Verdict with Ted Cruz – "A Historic Year of Victories"

Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode Overview

In this end-of-year episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson celebrate what they describe as an unprecedented series of conservative legislative victories in 2025, many of which are poised to reshape America starting in 2026. The discussion focuses on the Working Families Tax Cut, immigration reform, military investment, school choice, child investment accounts, infrastructure, and key regulatory rollbacks.

Senator Cruz provides an insider breakdown of each major accomplishment, often highlighting the efforts and political battles behind the scenes, while Ferguson emphasizes the real-life impact for American families. Together, they frame the year as a transformative moment for conservative policy and governance.

Key Topics and Insights

1. A Record-Setting Year for Conservative Legislation

Timestamp: 03:35

• Senator Cruz calls 2025 "historic" and the most successful year for Republican legislative victories during his 13-year Senate tenure.
• The major wins were attributed to a unified Senate and a proactive Trump administration.

  "We had victories at an order of magnitude we've never seen..." – Sen. Ted Cruz (03:35)

2. Border Security: From Crisis to Control

Timestamp: 03:35–05:55

• The year began with what Cruz terms “the worst illegal immigration in history.”
• The administration’s new law enforcement led to a stunning “99% drop” in illegal border crossings.

  "We now have a president and an administration that will follow the law. Illegal border crossings dropped more than 99%. That is staggering." – Sen. Ted Cruz (04:15)

• Over $100 billion invested to secure the border—technology, wall construction, border agents, and ICE resources—to make these reforms sustainable.
• Real-world consequences: Ferguson shares realtors’ stories about how securing the border improved housing affordability for Americans.
• Deportation and enforcement moves credited for falling rents and increased housing access for first-time homebuyers.

3. The Working Families Tax Cut: The Biggest Victory

Timestamp: 04:59–08:06

• The major legislative vehicle: formerly called "The One Big Beautiful Bill," now rebranded as the "Working Families Tax Cut" for polling and messaging reasons.

• Key elements:

  • Permanently extends the Trump tax cuts, averting a $4 trillion tax hike due January 1.
  • New tax reliefs:
    • No tax on tips (for service sector workers).
    • No tax on overtime.
    • No tax on Social Security for seniors.
  • All these take effect in 2026.

  "Making those tax cuts permanent is enormously important. We also made them bigger than." – Sen. Ted Cruz (06:22)

• Cruz notes the “most conservative victories in any bill... in the history of the Republic.”

4. Military and National Security Investments

Timestamp: 09:41–11:41

• $150 billion for military rebuilding; specific mention of $24.5 billion for the Coast Guard—over 200% of its annual budget.
  • Capital investments: ships, helicopters, especially polar ice cutters for Arctic operations, to compete with China and Russia.
• Shipbuilding jobs returning to the U.S.; Galveston, TX to benefit.

  "We invested more than 200% the annual budget of the Coast Guard into the Coast Guard. I mean, it is historical." – Sen. Ted Cruz (10:38)

5. Spectrum and Air Infrastructure Modernization

Timestamp: 13:02–16:24

• Spectrum Auction:
  • Mandated auction of 800 MHz of federal spectrum, generating $100+ billion and spurring private sector investment and 5G/6G innovation.
  • Will create jobs and help the U.S. compete in AI and telecom.
  • Hard-fought win over the Pentagon and intelligence community who controlled much of the spectrum.
• Air Traffic Control Modernization:
  • $12.5 billion to replace 1950s–60s era technology with modern systems (fiber optics, computerized tracking).
  • Triggered by the tragic Reagan National Airport crash in January (with personal anecdotes involving Cruz's family).
  • Introduction and passage of the ROTOR Act: mandates real-time ADS-B tracking for civilian and military aircraft to prevent collisions.

  "When I talk to anyone under 30, they don't know what a floppy disk is, but that's the technology that they're using." – Sen. Ted Cruz (16:24)

6. Education Reform: School Choice Becomes National Law

Timestamp: 24:03–28:18

• National, dollar-for-dollar tax credit (up to $1,700) for donations to scholarship-granting organizations, producing “tens of billions in scholarships.”
• School choice characterized as “the civil rights issue of the 21st century”—a legacy-defining accomplishment for Cruz.
• Intense legislative battle with Democrats and teachers' unions; Cruz personally argued the case before the Senate parliamentarian, rewriting provisions three times to fit reconciliation rules.

