A Message to the Iranian People: You can Change the World Right NOW, plus WHY it Matters so much for the Safety of Americans

Summary

Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: “A Message to the Iranian People: You can Change the World Right NOW, plus WHY it Matters so much for the Safety of Americans”
Date: January 12, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson
Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz

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Overview of the Episode

This episode is a focused, urgent discussion on the civil unrest in Iran, its geopolitical and historical significance, and what a regime change could mean for both Iran and American national security. Senator Cruz directly addresses the Iranian people, encouraging their fight for freedom, while the hosts analyze how these developments connect to American interests, past U.S. policy, and the broader struggle against oppressive regimes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Current Crisis in Iran

• Nationwide Uprising & Blackout:
  • Over 1 million Iranians are rising up against the regime, with the government imposing blackouts—cutting off internet, phone lines, and TV access—while violently suppressing protests.
  • “It is a very real possibility. We will see the Iranian ayatollah, the mullahs, see that regime fall... That could happen this month, it could happen this week, it could happen in the next 24 hours.” — Ted Cruz (02:50)
• Historical Parallels:
  • 1979 Islamic Revolution cited as historic precedent for regime collapse and U.S. policy failures.
  • Ted Cruz draws links between the perceived weakness under Carter, Obama, and Biden, and greater aggression from “bad guys”:
    • “Jimmy Carter showed what happens...when the American president will not stand up for America...the bad guys get more aggressive and end up becoming stronger and American lives are lost.” — Ted Cruz (06:11)

2. Iran’s Export of Terror and Direct Threat to the U.S.

• Iran’s Support for Terror Groups:
  • Iran funds over 90% of Hamas and Hezbollah budgets and is responsible for the October 7 incident and attacks on U.S. troops.
    • “Iran in a very real sense funded October 7th. By the way, Joe Biden...flowed over $100 million to the Ayatollah and Iran.” — Ted Cruz (10:14)
• Targeting Americans:
  • IRGC’s assassination plots against President Trump.
  • Extensive U.S. casualties (593+) linked to Iranian weapons and tactics in Iraq/Afghanistan.
    • “Iran is responsible. The IRGC is responsible for a minimum of 593 murders of American servicemen and women.” — Ted Cruz (11:54)

3. Courage of Iranian Protestors & the Global Impact

• Protests as Acts of Extreme Bravery:
  • Powerful viral images and stories (e.g., woman lighting cigarette with burning Ayatollah photo, women burning veils in religious cities) spread at grave risk.
    • “That image, it reminds me of the man standing in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square...that kind of bold courage...” — Ted Cruz (18:38)
  • Dangers faced by protestors: “If this doesn't happen, these videos will come back to haunt them...they know they're risking their lives.” — Ben Ferguson (17:54)
• Message of Solidarity from the U.S.:
  • Senator Cruz delivers a direct message to Iranian listeners, emphasizing support and hope for freedom and peace.
    • “Now is your moment...Know that America is with you. Know that you are in my prayers. And know that Joe Biden is not in the White House anymore...Donald J. Trump is in the White House.” — Ted Cruz (13:49)
• Influence of Information and Technology:
  • Notable that even amidst blackouts, the Verdict podcast is being downloaded in Iran, partially thanks to Starlink’s open access.

4. How Iran’s Defeat and Regime Change Would Transform the World

• Crisis Induced by Military Defeat:
  • Iranian regime’s recent losses in the “12 Day War” with Israel seen as exposing vulnerabilities and shattering aura of invincibility.
    • “Iran completely and totally lost...And after losing...decisively, crushingly to Israel...the people say, ‘wait a second, these guys aren't nearly as powerful as we thought.’” — Ted Cruz (22:46)
  • U.S. military power underscored by President Trump’s order to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities without casualties.
• Altering the Geopolitical Landscape:
  • Parallels drawn to the fall of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc, emphasizing how regime change can bring lasting peace and safety for the U.S.

5. Critique of American Media and Voices Used by the Iranian Regime

• Tucker Carlson Broadcast in Iran:
  • The Iranian regime is airing Tucker Carlson’s show in Persian to suppress internal dissent.
    • “The Islamic regime is choosing to play Tucker Carlson interviews because this is...Islamist propaganda...if I didn't do this, no one would believe this is literally what's...going on in occupied Iran right now.” — Islamic Regime Commentator (32:01)
  • Cruz calls for reflection from Tucker:
    • “What does it say to you that the Ayatollah Khamenei...views what you're saying as the propaganda he wants to use to suppress his people and to silence a revolution?” — Ted Cruz (32:35)

6. Debate on ‘Regime Change’ and American Foreign Policy

• Cruz’s America-First Approach:
  • Explains difference between supporting regime change (voice/diplomacy/inspiration) and military occupation.
    • “We should want regime change in Iran. Are there ways to promote regime change other than boots on the ground? Yes...” — Ted Cruz (39:30)
  • Opposes Iraq/Libya-style interventions, but promotes strong, vocal support for freedom.
• Historical Lessons:
  • Draws lessons from Reagan’s “evil empire” rhetoric and support to Soviet dissidents.
    • “Berlin Wall did not come down because Reagan ordered in the Marines... It was the power of the bully pulpit, of the voice for freedom, of the president.” — Ted Cruz (45:51)

