← Verdict with Ted Cruz
Verdict with Ted Cruz
Accountability NOW: Prosecute the Minnesota Fraudsters, their Funders & Organizers, and the Politicians Who were Complicit
00:33:58
Loading summary
Transcript91 lines
- [00:00]
Podcast Announcer
This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human 10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [00:30]
Ben Ferguson
Trainer Games on Prime Video Watch the.
- [00:33]
Commercial Narrator
Trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag Reader's Choice Used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [01:05]
Podcast Announcer
Season two of Unrivaled Basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.
- [01:20]
Public Investing Sponsor
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com, and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com disclosures it's the most.
- [02:30]
Podcast Announcer
Wonderful time of the year and Valpak is here to make it even better. This month as you sip through holiday mail, miss the blue Valpak envelope from Dining to holiday shopping. There's a slate full of savings in your mailbox, plus a chance to instantly win $100. That's right, you can find $100 Christmas cash inside. Want to save even more money on what you love? Go to valpak.com for local coupons and offers. It pays to open Valpak. No purchase necessary for instant Win voip prohibited prices are randomly inserted. See specially marked Valpak envelopes for details.
- [03:02]
Senator Ted Cruz
Welcome. It is Verdict with center Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you and for many of you listening on the radio right now, it is so nice to have you with us as well. I hope you had a great Christmas and depending on when you hear this, either getting ready for New Year's or a happy new year Senator. We have a a brand new listener to the show and since we are on video, I just thought I'd let everybody know that we have a brand new listener. Welcome to the family, the verdict family. That is my friends Birdie, the new puppy, she has been sitting up here quiet for an hour as we've been getting ready. But I wanted everybody. Can you say hi? There we go. Say hi to everybody. That's Birdie for you.
- [03:40]
Ben Ferguson
Okay, so Birdie, who named Birdie? What's Birdie short for?
- [03:45]
Senator Ted Cruz
So Birdie, you know, my family's, the boys are a bunch of golfers. And so Birdie was the, was the chosen. Georgie. Georgie was like, can we name her Birdie? And it just stuck and that's the end of it. So there you go. We got a new listener, Birdie. And you should watch the video of this because Birdie's a lot cuter than I am for sure.
- [04:03]
Ben Ferguson
All right. How surprised were the boys?
- [04:05]
Senator Ted Cruz
They freaked out center. They were so excited. So he woke up. The boys had been asked, they asked Santa and so George woke up and we're doing presents and Anna, to throw them off, put a stuffy of a dog in their stockings so that they thought like, you got a dog, like you asked for a dog, you got a dog. And George just started walking around the house looking under things, trying to find a dog. And then my mother in law ended up bringing the dog over in a box and we delivered it and they freaked out.
- [04:34]
Ben Ferguson
It was pretty awesome. So was the box wrapped? Like how was the reveal?
- [04:37]
Senator Ted Cruz
So it had a big red bow and they went on a scavenger hunt that we had done and put different envelopes and the last envelope brought them back to where the tree was. So we snuck her in the back door, had her in a box with a big bow on top. And then they all came running in the room and then they got the box and open it and the dog was there. So we did it right. It was all caught on video. It was really, really fun.
- [04:58]
Ben Ferguson
Well, Merry Christmas and that is awesome. There's nothing better than a new puppy at Christmas. And I hope everyone at home had a fantastic Christmas and your New Year's. I hope that everyone is ready for an incredible, blessed 2026. Looking forward into what I hope will be a fantastic new year, 2025. A lot of good has been accomplished in 2025. We've seen the Trump administration moving at laser speed, a thousand different, on a thousand different fronts all at once. In Congress, the legislation, we've had conservative victories. In fact, if you listen to an earlier podcast, we went through the major conservative victories this year. It's breathtaking, everything that's been accomplished. And so as we're wrapping up the year and starting a new one, it's a good time to reflect on all that.
