate... I had a job to do.” — Ted Cruz [30:58]

• Stephen: “None of us ever had a problem with [Trump]... it would be hypocritical... now that he's president to act like it was otherwise.” [32:42]

6. Immigration and the Southern Border

• Cruz credits Trump with drastically reducing illegal border crossings and claims support among Texas Hispanics for tougher enforcement.
• Stephen presses Cruz on ICE tactics and optics for the Hispanic community.

“Hispanics, you wanna see a secure border. You wanna see your community safe... I won Hispanics in Texas by six points statewide. And Trump won Hispanics in Texas.” — Ted Cruz [36:14]

• Stephen voices discomfort with aggressive ICE actions and asks, “How do you explain to Hispanics... that that's okay?” [35:38]

7. Epstein Files and Political Hypocrisy

• The show opens with Stephen’s skepticism about both parties’ reluctance to release the Epstein files, suggesting it’s “leveraged dirt” with potential electoral fallout.

“You got to fall back to what my boy said: Trump has become a verb... trumping the Democrats at every turn, playing them like a fiddle.” — Stephen A. Smith [06:12]

• He criticizes both parties for posturing, saying, “There’s always a damn workaround... if you wanted those files open, you could have found a way.” [11:14]

8. Bipartisanship & Political Extremism

• Stephen makes a passionate case for checks and balances and for breaking the all-or-nothing partisanship that is fueling chaos and public anxiety.

“I like checks and balances... I want both sides to be compelled to have to communicate with one another in an effort to get things done... It's the best way to avoid chaos.” — Stephen A. Smith [12:49, 13:20]

9. NCAA, NIL, and College Sports Reform

• In a crossover to sports, Cruz discusses bipartisan work on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) reform with Cory Booker and Chris Coons, emphasizing preserving opportunities for young athletes and HBCUs.

“College sports is a mess right now... If we don't act, I think we're going to see a lot of schools ending their athletic programs.” — Ted Cruz [40:05]

“My hope is we'll come together in a way that brings some sense of order and semblance and protects college sports.” — Ted Cruz [41:46]

10. Antisemitism, Tucker Carlson, and Rhetorical Extremes

• In a memorable closing segment, Stephen and Cruz agree on the dangers of rising antisemitism, calling out both the left and the right.

“Tucker is dangerous. I think what he's saying is wrong. And I'm calling him out over and over and over again... I don't want to wake up in five years and see the Republican Party have gone down the path of the Democrats.” — Ted Cruz [50:10]

• Cruz calls for both parties to expel extremists: “If you are a bigot... you got no business in the Republican Party and we don’t want you.” [51:03]

---

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• “There's no way that Trump is going to sign off on releasing the Epstein files and not have a boatload of stuff to throw in the Democrats' direction.” — Stephen A. Smith [06:12]
• “There's always a damn workaround. That's all I meant... Where there's a will, there's a way.” — Stephen A. Smith [11:14]
• “If illegal aliens voted, Texas would turn blue instantly... We would end up with the same policies in Texas they have in California.” — Ted Cruz [20:15]
• “Politicians are going to be political. And that’s not new. That was true from the very beginning of time.” — Ted Cruz [25:07]
• “He's got courage, he's got guts in a way that there are not many people in politics that have.” — Ted Cruz on Trump [33:12]
• “I think enforcing the law is entirely consistent with also welcoming legal immigrants. You know, my dad came as an immigrant from Cuba.” — Ted Cruz [38:06]
• [On NIL Reform] “We need to act to preserve that opportunity and to get it done.” — Ted Cruz [40:05]
• “[Tucker Carlson]... he's gone down a very dark path. And I don't want to wake up in five years and see the Republican Party have gone down the path of the Democrats.” — Ted Cruz [50:10]

---

AUDIENCE Q&A HIGHLIGHTS

Economic Anxiety & Political Division

• Stephen A. champions economic stability as a unifying force: “If people are thriving financially, they have something to lose—and suddenly sensibility kicks in.” [55:51]

On Healthcare / Obamacare

• “Even though we lament what the Democrats came up with with Obamacare, at least they did something... Where’s the Republican health care plan?” — Stephen A. Smith [59:15]

The Future of the Left & Right

• Stephen expresses more concern about the rise of far-left progressives than about Trump, due to the potential for lasting generational change:

“I’m more concerned about the extreme left than I am about Trump... because of the far progressive leftists out there, I think that's a reason to be far more concerned about the state of America.” [66:07, 71:09]

Term Limits

• “I do think there should be term limits with senators and I most certainly believe there should be term limits with the courts.” — Stephen A. Smith [72:30]

---

SECTION TIMESTAMPS

| Segment | Start | End | Key Points | |--------------------------------|---------|---------|-----------------------------------------------| | Opening Monologue (Epstein, Shutdown, Partisanship) | 00:00 | 16:52 | Epstein files, government shutdown, bipartisanship| | Ted Cruz Interview Pt. 1 | 16:52 | 39:32 | Shutdown, filibuster, redistricting, Trump, immigration, ICE| | Ted Cruz Interview Pt. 2 (Sports, NIL, NCAA) | 39:32 | 48:45 | NCAA, NIL legislation, bipartisanship with Cory Booker| | Ted Cruz Interview Pt. 3 (Antisemitism, Tucker Carlson)|48:45|54:45| Antisemitism on Left/Right, Tucker Carlson| | Audience Q&A & Callers | 55:11 | End | Division in America, healthcare, future of parties, term limits|

---

OVERALL TONE & THEMES

• Direct. Spirited. No-Spin. Stephen A.'s passionate, common-sense approach pervades the discussion, whether pushing Cruz for harder answers or wrestling with his own political frustrations.
• Candid Bipartisanship: Both Cruz and Stephen A. highlight the importance of working across the aisle and reject extremism on both left and right.
• Skepticism of Political Institutions: There's repeated frustration at political self-dealing, the influence of money, and lack of accountability.
• Relatability: Personal anecdotes, sports analogies, and honest Q&A create a forum that feels “in the room”—not just another TV panel or soundbite.

---

FINAL REMARK

This episode is a masterclass in frank political dialogue—anchored by sharp questions, ideological candor, and moments of real human insight. Whether you lean left, right, or somewhere else, you'll come away challenged, informed, and maybe a little more hopeful about the possibility of truly understanding the other side.

Transcript

[Stephen A. Smith]

Straight shooter with stephen a.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Welcome to the latest edition of Straight Shooter with George Truly, Stephen A. Smith coming at you over the airwaves of SiriusXM POTUS radio, channel 1 24.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The caller number is always is 866-967-6887.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

That's 866-96-POTUS. You heard the audience clapping in the background. That's foreign territory for me. In doing this show since September 17th, I've never done the show in front of a live studio audience, but I have a studio audience in front of me.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm honored to have everybody here.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Thank y' all so much for being a part of today's show. In approximately 20 minutes or so, the senator from the great state of Texas, the one and only Senator Ted Cruz, will be in attendance right here in studio with yours truly. We got obviously a lot to talk about. There's a shutdown down that came to an end after 43 days of absolute senselessness on the part of both parties.

[Stephen A. Smith]

As far as I'm concerned, because the.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

American people suffered, not them, which is.

[Stephen A. Smith]

A problem that we can get into.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

At a later date.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How federal workers weren't being paid, but elected officials were being paid.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

How folks was having a health care.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Compromise, but these folks still receiving health care.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Don't get me started with this stuff.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay?

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So we're glad that that's over as Thanksgiving approaches, as Christmas approaches, and we don't have to worry about that. A contin resolution will ultimately be revisited come January 31st, and we'll go on from there. There's also the issue of the Epstein files, and that's where I'm going to start today because it's necessary. Okay? And I'll be taking questions from the studio audience. I'll be taking calls before the show is over. There's a lot of stuff to get into, but due to the fact that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not some political aficionado that's spending my life covering politics, I come from a layman's perspective.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I kind of bring it home and.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Exercise common sense as I tack a lot of these issues.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

As a conscientious observer, as a voter, et cetera. There's certain things that make sense and then there are certain things that simply do not. So President Donald Trump had religiously stated, it's much ado about nothing, you understand, had given indications he didn't want the Epstein files open. This is after he had campaigned on opening the files. This is after he had campaigned opening the files and after he had campaigned on opening the JFK assassination files and everything else. Suddenly it's much ado about nothing, and he didn't want to touch it. A lot of people found that very, very suspicious. It made it a very, very uncomfortable position for the President to be in. You know, it's bad when MAGA turned against you, when MAGA is on the same side as the progressive left and they're aligning with one another to come after you to open those files, you know that. You know, that's big. You know, that's a big deal. Okay, we've heard Marjorie Taylor Greene and some of the things that she called Donald Trump out about. We've seen Senator Massie out of Kentucky and some of the things he called Donald Trump out about. We've seen so many other people on the left calling Donald Trump out. And I sat back and I said.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To myself, something's fishy. Something ain't right. And I'm not talking about Donald Trump, I'm talking about the rest of them.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Because eventually he just stopped talking about it. There was always another issue that came up. If he wasn't attacking reporters from ABC or the View, he was attacking somebody from cbs. He was attacking somebody from late night. He was attacking, I mean, headline after headline after headline, anything to distract us from the Epstein files, which was growing in terms of his suspicion and its intrigue.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And then he did something that I didn't see coming.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

He said, to hell with it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Open the files. I'll sign to open the files.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

No problem. And the first words that came to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

My mind was, oh, because Donald Trump is not going to do that. If it's going to be something that significantly hurts Donald Trump, he's going to do it. If, dare I say, he's got something.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

On other people, because that is who we know him to be, ladies and gentlemen, that's what it is. There's no way around this. And sure enough, one of the first names that came out was Larry Summers, who worked as a Treasury Secretary under the Clinton administration, who'd worked on economic policies for Barack Obama, who was religiously associated with the left, who was still teaching at Harvard, and then ultimately had.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To step back and step away from public settings and things of that nature, scale back his role within the last 24 hours, because he was one of the names that appeared in the Epstein files. He was somebody that knew Epstein. He was somebody that kept in constant contact with Epstein. He was somebody that Epstein had influenced and coaxed Epstein into donating millions upon.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Millions of dollars to Harvard University. I mean, in excess of $9 million. Okay. This is the kind of stuff that was happening and you found yourself saying, oh, damn. And ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Tell you that's exactly what you should be thinking. It should be, oh, damn. Because that's just the first shoe to drop.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Why is Larry Summers bothered? Why does he have to step away? Why has his reputation been impugned to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To some degree? It's very, very simple when you think about it. The reason that it happened was because.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

There were emails, and those emails revealed that this man that had been married.