7. Uncertainty After Regime Change, But Optimism for the Future

• Acknowledges Risks:
  • “If the Ayatollah is toppled, it doesn't mean tomorrow it’s suddenly utopia and peace and harmony. There could be real conflict.” — Ted Cruz (41:52)
  • But asserts nearly any outcome is preferable to continued theocratic tyranny.
• Parallels with Venezuela, Cuba, Soviet Union:
  • Links between events in Iran and developments in Venezuela and elsewhere, emphasizing broader anti-tyranny stance.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Iran’s Potential for Change:

• “Now is your moment. If you are standing up right now...know that America is with you. Know that you are in my prayers.” — Senator Ted Cruz (13:49)

On Regimes and Foreign Policy:

• “Tyrannies exist in large part by conveying the impression that they are unbeatable... ‘abandon hope all ye who enter here.’” — Senator Ted Cruz (22:46)
• “We should want regime change in Iran. And are there ways to promote regime change other than boots on the ground? Yes...” — Senator Ted Cruz (39:30)

On American Leadership:

• “Reagan's strategy on the Cold War... ‘We win, they lose.’...less than three years...the Berlin Wall was torn to the ground.” — Senator Ted Cruz (45:37)

On the Danger Protestors Face:

• “The people that are out there in the streets, they know that this is being recorded. And if it doesn't go well, they are risking their lives being put into jail or being one of the disappeared.” — Ben Ferguson (17:54)

On Tucker Carlson as Propaganda in Iran:

• “What does it say to you that the Ayatollah Khamenei...views what you're saying as the propaganda he wants to use to suppress his people...” — Senator Ted Cruz (32:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Beginning of Iran Discussion: 02:30
• Historical Lessons: 1979 Revolution & U.S. Policy: 05:41–09:59
• Iran’s Funding of Terrorism: 09:59–11:54
• U.S. Casualties Linked to Iran: 11:54–13:25
• Direct Message to Iranian People: 13:49–17:03
• Stories of Protestor Bravery: 17:03–18:38
• Iran’s Loss in “12 Day War”: 18:38–22:46
• Discussion of Regime Weakness and Hope: 22:46–24:47
• Media/Information—Tucker Carlson Segment: 31:45–35:59
• Debate on Regime Change/Foreign Policy: 35:59–40:27
• Uncertainty and Looking Ahead: 41:52–43:29
• Lessons from Reagan & Cold War: 43:29–46:45
• Closing Thoughts: 46:45–48:03

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Structure and Tone

• The conversation is urgent, sometimes passionate, and frequently references historical parallels and personal stories for emotional weight.
• Senator Cruz combines policy analysis, clear moral statements, and direct appeals both to American listeners and to Iranians.
• The tone is deeply supportive of the Iranian protesters and highly critical of the current and former regimes in both Iran and the U.S. when perceived as weak.

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Final Thoughts

This episode serves as both a call to action and an analysis of a potentially world-changing event. The hosts stress the enormous stakes for Iranians and Americans alike, lifting up protestor courage, critiquing past and present foreign policy, and offering historical perspective on how freedom can prevail—even against seemingly invulnerable tyranny.

Transcript

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. We've got a lot to discuss on today's show, including what is happening in IR right now. It is like a total blackout in that country as the. The leadership is trying to hold on to control by shutting the rest of the world out to what they're doing on the ground, and that is killing their own citizens.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

We are living in times of extraordinary consequence right now. As you noted, there are over a million people rising up on the streets of Iran. The Iranian regime is teetering. It is a very real possibility. We will see the Iranian ayatollah, the mullahs, see that regime fall. Fall. See them collapse. That could happen this month. It could happen this week. It could happen in the next 24 hours. It is that potentially imminent. If that occurs, it would be utterly transformational for the people of Iran, utterly transformational for the Middle east, and utterly transformational for US national security interests. We're going to break it all down. What to expect. Of course, this is happening in the broader context where the United States just less than two weeks ago, has arrested Nicolas Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela. That is having a profound and, I think, very positive effect in the Western Hemisphere. These are historic times. These are times of consequence. And we're gonna help you think through what the United States response to all of this should be. What it means for you, what it means for America, what it means for your kids.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, we've got a lot to talk about with that as well. I want to take a moment, though, and talk to you about our friends at Compassion International.