- [05:49]
Senator Ted Cruz
And Senator, I guess we should really start with the shocking news coming out of Minnesota. Everyone's talking about it, we've talked about on the podcast this week. And if you're listening on radio, go back and you can look listen to those shows wherever you get your podcasts. But what was shocking was how fast the numbers grew and the size of this fraud. Early on people were saying it's a billion dollar fraud that has now exploded. A nine plus billion. They expect to find even more. The FBI director, Cash Patel has said they believe this is the tip of a very large iceberg. And we're seeing other fraud schemes are being exposed in other states as well as we speak.
- [06:25]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, look, I gotta say, as scandals go, this is one that should really piss you off. It is outrageous on so many different levels. If you look at what's been uncovered in Minnesota in the last several years, Minnesota's total Medicaid budget was about $18 billion. The Department of Justice is reporting that more than half of that, more than 9 billion may well be fraudulent. People are being prosecuted. And then we covered in the most recent podcast, an independent YouTuber, a 23 year old guy named Nick Shirley, went and started going down the list of daycare centers that were receiving millions and millions of dollars from the Minnesota taxpayers. And he started showing up to the daycare centers and he videoed the whole thing. And in our last pod, we went through that video in detail. If you haven't watched that video, it's had now over 100 million views. It has gone viral. And he simply would knock on the doors. In many of the instances, the doors were locked. There was no one there. Virtually everyone he attended. The doors were blacked out, the windows were blacked out. You couldn't see. And the consistent pattern at daycare, after daycare, after daycare was no kids. There were no kids. He kept trying to enroll a child. They're like, no, no, no, no, we can't do that. We don't do that. And the pattern we've seen this is overwhelmingly Somalis, immigrants from Somalia, who are engaged in this massive fraud. And you see this group of Somalis surrounding Nick Shorter and yelling at him and chasing him through the neighborhood because they're very upset that their fraud has been uncovered. We covered on verdict early on that that this fraud resulted in the single largest funder of Al Shabaab, which is a radical Islamic terror group in Somalia, is the Minnesota taxpayers. That's how big this fraud is. And so we want to break down on today's podcast multiple pieces of it. Number one, what went on? Number two, what are the consequences? Who is going to be fired and even more importantly, who's. Who is going to be put in jail because there needs to be real accountability. And number three, who benefited? Why was this allowed to happen? All of those are questions. And number four, why did did the corporate media cover it up, ignore it? They have no interest whatsoever in in it. They will track down everything they can about Donald Trump, but, but actually Democrats and Somali immigrants stealing billions of dollars from the taxpayers, zero interest in the corporate media and covering that at all.
- [09:07]
Senator Ted Cruz
You know, the Democrats, by the way, on their Hill center because they've gone back to their playbook, which they always go back to when they're challenged with facts. And that is the name call. And we saw this happen on mainstream media. We saw this happen on Ms. Now, where they're now saying it on cnn. How dare you demonize a Somali community that is racist. You cannot ask these questions of a community like this because it's clearly racist in its tone. And here is how Ms. Now described it on tv, saying it's just unfair and the Republicans are just evil and mean spirited. Take a listen to this.
- [09:42]
Podcast Announcer
The question is, you know, why is this a priority in a different kind of way? The politicization of the DOJ and the FBI is undeniable. So whether they are reliable narrators is the big question. And this is what happens when you weaponize and politicize federal agencies that are not meant to be politicized And I think the American people are right to ask the question, well, can we trust you? And that's a sad thing to say as an American. Let's recall, too, that there's also other scandals in other states. For example, the Mississippi welfare scandal. And this is not unique to politics. Americans know that. But of course, the other factor here is that because it looks like the Somali population in Minnesota, the Somali immigrant population may have been at some. Involved in some way, those people are being scapegoated. And that community is being scapegoated in a way that certainly serves the far right. And so that's also something to keep an eye on. And that's inappropriate. Absolutely.
- [10:49]
Senator Ted Cruz
I love that she says it's inappropriate that the Somali community, as she describes it, might be involved in some way.
