Airport Chaos as Dems Sacrifice TSA Workers & Flying Public to Protect Illegal Aliens plus Trump Ultimatum on Iran

Summary

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Verdict with Ted Cruz — Episode Summary

Episode: Airport Chaos as Dems Sacrifice TSA Workers & Flying Public to Protect Illegal Aliens plus Trump Ultimatum on Iran

Date: March 23, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Main Themes:

• Ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown and its impact on TSA workers and air travelers
• Political standoff regarding funding, with a focus on Democratic opposition to ICE
• President Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and escalating military tensions

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1. Overview & Main Themes

In this episode, Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson provide an in-depth analysis of the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, emphasizing the toll on TSA agents and the traveling public. They argue the crisis is driven by Democratic refusal to fund DHS due to opposition to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). The discussion also turns to significant geopolitical developments, most notably President Trump's ultimatum to Iran, threatening to destroy Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz isn't reopened within 48 hours, amid escalating conflict and increased UK involvement.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. DHS Shutdown, TSA Worker Crisis, and Air Traveler Impact

• Scope of the Shutdown

  • The shutdown has specifically affected DHS departments; all other federal agencies remain funded.
  • TSA agents, Coast Guard, and FEMA workers are missing paychecks ([04:02]).

• Effects on TSA Agents

  • TSA agents have now missed two paychecks, leading some to quit, others seeking food assistance.
  • “We've had more than 300 TSA agents just resign, say, look, I can't do a job where I don't get paid.” — Ted Cruz [10:25]
  • Testimony from a TSA agent: “Can you please let whoever know that they're screwing my whole family? ... I can't miss a paycheck, man.” — relayed by Ben Ferguson [09:39]

• Impact on Travelers

  • Air travel is severely disrupted, with lines of 2–5 hours and missed flights to key events like spring break ([04:02], [07:22]).

• Democrats, ICE, and DHS Funding

  • Cruz frames the crisis as “man-made,” asserting Democrats refuse to fund DHS to signal their opposition to ICE.
  • Irony highlighted: ICE is getting paid due to previous multi-year funding ([11:10]).
  • “The Democrats aren't doing this because they want to defund ICE. They're doing it just because they want to show their base they hate ICE so much that they're going to shut down the TSA.” — Ted Cruz [11:17]

• Media Coverage Critique

  • The press is accused of misleading the public by blaming “Congress” generically instead of specifically Democratic senators ([13:19]).
  • Audio clip highlighted between Cruz and Greta Van Sustern, where Cruz insists, “It's Democrats who are voting no on funding ... the reason this shutdown is happening is because Chuck Schumer and the Democrats care more about the radical open border extremists than they do about doing their job.” ([14:30])

B. Political Calculus, Democratic Party Divisions & Public Messaging

• Party Dynamics & Calculations

  • Democrats framed as beholden to anti-ICE, pro-open-border voters; some, like John Fetterman, break ranks but are rare ([19:36]).
  • “Their base hates ICE ... If you're a Democrat senator ... your angry open border activists will never forgive [you for funding ICE].” — Ted Cruz [19:36]

• Republican Strategy in the Senate

  • Cruz advocates funding DHS minus ICE and then separately funding ICE via reconciliation, bypassing the 60-vote Senate threshold ([23:16]).

• Democratic Leadership Tensions

  • Chuck Schumer faces potential challenges from the far-left; some senators (e.g., Warren, Murphy, Smith) are dissatisfied and may push for leadership change but wish Schumer were even more aggressive ([26:08], [27:13]).

C. Economic & Security Concerns

• Risks of the Shutdown

  • Concerns include threats to economic stability (loss of tourism, people canceling trips), increased risk around airports as soft targets, and a depleted TSA workforce ([12:26], [22:04]).

• Long-Term Impacts

  • Fears the crisis will outlive the shutdown, as quitting TSA agents are not easily replaced ([22:04]).

D. Legislative Update: The SAVE Act

• The “SAVE Act” is under debate in the Senate but stalling due to lack of a united Republican front. Trump is pushing for a full talking filibuster, but some retiring GOP senators oppose the tactic ([30:14]).

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3. Iran Crisis & Trump Ultimatum

A. Trump’s 48-Hour Ultimatum

• President Trump’s Statement:

  • “If Iran doesn't fully open without threat the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first.” — Ted Cruz quoting Trump [37:25]

• Justification & Military Impact

  • The US has focused attacks on military targets in Iran, but destroying economic infrastructure (like power plants or oil facilities) would be a major escalation with longer-term impacts on Iran’s recovery ([37:25]).