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[Ben Ferguson]

So let's paint the picture. As we're recording this now, the leadership in Iran has made it clear, Senator, they feel like they're losing control. They've shut off the Internet, they've shut off phones, they've shut down much of the, of the TV and the outside world that's been in that country. And they're trying to black out what they're doing, which is now they're killing their own citizens.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, they are. And this often happens at the end of tyrannical regimes which, which is they stay in force by military for. And in their gasping breaths, they use that military force to try to snuff out the opposition. You know, I gotta say, if you go back to 1979, 1979 is when the Islamic revolution happened in Iran. So Jimmy Carter was president. Jimmy Carter was a weak and ineffectual president. He really, if you look at Jimmy Carter's foreign policy, he set the model for what Barack Obama imitated and then what Joe Biden imitated. Jimmy Carter showed what happens to the world when the American president will not stand up for America, when the American President will not stand up for our allies. When the American President is weak and dithering. And to cut to the chase, what happens is the bad guys get more aggressive and they end up becoming stronger and American lives are lost. During the Islamic revolution, the Islamists took over the nation. They toppled the Shah of Iran. The Shah of Iran was a ruler who had been cruel, who had been despotic, but also was allied with the United States. When the Islamists took over Iran, they toppled the Shah. They also captured the American Embassy there. They captured the American Embassy and they took the American staff in the embassy hostage. Those hostages. That happened in 1979. Those hostages would remain hostages for 444 days. And it was during that time Jimmy Carter did order a rescue mission. And tragically, that rescue mission, two helicopters crashed into each other in the desert. There was no opposing fire and became. I actually think that the incident that most encapsulated the weakness of the Jimmy Carter presidency, it played a major part in Ronald Reagan's being elected in 1980. And then, I do not think this was an accident at all. Iran released the American hostages. Do you know what day they released him?

[Ben Ferguson]

The day that Ronald Reagan was sworn.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

In, it was literally moments after Reagan put his hand on the Bible, raised his hand and took the oath of office. Iran released the hostages And I'll tell you, I believe the reason they did is they understood that with Reagan, a new sheriff was in town and we were not going to have a president who would allow them to keep American hostages. They were going to face the full wrath of the United States if they did not release those hostages. Fast forward. I think there's a very similar dynamic playing when we, when we went from Joe Biden to Donald Trump. Under Joe Biden, American foreign policy like Jimmy Carter, was weak. It was inept and it encouraged the bad guys. But, but one of the things to understand, Ben, between 1979 and today, Iran's influence has grown dramatically. Iran, the leaders of Iran, the so called Supreme Leader. I don't call him that, he's an Ayatollah. He calls himself the Supreme Leader. But we're seeing just how ineffective and weak he is right now. The Ayatollah and the mullahs, the religious clerics who run Iran, they have grown in power immensely and understand they hate America. The Ayatollah routinely will lead mobs in chanting death to Israel and death to America. And by the way, for all the folks online who say, oh, Iran is all about Israel, understand this also. The Ayatollah calls Israel the Little Satan. He calls America the Great Satan. And at the end of the day, the targets of the Ayatollah's murder and hate are us. It is the United States of America. The reason the Ayatollah had a nuclear program is they wanted to develop nuclear weapons to be able to use them against the Great Satan. What has Iran done for the last several decades? They have funded radical Islamic terrorism all over the world. Hamas, which carried out October 7th. Do you know what percent of Hamas's budget comes from Iran?

[Ben Ferguson]

I would assume 80 plus percent, more than 90%.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

How about Hezbollah? Hezbollah, different terrorist group in the, in, in the north. You know what percentage of, of Hezbollah's budget comes from Iran?

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm going to say it's even more than 90 based on what you just told me.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It, it is north of 90 as well. Iran in a very real Sense for funded October 7th. By the way, Joe Biden. The Democrats flowed over $100 million to the Ayatollah and Iran. So the Democrat weakness, in a very real sense funded October 7th. By the way, the Ayatollah also has hired hitmen trying to murder President Trump. They are not our friends, by the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's not, that's not like a far, that's not like some like random thing on the Internet. That is A fact.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It is an undisputed fact. And by the way, we are prosecuting hitmen that have been arrested in connection with that plot. And Iran bragged about it. The IRGC actually put out an animated video detailing they're using a drone to go to Mar a Lago and murder Donald Trump on the golf course. Like, they're not hiding from this. They openly embrace it.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, can we just remind people of one other thing about Iran, Just so you understand how much they hate America, they are responsible for a significant number of American casualties.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

In Iraq and Afghanistan, they gave safe haven to the terrorists when they would come in and out to attack American soldiers. They gave them what they needed for those roadside bombs. Actually, a lot of them were made in Iran and. And they allowed them safe passage, even coming through Syria. Iran, back and forth like that is all well documented. If you think Iran wasn't at war with the United States of America when we were in Iraq and Afghanistan, you'd have to live under Iraq. And I think that's an important point that people need to realize how much they're willing to do to kill American soldiers. And they did a lot. And they killed a lot of Americans.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Iran is responsible. The IRGC is responsible for a minimum of 593 murders of American servicemen and women. The IEDs they manufactured, many of the IEDs that in Iraq were used against our servicemen and women. If you have friends that served in combat in Iraq, if you know people that lost limbs to IEDs, that lost legs, that lost arms, that lost eyes, the odds are overwhelming that the IED they encountered was. Was manufactured in Iran. Iran was providing much of that material. Many of the drones, many of the drones used against American forces are manufactured in Iran. Many of the drones being used, by the way, also by Russia against the Ukrainian forces in Ukraine are manufactured in Iran. It's one of the crazy things. The Biden administration claimed that their number one priority was for Ukraine to win the Ukraine war. And yet they were flooding billions of dollars to Iran, and Iran was using that money to build drones. And the drones were being used by the Russian army to murder Ukrainian soldiers. It was asinine. But what is happening right now, right now, as we speak, more than 1 million Iranians are rising up in every major city across Iran. They are fighting against the regime. They. They have had it. We are seeing protests. We're seeing images of government buildings burning. We saw in London, an incredible protester scale the outside of the Iranian embassy, climb up the outside. He looked like Spider man, so cool.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way he cried. I want people to understand, if you didn't see this.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Watch the video.