[Stephen A. Smith]

For decades was asking Jeffrey Epstein for dating advice.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And we don't know all the details about it, but this man that had been married for decades needs dating advice. Obviously, it wasn't to date his wife. And not only was he communicating with Jeffrey Epstein prior to Jeffrey Epstein being arrested and indicted back in 2007, 2008, whenever it was, this was his bar. This was a year before Epstein had committed suicide, reportedly like 2018. And he's in there asking for advice on how to pick up this woman after the man had been associated with sexual assault and sexual offenses of minors. You were still communicating with him. Is that somebody that you asked for dating advice from? He did. He did. And then as you look and you scour the Internet and you see old footages, we've seen old footages of Michelle Obama, we've seen old footages of Barack Obama, we've seen old footages of Bill Clinton. Ladies and gentlemen, do you really, really think that Donald Trump is going to sign off on releasing the Epstein files and not have a boatload of stuff that he's going to throw in the Democrats direction at some point in time? We got to fall back to what one of my boys, Jeff Brown in la, said. He said Trump has become a verb. The name Trump has become a verb. He's trumping the Democrats at every turn, playing them like a fiddle. Now, I don't know whether this is true or not, but I know there are people that believe that. And the reason why you got to have sub or attached substance to it because. Because what else would make sense? You got a 2026 midterm election coming up. You think Donald Trump's gonna do something to harm himself and damage or compromise his legacy with what he's trying to get done, whatever that may be. You think he's going to do that? He's not going to do that. If he does it, it's going to be, hey, it's because of them. He got questioned by the media just 24 hours ago, while he had the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in attendance with him, supposedly them getting a pledge of $1 trillion dedicated to U.S. businesses. The pledges. I don't vibe with that, by the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Way, ladies and gentlemen.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Give a damn about a pledge. Where's the dollars? You can promise me anything. When you deliver the money. Let me know. I'm not getting caught up in the pledges.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But that's beside the point right now.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

With the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in attendance, with the reporters getting on his nerves because they're asking what Donald Trump would say are rude and nasty questions. I never see the question so rude. Never see questions so nasty. That's it. That's how he rolls. Getting annoyed at it. He said, but I'll answer the question. And then proceeded to bring up Clinton to, proceeded to bring up Larry Summers and proceeded to hit at other Democrats. Meanwhile, Pam Bondi for the DOJ and others are telling you that once he signs legislation basically releasing the Epstein files, that they're going to get it to the public in 30 days. What the hell you need 30 days for? You've had the files for months. We know what that's about. You're going to redact stuff that could be potentially incriminating to Republicans, to yourself or various others to help your cause when you're in power. This is the kind of leverage, this is the kind of cachet that you're able to exercise, plain and simple. We all know that. But what that does mean is the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Democrats, once again, one could easily argue.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Are at his mercy because he allowed them to go out and blow V8 sticking out their chest. Open the Epstein file. Open the Epstein file. Open the Epstein file. And that's what this has come down to. Now, I know I made news and everybody was saying I didn't know what I was talking about when I was saying, why didn't the Democrats open the Epstein file? I understood, and I didn't mean to imply that Joe Biden could just snap his fingers and open it. You got to get jurisdiction from the courts to do that. I got that part. I totally get it. What I was saying was whatever maneuvers you needed to exhaust to get the files open, just like this president and this administration could pull off stuff like that, so could have y' all over the previous four years when a different administration was in office. That's all I was saying. Whatever you, whatever ledge, whatever legal maneuvering you had to exercise in order to pull off getting those files open, don't tell me that you could not have Done it. I'm just speaking about that as a layman. Where there's a will, there's a way. And you can't tell me that if you wanted those Epstein files opened over the previous four years, that you couldn't have found a way to get those files open. I'm not saying that there weren't laws put in place that prohibited you from doing so. I'm trying to say there's a workaround. Why? Because this is America.

[Stephen A. Smith]

There's always a damn workaround.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

That's all I meant. Everybody want to get into the minutia. Oh, he said this. He said that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You're wrong.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You're missing for all.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Stop it.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Stop being children. You know exactly what I'm saying. When there's a will, where there's a will, there's a way. And if you can find it, you will as a president, as a legislator, period. So somewhere along the way, it appears, particularly as we learn more and more.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And more.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That there was an incentive for various elected officials not to prioritize getting these files opened. Am I making it up now? Is it not making sense?

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

This is what we have to pay attention to. And so as a result, now the most important pertinent question needs to be asked. What kind of effect, if any at all, do you think this is going.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To have.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

With the 2026 midterms coming up with Trump and his cachet and what he's plotting to do, whatever that may be, and whatever level of influence he's willing to wield. See, for me, the way that I look at it is very, very simple. I like checks and balances. As this studio audience is sitting right here looking at me, understand who I am. I am a person. I am an American citizen. I am a voter. I am a conscientious observer who does not want one party in complete power. If the Republicans got the White House, I want the Democrats to have the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

House or the Senate.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

If a Democrat has the White House, I want the Republicans to have the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

House of the Senate.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I want both sides to be compelled to have to communicate with one another in an effort to get things done. Why is it so important to me that bipartisan chip enters the fray? And somehow, some way, we as American citizens are witnessing our elected officials go across the aisle being forced and compelled to work with one another in order to get things done. Why is that?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I would say to you it's the best way to avoid chaos. Now, stay with me. Where I'm at as I'm sitting here.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Talking to a National audience over the airways of Sirius XM, POTUS radio channel 124, as I'm talking to a live studio audience right here in front of me, understand where I'm coming from. I want y' all to think about this as I'm sitting and looking y' all eye to eye right in your faces right now. I want you to think about something very, very important. Think about the angst that you feel. Think about the discomfort, that rate that just sifts through your veins when we think about our politics. And then ask yourself, before pausing for one second, what role did the friction.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Between both sides play in it?

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

If you're a liberal or you're a conservative, and once. And both sides are telling you, if we don't get our way, all hell and fury is going to kick in, it's going to be nothing but chaos. Armageddon is going to arrive, the world as we know it, America is going to fall apart and crumble before our very eyes if we don't get our way. And one side is telling you that, how's the side that loss going to feel? You're going to be in panic mode because the politicians that are legislating our lives involving healthcare, involving immigration, involving the economy, involving safety in the streets, involving affordability, involving education, et cetera, they're telling you if you don't get your way, it's all coming to an end.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How could we possibly be comfortable? We can't be comfortable.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

We're worried as hell because you've convinced.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Us that it's when or else because you're not working with one another.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But when you're working with one another on both sides of the aisle to reach some kind of accord, you get some, they get some. You don't get some things, they don't get some things. You might lament certain things along the way, but in the end, you. You're saying we're going to be okay because they're working together. And then on top of it all, Representatives got two years and then they can be in again or they could be out. Senators got six years, then they could be in again and they could be out. The president's got four years, then he or she could be in or he could be out. And there's something along the way that tells us no matter what we're looking at, it's going to be all right.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What has happened is they haven't done that.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

They've played us like pawns. And because that has happened, it's created the level of vitriol and cynicism and dare I say, hatred from one side or the other that has sifted into the streets of America, that has made our lives uncomfortable.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And that's why I'm here to talk to as many people as I can about these issues. And who better to talk to in terms of one of those people than the three term Senate senator from the great state of Texas. His name is Ted Cruz. I am looking forward to this conversation. He's coming up next right here on Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Don't go away. We'll be right back.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

36 minutes past hour number one, back.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Here on Straight Shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. Smith.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Coming at you as I love to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do every Wednesday night from 6 to 8pm over the airways at SiriusXM POTUS radio channel 124. It's my honor and privilege to have this man. I've been waiting to interview him for a long, long time. He is the great, he is the senator from the great state of Texas, the one and only Ted Cruz. How are you, sir? Nice to finally meet you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

How's everything, Stephen? I'm doing fantastic. Thank you for having me, man.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you for being here. First things first, the shutdown is over. Thank the good Lord.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Amen.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What took it so long?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, the Democrats, I think, wanted a shutdown. You know, you look at, we had 15 votes, 15 votes that Republicans voted to open the government and 15 votes that Republicans, that Democrats voted to keep it shut. And I think the reason for it at the end of the day was a political problem that Chuck Schumer had. So you go back to March. So look, the fundamental problem is to pass any funding for the government, take 60 votes in the Senate. That's the filibuster rule. That's the way the Senate's operated forever. There are only 53 Republicans. That means to open the government, to fund the government, you've got to get at least seven Democrats. You actually have to get eight because Rand Paul always votes no. So you got to get eight. Back in March, the last government funding expired and the Democrats worked with Republicans to keep the government open. And what happened is the left wing of the Democrat Party got furious. I mean, Schumer almost lost his job. And so I think this time Schumer felt the need. He had to show that he really, really, really hates Donald Trump. And so the Democrats voted no on funding. And they, I mean, we did it over and over and over again. Ultimately, after 43 days, eight Democrats broke and voted with us to reopen the government. And it was. Look, I think it's a political dynamic where there is a real battle in the Democrat Party. I don't know that Schumer survives because even after he voted 15 times not to fund the government, even after he voted no the last time, when the government opened up, you still had a bunch of voices in the Democrat Party saying, fire Chuck Schumer. And so I think it was basically just political anger that shut the government down. But a lot of. Lot of Americans were hurt by the consequence.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Isn't this just kicking the can down the road, though? Because it's only for the next couple of months to get through the holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And then after that, we were visiting this all over again at the end of January, right?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, January 30th, we could do the whole thing all over again and again. We got to get 60. So if the Democrats all vote no again, it'll shut down on January 30th.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You wouldn't have to if you got rid of the filibuster, which is what the President is proposing you guys do. Where do you stand on that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, that's not going to happen. The votes are not there on the Republican side.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Why not, though?