• “More than 8,000 Iranian targets have been hit, 130 vessels have been destroyed, which is the largest elimination of a navy since World War II.” — Ted Cruz quoting CENTCOM [39:18]

• Iranian Leadership Psychology

  • The judgment is that Iran’s leaders are radical actors, less swayed by normal cost/benefit analysis, thus perhaps not deterred by the threats ([39:18]).

B. Involvement of the UK & Diego Garcia

• Attacks on Diego Garcia

  • Iran has fired missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint UK-US base ([41:49]).
  • UK Prime Minister Starmer is shifting towards assisting with defensive measures after initial reluctance ([42:36]).

• Broader Implications

  • Potential threats to US/UK treaty, risk of losing access to strategic bases, and a signal for broader Western engagement in the region ([42:36]).

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The Democrats are not doing this because they want to defund ICE. They're doing it just to show their base they hate ICE so much that they're willing to shut down TSA ... and it has zero impact on ICE whatsoever.” — Ted Cruz [11:17]

• “If you're waiting four hours at an airport, the Democrats aren't doing this because they want to defund ICE.” — Ted Cruz [11:17]

• “This is the equivalent of political terrorism.” — Ted Cruz [16:05]

• “Murphy, Warren, and Smith are part of a batch of senators dubbed Fight Club who are particularly incensed by Schumer's approach ... Even though Schumer is just saying let it burn ... Elizabeth Warren's of the party say not enough, you need to do more.” — Ted Cruz [28:14]

• “If Iran doesn't fully open without threat the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours … the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first.” — Ted Cruz quoting Trump [37:25]

• “More than 8,000 Iranian targets have been hit, 130 vessels destroyed, which is the largest elimination of a navy since World War II.” — Ted Cruz [39:18]

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5. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:02] — Cruz outlines DHS shutdown, impact on TSA, and why it persists
• [07:38] — Details about congressional votes and funding impasse
• [09:39] — Personal stories from TSA agents affected by the shutdown
• [11:10] — Irony: ICE is still funded
• [13:19] — Media's treatment of the shutdown; Cruz's TV exchange with Greta Van Sustern
• [19:36] — John Fetterman’s break from Democratic consensus, Elon Musk's offer
• [22:04] — Cruz on Republican Senate strategy and DHS appropriations workaround
• [26:08] — Progressive Democratic dissatisfaction with Schumer's leadership
• [30:14] — “SAVE Act” process and internal Republican divisions
• [36:27] — Transition to Iran crisis; Trump's ultimatum detailed
• [39:18] — Naval operations: destruction of Iranian targets
• [41:49] — UK and US responses to attacks on Diego Garcia
• [44:03] — Political fallout: predictions about Schumer and Starmer's political futures

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6. Structure & Tone

• Language & Tone:
  • Highly partisan, direct, and conversational. Cruz often leans sarcastic, particularly when discussing Democratic motives or media narratives (“could you be more cliché as a Democrat than that?” [27:13]).
  • Ferguson regularly plays the role of sympathetic listener and provocateur, echoing the concerns of travelers and middle-class workers.

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7. Conclusion

This episode centered on the pain points of the DHS shutdown, with Cruz and Ferguson strongly blaming Democratic Senators for ongoing disruptions in air travel and hardships for TSA workers. They critique media handling and Democratic political calculations, suggest alternative Senate strategies, and link domestic gridlock to broader party divisions. In foreign policy, the show covers Trump’s sharply escalatory stance toward Iran, citing extensive damage already inflicted, and details the increasing international complexion of the crisis, particularly UK involvement following attacks on Diego Garcia. The episode blends policy analysis with partisan commentary and personal vignettes, offering a distinctly conservative perspective for listeners.