  “I think every child deserves access to an excellent education and it shouldn't matter what your race is, what your wealth is, where you live.” – Sen. Ted Cruz (27:01)

7. Trump Accounts: Investment for Every Child

Timestamp: 29:22–33:27

• Every child will have a federally seeded investment account at birth ($1,000), and families/employers can add $5,000/year.
• Funds are invested in broad-based equity, compounding to potentially $170,000 by age 18 if maxed annually.
• Designed to foster generational wealth and a new generation of “capitalists”—ownership in America’s largest companies.
• The bill was structured to allow philanthropists to contribute (e.g., Michael and Susan Dell’s $6.25 billion gift).
• Senator Cruz views this as perhaps his most significant legislative contribution.

  “We are creating a whole new generation of capitalists, a whole new generation of kids.” – Sen. Ted Cruz (31:33)

8. America's Renewed Space Race

Timestamp: 33:27–37:27

• $10 billion invested in NASA and commercial space for a race back to the Moon, aiming to land by 2028—before China.
• Emphasizes the economic (jobs in Texas) and national security imperatives, as well as the inspiration for a new generation.
• Reference to JFK’s Rice University speech and the historic power of the space program to inspire.

9. Regulatory Rollbacks: CAFE Standards

Timestamp: 37:27–39:19

• Bill zeros out Biden-era CAFE fuel efficiency standards.

  • Cruz and Ferguson argue this will lower car/truck prices and result in safer, sturdier vehicles.

  "The effect of that is going to be to lower the cost of you getting a car or a truck... and it also is going to save lives, just as you said, because you'll be able to make cars that are safer with more steel and less plastic." – Sen. Ted Cruz (38:46)

10. Protecting Kids: The Take it Down Act

Timestamp: 39:30–41:19

• Makes non-consensual sharing of intimate images—including AI-generated deepfakes—a federal felony.
• Establishes an immediate, statutory right for victims to have such images removed from online platforms.
• Championed by Melania Trump; personal stories underscore the act’s lifesaving potential, especially for girls and teens.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On scale of GOP excitement:

  Ben Ferguson: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you about the results from this year?"
  Sen. Ted Cruz: "37." (03:31)

• On the legacy of their legislative work:

  "We ought to think for a minute about legacy, about what will be remembered 10, 20, 30 years from now, what will be remembered when we're dead and buried…" – Sen. Ted Cruz (24:49)

• Personal story about legislative battles:

  “I went in and argued to the parliamentarian and her team directly and we ended up rewriting the provision. We rewrote it three times to get it through.” – Sen. Ted Cruz, on school choice (28:44)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• 03:31 – Senator’s enthusiasm for Republican Senate wins
• 04:15 – “Historic” drop in illegal border crossings
• 06:22 – Breakdown of Working Families Tax Cut
• 09:41 – $150B military investment detailed
• 13:23 – $100B spectrum auction for innovation/jobs
• 16:24 – Modernizing air traffic control after DC crash
• 24:49 – School choice as legacy issue, legislative struggle
• 29:22 – Introduction and goals of Trump accounts
• 33:44 – NASA/moon mission investment and historical context
• 37:33 – Repeal of CAFE standards for vehicle safety and cost
• 39:30 – Details of the Take it Down Act for online safety

Tone and Style

The conversation combines optimism, pride, and combative rhetoric—reflective of the hosts' conservative and activist style. Ted Cruz is detailed, often technical and procedural, while Ben Ferguson keeps the discussion grounded in family, real life, and cultural resonance.

Conclusion

This episode presents a victory lap for conservatives in Congress, with Senator Cruz offering an insider’s narrative on one of the most consequential years for the Republican legislative agenda. The hosts portray 2025 as a watershed for tax relief, border control, school choice, child investment, infrastructure, innovation, and protections for children, each positioned as “historic” wins with transformative potential for Americans.