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Why.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Why aren't the votes there?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Because if you look at the last Congress. So when Joe Biden was in the White House and you had a Democrat Senate and a Democrat, Schumer tried to end the filibuster, and he would have. Every Democrat but two voted to end the filibuster. The two who voted against it were Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona. Now, by the way, both of them were chased out of the Democrat Party, so they're not there anymore. If the Democrats had ended the filibuster and Kamala had won in November, I'll tell you what January of this year would have looked like. Schumer would have ended the filibuster, which means he could pass any legislation he wants with just 50 votes. The first bill he would have passed is a bill that's called S1. And it's the first bill Schumer introduces every Congress. And it is a federal takeover of election law nationwide. So it strikes down election integrity laws all over the country. It strikes down photo ID for voting over the country. It's designed, frankly, to. To make sure Democrats win elections across the country. The second thing they would have done is added two new states to the union. They would have added D.C. and they would added Puerto Rico. And the reason they would do that is, they believe that would elect four new Democrat senators. The third thing they would have done is they would have granted immediate voting rights to every illegal alien in the country and citizenship if that had happened. Let's take my home state of Texas. If illegal aliens voted, Texas would turn blue instantaneously. There are 29 statewide elected officials in Texas. All of them are Republican right now. The next election, all 29 would flip Democrat and Texas would literally become California. We would end up with the same policies in Texas they have in California. And the fourth thing they would have done is pack the U.S. supreme Court. Right now there are nine justices. They wanted to add four new left wing justices. Take it to 13. Look, my view, I'm an optimist by nature.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Are you?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I am deeply. I believe in America. I believe in. I believe in brighter days ahead.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I was just joking about it because.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You don't sound optimistic when you talk about the Democrats.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

That's all I meant by that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm not talking about America as optimistic as I am in that scenario. I don't know how you turn that around. There's no way that's designed to lock in permanent Democrat power. And ultimately the filibuster stopped that. And so I think a lot of Republicans say, look, that's the only thing that stopped us from going over a cliff. So most Republicans think if the Democrats take over, they'll end the filibuster. But from our end, we're not going to participate in the demise of the institution.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, what you just finished describing, educate, because you know more than the rest of us, but educate us about what role the whole redistricting issue in Texas played in terms of what you just articulated. Because obviously when everybody looked at the redistricting, they were thinking about more seats. That's what Donald Trump came out of his mouth and said there would be more Republican seats in the House and what have you. And so because they were looking at it from that standpoint, people were saying that essentially that the GOP was trying to do exactly what you just described the Democrats were trying to do. How do you argue against that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So look, there's no doubt that Texas redistricting was designed to increase Republican representation. If you look at at Texas under the current map, there are 38 congressional seats in Texas. About 56% of Texans vote Republican right now in the last election, 2024, and about 65% of the congressional seats are Republicans. So a little bit more than the percentage of the state. But 56 to 65 is pretty close. You know, Where California is right now, where 83% of the congressional seats in California are Democrat. And one pattern you see across the country, Democrat states are overwhelmingly gerrymandered, much more than Republicans are. So what Texas did is it went from, from 65% Republican to the new map they drew was 79% Republican. So it did increase it. It would have added five new Republican seats. California responded by going from 83%.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Was it 89 or 90?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

92.

[Stephen A. Smith]

92.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And so it would. And you look at other states like Massachusetts, there are nine congressional seats. You know how many are Democrat? All of them, 100%. That's true of New Mexico, that's true of Maryland. They drew their maps. Actually, Maryland has one Republican, but they drew their maps. You look at Democrat states that are overwhelmingly skewed, like, you know, Massachusetts, 35% of the voters vote, Republic 0 members of the House. Look, my view on it, there's a natural back and forth and give and take. And by the way, there can be a check on, you know, gerrymandering. Sometimes you draw districts to try to win more seats. If your party has a bad election, you can end up losing those seats because you lessen your margins. But in Texas, the majority of the voters are Republicans. They support conservative policies. And I think it is in Texans interest to have a Republican House of Representatives. And that's what the legislature.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Well, some people will look at it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And they'd say, okay, you're playing the same game you're accusing the Democrats of playing and that's not good because two wrongs don't make a right. Senator Ted Cruz, what do you say to that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I say both sides do it and they've done it from the beginning of all time. And look, 20 plus years ago I was the Solicitor General of Texas, which is the chief lawyer for the state in front of the U.S. supreme Court. And one of the very first things I walked into in 2003 when I was appointed.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And you clerked under William Rehnquist. I did.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Who was an incredible friend and boss and mentor. But I showed up as SG I was 32 years old in Texas, 20, 22 years ago. Did redistricting then. And so I find myself still then as a very young lawyer in the middle of litigation on redistricting. So I spent a lot of time and ended up helping try the case in court. And then it went to the U.S. supreme Court and I argued it in 1, 5, 4. And the central question there that, that the Democrats were challenging the redistricting is they said it was too political. It was done to elect more Republicans. And my defense, which the Supreme Court agreed with. So I said, look, the Constitution leaves redistricting questions to elected state legislatures. Politicians are going to be political. And that's not new. That was true from the very beginning of time that they knew politicians would be. You know, the word gerrymander comes from Elbridge Gerry, who was one of the founding fathers of our country. And Elbridge Gerry had a district that looked like a salamander. So gerrymander is his name, Jerry plus salamander.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And what the Supreme Court concluded is, listen, politicians are going to be political on both sides. That's how the democratic process works. But it's better to have districting lines drawn by elected representatives where if the voters are ticked off, they can throw the bums out than it is. The other alternative is to have, say, unelected judges drawing lines. And the Supreme Court said, that's not what the Constitution says.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, the courts just ruled. They just basically ruled against the state of Texas. And, you know, Governor Abbott said, you know what, we're going to appeal this immediately because they didn't vibe with what Dex has tried to do in this particular situation.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Were you surprised at all about that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Decision or did you expect it?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You know, I was. I was a little bit surprised. I will say I think the decision will be reversed. So. So the state of Texas is going to seek a stay of the U.S. supreme Court. My prediction is the Supreme Court will stay the decision. We'll say this is not going into effect. The new map, you got congressional candidates who are out there campaigning. They filed, they're raising money. They're, you know, we're, we're less than a year away from the election. So I think the Supreme Court will end up leaving the new map into effect. But I think we'll, we'll learn that soon. My guess is in the next couple of weeks.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I got a lot of stuff that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I want to get in with, into with you today. And by the way, before you leave today, we go get into the. I'm going to mention. I'm going to mention something about the NCAA with you because I know a lot of stuff that you're doing, and I'm not going to forget that I'm a sports guy.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I can't wait to talk to you about that. But I gotta ask you, by the.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Way, you still play ball?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Oh, hell no.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I mean, my knees won't allow it, Senator. My knees won't allow it. It's over. It's over. You know, you just hit a wall one day. You just recognize I'm just not what I used to be.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I. Look, I'll tell you, if you ever feel up to it. I play twice a week.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Really?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Now, look, I was.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Am I getting challenged to a game.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Of basketball by a senator? Is that what's happening right now? I'm just saying it's something I'll entertain if my knees. If my knees stop acting up. Absolutely.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So we only play half court. There we go. A little bit easier.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I got you. I got you. I want to go from a macro.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Perspective into you, this party, the state of affairs in this country. Mom, Donnie Zorron Momdani is the new. Is the. Is the mayor elect of New York City. We know he's a renowned socialist, unapologetically so. We saw what happened. Even though Spamberger in Virginia, Cheryl in New Jersey, they were more moderate than he was. We've seen this movement, and one of the things that you just alluded to was the progressive influence on the Democratic Party. As a member of the GOP party right now, how concerned are you about this? How concerned do you believe your party is about this and why?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, I am worried about it. When I was first elected to The Senate was 13 years ago. And when I got there, there were moderate Democrats. There were people who you could work across the aisle. You could reach common ground. There are a lot fewer of them. I mentioned, you know, Manchin and Sinema, who were the two most prominent moderates in the last Congress. They both got chased out of the Democrat Party. And I saw it happen. When it really happened was when Trump was elected in 2016, and he basically, I think, broke the brains of the Democrats. They just hate him. And look, I understand Trump. Trump also enjoys sticking his thumb in their eye. I mean, he takes some. He revels in it, but it drives them crazy. And listen, I work very closely with President Trump. I understand people who could disagree with him, and you can have a reasonable, reasonable debate on all sorts of topics. But the effect of Trump is basically the moderates were chased out of the Democrat Party. I think that's really unfortunate. I think the country would be better with two functioning parties that are not extreme. And I hope that changes over time.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What about those who would ask, you talk about the Democrats and how they just hate him.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