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Transcript

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

it is vertic with center Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you and center. We've got a lot to talk about on today's show, including chaos and anarchy at airports all over the country. Democrats continuing to hold the American people hostage even after we paid our taxes and all of these services should be provided.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, we're three weeks into a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Thousands and thousands of employees continue not to be paid, including especially TSA agents. TSA agents have now missed two paychecks and as a consequence, a number of them are quitting their jobs. A number of them are not showing up. And the burden on them is enormous. And people are seeing it. If you're flying, we're seeing lines at airports two, three, as many as four and five hours long. People are missing their flights. People are missing spring break. And what is infuriating, this is all man made. This is all the Democrats, they have forced this shutdown and they're forcing the shutdown because they hate ice. They're forcing the shutdown because the Democrat Party is entirely about illegal aliens. Now instead of American citizens. We're going to break down exactly what's going on, what the impasse is and how this is eventually going to come to resolution. We're also going to talk about the latest of what's happening in Iran and in particular Iran. President Trump has given Iran an ultimatum, 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuz. We're going to explain that. We're also going to lay out how Iran has been firing missiles at Diego Garcia, a US British military base, and how that escalation may be bringing the Brits into being more active participants in this military conflict.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it's certainly going to be very interesting to see how that breaks down. And we're going to talk a lot about it in a moment. Want to also talk to you real quick about the people in Israel. They are under siege and they are in desperate need of all of our help. And there's a way that you can get involved and have a real impact right now, today, and that is with working with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

[International Fellowship of Christians and Jews]

A sacred season is approaching, Passover, when we remember God's deliverance, the night he brought his people out of bondage and into freedom. This year, many of God's people will observe in darkness under the shadow of war. Across Israel, red alert sirens pierce the air. Families run to shelters with seconds to spare. Elderly men and women fear they'll be left behind. And parents are comforting their frightened children as explosions shake the night. Sleeplessness and uncertainty have become daily life in Israel. And Passover reminds us that God hears the cries of his people and answers with love and compassion. And that's why the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is on the ground in Israel right now. They're providing food and emergency supplies, equipping bomb shelters and caring for elderly Holocaust survivors. Just as his people once cried out for deliverance, vulnerable Israelis need your help today with your generous Passover gift. It shows you stand with God's people. And if you are ready to stand with the people of Israel, then stand with the IFCJ and help. You can call them 888488 IFCJ. That's 888488, IFCJ to rush your gift right now, or you can give [e-mail] that's ifcj.org all right, center.

[Ben Ferguson]

So let's break down kind of where we are with this chaos at airports. I think the media has been very disingenuous about this. Republicans, you voted now how many times to fully fund DHS?

[Ted Cruz]

7 different times. And so look, the way federal funding works is that every cabinet agency either has to have an appropriation, which is Congress voting to give it the money to spend its budget, or there has to be what's called a continuing resolution, which is just kind of maintaining the status quo without one or the other, you have a shutdown. Now, we previously managed to pass appropriations for every Cabinet agency in the federal government, except dhs. And the Democrats held DHS out. And it's because, look, they are the open border party. And so we funded the rest of the government. So the good news in this shutdown is our military, they're getting their paycheck. Our FBI agents, they're getting their paycheck. Everyone in the other parts of the federal government are getting paid. But at the Department of Homeland Security there are hundreds of thousands of employees, many of whom are going into work but are not getting their paycheck. So for example, the Coast Guard, they're still required to keep us safe. Or female disaster relief, the guys at FEMA are not getting paid. And the one that is most citizen facing is tsa because anytime you go to an airport, you see tsa. Now if you remember back in, right before November, the Schumer shutdown, which was the 43 day shutdown, the longest shutdown ever that had a massive impact on airports. And in fact that that was one of the things that caused the Democrats to cave at the end and finally allow the government to be funded there. You had TSA agents not getting paid and you had air traffic controllers not getting paid.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yep.

[Ted Cruz]

One bit of good news here, the air traffic controllers are getting paid this time. So we're not facing massive shortage of air traffic controllers, but the tsa, they're housed within DHS and they've now missed two paychecks in a row. And look, most TSA agents are not rolling in the cash. They are living.

[Ben Ferguson]

In fact, one of them said to me, I made a point when I was at the airport, you and I fly out all the time in Hobby. And I was flying out and I looked at every one of those like, hey, thanks for showing up for today. Like, I really appreciate it. Like, you're keeping America going. And one of the guys recognized me from TV and he was like, hey, man, he's like, can you please let whoever know that they're screwing my whole family? He goes like, I'll tell you, I make 50. I think he said 55 or 57,000 a year. He was like, I can't miss a paycheck, man.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

And I was like, thank you for telling me that. I will absolutely relay your message anywhere and everywhere I can to the point you're making when you're making 55, 57, 58,000 a year. He's got a family. He literally cannot miss a paycheck and it not have a major consequence on his life.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And for many of these agents, it Means they can't pay their rent, they can't pay their mortgage. They're having trouble putting food on the table. The numbers of TSA agents going to food banks to get food just so they can have dinner for their kids. We've had more than 300 TSA agents just resign, say, look, I can't do a job where I don't get paid. I need to go find something else where I can bring home a paycheck and feed my family. Those numbers are only going to get worse. Now, look, what is driving this? And what's driving this is the Democrat Party has decided they hate ice. And this is all about. ICE is evil. We must stop ice. Now, can I tell you the most crazy, ridiculous irony of the shutdown?