- [10:55]
Ben Ferguson
May have been involved. Maybe just kind of like you go down the list of one after the other after the other of these fake daycare centers, of these fake autism centers, one after the other after the other. By the way, that was Mara Gay. Mara Gay is on the editorial board of the New York Times. I think it is laughable listening to her talking about people have lost faith in the Department of Justice. And that's just sad because they're politicized and biased. Number one, her employer, the New York Times, and her employer, MSNBC, or whatever the hell it's called now, are so wildly biased that everyone knows it. But understand, this is an individual who a few years ago, she said publicly that she was deeply disturbed to see American flags on trucks in Long island, that the American flag disturbed her. That's how biased she is. And look at the media desperately trying to cover up the thieves, the fraudsters, and the Democrats. That is who they're fighting for.
- [11:51]
Senator Ted Cruz
Senator, I want to get back to this argument. The left has now gone all in on with, you cannot criticize a Somali community because if you do, it's racist. I want people to really understand this. Daycare fraud is not like a few people involved. And. And there's been some that I think have mischaracterized as well. It's just maybe one or two bad actors. They open up a daycare, they commit fraud. No, they have others in the Somali community that are allowing their children's names to be used as a participant in the fraud and apparently getting kickbacks. In fact, there are videos they're servicing of people that were bringing their kids and checking them in, them leaving so the state would write checks to daycare centers. This has been going on for years. There have been Multiple warnings about this. And when there was no accountability, no one was going to jail. It started growing bigger and bigger because basically everybody thought, I think, hey, we can do it. Bring everybody in. We'll all get rich off of it. And literally, to the tune of billions of dollars, they did it.
- [12:51]
Ben Ferguson
North of $9 billion. And this is money that was scammed primarily by Somali fraudsters. They were taking the money, billions of dollars. They were sending much of it back to Somalia. As I said, millions, if not hundreds of millions of it ended up in the coffers of Al Shabaab, where they used it for radical Islamic terrorism. You see in Nick Shirley's video, you see the Somali community all, like, members of them coming up and trying to do whatever they can to cover up the fraud. And. And, you know, we just played a few minutes ago mar. On. On MSNBC and from the New York Times saying, well, some Somalis may have been involved. Let's talk about accountability. Here's what Pam Bondi put out. The Justice Department has been investigating this for months. So far, we have charged 98 individuals, 85 of Somali descent, and more than 60 have been found guilty in court. We have more prosecutions coming. Buckle up, lawmakers. Now, let me say, when you have 98 people charged by the Department of Justice, 85 of them of Somali descent and 60 already found guilty, how the hell can she say some Somalis may have been involved? No, they've been criminally prosecuted. They've been caught. There's no dispute. But when you're a professional liar, which is what the fake news does, they don't deal in the world of facts. And you talk about accountability. Look, DOJ is. Is. Is coming after them. But I also want to talk about what Cash Patel put out from the FBI. Cash Patel went to Minnesota in July to. To oversee the investigations, to confirm that progress was being made. And he said the investigation, Some of the investigations were opened under the Biden administration. Uh, but he. He also said they were buried because they. They implicate Biden political allies. Between late May 2025 and December 2025, the FBI had 16 open investigations into approximately 32 healthcare and home care providers accused of fraud. And he described a massive joint investigation, including HHS Inspector General, Medicaid fraud unit, IRS postal inspectors, Minnesota Attorney General, Minnesota Department of Education, and by the way, it's not just limited to Minnesota. They're expanding nationwide. And we're getting reports online of other states like Washington, states like New York, like California, where these same problems have been happening. And what is critical is to follow the money and to go after that, to go after them. And I'm very glad we're beginning to see accountability. But let me tell you, the accountability better not stop with just the thieves.
- [15:46]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah.
- [15:47]
Ben Ferguson
With a low level, the accountability, and it certainly needs to include the masterminders and the funders, but it also needs to include the government officials in the Minnesota state government or the federal government that acquiesce to this, that look the other way that covered it up. It is so blazingly obvious that there is a reason that this has happened. And look, there is obviously fraud in, in, in red states and blue states and we ought to go after it in all those states. But, but, but there is a reason. Minnesota was ground zero for this because you've got to be.
- [16:20]
Senator Ted Cruz
Because the AG and because of the governor there. I mean, they're the CEOs, the company. And that's the question I want to ask you. If this was a private sector fraud, there would already be people in handcuffs.