What about those who would ask, why.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do you like him? We saw how he treated you when you were competing against him in 2015 for the presidency.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

We saw how he talked about your fan Talking about, your wife talked about, your dad talked about, you talked about. He said a lot of things that most people wouldn't forgive you. As hardcore as they come. Fair minded, no doubt, but hardcore as they come. The word forgiving nature, it's not the thing that gets associated with Ted Cruz. Is that fair to say? I mean, why do you seem so.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Nice and fair finding yourself to like.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Him a little bit? There's no doubt in the 2016 cycle, he and I beat the living daylights out of him and, and, and I beat the living daylights out of him, and he beat the living daylights out of me. And it was rough. And, you know, politics, it ain't beanbag. And, and listen, I won 12 states. I came within inches of winning the nomination, but he beat me. And, and when he got elected in November 2016, I had a choice to make. And I thought about it, which is I could have had hurt feelings. And he said some rough things about me, although, to be fair, I said some rough things about him, too. But I got a job to do, and my job is to represent 31 million Texans. And so if I was going to get my feelings hurt and say I'm going to take my ball and go home, I could do that. But I better be prepared to resign from the Senate and say I can't do my job because I didn't think I could do my job. We had an opportunity, I thought, in 2016, and we have an opportunity now to do a lot of good. And so actually what I did, I got on a plane right after he got elected in 16, and I flew to New York and I spent four and a half hours in Trump Tower and I sat with him and I said, look, we've been given an historic opportunity. We've been given. Republicans, have been given the White House and both houses of Congress. That's rare. That doesn't happen very often. And I said, we can't blow this chance. And I told him then, I want to roll up my sleeves and get to work so we deliver on our prom. And I've been his strongest ally in the Senate since then, and I think we've gotten a lot accomplished. I'm proud of the record of what's gotten accomplished. And, you know, you've spent time with him.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I've known Trump, I've known. I haven't spent time with him at all since he came down those Escalades.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Okay.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But prior to that, that's why I.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Don'T vibe with all the people that just talk the things the malicious things that they say about him on a personal level, I think it would be hypocritical because all of us in the world of sports, we were associated with him. We used to go his events all the time. We talked with him all the time. None of us ever had a problem with them. And I'm one of those person people that refuses to, all of a sudden, now that he's the president, even though.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I don't like some of the things he does, Senator, I don't like some of the things he does. I'm not going to turn around and.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Act like I didn't have that relationship with him prior to that. I'm not going to do that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, he's got, he is one of a kind. They broke the mold with Donald Trump. There's no one, there's never been anyone like him. I don't think there'll be anyone like him after that. What I appreciate about him is he's got courage, he's got guts in a way that there are not many people in politics that have. And that has led to, you know, you look at some of the successes. Let's take, for example, the southern border. Obviously, I represent Texas. During the last four years under Biden, we saw 12 million people come into this country illegally. It was the worst illegal immigration we'd ever seen. Crossing that was a big, big factor in 2024, it was a big factor in Texas. Trump came in and illegal border crossings have dropped more than 99%. I mean, that is a big deal. And that, that has resulted in improving the lives of a whole lot of people. And so I work with him because we're getting a lot of good stuff done. But he's also, I mean, he can be a lot of fun. He's got a great sense of humor. I mean, part of the reason people watch his rallies is when he's standing up there, you don't know what he's going to say. I mean, he could say, I mean, there are times where he says things. You just shake your head and say, I can't believe.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Most of the time it comes across.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Like he don't know what he was going to say.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

If we're being honest, I'm not comparing it to Biden, but sometimes he's rambling.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm like, my God, get to your point.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

He can have some riffs that are just, it's kind of free association, what pops in his head. But he's an entertainer. And look, you're, you're an entertainer. That's that's part of if you want people to turn on the TV and listen to what you're saying, you don't want to be boring. You want to say something interesting. And he, you know, people watch in part because they don't know what he's going to say, and that makes it interesting.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But Ted Cruz, you're in Hispanic. Okay. And you brought up the southern border.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

No doubt.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm unapologetic.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

The borders needed to be closed.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Because. Because Biden left. Now, had Biden imitated Obama.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Who deported more people than Trump, by the way. And first in. Trump did in his first term.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Had you mimicked the policies of a president you once served under, if Biden had done that, that would be different. But to open the borders, to claim that, you know what, we have no.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Border issue whatsoever, when it was clear as day that that simply was false, it was not true.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

There's no doubt that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I believe that Trump was absolutely right in saying the borders needed to be closed.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Right.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But I ask you this question as.

[Stephen A. Smith]

An Hispanic, as a United States Senator, when you see the actions, the optics of ice in the streets of America with Hispanics and others running, running away from them, when you see how many people say they're American citizens and they've been dragged out of their cars, they've been thrown to the ground, stuff like that, the visual, the optics, how does that make you feel? And how do you explain to Hispanics in this country, who are now the dominant minority in terms of numbers, how do you explain to them that that's okay?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, I think Hispanics, you can wanna see a secure border. You can wanna see your community safe. I'll tell you, in 2024 at the election, Texas is a majority minority state. We will by the2030s, will be majority Hispanic. And in this last elections, I won Hispanics in Texas by six points statewide. And Trump won Hispanics in Texas. And a big part of the reason you go down to the Rio Grande Valley, the Rio Grande Valley, which is South Texas, right along the border with Mexico, the valley has been blue. It's been Democrat for a hundred years. This last election, the valley flipped red. I won the valley and Trump won the valley. And the reason is when your home is invaded by 12 million people, people in the valley see, they see people being released. And you mentioned Obama. Look, I've joked, but it's true. I said Biden did something I used to think was impossible. He made me miss Barack Obama. Because, look, on immigration, Obama, by and large Followed the law. He deported millions of people. Remember, the left called him the deporter in chief.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah. Over 4 million.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. What Biden did, there's never been a president who's done this, which is he just defied the federal law. And when people were apprehended, they'd let them go. And, in fact, apprehended wasn't even the right term. So I spent a lot of time on the border. I'd go out with border patrol on midnight patrol, and you'd see groups coming across. They would go look for the border patrol, and they turn themselves in because they knew border patrol would. Would take custody of them. And they'd ask, where do you want to go? And they'd say, I want to go to New York. I want to go to Philadelphia. I want to go to Dallas. And the Biden administration had put them on a plane or put them on a bus and send them to every city in the country. And that, look, Hispanics in Texas saw the consequences of that. They saw the crime. They saw when 12 million people flood into the country, they saw the consequences. So if you look at who ICE is targeting, ICE is targeting violent criminals, they're targeting murderers, they're targeting rapists and child molesters and gang bangers. And I gotta say, in Texas, and I think in a lot of communities, I don't know, a lot of communities that say, you know, our families would be better off if we had more violent criminals here. And so I think enforcing the law is entirely consistent with also welcoming legal immigrants. You know, my dad came as an immigrant from Cuba. And when my dad came to America, he had nothing. He was 18, he couldn't speak English, and his first job was washing dishes, making 50 cents an hour. But he came legally. That's the right way to come. And I think in Texas at least, and in a lot of parts of the country, Hispanic voters recognize that there's a right way to come, and they want their families safe and secure just like everyone else.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We got more to talk about. Senator Ted Cruz in the house. Straight shooting with Stephen A. Smith right here over Sirius head radio channel 124. A lot of stuff to get into.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And I'm gonna get to the ncaa. That's just personal for me, y'.

[Caller/Guest]

All.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

It's a sports question, but damn it, you'll understand why I gotta ask this.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Man right here next to me that very question about the ncaa.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

A lot more to come up with.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Stephen A. Smith sending the Ted Cruz in the house. Back with you. Back with More in a minute.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Top of the 7 o' clock hour. Back here, Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Smith, the one and only Senator Ted Cruz out of the great state of Texas is right here in studio with.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Me with this live audience.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Sir, before I get back to politics.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm a sports guy.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And my, my, I hope I'm able.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To pull it off at some point.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You and on the left, Senator Cory Booker out of New Jersey have both.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Put forth legislation to, to really address the situation with NCAA sports, the student athletes. Tell my audience what that's about right now with you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, I think college sports is a mess right now. If you look at NIL and the transfer portal and it's just, it's the Wild west and, and I worry, I think Congress needs to act and I think most members of the Senate agree with that, that, that if we don't act, I think we're going to see a lot of schools ending their athletic programs. I think we're going to see smaller schools ending their athletic programs. I think we're going to see track and field, Olympic sports eliminated a lot of schools. And I think we need to step in and protect the rights. Look, I think NIL is a good thing. I think athletes deserve to enjoy the fruits of their labor. They develop great skills. So I think that's much more fair. But at the same time, I want a system. As you know, college sports has been an avenue for millions of young men and women to get education. People, the vast majority, you know, 1% of college athletes are going to play pro ball. Most are not going to play in the NFL, not going to play in the NBA. But young men and women, many of whom would never get a chance at an education, get to go through an athletic scholarship. And so I think we need to act to preserve that opportunity and to get it done. You and I started by talking about the shutdown. The same filibuster rule works. The only way we're going to pass nil legislation is if we get 60 votes. So I've been spending the last couple of years working real hard trying to get bipartisan agreement. We're not there yet. The person I'm working most closely with is Chris Coons from Delaware. Yes.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Who I know well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And, and Chris is a, is a smart guy. He and I have, have been on.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The Judiciary Committee, helped me immensely with HBCUs. Absolutely.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, and the HBCUs feel a real urgency on this, that, that if we don't fix nil, the HBCUs are worried. They're going to lose their sports program. And so my hope is we'll come together in a way that brings some sense of order and semblance and protects college sports.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Two things. Number one, count me in. Anything that you need from me, I'm happy to help in any way that I possibly can. And I am dying at some point in time to have you and Senator Cory Booker on together. Together to talk about this loan issue involving the NCAA and student athletes, because you two together, talking about the issues from both sides of the aisle. I think it's important for a national audience to hear. So thank you so much for that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, you know, it might surprise you, but Booker and I are friends. We get along quite well. We've gone out to dinner. People freak out in D.C. they see Cory Booker and me sitting at a dinner table and they're like, what? This is a sign of Armageddon? But Cory is. He's a smart guy. We don't agree on a lot of policy issues, but he's a smart guy. He's got a great sense of humor.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah, he's been on the show.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Although I will tell you, I'm gonna talk a little bit of smack on Corey. I mentioned I played play hoops.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes. So, yeah, football.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So. So a bunch of senators have played with me, but two senators, Booker and Marco Rubio, both gave me the same lame ass excuse.