[Ben Ferguson]

Watch the video. It looked like a spider monkey climbing the side of the Iranian embassy. And. And people were running after me, climbed up, got up there, yanked, pulled back the. The Iranian flag and put up what they're saying is a new freedom flag of Iran. It was unbelievable to see people doing that, saying you would have never imagined even weeks ago.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, it was incredible. He easily could have been shot. He was not it. It's those acts of bravery that can inspire others. And. And I want to take an opportunity right now. I want to speak directly to the people of Iran, and I want to say, now is your moment. If you are standing up right now, if you're going out in the street, if you are standing against the ayatollah, if you are standing with the mullahs, know that America is with you. Know that the American people are with you. Know that you are in my prayers. And know that Joe Biden is not in the White House anymore. Barack Obama is not in the White House anymore. Donald J. Trump is in the White House. And if you topple this cruel, vicious, theocratic, homicidal, genocidal regime, you will bring freedom to Iran, and you will make major steps to bringing peace to the Middle East. And listen, the Iranian people and the American people have. Have decades of history of being friends, of engaging in peaceful commerce, and understand that America's foreign policy dispute is not with the people of Iran. It is instead with the tyrants who are torturing and murdering and oppressing Iran and who are exporting terror across the globe. And they wanna murder Americans just like they wanna murder Iranians. And so President Trump has publicly called on you to stand up for freedom. And, you know, I wanna say something amazing, which is, to everyone in the United States who's listening to this podcast, who's watching this podcast, you may think, well, why is Ted talking directly to the people of Iran? And one of the reasons we do this podcast is it's an opportunity to communicate. And so the Verdict podcast, we have roughly a million unique listeners to the podcast all across the country. We have several million more who listen on radio. We're on now 242 radio stations all over the country. So we're reaching several million people each and every week. But here's an amazing thing. The people we reach, the vast majority of course, are Americans. But what is amazing is we have people all over the world listening to this podcast. And yesterday, Ben, you Were looking at the downloads and Iran, the people in Iran had surged to. They were in the top 20 countries downloading the Verdict podcast. And that is in the face of having Internet shut down, in the face of having the Iranian regime try to black out. Elon Link has put Starlink up for free for the people of Iran. And so this podcast, there are people who are right now protesting. And by the way, protesting is not like you're some leftist pro stick protesting at Columbia University. Protesting is taking your life in your own hands because the regime is murdering protesters as we speak. And so when I take the opportunity to speak to the people of Iran, I'm doing so because this is a voice that is being heard. And there are very few things on planet earth that could move the entire world security situation in a positive direction. More consequential than seeing the Ayatollah and this regime fall.