[Ben Ferguson]

What's that?

[Ted Cruz]

ICE is getting paid.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. Through the whole thing, they failed to

[Ted Cruz]

shut down ice because last year when we passed the reconciliation bill, we could see that the Democrats were getting more and more unreasonable on border security. So we funded ice. We funded ICE for several years going forward. So the ICE agents are getting paid. And by the way, the Democrats know this. So understand if you're waiting four hours at an airport. The Democrats aren't doing this because they want to defund ice. They're doing it just because they want to show their base they hate ICE so much that they're going to shut down the tsa and it has zero impact on ICE whatsoever. But look, I got to tell you the amazing thing. The Democrats don't seem to be concerned at all. And there's a big reason for that, which is the media is broken in this country. They don't report facts. And so the media is not explaining to people. In fact, the Democrats are out there claiming they want to fund the tsa. I mean. I mean, they're just gaslighting like crazy. And when the corporate media goes along with it, it means that Democrat senators face no consequences for behaving recklessly.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, no, you're right. And one of the things I thought was interesting was Sean Duffy was on TV talking about this on Sunday morning, and he was saying, like, this is getting to the point now where you have to worry. It's a dangerous factor here. You have a lot of irritated people. You have a lot of people gathering. You have a lot of people gathering outside. I worry about the soft target aspect of this. We know about soft targets. I worry about that many people gathering outside of an airport. You gotta worry about. About tensions rising. And then you also have to worry about the other issue. And that is what is this doing to the economy, it's going to start hurting the economy. You and I, before the show today, we both are speaking at an event this week. We had the conversation about is it better to drive because it's just so insane what everybody's having to deal with right now. How many people are gonna cancel trips, not spend money, not go to events, Tourism, spring break, the list goes on and on.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, that's right. And again, the Democrats are doing this because they know their base is acutely attuned to anything that is attacking ice, anything that is attacking Trump, anything that is fighting for open borders. And they feel confident that the press will be their praetorian guard, will protect them from the voters know what done. So for example, I went on Greta Van Sustern show on Newsmax this week. Now Greta, Newsmax is not some left wing outlet. But Greta did her entire opening monologue saying Congress has failed and the TSA is defunded because Congress has failed. Congress is not doing its job. And she says it like eight times that it's Congress as a whole that has failed. Never once does she say that it's the Democrats who are voting no on funding and the Republicans who are trying desperately to get it funded. I push back pretty hard. Give a listen to the back and forth between Greta and me.

[Greta Van Sustern]

Outreach. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz joins me. Nice to see you, sir. You're going to do about tsa, what are you going to do about TSA not getting paid?

[Ted Cruz]

Look, we need to fund them and we need to fund them now. Heard a minute ago what you said. I would respectfully suggest that your remarks should should be edited slightly. I agree with every sentiment you said except one. You said Congress isn't paying them. Congress isn't paying them. Congress isn't paying them. To be accurate, what you should should say is Democrats aren't paying them because Republicans have now voted six consecutive times. I voted two hours ago to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security. I voted over and over and over again. Why are they not funded? There is only one reason. Because the Democrats on a party line vote are refusing to fund the Department of Homeland security. It takes 60 votes to pass the funding legislation. We only have 53 Republicans. So saying Congress is not doing its job is inaccurate. The Republicans, we are here. We are voting. And the reason this shutdown is happening is because Chuck Schumer and the Democrats care more about the radical open border extremists than they do about doing their job. And it's resulting in a lot of people hurting right now.

[Greta Van Sustern]

All right, I considered saying that, but I'll tell you why I didn't. Because part of the job being a Republican or Democrat in a Congress is you've got to figure out a way to resolve things with your opposition. It can't just be that they're obnoxious or they're obstinate. There's got to be some way to get them to do that. That's just part of the job. And it's, of course you're going to, of course you're going to run into these walls a lot. There's got to be something to be done. I mean, I mean, it just, you can't just, you can't, can't just let these people starve.