[Stephen A. Smith]

They ran from you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

They both said, ted, if you're over 40 and you're playing hoops, you're going to tear your Achilles. And I said, look, you can either be dead or you act like you're dead. And both of them were college football players. I mean, Booker was a serious college football player.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So I haven't been able to get either one of them. So I keep talking smack, trying to get one of them to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, I mean, I mean, it's not the biggest thing, Senator, to brag about how you challenge Marco Rubio to a basketball game. I mean, I love the guy.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I mean, I mean, I think. I think.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I think that he's a threat to be the next President of the United States. He's got a chance as Secretary of State, National Security.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Right.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I mean, we know. We know what Marco Rubio brings to the table and what he was as a senator, but I mean, he's about.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

What, five, five, five, six.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I mean, he's actually probably five, nine. But he was a running back.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I mean, we say basketball, not football.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I. I understand. Okay. I'm just.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm just saying.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

All right, I want to ask You. As. As a sports guy, what do you think are the chances my Rockets win at all? Because I'm bullish on them.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I think they got a chance. I think Oklahoma City is the best team in basketball right now. You'd have to go through them. They've got size, they've got athleticism, they've got shooting, they got perimeter shooting. They're an elite defensive team, and they have the best player, one of the best players in the world in sga. He's absolutely fantastic. But you guys are exceptionally well coached by Ime Udoka. Kevin Durant is a superstar on the number one option. And you can start four dudes, six, 11 and above, which is what it may take to beat Oklahoma City.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You watched the last game against Orlando.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I didn't. I didn't see the last game.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Okay, so it was a game we. We trailed the whole game. It was not. We were not playing all that well. And then we fought back. And look, we got a bunch of young talent, but we needed a closer. We needed someone. In the last two minutes of the fourth quarter you can give the ball to and go skd. And Katie is. Is one of the greatest ever lived that do. And you look at it. Went to overtime and we won the game. And we literally were losing the whole game. It was. And made me feel very happy because that's the piece we were missing. Lots. Lots of talent. But someone who can.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Last point about this before I get to politics.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'd feel much more bullish about y' all had Fred Van Vliet not got injured.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I know.

[Stephen A. Smith]

God. That's him getting injured is. What did you end up in my opinion.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You still got a chance. Point guard.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You still got. You still got a chance. You still got a chance. Let me get back to politics here.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You running for president.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

At this point, my job. I.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You know, look, President Trump said that he supports you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, I'm not sure he said that, but he did say we're good friends and we work together very close.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes. And there's a long way to go.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Listen, what I'm doing right now is. Is doing my job, which is fighting for 31 million Texans, and we're winning some historic victories. So I'll give you an example. We just passed the big reconciliation bill on July 4th. I wrote a lot of that bill, and there are a lot of pieces there that are really important. Let me mention two that I think are the two most important parts of the bill, and I wrote both of them. One is school choice. And we passed the largest federal school choice provision that is ever passed. It's gonna help. It's gonna unlock billions of dollars of scholarships for millions of kids to attend a school of their choice, and it's going to transform their futures. That's now in the law. And secondly is what are called the Trump accounts. And I wrote this, too. We're starting next July 4th. Every child in America is going to have a personal investment account open for them. Every newborn child will have it seated with $1,000. Parents and family and employers can put 5,000 a year in a tax advantage account. All of that is invested in the s and P500, which means every child in America is going to get to experience the benefit of compound growth. And we're going to create a whole new generation of capitalists because our kids are going to be owners of the biggest employers in America. Both of those are in the bill that we passed on July 4th. I wrote them both. And those kind of victories are historic. I think, Steve, in 10, 20, 30 years from now, we'll look back and say that changed America in a way that was powerful.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

What about the Supreme Court?

[Stephen A. Smith]

People mention you about that because they think they, you know, listen, you've been called next level brilliant. People view you as somebody that's more than qualified to sit on the highest court in land. Your name has been broached in that regard, if not the presidency. What about that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So, look, I respect the Supreme Court immensely, and it's obviously, it's humbling to be discussed in that context. That is not the path I want to go. And the first term, Trump had three vacancies. He talked to me about all three, and I told him flat out, no, I don't want the job. And people are surprised. A lot of people say, well, gosh, you know, because much of my career has been arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court. That's what I did for a living before I was in the Senate. The reason I don't want to be a judge is a principled federal judge stays out of political fights and stays out of policy fights. And if I were a judge, that's what I'd do. I don't want to stay out of political fights and policy fights. I want to get right in the middle of fighting for school choice. I want to get right in the middle of trying to fix college athletics. I want to get right in the middle of securing the border. And the right place to do those fights is in the elected offices. And so that's where I am right now. And I literally. I jump out of bed every day. You know, my dad was an immigrant with nothing, and now his son gets to represent the state of Texas in the Senate. What an incredible privilege. And so I respect and even revere the Supreme Court. But I have told President Trump unequivocally, I don't want it. I would not accept it. But I'm proud of having worked with him to confirm some really good justices.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We're running out of time. I could have pushed back a little bit more with ice. In terms of who it's one thing, I have no doubt that they're targeting those folks, but also Tom Holman, who I respect and I've interviewed on this show on several occasions. You know, he's very dogged in his approach towards, you know, protecting, you know, closing the borders and making sure that folks don't cross the border illegally. When we talk about criminals and stuff.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Like that, there are times he comes.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Across as not drawing a distinction between actual criminals and those who just cross the border legally because it's illegal to cross the border.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

That.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's his mentality. And that's. And that's raised some flags.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Although I can bring that up.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not going to.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That's.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That'll be for another time. Here's what I wanted to bring up to you, because I'm very uncomfortable. This is not about you. I'm very uncomfortable with things that I've seen from Tucker Carlson.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Some of the verbiage, a recent interview with Nick Fuentes, some of the things that have been said, and we don't have time to get into the specifics per se, but it was very uncomfortable to listen to some of the stuff they've said about race, some of the stuff that was articulated about the Jewish community or whatever. And you made news because of an interview you had with Tucker Carlson months ago, whenever that was.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I want to know what are your.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Feelings about the state of this country, the climate, particularly when you see the kind of rhetoric that he's been tackling.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Listen, Stephen, you and I are on exactly the same page on this. And. And look, I. I look at a question of anti Semitism. I think 10 years ago in the Democrat Party, you started seeing anti Semitism rise, and a lot of the Democrat leaders looked the other way. They hoped it would go away. And I think it's all but taken over their party. And Mandami is a good example of just how extreme that can get. It's also happening on the Republican side. And in the last six months, I've seen more anti Semitism on the right than any time in my life. And it is wrong. And from my perspective, I'm going to do everything I can to stop it. I think Tucker is dangerous. I think what he's saying is wrong. And I'm calling him out. And I'm calling him out over and over and over again. When you have goose stepping Nazis on your program, when you have a professor who says, gosh, I think Winston Churchill is the villain of World War II, when you have another professor who says, there's a good argument America should have supported the Nazis In World War II, no, there's not. And that's garbage. And Tucker's gone down a very dark path. And I don't wanna wake up in five years and see the Republican Party have gone down the path of the Democrats. If we have a country where both parties are viciously anti Israel and welcoming and even celebrating of anti Semitism, that is an ugly place. And one of the things, when you go down the road of antisemitism, it very quickly leads you to anti capitalism and anti Americanism. And Mandami is a good example of that, where he's an Islamist, but he's also a socialist. And you look at Tucker, Tucker's going down that road too, in a way that I think is very dangerous. So at least on my end, and I'm encouraging other Republicans stand up and reject this, if you are a bigot, if you are a Klansman, if you are a Nazi, you got no business in the Republican Party and we don't want you. And I don't think you should be welcomed in either party because I think we should. Our country was built on equal rights for everybody.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You brought up mom, dummy. Yeah, and you, you threw his name into the equation. I mentioned Tucker Carlson. You just said Tucker Carlson, you just said what you said. And you said you were very, very concerned about the GOP and the Republicans as it pertains to the direction that they're going in. Who are you more concerned about as it pertains to that issue, The Democrats or the Republicans?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, both. I think the Democrats are much more far gone. Like I said, I think, and many of my colleagues in the Senate, they don't like what's happened to their party, particularly on these issues. But they're scared. They're scared of the radical left. You looked at Kathy Hochul and Hakeem Jeffries who rushed to Manhattan to endorse Mandami. It's because they're scared of the extreme left. Look, Chuck Schumer and the shutdown, that was the same AOC and Mandami is where all the energy is on the Democrat side and they're scared of it. The Republican Party, we're not there yet. But I don't ever want to see us get there. And so I don't want to make the mistake that the Democrats did. I want to say, and listen, I don't think I'm going to persuade Tucker. I've known Tucker for 25 years. He's a smart guy. But I'm not going to persuade him. I'm not going to persuade Nick Fuentes either. But I am worried about young people. I am worried about teenagers and 20 somethings who listen to this poison that's being spread. And look, we're so divided. We're so polarized. Something you said earlier, I agree with. We need to ratchet down the rhetoric. We need to stop attacking each other personally. And we're so polarized that I think, particularly young people, they take a permission structure where they say, oh, oh, this is what our team believes. Oh, okay, we hate Israel. Okay, we hate Jews. And anytime you see, look, we saw tragically when Charlie Kirk was murdered. And Charlie was a good friend of mine. I knew Charlie. I met Charlie when he was 18 years old and fresh out of high school. There were some loons online who said Israel killed Charlie Kirk. Now that's nutty. But that kind of conspiracy theory is a really dangerous, dangerous path to go down. And at least from my end, I'm going to do everything I can to stop the Republican Party from going that direction.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I know you have to go. I just want to say thank you because I've been trying to get you for a little while and I finally got you and you were kind enough to come in the studio. You're always welcome back on this show anytime. And I'm looking forward to having a lengthier conversation with you and I'm definitely looking forward to having that conversation with you and Cory Booker, strictly about the whole ncaa. Thank you so much for taking time.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Appreciate it, Steven. Thank you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I really, really appreciate the one and only set of the Ted Cruz right here with Stephen A Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Back with your calls and more in a minute.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