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, it's interesting to see the emotion and there's two stories that connect here. I have actually a good friend who is family fled after the Shavaran in the fall in 1979. They've never gone back to go see some of their family members. They have limited communication depending on, you know, what's going on and the blackouts and things that happen. But I, I did, I was able to talk to them over the weekend. And just the, the excitement at the possibility of, of two things. One, getting to actually see their family members again who they've not been able to see is a lot, kind of like you hear in Venezuela, the same kind of thing that we saw with Cuba after, after the Castro regime there. And there seems to be this real moment where they believe this could be an opportunity for them to be able to go back and to see their family members and to watch this fall happen. And the bravery too, like the women today in the videos that were coming out were incredible. That were showing the women pulling off their coverings and burning them in the streets in multiple cities that are considered strongholds for the religious leadership that has had a grip on that country since 1979. And they're doing it in the face now. If this doesn't happen, these videos will come back to haunt them. They will go and find them. They know they're risking their lives. The people that are out there in the streets, they know that this is being recorded. And if it doesn't go well, they are risking their lives being put into jail or being one of the disappeared ones they are described. That is something for me that is just incredible to see that the risk that people are willing to take.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, there's one image that is online of a young Iranian woman who is lighting her cigarette. And she's lighting her cigarette by lighting on fire a picture of the Ayatollah and using the burning picture of the Ayatollah to light her cigarette. And I gotta say, that image, it reminds me of the image of the man standing in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square. It's that kind of bold courage and life risking courage, that image. You're right. If the Ayatollah stays in power, the odds are overwhelming. The mullahs will track her down and torture and. Or kill her. She knows that. She knows exactly what she's doing. But it is. Women and men across Iran are watching that and being inspired by it. And look, I gotta say, I have a lot of friends in the Iranian American community in the United States, a lot of the Persian community that fled. Many of them fled starting in 1979 when the Islamic Revolution happened. You know, prior to 1979, Iran was not a theocratic state. It was a secular state. It had a booming commercial sector. It has vast oil reserves. It had a very, very educated population, and it was very successful. And the Islamists, they're Luddites, they're going back to the 5th century, and their approach is to stay in power, number one, by stifling women throughout the country, but number two, by just brutal repression. And I will say, when I meet with Persian Americans and I hear their stories, one of the reasons that their stories move me so much is, as you know, my family was imprisoned and tortured in Cuba. My father was imprisoned and tortured by Batista. My Diasonia, my father's younger sister, was imprisoned and tortured by Castro. And so when I've sat down and looked at books that are compiled of Iranians who were tortured, who had horrific torture, had nails driven through their eyes, had clothes irons, just burned them horrifically. I mean, just horrible, horrible tortures. And there's something powerful. It's one of the things. In the wake of communism, there is a value to cataloging the horrors. You look at Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago just cataloging the oppression of a tyrannical regime as part of how you tear it down. And what is happening in Iran, look, to understand why this is so transformational, I actually think the seeds for what's happening now were laid several months ago, and they were laid during the 12 Day War. And this is something you and I talked about on. On verdict at the Time, which is there are real world consequences to losing a war. You know, not everything in life is a communications endeavor. Not everything is political. There are just real consequences. And what happened in the 12 day war is, number one, Iran completely and totally lost. There was no ambiguity. They were just defeated. They fought a war, they lost a war. Now, even worse if you're an Islamist dictator. If there's anything on earth worse than losing a war, it is losing a war to Israel. Yeah, and Israel systematically decapitated the Iranian military. They took out all their air defenses, they took out all their senior military leaders. They took out the senior leaders of the irgc. They took out their nuclear scientists. If you remember the irgc, day after day, they would appoint someone new to lead it. And within 24 hours, kept getting taken out. Within 24 hours they'd be taken out. I've joked by the fifth or sixth day, if the Ayatollah comes to you and says, hey, Ben, you want to be head of the irgc? You're looking around going, no, no, I think Bob would be much better. Go with Bob. Go with Bob.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, go with Bob over there. He's a great guy.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And why is that so consequential? Because tyrannies, whether you're the Soviet Union or whether you're Communist China or whether you're North Korea or Venezuela or whether you're Iran, tyrannies exist in large part by conveying the impression that they are unbeatable, that resistance is futile, that it is hopeless. You look at Paradise Lost and what are the words above the gates of hell? Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. That that is. If there were a motto, a slogan of tyrannical regimes, that's what it would be. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here. They stay in power because, look, look, they're always vastly outnumbered by the people, but they stay in power because the people say, it's hopeless, we can't defeat them. And after losing unambiguously, decisively, crushingly to Israel in a way that you couldn't spin, you couldn't say, no, no, no, it was a victory for us. Like, they lost in every respect. The people say, wait a second, these guys aren't nearly as powerful powerful as we thought they were. And then the coup de grace was President Trump ordering B2s to fly from the middle of the United States all the way around the world to drop bunker buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities. We dropped the equivalent of one third of a nuclear weapon on those three nuclear facilities, utterly destroyed them, and flew all the way around the world and came back home with zero American casualties. It was a flawlessly executed military attack. And again, it made clear that if you're looking at a contest between Iran and what he calls the Great Satan, what the Ayatollah calls the Great Satan, it is not a close contest. And I'll tell you that is a major reason I think the people of Iran are rising up there's an invisible.

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[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

NFL playoffs are here and Wild card weekend Powered by Verizon is almost through, man.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It all comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

The stakes are high, hopes are higher, and everything is on the line.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

My goodness.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

It's win or go home and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown wild card weekend Powered by Verizon. Today at 8pm Eastern. Visit watch.NFL.com for the full schedule.

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[Ben Ferguson]