[Ted Cruz]

Greta, you're assuming that the two parties are reasonable. The Democrats want a shutdown. And I'll tell you candidly, I think they're happy to shut down the Department of Homeland Security for the rest of the year. We had just, just a week ago. Brian Schatz is considered the Democrat leader in waiting. He told a reporter, he said we are serene. That's the word he used, serene, about the DHS shutdown. And mind you, we have had four terror attacks from radical Islamic terrorists in the last two weeks. We have a heightened risk of terror attacks right now. And the Democrats keep voting to defund the agency that is designed to prevent terror attacks. It is reckless in areas responsible. From the Republican side, do you know that for two and a half weeks, the Democrats refused even to sit down and talk with the White House? They just voted no, no, no. And their position is, we won't talk to you. We're not interested in a compromise. Our answer is no. Shut it down. We don't care. It is not. This is, this is the equivalent of political terrorism. And by the way, Greta, if you look to the last shutdown, the last shutdown was right before, before the election last year. It was the Schumer shutdown. It was 43 days. It was the longest shutdown in American history. You know what one, what one Democrat aide told a reporter during that shutdown? That Democrat aide said, we will keep the government shut down until airplanes begin falling from the skies. Look, that is wildly irresponsible and reckless. And you know why they get away with it? They get away with it because they're confident that the press will do, Greta, with respect, what you just did. Well, it's Congress who's doing it. No, it is, but no, no. I mean, Republicans are voting to fund it and Democrats are Voting not to. And the reason Democrats keep doing this is because they don't get held to account if I vote against funding. Hold me to account. But when. When they're the ones shutting it down, we need to be very clear. Telling the American people that it's Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, that the White House has given them a ton. Have you seen what the White House has given them?

[Greta Van Sustern]

Yeah. No. No. But is there anything.

[Ted Cruz]

So here.

[Greta Van Sustern]

Because this is the. I'll tell you what's going to happen, by the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

Let's just stop there and go back. She's like, can you give them anything? Like, it's. You're the one holding this up. That is the part that frustrates me the most sender is that she's like, well, is there anything you can do?

[Martha Stewart]

Go.

[Ben Ferguson]

Go over the list of what has already been given as you're being held. I say, as you.

[Ted Cruz]

As.

[Ben Ferguson]

As the American people, as the Travelers are being held hostage.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and let's take more fundamentally, the DHS appropriations bill was a bipartisan bill negotiated between Republicans and Democrats that came out of the Appropriations Committee with bipartisan support. So the Democrats had all of these different reforms that they put into DHS that Republicans agreed to. By the way, none of those reforms have happened because they won't allow it to be funded.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

The White House has been trying to negotiate with Democrats, although, as I said, for more than two weeks. The Democrats wouldn't even meet. They had nothing to say. This was while TSA was not getting paid. While DHS was not getting paid. The Democrats position was, nope, we won't even sit and talk. And it's why I said.

[Ben Ferguson]

And you know, it's premeditated. The point that you made earlier, like, this is clearly, they decided we are. This is the issue we're gonna go on. And we are premeditating this, and we want it to hurt.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. It's actually even different from premeditated, I think, to some extent. They're in a box.

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[Ted Cruz]

Their base hates ice. If you're a Democrat. Senator. Look here. I'm gonna tell you what John Fetterman tweeted this weekend. Elon Musk stepped in and said, I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is so negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans. Was incredibly generous. Elon is a patriot. Here's what John Fetterman said. This is incredibly generous. TSA agents across the country are relying on food pantries and community donations just to get By I remain the lone Democrat to vote with my Republican colleagues to fully fund DHS and get people paid. It should never come to this point. So, Fetterman, speaking the truth, here's the problem. Most of the rest of the Democrat senators, they're in a situation where they feel if they vote to fund ice, their angry open border activists will never forgive them. And I think a lot of them are engaged in political cowardice. They're unwilling to vote to fund ice. Mind you, that literally means that they don't want murderers arrested, they don't want child rapists arrested, they don't want gang bangers arrested.

[Ben Ferguson]

ISIS, drug dealers, the list goes on and on.

[Ted Cruz]

Narco terrorists. I mean, ICE is who is arresting criminals in the interior of the United States.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

The Democrat political reality is their angry base hates them so much. Look, these are the same people that are abolish the police. These are the same people that are abolish ice. And so I'll tell you this week, Republican senators, when we're in session, we have lunch together every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And then actually we were here throughout the weekend. We were in D.C. so we had lunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well. And what I'm arguing to my colleagues, I said, listen, I think the Democrats are so wildly unreasonable that they may be content to leave DHS defunded for the entire year.

[Ben Ferguson]

Really?