22 minutes past hour number two, back.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Here on Straight Shooter with yours truly, Stephen A. Coming at you every Wednesday night from 6 to 8pm Eastern Standard Time over the airwaves of SiriusXM POTUS radio. The number, as always, the call is 866-967688, 7. That's 8, 6, 6, 9 6, 7.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

6.

[Stephen A. Smith]

8, 8, 7, 8, 6, 6, 9, 6.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

POTUS. But before I get to the calls, we've got folks here in our studio.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Audience that have some questions that they'd like to ask. I am here. Let's go. How you doing, Mr. Smith?

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Thank you. My name is Alex Symanski. My question is, what do you believe to be the most prominent long term problem facing the United States and its future success as a nation?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Honestly speaking, I think at this particular moment in time, first of all, it always comes down to dollars and cents. It always comes down to the economy. I'm one of those people who firmly believes that if people are thriving financially, they have something to lose. And suddenly sensibility kicks in when you take into account what you have to lose. That gives you cause to pause and it enables you to refrain from, from some of your worst instincts, per se. And I think that's incredibly important to bring up. But I also think it's a division that presently exists within our nation that emanates from both sides of the aisle. The extreme, the fact that if you don't march lockstep with an ideology and what a party is promoting, then you're the Antichrist, you're the enemy. And when we live in the binary system that we live in, and it's an all or nothing mentality because there is no compromise, then that fuels chaos and mayhem and the American citizens are left to suffer. And I think that's why it's so important that we preach. It's not about getting along in a literal perspective. Like we all got to be friends and hug one another and sing Kumbaya to one another. It's about our humanity kicking in and us recognizing that. You may disagree with me and I may disagree with you, but that doesn't give me a license to hate on you or for you to hate on me. We can recognize a disagreement and say that we're not marching in lockstep with one another ideologically. But there are some things that I may make a valid point about. There are some things you may make a valid point about. And what we can agree to disagree about, we can do that. When Barack Obama was in office and he said it's okay to disagree without being disagreeable, it's amazing to me how many people ignored that part from both sides of the aisle when it comes to not hearing what they want to hear about your own ingrained personal beliefs. I was raised in the streets of New York City as a young black Kid Hollis, Queens, New York City after being born in the Bronx, my family voted Democrat for the most part. My mother was a staunch Democrat. My father was a centrist who leaned right. My mother and father argued all the time. The six children that they had used it as an opportunity to embrace different perspectives and different points of views because we were hearing stuff from both sides and we felt edified to some degree. And as a result, we were able to make our own choices as opposed to somebody saying, this is how you feel, this is how you will vote. This is what you're supposed to believe or else. And we live in an or else society these days where people will engage in demagoguery and demonization and will go about the business of belittling you at every turn. How can we possibly reach an accord if that continues? Especially when it's emanating from our very politicians and elected officials who we put in office to work with one another to get things done, and they're not working with one another on a large scale most of the time. We have no hope unless that changes. Thank you for your question.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Next question.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Sir, how are you?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm doing well.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Speak into the microphone so the audience can hear you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

My question for you is, what is something that you do agree with Democrats about?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, first of all, as somebody who primarily votes Democrat, the desolate and the disenfranchised are always a priority for me, when I think about the Affordable Care act, while I'm mindful and cognizant of the fact that it's not nearly what it was supposed to be, that it's not as successful as the Democrats had once tried to Portray, there is 24 million plus additional people who have health insurance. I like that. What I don't like is the fact that it's unsustainable, because what you told us it was going to cost isn't true. You told us if we want to keep our doctor, we could keep our doctor. That was false. You told us that it was going to cost less. That's not true. It costs more. You told us that the price tag was going to be approximately $950 billion. When it's escalated above $1.5 trillion and now you're looking for an additional $1.5 trillion just to keep it going when we already have a $37.8 trillion deficit, it's not sustainable. And so as a result, you do look at politicians. And again, I would have asked Ted Cruz. I had a thousand more questions for him, but the senator had limited time because they got stuff going off on Capitol Hill now. So I was just happy that he kept his word and decided to come over here and give me the 30 minutes that he gave me. And I appreciated that. But if I had more time, I would have said, okay, what are we doing about that? Where's the Republicans health care plan? Because even though we lament what the Democrats came up with with Obamacare, the Affordable Care act, at least they did something. And so by doing something, now you've got to try to find a way to make it work. You can't go with their plan. You just can't. Right now, as you look at the Democratic Party with the continual resolution issue, it's shameful. Even though the Republicans are definitely not blameless in all of this, it was absolutely, positively shameful that the, that the CR was held up because you were trying to get the Affordable Care act subsidies pushed into perpetuity. It was wrong. The fact of the matter is you have an obligation to come up with a plan to figure out a way that these exorbitant costs don't continue to escalate to such a degree that we completely eradicate the middle class. There are people in this audience here, these are middle class folks, okay? At least some of them. The fact is, is that when you look at the Affordable Care act right now, I'm no expert, but you don't have to be an expert to look at the deficit that we're under, the cost of health care, the price that premiums have elevated to deductibles have elevated to the fact that insurance companies and big pharma are getting all of this money. How the hell are the American citizens suffering with the cost of health care? And people in the, in a middle class and upper middle class is eviscerating before our very eyes and they're now going sinking to the lower middle class, if not lower. How is that happening? While stock prices for big Pharma and Insurance Company have elevated over 500 to 1100%, how's that happening? How are you making money? How is the deductibles or how was a premium once, $19, you know, a.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Month or whatever, a couple of years.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Ago, and then it elevated to 40 and now it's elevated to approximately $90. How's that happening? And whose pocket is that going into? And if you're gonna look at it and then you're gonna sit up there and look at the left because you're the one that came up with Obamacare, right? Which Ted Cruz and Others on the right obviously adamantly opposed. I'm looking at you and I'm saying, how do you come up with this health care and you don't come up with a device or mechanism in place to squash those loopholes so the insurance companies and big pharma aren't profiting as much as they are. The reality is you didn't do that. Why didn't you do that? You can't tell me you were stupid. You can't tell me you were ignorant or oblivious to it and you didn't know. The only thing that makes sense when you look at whether it's United Health Care, Eli Lilly, or whomever it is, you look at big pharma and insurance companies and those who have donated to.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Politicians and to the parties on both sides of the aisle.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, how can I trust you to police them when they are putting money in your pockets and you're taking it every chance you get? Think about what we talked about. He started off the show talking about the Epstein files. You've got politicians that's going to be seen in those emails pursuing Epstein for campaign donations, for dollars.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Think about that for a second. If you went and you were willing to take money from a dude who at the very least was arrested and.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Indicted on sex trafficking and all of this other stuff and dealing with minors.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And you're willing to take money from him, of course you ain't gonna feel.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Anything about taking money from insurance and big pharma.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

That means you bought and paid for. And if you bought and pay for it, American citizens the one being screwed. But you and I are sitting here talking, and me and somebody else would.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Be in the street arguing or ready.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

To fight or something like that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Why? Because of what they're doing.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Because $500 million, $300 million, $750 million, a trillion dollars ain't enough.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I want to get more and more and more where the money coming from. It's coming from the American citizen who then gets pissed off and wants to create hell and fury because their life is miserable because you didn't truly do anything to alleviate the problem. That's what we're talking about here. That's why you got me, a sports guy doing a political show. Because to me, it's not politics. To me, it's life. It's social commentary. It's me talking about life and what's affecting us as everyday American citizens. And it's the. It's the biggest incentive that I've had to ignore race. We got problems in this country. You're a black man. You're a black woman. It's racism. It's prejudice. Hispanics can say things like that as well or whatever. But when we talk about these kind of problems, I don't give a damn what color you are. I don't give a damn what your ethnicity is. We're all suffering together at the hands of those who have taken advantage of us and have abused us and have not taken care of business in a way that serves the best interest of the American people. I know this about me. I think about the American people. I don't think about myself. I think about us, meaning me and everybody else that ain't these folks on Capitol Hill who are not doing their job to protect us. That's what I think about. Thank you. Next up, how are you? How are you doing? I'm all right, thank you.