- [16:31]
Ben Ferguson
Yep.
- [16:32]
Senator Ted Cruz
There would be people there that would be doing perp walks. It would be wall to wall coverage. But somehow, because it's the government, it's like the governor's not even a suspect. The AG is not even a suspect. It's like, oh, well, you know, we want to bring in more Somalis. That's what the governor said a couple days ago. We should bring more of them in. How dare you demonize them. And if there is no accountability, then did they in fact get away with it? I would argue the answer is yes, because ultimately their goal was to get Somalis to vote for them. This was the payoff. It's pay to play politics in Minnesota. Am I wrong?
- [17:07]
Ben Ferguson
You're not wrong. And that needs to be one, one significant part of the investigation, both from journalists and from prosecutors. There needs to be significant investigation into how much of that money ended up in political coffers of politicians. How much? The reason that the Democrats in Minnesota all look the other way is they're all getting paid A. It's a huge voting block. And I want you to watch this. For those of you who are watching this online, I want you to see this video of the mayor of Minneapolis dancing, waving a Somali flag. If you haven't, if you're not watching it online, if you're listening on radio, we're going to narrate it. But here, give a look if you can, and Ben and I will tell you what you're looking at.
- [17:55]
Senator Ted Cruz
I mean, this video is amazing. You, you got the mayor of Minneapolis up there on stage center waving a Somali flag and dancing with a shirt of the Somali flag on his shirt as well. If you want to know how we got to where we are now, this is just proof of it. Am I wrong?
- [18:15]
Ben Ferguson
Okay. And I gotta say that this mayor manages to dance in a way that makes Tim Waltz look manly. That is the most effeminate, prancing, ass kissing like, like, like unbelievably, he's just dancing and waving a Somali flag. Now let me ask you, do you think someone who is desperately trying to get the votes of the hundred thousand Somalis that Democrats have imported into Minnesota and desperately trying to get their cash, do you think he has any interest in investigating and finding out the billions of dollars they're stealing from the taxpayers?
- [18:52]
Senator Ted Cruz
Hell no.
- [18:53]
Ben Ferguson
Well, and that's how we got here.
- [18:55]
Delta One Advertiser
Picture this. Your trip hasn't even started, but it already feels like a vacation. Private check in, exclusive lounges, dedicated service, showers, spa chairs, chef curated menus. That's Delta One, where your getaway begins before you even board. And it all starts right from the moment you get to the airport for a flight to, let's say, London. You enjoy a stress free private check in and then wait for boarding at the exclusive Delta One lounge. Your partner came straight from the gym, so they hop in the shower while you kick back in a massage chair. And it only gets better once you're in the air, where you are priority number one or priority Delta one. Let's talk about the dining. Each dish thoughtfully crafted by acclaimed chefs with a wine selection curated by Delta's master sommelier. Maybe you choose one of the seasonal entrees while your partner picks a regional selection. That's the attention to detail you only get with Delta One. After dinner, it's time to relax. And if you've flown Delta 1, you've experienced the Missoni bedding. That Missoni magic is even available in a slipper form and with spacious 100 degree lie flat seats with premium finishes, you'll have no problem catching a few winks if you need them. Then, rested and renewed, you can freshen up with an exclusive Delta One amenity kit crafted with premium Italian materials, featuring iconic zigzag patterns and stock full of wellness essentials from grown alchemists and other travel products. They put a lot of thought into it. And that's the point. They put a lot of thought into everything. Into designing a premium experience, into anticipating your needs, into elevating your travel. Learn more about the Delta One experience@delta.com Delta One.
- [20:54]
Podcast Announcer
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000.
- [21:12]
Ben Ferguson
This is where mindset comes in.
- [21:14]
Podcast Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [21:19]
Ben Ferguson
Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.
- [21:24]
Commercial Narrator
Know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop voted PCMag's Reader's Choice Top Laptop Brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere and Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [21:54]
Podcast Announcer
Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled Basketball Season 2, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max support for the.