[Ted Cruz]

They don't care about the consequences of what they're doing. They don't care about the fact that every TSA agent would have to quit and you would literally shut down every airport in the country like it's there. They believe we can blame it on Trump and the Republicans. And they are. There's not a common ground of reasonableness.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, let me ask you a shot. Sean Duffy said on, I think it was Face A Nation Sunday morning that he said, if you, if you think it's bad now, wait till this coming week when you miss another check. It's going to be worse. And his point was you will have so many people quit that now you've got a problem that you don't have a big enough workforce even when you get back to being funded. How concerned are you about that? Is that part of the Democrats plan? Like, yeah, like it's kind of the, the way that they did with defund the police. Well, if we can't directly do it, we'll just drive them so crazy they quit their jobs. They don't want to be police anymore.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I think plan is giving them too much credit. They don't Have a plan. They're just obeying their angry activists who are just screaming. They're just engaged in a primal scream. And so what I told my colleagues is, listen, if we're working with people who are objectively unreasonable.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

And who may well say we will never vote to fund ICE again. Here's what I've suggested. All right, fine. If. If that's the reality, we should get the Democrats to fund all of DHS except ice. Carve ICE out. Now, you might say, okay, that's a terrible idea, because then ICE doesn't get funded. Remember, we've already funded ICE for four years.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

So agree to fund everything except ice. And then what I urge my colleagues is if they force us to do that, we should immediately take up a reconciliation bill and fund ICE for the next 10 years. And what I advocated for. And we should increase ISIS budget by 10%. So if that's going to be their price, we Democrats will never again vote for border security. We will never again vote for ice.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

Then at the end of the day, the only way I see to solve this problem. Reconciliation. Remember, we've talked about this before. It is the one procedural mechanism the Senate can use that does not require 60 votes.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

That just. Republicans can pass it. And so if the Democrats would agree, we'll fund all of DHS except ice the next week, we should come back and do a reconciliation and fund ICE for a decade. Because I'm not convinced that these. These loons are going to change their mind in the next 10 years.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want you to pause what you're doing for just one minute. And I want you to hear about Alejandra. She lives in a remote community with very few resources and little to no health care. So when Alejandra gets sick, her parents have no real options, no doctors in their community, and no money for real medical care. By the third day, her body was shutting down. She woke up and just long enough to tell her mom, I can't take the pain anymore. I can't keep going. Her parents drove hours to find a doctor who tried everything. But she needed a private hospital, and that was impossible for her family to afford. And that is when Compassion International stepped in. Now, through Compassion, Alejandra was treated. And against all odds, she survived. She lived because someone just like you took action. Right now, unfortunately, there are children just like Alejandra who won't survive unless someone like you steps in. Compassion International partners with local churches, providing children with the support that they need. Critical medical care, plus food, education, and the hope of the gospel all in Jesus name. So help a child just like Alejandra. Today you can visit compassion.com that's compassion.com for people that are going to be traveling this week. What is your gut? Do you think there's a. What are the chances that we could actually get something done here where then things could start to go back to normal instead of going in the, in the direction they're going now, which is these two, three and four hour plus waits?

[Ted Cruz]

Look, I don't know. I think there is a real urgency in the Senate to try to get this resolved before the Easter holiday.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

The question is, are the Democrats going to budge? There are a few of the kind of the Democrats who occasionally will reach a deal who are making noises like they want to, but Chuck Schumer doesn't care. Chuck Schumer is terrified of being primaried from the left. In fact, I want to read a little bit from a story in the Wall Street Journal about Chuck Schumer. So he has been wildly left wing, so much so that he's now done the longest shutdown in government history and then he's turned around and turned around and has shut the TSA down and refused to pay them. Here's a story that just came out in the Wall Street Journal. Growing frustration with Chuck Schumer spurs talk of replacing him. And you might say, oh, thank God, maybe some Democrats are saying this is too obstructionist, you're too unreasonable. Nope, nope. You know who wants to replace him? The left wing, because he's not burn it down enough.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

And let me read the beginning of this article. Senator Chris Murphy was dining with progressive activists at a French restaurant in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood. Could you be more cliche as a Democrat than that? I suppose, you know, maybe a vegan French restaurant would make it even better. When their conversation about how to advance their legislative priorities turned to a thorny question, what to do about Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer? To the surprise of some attendees, the Connecticut Democrat, a rising star in the party's left flank, responded that some lawmakers had been doing informal counts to see whether enough votes existed to remove the New York Democrat from his leadership position. According to people familiar with the mid February dinner. Murphy explained that Schumer had enough backing to remain as leader. But the disclosure stood out nonetheless because it revealed the frustration inside the Senate that had reached a high enough level that some Democrats were actively contemplating how to oust Schumer.