[Caller/Guest]

An opportunity to be here talking to you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

No problem.

[Caller/Guest]

You know, got to see you obviously talking to us before the. Before the show. And I can honestly attest that you're a very genuine person, and it was really awesome to be able to kind of, you know, see that. And so naturally. My name is Ashton Riyadh. My question is, what are your thoughts on the next 20 years of the conservative movement, which seems seemingly lockstep with Trump, versus the next 20 years of the progressive movement? As you can tell, there's a lot of discourse as to what direction one is handed. Like, you know, more Mamdani, more moderate.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

What are your thoughts?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I tell you, I'm more concerned about the extreme left than I am about Trump. Trump is 80. Trump ain't supposed to be able to second circumvent the 22nd amendment and run for a third term.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So. Because that's the reality, at least at.

[Stephen A. Smith]

This particular moment in time, this fandom and this insatiable appetite is for him, not necessarily his policies, in. In a different, completely different kind of way. It was like a bunch of people.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Who fawned over Barack Obama, but that didn't mean they loved his policies. If they loved his policies, governors, representatives, senators, federal judges, and people like that wouldn't have lost their seats. But a lot of folks lost their.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Seats because they weren't necessarily enamored with his policies. They were enamored with him.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

The same could be said at the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

End of the day for Trump.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

We'll tolerate the tariff wars, because when.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You get $37.8 trillion in debt, something's got to give. Try something.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

The crypto stuff and all that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We'll try something.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You gonna make money and pad your own PoC by making deals, you and your sons and everybody else overseas, what we're American citizens are asking, we ain't worried about all of that. What you doing for us. And if you end up doing something.

[Stephen A. Smith]

For us, we'll eat it. You understand? As long as you're addressing those things.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But you have an abundance of people on the right fawning over Trump, and you have folks who are elected officials on the right who know to do the same. Because if you do otherwise, he may.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Cost you your seat. And you're thinking about the long.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

The long run, you're not thinking about short term. So if you ingratiate yourself with him.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And you're complimentary of him and you.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Don'T denigrate him or anything like that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He'S good with you.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And as a result, you might end.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Up lasting when he's gone. J.D. vance doesn't have that kind of cachet.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Marco Rubio, who I believe is pretty.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Legit, doesn't have that kind of cachet.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Governor DeSantis, Florida. Some people in Florida think he's done a magnificent job.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Others may not.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But the bottom line is, is that he was a candidate. He's not Trump.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Nikki Haley, not Trump. Vivek Ramaswamy, not Trump.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

All of these people are not him.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But one could argue he's on his way out.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So it's not really that much to be concerned about, as long as we don't veer too far.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And then I think when you look.

[Stephen A. Smith]

At the latest with Marjorie Taylor Greene.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Let'S give props where props is due.

[Stephen A. Smith]

She did call Trump out about the Epstein files.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

She did call Trump about supposedly being America first. But you overseas, making deals while stuff.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Is going on here that you refuse.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

To address, she flat out called him out, and she was unapologetic for it. I think that's a good sign, a breath of fresh air to see people on the right willing to stand up to him. I think it's important that you saw Republicans willing to sign, you know, put their names on the dotted line and have those Epstein files open. I think those are incredibly, incredibly important things, because you're reminding him and you're.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Reminding the world there is no king in America.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You're the president. But guess what?

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're gonna have to answer to us, too.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And I think that's refreshing, because even for those who love Trump, nobody wants.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To see anything close to authoritarianism.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I never bought into that anyway, because I. I believe in this country.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I believe in senators and. And and, and, and congressional figures and.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

That people will rally together to do.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What'S in the best interest of the country.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So I never, I never bought into that. But the point is, don't let him.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Buy into it either. Don't let him even think about it being possible. So the fact that people compelled him.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

To make decisions he otherwise gave indications.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That he didn't want to make, I.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Think that's a plus.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But here's the flip side, Mom.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Donnie is a renowned socialist, okay, who's 34 years old. He ain't going anywhere for a while. He was endorsed by aoc, he was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, ultimately got endorsed by Hakeem Jeffries. So whether it's of their own volition or they were nudged significantly towards supporting him, and now you're going to be the mayor of the number one city in America. You know, that becomes a bit of concern, that becomes a bit concerning, because you're about socialism, you're about redistributing wealth. This man has spoken about confiscating property if necessary, you know, if people don't.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Fall in line with what the law states.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

He hasn't talked about violating any laws or anything like that, but he has talked about maximizing the potential of any.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Law on the books to enable him to do what some socialists might do.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And when you look at it from that standpoint in his youth, and the fact that you have a younger generation that ain't vibing with capitalism, that's more about socialism. That's more about, you know, redistributing the wealth and being on an equal playing field and not maximizing your potential like you can in a capitalistic society. And they are vehemently against this stuff. I think that's a strong, strong reason.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To be incredibly concerned about the state of our country moving forward. So I would say to you, not because of the centrist, not because of.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

The moderates, but because of the far progressive leftists out there.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I think that's a reason to be far more concerned about the state of America than a lot of stuff on the right. Not everything. Because I don't like what I'm seeing with ice. I don't like what I'm seeing in terms of how people are being treated on the streets. I don't like the, the, the, the, the, the inching towards authoritarianism with the way we want to act as a government. How many executive orders can you sign? How many times can you sit up there and say, I mean, Trump was on the air the other day talking about who Cares about what, what friction the police are going to face, so be it. Whoa, wait a minute. Like you could feel a certain way. But to articulate that with the cameras.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And a microphone rolling and to basically.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Say that you would endorse the police operating with relative impunity because that's how he came across, is incredibly uncomfortable for me to hear. So I, I'm not letting the right off the hook by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm more concerned about the extreme leftists than I am about anything else right now.

[Caller/Guest]

Incredible answer. Thank you so.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you. Last question before I go to breaking the phone calls. Go ahead buddy.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Thanks for having me. Stephen A. My name is Zachary. Question is, how do you feel about term limits for the House, Senate and the Supreme Court? I definitely, I don't care about term.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Limits for the House because the House you're voted every two years as a representative.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So that means 15 to 18 months.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In you campaign it, which means that I get an opportunity to change seats every two years. I'm not worried about that. I do think there should be term limits with senators and I most certainly believe there should be term limits with the courts.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I don't.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm not in the ageism and age discrimination. I'm getting older. I'm not younger. This ain't Morgan Mindy from this TV show used to come on in the 80s where you got younger as time went on. This is real world. This is human beings.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

We get older.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, here's my thing. When you look at what's transpiring in this world right now, we're getting older and older and older.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You cannot convince me, I don't care.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How bright they are, I don't care how smart they are. You can't convince me somebody in their 80s is reading one case after another and paying rapt attention to what the hell is going on. You can't convince me that they have an attachment to the modern day era where they're paying attention and they're mindful and cognizant of what's going on in the streets of America and they're adjusting accordingly. Okay, We've had a lot of things going on. You know, in the 60s it was civil rights, it was voting rights, it was the Fair Housing Act. You know, I'm saying the 80s, the 90s and beyond, we've seen some of the changes that took place. You have to take into account the times that we're living in, the people that are in our society, how evolution kicks in, how we evolve as a Society, you have to take all of those things into consideration along with the Constitution.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Okay. Because it's all subject to interpretation. And I do believe that if you're somebody that's in your 80s, you've got.

[Stephen A. Smith]

No business in that position. Make room for some new blood.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

There are educated individuals with law degrees that practice law that ultimately became judges. That ain't 80 years old. That ain't 70 years old. You can have somebody up in there.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In their 40s, in their 50s, in their 60s.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You shouldn't be a lifetime appointee. It should be like 20 year terms. 20 year terms and then it's time.

[Stephen A. Smith]

For somebody else new.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I think that's a healthy way for.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Our society to go.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So I'm very big on term limits with the courts. I'm, I'm big enough on it with the Senate, obviously, but it doesn't matter.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To me with representatives because you're getting, you're running for election every two years and it's easy to bounce you up out of there if somebody needs to. Thank you. Thank you. 866-967-6887 is the number to call up this 86696, POTUS. You are listening live to Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Right here over the airways of SiriusXM.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

POTUS radio, channel 124. Back with calls in a minute to close out the show.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Don't go away. Stephen a. Live from D.C.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Shooter with Stephen A.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Over The Airways of SiriusXM POTUS radio channel 124. 866-967-6887 is the number to call up. That's 86696, POTUS. You're listening live to Stephen A. On Straight Shooter. Thanks again to Senator Ted Cruz. Uh, he, he had to get on out. He had a whole bunch more questions to ask him. But he only had 30 minutes and he promised it and he gave it and I have to be thankful and grateful for that. He didn't have to do that. So I really, really appreciate him coming on in here. Let's go to the phones real quick before we get on out of here. Got about 10 minutes or so. Feel free to call in at 866-967-6887. That's 86696, POTUS. Let's go to Nathan in Alabama.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You're live with Stephen A.

[Stephen A. Smith]

On Straight Shooter. What's up?

[Caller]

Wow. It is the greatest honor in 12 years. You've been an inspiration to me and my kids.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Thank you.