- [22:24]
Public Investing Sponsor
Show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you try transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice Complete disclosures available@public.com disclosures.
- [23:34]
Senator Ted Cruz
Let's go back to the dancing mayor and talk a little bit more about the propaganda he puts out on social media, clearly making it well known where his allegiance is and is not to the American taxpayer.
- [23:46]
Ben Ferguson
Well, look, if you're asking, how could this happen? How could it be so brazen? How could you have daycare centers with no kids? How could you have daycare centers with no playground equipment? How could you have centers for kids with autism with no kids in them? How could you have home health care providers that are not actually providing health care? Like the raw brazenness of it? And the answer is the politicians were complicit. And to understand just how craven and corrupt they are, I wanna go back to the Minneapolis mayor, Jacob Frey or Frey or Fry, or however you say his name.
- [24:21]
Senator Ted Cruz
Depends if you're talking in Somali. I don't know. It depends on what you're doing.
- [24:25]
Ben Ferguson
Well, I wanna play a video that he put out, and this is him really speaking to America's heartland, speaking to you, to me, to all of us, because he's a mayor of a major American city. So give a listen to Mayor Fry Maga Egawa Jacob Fry, Dokimagalada, Minneapolis. Damaan Shahabka, Somalia.
- [24:45]
Senator Ted Cruz
Kayamid, Mogadishu ghetto, Hargeza, Osasso, Bedabo, Kismayo, Wahan Raba in an Idin Shago, Minneapolis.
- [24:59]
Ben Ferguson
Okay, that's enough. I did hear him say, by the.
- [25:01]
Senator Ted Cruz
Way, you and I are officially unelectable in Minnesota. I just want to be very.
- [25:05]
Ben Ferguson
I did hear him say, kiss Mayo. And he is saying to his voters, kiss Mayo. He's telling them to kiss Mayo. He said Mogadishu. And apparently he's running for mayor of Mogadishu. And maybe he is mayor of Mogadishu. Look, if you're the biggest funder of Al Shabaab, you're actually quite a star in Mogadishu. Do you think? Look, I don't know what that guy's saying. And that is by design. And by the way, you might think, well, okay, he's just, you know, he's just trying to appeal to a constituency. I want you to listen to the prime minister of Somalia standing next, Ilhan Omar. Ilhan Omar is the congresswoman who represents this Somali community. And I want you to listen to what the prime minister of Somalia says about Ilhan Omar.
- [26:08]
Senator Ted Cruz
I mean, this is, I honestly, shocking when he's talking about. It's not in the interest of somebody else. All right?
- [26:16]
Ben Ferguson
And Let me, for our listeners, you'll be forgiven if you thought that might have been the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Fry, because, because they both speak Somalian. And so, you know, it is understandable that the prime minister Somalia sounds just like the Minneapolis mayor. But, but here actually is, is what the Somalian prime minister's name, and it's, it's Hassan Ali Kairi. And he says the following for those listening on radio. You don't have the English translations. Let me translate what he said. Quote, the interest of Ilhan are not of the American people. The interest of Ila Ilhan is that of the Somalian people and Somalia. That. That's not me saying that or you saying that. That's the prime minister of Somalia in Minneapolis, in America telling presumably Americans your member of Congress. Her interests are not America. They are Somalians and Somalia. And you want to know why so many Democrats look the other way as the Somalian fraudsters were robbing the taxpayers blind? It is because they were in on it. They were profiting from it. They were benefiting from it. And this embodies level upon level of corruption.
- [27:37]
Senator Ted Cruz
You know, this also goes back to saying you and I talked about several months ago when we had then the man in charge of Doge, he was warning us about waste, fraud and abuse. That was Elon Musk. He actually retweeted the last couple days this segment that we had from him in the Doge office, the EOB next to the White House. And I want to play that for people just to remind you of what he was talking about, of entitlement payments going to people just like these Somalians and illegals, and how this was one of the biggest frauds, as he described it, happening in the history of this country. Take a listen to again, this is Elon Musk on this show months ago, warning about this exact type of behavior.