[Ben Ferguson]

Wow.

[Ted Cruz]

Murphy is among a group of senators and top advisers who have grown increasingly dissatisfied with Schumer's leadership, according to people familiar with the conversation. Who else? That group includes Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who has been initiated conversations with other senators to gauge frustrations with Schumer. Some of the people said Senator Timothy Tina Smith of Minnesota has also been active in discussions with her frustration with Schumer. In an interview, Murphy said he's frequently asked about Senate leadership, but he doesn't have a count of who would vote to remove Schumer and doesn't recall mentioning one. In more than four dozen interviews with Democrats, senators and others, many said the concern about Schumer's leadership was widespread. But what are they mad at? And this is where it's amazing. Murphy, Warren and Smith are part of a batch of senators dubbed Fight Club who are particularly incensed by Schumer's approach to the midterms. This group of progressives believes that Schumer favors centrist candidates in some key races. So their whole argument, even though Schumer is just saying let it burn. I mean, he reminds me of Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight as Batman, just saying let it burn. Who cares what happens if their terror attacks? Not Chuck Schumer's problem. If every airport is shut down, not Chuck Schumer's problem. If people can't pay their rent or mortgage. Not Chuck Schumer's problem. And yet the Elizabeth Warren's of the party say not enough. You need to do more. I don't even know what more would look like. But that is the reality of where Democrats are. And as long as the media does what Greta did and what so many other CNN does and MSNBC does, as long as they keep covering it up and pretending no, no, no, it's not the Democrats who are shutting it down. They'll keep doing the exact same thing.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, they really will. I gotta ask you an audible question real quick cause you mentioned you're in D.C. over the weekend. Give us a 30 second update on where we are with the SAVE Act.

[Ted Cruz]

We are continuing to debate it, but right now every Democrat votes no. And we are not doing a talking filibuster. We are not requiring the Democrats do a talking filibuster. So I think the expectation is we're going to vote on it this week and if nothing changes, the vote is going to go down. President Trump is deeply frustrated, as you know, as I talked about and we did an earlier podcast, which if folks want a deep dive on the Save America act, you can have they have an entire podcast last week devoted to explaining what was going on. I think we should use the procedural rules to force the Democrats to stand and talk and talk and talk and do a full talking filibuster. But we're not right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

So has Trump weighed in on that idea, by the way? I mean. Oh, yeah. What does he say?

[Ted Cruz]

He's vocally in favor of it. But in order to do it, we have to have 50 Republicans stand together, and we don't have 50. That's the fundamental problem.

[Ben Ferguson]

How close are we? Is it two or three or more?

[Ted Cruz]

It's hard to tell. We have 53 Republicans, which means we can lose at most three. There are at least four and potentially more that are nos. And the problem is you have in particular Republicans who are retiring, so they're not going to be on the ballot. That makes it very hard for the White House to pressure them if they're not up for reelection. There's not a whole lot, there's not a whole lot of leverage there.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want you to pause what you're doing for just one minute and I want you to hear about Alejandra. She lives in a remote community with very few resources and little to no health care. So when Alejandra gets sick, her parents have no real options, no doctors in their community and no money for real medical care. By the third day, her body was shutting down. She woke up and just long enough to tell her mom, I can't take the pain anymore. I can't keep going. Her parents drove hours to find a doctor who tried everything, but she needed a private hospital and that was impossible for her family to afford. And that is when Compassion International stepped in. Now, through Compassion, Alejandra was treated. And against all odds, she survived. She lived because someone just like you took action. Right now, unfortunately, there are children just like Alejandra who won't survive unless someone like you steps in. Compassion International partners with local churches providing children with the support that they need. Critical medical care plus food, education, and the hope of the gospel, all in Jesus name. So help a child just like Alejandra. Today you can visit compassion.com that's compassion.com

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[Martha Stewart]

to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the mess with new Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread or cook alongside family when you're done, cleanup is as simple as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters the food, the people and the moment. It may look effortless, but now you know. It's Reynolds Kitchens Countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it Prep it done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper available now in the Reynolds wrap aisle in Walmart.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, I want to move to what's happening in Iran right now and some new developments that have taken place. You have a new threat from the President of the United States of America giving Iran, and I'm quoting, 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or the US will obliterate Iran's power plants. Explain why that has not already been done. I've actually had a lot of people ask me, they're like, well, why didn't we hit those right away? There's a lot of people that don't understand the nuance of that. One reason is when you do these types of attacks in war, you don't want to punish innocent people. And so many times you won't go after those power plants unless those power plants are directly being used by terrorists or by the enemy to harm you. That's when it can come into an XYZ kind of debate. But explain now why the President has ratcheted this up. And look, every time he gives a timeline, he doesn't ever bluff. It seems like there's one thing that's consistent. You got 10 days to figure something out, or 48 hours, you better listen to the president.