You talk about inspiring. I I was actually speaking with some people this weekend. You and I were both at at conservative events. This was a topic of conversation and I had someone walk up and they're like this is a hard subject to explain to our kids or grandkids. What's your message? And I said you're going to laugh but I'm a movie guy. I you love movies. I said show, show your kids if they're a little bit older. Argo it it it it'll get you to where this all all happened and the fall and the shover in all of it and go back and watch that movie. It's a great movie and it'll catch you kind of up to date of where we were then and where how we got to where we are now in a sense and it's a very easy way to do that. So if you're listening right now, you've never watched Argo or maybe you watched a long time ago. It's been Affleck movie. It's a great movie based on true story of us getting people out that were in the Canada's embassy there. It's just, it's, it's an awesome victory story for me as I describe it. But make sure you do it. But they were also talking, I was talking to a couple guys that good friends of mine, they're still in the military. And they said, I wish President Trump got more credit for what he did over the last couple days, going after ISIS right next to Iran. And it was clearly sending a message to the people of Iran that when we said, we have your back if they start coming in and killing you, we mean it and we are here. And that is when they said, within hours, you saw the explosion of people going to the streets, because it was obviously the president doing two things at once. Once we were holding ISIS accountable for killing American soldiers, and that happened recently. But also, I think he was sending a clear mental message to the Iranian people that we are here, we are right next to you. I mean it when I say we are standing with you. And if they come to kill you, we will help protect and defend you. That was a very important moment, I think, as well. And that again, that was coming from you in the military saying, that should be something that should be talked about. The media is not covering it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, that is absolutely right. And it is peace through strength, that when you have a strong American president, our enemies are weaker. I'll tell you. President Trump put out the following truth social. Iran is looking at freedom, Freedom in all caps, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help. Signed President Donald J. Trump. And you're in. My friend Clay Travis, he tweeted on top of that and said, Iran is the biggest story in the world right now. Nothing else is close. This could be the modern day fall of the Berlin Wall moment. The Ayatollah is on the ropes. And I'll tell you, look, Argo's great to get some history, but the analogy I would use is the collapse of the Soviet Union because Iran falling. The Soviet Union had a broader reach than Iran. But Iran is so toxic, they literally fund every enemy who hates America. And their body count of Americans they have killed has been massive. They are like a poison. And I have to say, in the midst of that, when we're looking at a moment to see American national security shift dramatically in our favor, it is striking right now. The Iranian regime, it shut down the Internet, it has a TV blackout. It's doing everything they can to keep their citizenry in silence. But do you know what they're airing statewide on Iranian tv.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it's sad, but it's Tucker Carlson.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

They are literally airing Tucker Carlson's podcast in Persian. So dubbed and translated so that you can listen here. I want you to listen to this one. One story reporting on this.

[Islamic Regime Commentator]

So the Islamic regime right now is literally broadcasting Tucker Carlson interviews in, in Persian on their 24 hour news channel. The country is in a state of chaos, and yet for some reason, the Islamic regime is choosing to, to play Tucker Carlson interviews because this is like, you know, it's, it's Islamist propaganda just filming this right now. Because if I didn't do this, no one would believe this is literally what's, what's going on in occupied Iran right now.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Ben, I want to, I want to say something very serious.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Which is, listen, Tucker and I have had a serious dispute for quite some time.

[Compassion International Narrator]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I went on his podcast, he went after me, he attacked me. He has publicly said things like there is no one he hates more than Christian Zionists and he singled out me and my Huckabee as the two people he hates worse the most on planet Earth. We just had the Turning Points America Fest where Ben Shapiro stood up and called out many of the voices who have been spreading antisemitism on the right, including Tucker Carlson. And then the rest of the Turning Point event was a whole series of people standing up and blasting Ben Shapiro. And it's easy to say. There are lots of people saying, no, a division on the right. Let's stop fighting. Listen, this is not a, an episode of Celebrity Family Feud. This is not one influencer getting all upset and yelling at the other influencer and back and forth. Who cares? Yeah, I want to speak for a minute. Listen, I don't know why Tucker has gone down the road. He has. I wish he had not. But, but Tucker has spent most of his life, I think, being someone who loves America and at least saying he loves America. And I just want to say in all seriousness, Tucker, what does it say to you that the Ayatollah Khamenei, someone who unequivocally hates America, who has murdered Americans, who tortures and murders people, views what you're saying as the propaganda he wants to use to suppress his people and to silence a revolution. I gotta tell you, if it were me, I would be sick to my stomach. And, and, and the fact that, that the Iranian people are downloading verdict and listening to what we're saying while the Ayatollah is pumping out Tucker show. Look, here's what I actually hope will happen. Listen, I think what Tucker has been spreading has been really harmful. But, but I'm, I, I, I am hoping and praying there'll be a moment where he says, you know, dear God, I Whatever I did wrong, if the Ayatollah views what I'm saying as his message, clearly we made a mistake here. Let's change course. I can't imagine anything more.

[Ben Ferguson]

I should say this because I've known Tucker for a long time. We've done TV together, and I know we've seen each other, as have I.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I've known Tucker 20, 25 years.

[Ben Ferguson]