- [28:21]
Elon Musk
And the single biggest thing that they're worried about is that Doge is going to turn off fraudulent payments of entitlements. I mean, everything from Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, disability, Small Business Administration loans, turn them off to illegals. This is the crux of the matter, okay? This is the, this is the thing that why they really hit my guts and want me to die.
- [28:52]
Ben Ferguson
And do you think that's billions, hundreds of billions? What do you think the scale is of that?
- [28:56]
Elon Musk
I think across the country, it's well north of 100 billion, maybe 200 billion.
- [29:03]
Ben Ferguson
So.
- [29:05]
Elon Musk
By using entitlements fraud, the Democrats have been able to attract and retain vast numbers of illegal immigrants and buy Voters and buy voters. Exactly. And basically bring in, I don't know, 10, 20 million people who are beholden to the Democrats for government handouts and will vote overwhelmingly Democrat, as has been demonstrated in California. This is.
- [29:34]
Senator Ted Cruz
It's an election strategy.
- [29:35]
Elon Musk
Yes.
- [29:35]
Public Investing Sponsor
It's power.
- [29:36]
Elon Musk
Yes. And it doesn't take much to turn the swing states blue. I mean, often a swing state might be won by 10, 20,000 votes. Sure. So if the Dems can bring in 200,000 illegals and over time get them legalized, not counting any cheating that takes place. Because there is some cheating. But even without cheating, if you bring in illegals that are 10x the voter differential in a swing state, it will no longer be a swing state and the dams will win all the swing states. Just a matter of time and America will be permanent deep blue socialist state. The House, the Senate, yep, the Presidency and the Supreme Court will all go hardcore den. They will then further cement that by bringing in even more aliens. So you can't vote your way out of it. Their objective is to make it one party socialist state. And it'll be much worse than California because at least California is mitigated by the fact that someone can leave California.
- [30:34]
Ben Ferguson
And go to Texas.
- [30:35]
Elon Musk
Yeah, exactly. Make everywhere California a bit worse.
- [30:40]
Senator Ted Cruz
You know what's interesting is the way that he described it there, Senator, saying you can't. They'll get to a point where you can't vote your way out of it. It's almost like Elon was describing Minneapolis, Minneapolis St. Paul, and now in essence, the entire state is going that way after its total Somali control locally.
- [30:59]
Ben Ferguson
Now look, that is exactly right. I will say, by the way, that the interview we did with Elon Musk, it was an hour long interview. We did it in the course of two podcasts. It remains one of my favorite pods we've ever done. If you didn't listen to it when it came out, I would encourage you. It was fascinating. We got to ask Elon all sorts of questions about how he built Tesla, how he built SpaceX, what are the odds of killer robots killing us all? What's going to happen with AI? I mean, it was fun, it was interesting. Elon is a good friend and that exchange, it was prescient that he predicted. And it's interesting. He said north of 100 billion nationwide. We look at Minneapolis and Minnesota, where it's already north of 9 billion in just one state, and I think that prediction of 100 billion or more is very accurate. I'll also say on the point about getting Elon Talked right there about getting people locked into welfare and dependency and making them dependent on the Democrats. You know, there was a tweet that Bill Ackman, the New York investor put out today that I thought was quite insightful. He said, quote, even assuming there was no fraud, none of this makes sense. How is it that we have been funding billions of dollars of daycare for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, 81% of which, according to Gemini, are on welfare. Now get this. Listen to that fact again. 81% of Somali immigrants are on welfare. Ackman continues. In other words, if mom and dad don't work, why the need for childcare? Perhaps you could say the welfare statistics include some subsidies for working parents. But still, in this case, the childcare does not appear to be needed as the daycare centers are empty. Furthermore, why is federal funded child care provided to recent immigrants on welfare versus long standing American working families who are not on welfare? How does this make sense? And the answer is, it doesn't. It doesn't. Unless the goal is to buy votes. And if the goal is to buy votes, it makes perfect sense. And everyone responsible needs to go to jail.