[Caller]

You taught them a lot. When you're on espn, I Used to make them hush. They listen. Politics say the same way. 20% of Republicans, 20% of Democrats make us all look like idiots. 20% of Alabama fans, votes that are fans make us all look like idiots. Why can't we all just realize the only way we win is the both sides to lose?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, it's not that simple, Nathan. I mean, I understand where you're coming from, and I respect it. And you're obviously speaking from a position of frustration, and you are completely justified in doing so because we all are affected by the politics existing in our nation. These people have the power to legislate our lives, whether it be health care, safety in the streets, affordability, borders, immigration, military. The list goes on and on. So I appreciate where you're coming from, but you have to understand that a lot of times the absence of realization comes from the tsunami of stuff that directly impacts your life, and you get caught up in that. You ever find yourself in a situation, Nathan, where you're so overcome by the stuff that rests on your shoulders, you're not really thinking about anything else? Because you're stuck in the rut of having to fend off the shrapnel of stuff that's thrown in your direction. And sometimes you're ill equipped emotionally and mentally to do something about it at that particular moment in time because you're furious, you're frustrated, you're not thinking straight.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You know all of these kind of things. And unfortunately, we live in a world.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Where you have an abundance of vultures who capitalize off of that. Sometimes they're politicians, sometimes there's people in corporate America, sometimes there's other people. I remember I saw a video on social media of this, this.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This.

[Stephen A. Smith]

This elder white individual that went ballistic.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And the inclination would have been for somebody to say, what are you doing acting like that? And then you found out this guy.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Worked there at this place for over 25 years, and three days before he was set to retire, they fired him. Three days.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Now, I'm not advocating violence, but when something like that happens, I'll be damned.

[Stephen A. Smith]

If I don't understand.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

This man works for decades at a particular place, saving up his money, counting on his pension, counting on these kind of things. And, you know, if they did it three days before he was to retire, there had to be some loophole in the mix that enabled them to save a buck by getting rid of him before his retirement day arrived three days later. Now, how that man supposed to feel? So again, we have to take that into consideration. I'm not advocating violence but when I.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Saw him lose it, I was like, yeah, I understand.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I remember when this UFC fighter, for.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Example, on a totally different level, Nathan.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

He got arrested and was thrown in jail and they wouldn't let him out of jail, whatever. And I hated this.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And I, I, I swear to you.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Had the subject come up on espn, I would have gone on national television and apologize for the story, even be broke being broached. It was saying that the guy was charged with murder. Well, damn, that sound like a criminal, doesn't it?

[Stephen A. Smith]

And then you found out some dude, the person that he was charged with attempted murder for, allegedly raped his six year old daughter. Now, I don't have to ask this question, but I don't know a man alive who is a loving father who would not have been accused of attempted murder in that situation.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

I don't know him. White, black, Hispanic, I don't, I don't know Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Jew, Catholic, Chris. I don't know of a man that, that could happen to his six year old daughter that would not have been accused of attempted murder towards the person alleged to have committed that crime. So again, it calls for us to put things in its proper perspective. This is why context is so important in everything that we discuss, think and do. Because it's not as simple as it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Looks all the time. And we have to remember that. You got me, Nathan?

[Caller]

I do want to say one more thing. I blame Trump for the 2020 election because he was not presidential. That's what cost him an election.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, I got you, and that's plausible.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But for a man that isn't presidential.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He got 77 million votes. And you have to respect the fact that there are tens of millions of Americans that ain't getting caught up in all of that. They're getting caught up in paying their bills, their health care, safety in the streets, making sure that they can provide for their families. That's their priority. Which is why I have no patience for people that'll sit up there and just excoriate others and separate themselves from their friends.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Everybody's got their own agenda. If you've got bills to pay, if you got a family to take care of, you're thinking about that, not some.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Of these other things.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

And everybody's not thinking about what you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Think they're thinking about when it comes to who they decide to vote for. And we have to take that into consideration. I appreciate the call, though. Thank you so much. Sean in Buffalo, you're live with Stephen A. How you doing, Sean?

[Caller]

Hey, Stephen A. I'm a big fan. I've been watching you since I was a kid. I'm a Division 1 cross country athlete. And one thing I like about you and John Fetterman is that you are both unapologetic, unapologetically yourself. I thought the scandal the media made with you and your phone in the NBA playoffs last year was blasphemous. So I must ask, does Fetterman's unapologetic style help him save his Senate seat by breaking from his party on the recent shutdown, or will his base turn on him?

[Stephen A. Smith]

His base may turn on him, if you're talking about contemporaries. But the people will decide whether or not he remains in the Senate, the people of Pennsylvania. And I suspect that they will be supportive of him because he made sure that they'd be receiving a check during Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I think ultimately that will be what usurps anything else. That's my personal opinion. I appreciate the call, Sean. Thank you so much. David in Nashville, Tennessee, you live with Stephen A. Good afternoon. Good evening, rather. David, how are you?

[Caller]

Hey, I'm doing well.

Stephen A. How are you, man?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm alright. Can't complain.

[Caller]

Good, good. Well, hey, I first I'll, I'll say the same thing that everybody else has said, you know, big fan for a lot of years. But I'm calling in to critique a bit. You know, you're on ESPN and maybe you're just used to dealing with people who either back off of a bad opinion or stand up strong for the ones they got because this political commentary, you know, let's say two weeks ago you have Mandamian, today you get around to talking about his socialist policies.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You let Ted Cruz stop right there for a second.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Mom Donnie, I interviewed Cuomo for 45 minutes. Mom, Donnie called in with seven minutes left in the show.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So, I mean, whatever you're going to say, say it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But that wasn't a real interview. It's just that Mom Donnie Colton with seven minutes left. The election was four days later. I didn't know what he was calling in, what he was going to say. I know he wanted to respond to Cuomo and I let him speak because we had about seven, six minutes really left. That's what happened with the Mom Donnie interview.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

So whatever you're going to say, bring up anything else but that interview, because that interview wasn't really an interview. It's just that he called in at.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The last minute, surprisingly so, because we had no idea he was going to call it. Go ahead.

[Caller]

All right, super fair. Understand that tonight I'm listening to Ted Cruz. You asked a very, very direct, very straight shooter type question about how ICE is going around this country and their tactics. And then what did he answer? You remember what he answered, Stephen?

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes, but I don't have time to get into that with you with four minutes left in the show.

[Caller]

But I remember well, what he answered was, the border needs fixed. Biden ruined the border. That didn't answer your question. I have a feeling in a couple weeks from now, you're going to have a segment about how bad ISIS tactics are when you had Ted Cruz on for a half hour straight.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay, but my point to you is this. Ted Cruz feels the way that he feels. If he wants to evade the answer, I've got plenty of time to give commentary. So do you, because you heard the answer to his question. And on top of it all, as a member of the GOP who completely supports Trump's position in terms of ICE and how it's treating folks who cross the borders and what have you and how it's parading throughout the streets of.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

America, obviously he feels the way that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

He feels at some point in time. It's not about pushing back.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

It's about letting them speak, having their quotes on the record so we know exactly where they stand and the American.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Citizens can make a decision based on their answers about how to feel about them and whether or not to support them.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You can't sit up there and get.

[Stephen A. Smith]

In somebody's face like a senator.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

You're wrong, to hell with you. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Really, that's going to accomplish something. It's not going to change his position. The American people are going to change his position by making sure they say, okay, take your ass home, sit at home, don't be a senator anymore, or stay on board. See, we keep thinking pushing back, pushing back, pushing back. Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Ted Cruz is unapologetic about his positions. They are very consistent. We may not like it, but he doesn't care. He feels the way that he feels. We could say, okay, and then you go to the polls and you put the lever for some, pull a lever for somebody else. That's how that works. That's how that works. That's the way it goes.

[Caller]

Next caller, Irvin west from Hammond, Louisiana.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Yes, sir. How are you? Go ahead.

[Caller]

Okay, a couple of points. The big, beautiful bill that the Senate was crowing about, he better give more than $1,000 to each newborn, according to the Office of Budget and Management. This big, beautiful bill is going to cost us 3.5 trillion into the national debt. And it was a big takeaway for the 1% and the 10%. But that debt is going to be riding on the back of these kids coming into the world because they're the ones that are going to pay the interest on it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I agree.

[Caller]

Secondly, the Democrats are afraid of AOC and Madame, I'm going to tell you what, the Republicans have been afraid of Trump until finally a woman.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

They've been afraid of him because he'll get him out of office. He speaks out against them, their constituency, he targets them, then they won't have a job. Most of we got to take into consideration that most of the folks on the right who may not like Trump, his style, his rhetoric, the way he comports himself, whatever, abiding their time, because their attitude is, he's going in three years, they're trying to outlast him where they don't have to deal with him. Remember when he left in 2021, they didn't want to have to deal with him. They were, they were fine with him being gone. The problem is his cachet didn't dissipate amongst conservatives and Republicans throughout this country. And unfortunately, they were going to have.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To deal with him.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

DeSantis couldn't hold on. Nikki Haley couldn't go on. Ramaswamy couldn't hold on. None of them could. That's what happened. So if the man is flexing and you know, he's, he's petty enough to target you and get you up out of there because you don't agree with him, they're saying, let's last until after.

[Stephen A. Smith]

2028 when this man goes away. And then after that, we can get back to the business of being who we want to be.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

But for right now, we've got to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Capitulate to some degree, go along to get along to survive and ultimately prosper down the road.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Tagos.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's it for this edition of the Stephen A. Smith Show. Straight Shooter with Stephen A. Hope y' all enjoyed the show. I know I did.

[Co-host/Producer or Sidekick]

Had a blast.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Until next time, everybody. Talk to y' all next Wednesday. Hello.