At Charlie's funeral. I just, I, I. The part that sickens me the most is when you, when you go down a road because you're so hell bent on being right. And then the proof that you're wrong is that as they're clinging to power, they're like, let's use the American Tucker Carlson on TV to maybe stop this, this, this yearning for freedom in this country. It was like when I watched Tucker in the grocery stores after he interviewed Vladimir Putin. And I was like, what is happening? When he was saying, it's amazing over here. And I'm like, go outside the city of Moscow. It's not amazing. And you'll see people that are suffering. Like, you should know better than to put out this type of propaganda. I agree with you. I hope this is a wake up call and he comes back to sanity because he has a huge microphone and a huge voice and he genuinely influencing a younger generation of conservatives who are now anti Israel and don't understand that the Shah or the fall of the Ayatollah is a good thing in Iran.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And I want to talk about that for a minute because there are a lot of people, if you read X and social media, that you just get little slogans that are tossed and we're kind of tribal. We're like on one team or the other. And so you're either a neocon warmonger or you're an isolationist like Tucker and his followers. And I actually think most Americans don't fall into either category. Most Americans, I think, agree with President Donald Trump and agreed with President Ronald Reagan. Neither one of them were, to use the insult of the day, neocon warmongers. You know, in eight years, the biggest country Reagan ever invaded, Grenada. Yeah, he was not interested in invading foreign countries and sending our soldiers to die abroad, but he understood peace through strength. He rebuilt our military. He developed sdi, Strategic Defense Initiative, what was called Star wars laser missile defense from space, and he bankrupted the Soviet Union and won the Cold War without firing a shot. Donald Trump likewise, has had incredible foreign policy victories, but he's not sending our soldiers to be boots on the ground and to die for years on end. And I wanna take a related term that on social media gets thrown around as an epithet, which is regime change. And you'll have people, I'm not for regime change. Well, let me be clear. Should you be for regime change when the Soviet Union fell and the Berlin Wall fell to the ground? I will submit the answer as unambiguously, yes. Yes, the world is better off when a cruel, tyrannical communist regime falls. Should you be for regime change today in Communist China? I think unambiguously, yes, the world would be better off if China were no longer a communist country. Should you be for regime change in Iran? I would suggest unambiguously, yes, the world would be a better place if Iran was not governed by a theocratic, murderous, religious zealot who has killed hundreds, if not thousands of Americans. Now, what is the consequence of saying you're for regime change? If it is that you're going to send hundreds of thousands of American troops to invade the country and be on the ground for years on end and die in IEDs and be killed, then I don't support that. That is wrong. And part of the reason regime change has become an insult is people hear it and they immediately think the Iraq War. Remember, I've opposed the Iraq War for decades. By the way, when Tucker Carlson was an interventionist cheerleader with pom poms cheering on the Iraq War, which he did for years with his bow tie, I've said for years, the Iraq War was clearly a mistake. Why? Because it did not advance US national security interest. Saddam Hussein was a cruel and oppressive dictator. He was killing terrorists who hated America. We came in, we toppled Saddam Hussein, and the terrorists who hated America took over and began killing Americans. By the way, we did the same thing in Libya with Gaddafi. Gaddafi was cruel and oppressive, but he was killing terrorists who hate Americans. We toppled Gaddafi and the terrorists who hate Americans took over. I believe we should be America first, which means we should put America's national security interests first. But just because you don't want to commit boots on the ground and have hundreds or thousands of Americans die in protracted ground combat does not mean that you should support every tyrannical enemy of America. We should want regime change in Iran. And are there ways to promote regime change other than boots on the ground? And yes, and I would say one of them is what Donald J. Trump said. I want to read his tweet again. Iran is looking at freedom perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help President Donald J. Trump. I agree with President Trump and Tucker and everyone else who is blasting that we should have nothing to do with Iran, they're disagreeing with the president and they are wrong. We should use our voice. That's why this podcast is a message to the people of Iran. Freedom matters. You're the ones in charge of fighting for your revolution. But know that America stands with you, and a free and peaceful Iran is better for Iran, and it's better for America.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it really is. It's an important show. I hope the people in Iran, especially using starlink, get this podcast. They're able to listen to it. That. We're standing with you, we're supporting you, we're advocating for you, and we want you guys to succeed in what you're doing right now. It's going to be very interesting to see because so things are changing so quickly. There was a video that was put out, and it. It was also just one of those moments when you're. I love the Internet. And it shows a Russian jet and a Russian support plane from their military on the tarmac, on the military side at the Tehran airport. It's interesting because people are speculating. That plane is sitting there ready to take out the leaders if they need to.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Ben, I gotta say, what was there in the windshield? The little Uber logo? I'm just curious.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it said. It said Russian lift. It was Russia. Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Russian lifted. Did they at least bring some, like, you know, Domino's Pizza or something?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, yeah. It's the same plane I think, that they got when they grabbed Assad. Right. You know, it's like, oh, come on down. We'll let you be an eye doctor. It's fine. You're one of our bad guys.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It's. It's the dictator extraction plane.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, exactly.

[Compassion International Narrator]

It's.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's those two. And who knows, maybe Tucker will be on it one day. He can go hang out there. He's already bought a house in Qatar, so you never know.

[Compassion International Narrator]

But.

[Ben Ferguson]

But you. You see it. And it's just one of those moments where I love that the Internet, it's like, that's how close we are to seeing genuine freedom back there that they haven't seen since 1979. That is amazing and inspiring. I hope for the best, and I hope that very few lives or any lives are lost in this life.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Let me say something also, Ben. You're right. Let me also acknowledge I'm not Pollyannish about what comes next. So if there is a revolution in Iran, if the Ayatollah is toppled, it doesn't mean that tomorrow it's suddenly utopia and peace and harmony. There could be real conflict. There could be warring sides. Anytime you have a revolution, there is uncertainty, and the outcome can be good or bad. I don't have a stake. I don't have a preferred favorite for who the next leader of Iran is. I don't think that's my place. I'm not a voter in Iran. Unlike Tucker, I'm not buying a home in the Middle East.