- [33:11]
Senator Ted Cruz
Senator, we're talking about accountability. And CEOs, they're held accountable when they commit major frauds. Bernie Madoff is one I mentioned a moment ago as well. Is there a real chance that we will see government elected officials because of this fraud actually be arrested and held accountable for the fact that they're the CEO of the state and they are the ones that allowed this to happen? There were a lot of warning signs. There were whistleblowers that have come forward saying that they had taken to the governor and they were actually punished for being a whistleblower in Minnesota. That's part of this story that can't be overlooked.
- [33:47]
Ben Ferguson
Look, look, I hope so. And I believe there will be accountability. We've already seen people being prosecuted, the fraudsters themselves. We've seen DOJ and the FBI promising to go higher up the chain. And I hope and expect that to happen now. You know, I will say on Twitter, lots of folks are commenting with our last couple of pods and they're yelling at me going, will Ted do something about it. And let's get back to the basic constitution and the separation of powers. The only federal entity that can prosecute is the executive branch, that is the Department of Justice, that is the FBI. They can bring criminal charges. I serve in the legislature. The legislature cannot prosecute anyone. What we can do is shine a light. What we can do. This podcast reaches millions of people by shining a light and calling for accountability, that builds the momentum for then the executive has to bring the indictments and has to prosecute. And that we're going to do. And I fully expect we will also have congressional hearings again to shine a light. Now, a congressional hearing cannot actually indict anyone and put one in jail, but it can draw real attention and it could uncover evidence that helps, helps the executive then prosecute. There are also political consequences. And I want to play actually an ad that I saw online. I don't know who put this together, but it's a satirical ad about Tim Waltz that gives some of the sense of political consequences that will happen. This just came out today. Give a listen. Tim Walls doesn't seek out fraud. Fraud seeks out Tim Walls. When scammers apply for jobs, they list him as a reference under his watch. Fraud is Minnesota's fastest growing small business. His biggest export, taxpayer money delivered to foreign terrorists. If fraud had a frequent flyer program, he would always fly first class. He is Tim Walls, the most fraudulent man in America. Tim Walls doesn't seek.
- [35:49]
Senator Ted Cruz
I, I love the, and I remember the most interesting man in the world. That's that into that with Dos Equis.
- [35:54]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, yeah.
- [35:56]
Senator Ted Cruz
Which is such a great, like, great ad series they did there for years.
- [35:59]
Ben Ferguson
And by the way, by the way, by the way, Ben, I also a fan of, of bearded Latinos with, with just, you know, with something to say in the world.
- [36:10]
Senator Ted Cruz
There's something I understand your beard like never before. You are trying to be the most interesting man in the world of politics. Okay, now it's full circle.
- [36:19]
Ben Ferguson
It's a low bar. I mean, I get it.
- [36:22]
Senator Ted Cruz
That's so good. That's. I, I'm never. Okay, the connection is solidified now. I, I, that, that ad is hysterical. It's also incredibly accurate.
- [36:33]
Ben Ferguson
Look, this is, and it's just the beginning. This is only gonna get worse. As I said, this has happened in other states. Minnesota is a perfect storm because you've got the massive Somali community there. But, but it is happening in other states. We are going to see accountability. And, and, and listen, I'm really glad the Trump administration, DOJ and the FBI is going after that. This. But also today, hhs, the Trump administration came out with this announcement. Give a listen. I'm here with Assistant Secretary Alex Adams. Alex oversees the administration for Children and Families. Intrepid journalists have made shocking and credible allegations of extensive fraud in Minnesota's child care programs. We believe the state of Minnesota has allowed scammers and fake daycares to siphon millions of taxpayer dollars over the past decades. My office, ACF, provides Minnesota $185 million in child care funds each year. That money should be helping 19,000American children, including toddlers and infants. Any dollar stolen by fraudsters is stolen from those children.
- [37:38]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yesterday, I spoke directly with the director of the Minnesota Child Care Services office.
- [37:43]
Ben Ferguson
She could not tell me with confidence whether those allegations of fraud are isolated or whether there's fraud stretching statewide. Today. We have taken three direct actions against the blatant fraud that seems to be rampant in Minnesota. First, I have activated our Defend the spend system for all ACF child care payments across America starting today.