[Ben Ferguson]

To be clear, you're not buying real estate there. Okay. I thought you guys were going to be neighbors, but okay, look, if the.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

People of Iran toppled the ayatollah and the mullahs, my hope is that we see free and democratic elections and they elect a leader who's a good leader, who treats his people well, and who wants to be friends with America instead of enemies. By the way, that's the exact same outcome I want in Venezuela. I want them not to have a communist dictator. Now, Donald Trump has taken care of that by arresting him and arresting him and prosecuting him. But I want to see free and fair elections in Venezuela, where they elect someone, I hope, who embraces freedom and free enterprise and wants to be friends with America. The lens I look through all of this is how does it impact America? It's America first, but I'm not diminishing. Could there be bad outcomes? Could there be a civil war? Yes, that's a possibility. When you have revolutions, divided country.

[Ben Ferguson]

We saw in Iraq as well. I mean, you see this where there's different. There's many different religious thoughts and backgrounds in different towns that believe different things.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And let me draw a distinction on this also, which is there's a real difference between Saddam Hussein and Iran in that Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator, but he wasn't actively waging war on America. The Ayatollah is actively waging war on America. He's spending money today funding terrorists that are trying to kill Americans. And there's a real difference. There are regimes across this country, across the world rather, that are cruel and oppressive. But they're not trying to kill us. The Ayatollah is. And so, look, obviously, if the regime falls, you could end up with a bad outcome. But, but, but in my view, there are very few outcomes that could be worse than the ayatollah at this point. They are unmitigatedly our enemies. And I am hopeful. I think we should be a voice of encouragement towards better leadership. But I want to close with this story. So about a decade ago, I was in Jerusalem and I Had the opportunity to meet Natan Sharansky. Now, Natan Sharansky is the famed Soviet dissident. He was in the Soviet Gulag. And he told me the story about how when they were in the gulag and Reagan was president, that the prisoners would pass from cell to cell notes, and they would be notes saying, did you hear what Reagan said? Reagan called the Soviet Union an evil empire. They passed notes, evil empire. Evil empire. Evil empire. Reagan was asked, what is your strategy on the Cold War? He said, very simple. We win, they lose. Yeah. Before that, everyone said, oh, we're going to have detente. We're just going to do nothing. He's like, we win, they lose. That's the strategy. When he talked about Marxism Leninism, he said, marxism Leninism will end up on the ash heap of history. And then the most significant words any leader has uttered in modern times, he stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Germany and said, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

[Ben Ferguson]

Which, by the way, I love that part of the story. If you haven't looked at it, please go and look at it. He was told by his staff speechwriters to not say it. And he wrote it back in after the State Department had taken it out.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Three times. The State Department deleted that three times. Reagan wrote it back in. And by the way, the State Department argued at the time of his speech, he said, you cannot say this. It is too aggressive. It's too bellicose. And here was their killer argument. It's too unrealistic. It will never, ever, ever happen. And Reagan laughed and said, this is the whole point of the speech. And it was less than three years from giving that speech that the Berlin Wall was torn to the ground. And by the way, Berlin Wall did not come down because Reagan ordered in the Marines, we sent in tanks to knock down the Wall. It was the power of the bully pulpit, of the voice for freedom, of the president. And one of the things Ben, you've seen that is in my office. It's actually in one of the offices of my staff. I love it is my first couple of years that I was in the Senate, someone came to the office and gave me something, and it's a silk painting of myself, which I don't generally hang paintings of myself on the Wall. But the reason that I kept this one is the story behind it. This was apparently made by a dissident, a prisoner in North Korea. And I've been. From the very first days I arrived in the Senate, I've been speaking out against tyrants. And communist oppression, whether in China or North Korea or Venezuela or Cuba or Iran. And much like Natan Sharansky, apparently the words that I had said here in the United States had somehow made their way into a dark prison cell in North Korea. And I don't know the name of this North Korean who made this. I don't know his story. I just know that it was smuggled out and they delivered it to my office. And I periodically look at that and say, okay, like there's a responsibility. This podcast. There may be someone who is risking their life or even, God forbid, loses their life because they hear our words, are inspired to fight against tyranny. And so I think we have a responsibility to speak truth, to speak for justice. And that's what I hope this podcast is doing every week, but especially today.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. Don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscriber auto download button. You can also watch this podcast if you want to watch on video on YouTube. We also put it up on Facebook as well so you can watch it there if you're on Facebook. So make sure you do that as well. And please share it, like I said, with your family and friends. That's how we get new people to hear the show. It's the whole reason why we do this show is to reach as many people as possible without you guys sharing it on social media or texting it to your friends. That doesn't happen. So thank you for doing it and continuing to do it. And the center and I will see you back here in a couple of days.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

The NFL playoffs are here and Wild Card Weekend powered by Verizon is almost through.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Man, it all comes down to this.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

The stakes are high, hopes are higher, and everything is on the line.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Mike oh goodness.

[NFL Playoffs Announcer]

It's win or go home, and every moment counts on the road to Super Bowl 60. It's a touchdown Wild Card Weekend Powered by Verizon. Today at 8pm Eastern. Visit watch.NFL.com for the full schedule.

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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