- [38:03]
Public Investing Sponsor
We require a justification, receipt or photo.
- [38:06]
Ben Ferguson
Evidence before we make a payment. Second, I've just signed and sent a demand letter to Governor Walz. I required a full 360 review of these centers. This includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations, and inspections. And third, we've launched a dedicated fraud reporting hotline and email address@childcare.gov. whether you're a parent, a provider, a.
- [38:29]
Podcast Announcer
Member of the public, we want to hear from you.
- [38:31]
Ben Ferguson
Let me be crystal clear. ACF expects every state to uphold the highest standards of oversight, monitoring, and accountability for federal dollars. Minnesota is no exception. We're committed to holding bad actors accountable, regardless the rank or office. Anyone who's involved in perpetrating this fraud against the American people should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
- [38:53]
Senator Ted Cruz
Senator, this is a step in the right direction. If you look at the President's response and the administration's response, I do think the best part is he's using all of government. We're hearing that the IRS is getting involved, that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, they're working with basically every part of our government to fight this fraud. You see this from hhs, and there are some that will say, well, this is unfair because they're stopping the funding and there has to be somebody doing good work in Minnesota. If you're mad, I would say then you should be mad at the Democrats for allowing it to get to the point where they had to stop the funding going to the State of Minnesota. If you're angry, you should be angry at Waltz and you should be angry at every Democrat Democrat that allowed this to continue when there was massive amounts of warning signs, not for weeks, not for months, but for literally years and years and years.
- [39:45]
Ben Ferguson
Well, Ben, Jim o', Neill, who just made that announcement, he is the Deputy Secretary of hhs. He's Bobby Kennedy's deputy. Jim has been a good friend of mine for 25 years. Actually. Jim was a groomsman at Heidi's and my wedding. So actually longer. We got married 25 years ago. So Jim was a groomsman at our wedding. Uh, and, and he's a great friend. He's doing a terrific job as deputy secretary at hhs. But that's the kind of leadership we see now. It's, now it's striking when, when, when HHS put this out, immediately Tim Waltz responded. And, and, and here's what, what Tim Waltz said in response. This is Trump's long game. We've spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It's a serious issue. But this has been his plan all along. He's politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans. And, and, and this is, this is Saul Alinsky, like jujitsu of attacking the Trump administration for holding him accountable. Look, Governor Waltz, when you let Somalian fraudster steal $9 billion from taxpayers, you know who doesn't get that? Real Minnesotans who are not fraudsters. Real kids. And that, that's what the Trump HHS emphasized right now, is this money is, is made to go to Americans in need, not to thieves who are supporting Democrats. And, and we're going to see a whole lot more accountability coming.
- [41:12]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah, we're going to keep you updated on it. We can promise you that here. So don't miss an episode. Download Verdict with Ted Cruz wherever you get your podcasts as we do the show Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plus this radio show you can hear all over the country. Wherever you are listening right now on your favorite local news talk station. The senator and I will see you back here next week on radio. And this week on the podcast.
- [41:37]
Podcast Announcer
10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000.
- [41:56]
Ben Ferguson
This is where mindset comes in.
- [41:57]
Podcast Announcer
Someone will be eliminated. Pressure is coming down.
- [42:02]
Ben Ferguson
Trainer games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you.
- [42:07]
Commercial Narrator
Know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop. Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lgusa.com iheart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.
- [42:37]
Podcast Announcer
Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.
- [42:52]
Public Investing Sponsor
Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can list literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA S I E PC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available@public.com disclosures it's the most.
- [44:02]
Podcast Announcer
Wonderful time of the year and Valpak is here to make it even better. This month as you sip through holiday mail, don't miss the blue Valpak envelope. From dining to holiday shopping, there's a slate full of savings in your mailbox, plus a check chance to instantly win $100. That's right, you could find $100 Christmas cash inside. Want to save even more money on what you love? Go to valpak.com for local coupons and offers. It pays to open Valpak. No purchase necessary for instant Win voip were prohibited. Prices are randomly inserted. See specially marked Valpak envelopes for details. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.