[Ted Cruz]

So what the president put out on Truth Social, he said, if Iran doesn't fully open without threat the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first. That's a very specific commitment. The timeframe is exact. And you're right, there is a long pattern of those who test President Trump's timeframe ending up on the losing end of things. This military conflict to date, in the three weeks that we've been engaged in it, the US Military has been focused on military targets. It's been focused on air defense systems. It's been focused on short and medium term ballistic missiles. It's been focused on launchers for missiles. It's been focused on factories and production facilities for missiles. Same thing for drones. It's been focused also on Navy ships. It's been focused on top personnel. And many of the top personnel have been taken out. Look, in military conflict, it is a significant thing if you destroy the economic infrastructure of a country. Because when this military conflict ends, presumably Iran is going to be able to need to function as a country. And if its ability to provide power, if its ability to its main source of revenue is selling oil. If we take out the ability to generate oil production, that would have a devastating impact on the economy of Iran, much more so than it has already happened if all of that infrastructure is taken out. And once it's taken out, it can take years and years and years to rebuild. And one of the challenges. Look, with ordinary leaders, cost benefit analysis can work.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

Here you've got radical Islamist clerics who frankly don't give a damn if the people suffer. And so I'm not sure if this threat will produce different consequences. I think everything that has unfolded over the last three weeks was reasonably able to be anticipated. And yet the Ayatollah and the mullahs, they charged down the road anyway. But I think the President is frustrated with the Strait of Hormuz being shut down. That's having significant effect on. On oil prices and gasoline prices. I will say also, if you look at what we have done in the Navy, here's. Here's what the chief of CENTCOM said. More than 8,000 Iranian targets have been hit. 130 vessels have been destroyed, which is the largest elimination of a navy since World War II. And that was from Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper. This.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, that's incredible.

[Ted Cruz]

Staggering.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

And yet. And much of the Iranian military leadership is no longer with us, so those effects are quite significant. We have degraded their ability to wage war massively. But the question is, what is it going to take to bring this to an end? And I think the objective from the very beginning should be to collapse this regime. I don't particularly care who runs Iran after the Ayatollah. I just would like to see Iran led by a leader who is not a radical theocratic Islamist who wants to murder Americans and who is murdering Americans. The reason President Trump launched this attack is because Iran has murdered nearly a thousand Americans. They've been actively funding terrorism, attacking Americans. And this is an opportunity to put that to an end.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it really is. Final question on this. You have the real prospect now the UK could be brought into this. I actually think that's a good thing. If they're brought in, we need more people involved than just us and Israel in a big way. Your reaction to that? After this base has been attacked, that is a joint base.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, Diego Garcia is a military base that is in the Indian Ocean. And it has a prime location to project power throughout the Middle east and throughout much of Asia. It is a base of the United Kingdom, a British base, but they share it with the United States. So we both have access and use it. I will tell you, by the way, I've been very active concerning Diego Garcia because unfortunately, Kyle Starmer, the very left wing Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is talking about entering into an agreement to give Diego Garcia to give the Chagos Islands. Chagos Islands are a series of islands in the Indian Ocean. Give them to Mauritius, a country that is very close to China.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

And give them the ability to significantly limit our ability to use Diego Garcia. I've laid out that that is a direct violation of the treaty the United Kingdom has with the United States, where under that treaty, the UK committed that Diego Garcia would remain under British control, that it would not be given to the control of anyone else. And so what happened, I've been pressing back very hard, by the way, President Trump has been pressing back very hard, saying for the UK to give this away is lunacy, is madness. What happened now is Iran has fired missiles at Diego Garcia and put that base in jeopardy. And the Brits, remember at the outset of this military conflict, Starmer said they would not participate in any way as a consequence of Iran attacking Diego Garcia. Starmer has now said that British forces will assist in defensive efforts to fight back against missiles coming out of Iran. So they're still not assisting in the offensive activity, but at least the Brits are coming somewhat to the table. And I gotta say that's an improvement. But it's also very disappointing to see the United Kingdom not there at the outset in this military action.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, and it may be their Kumbayasm isn't working out for them. So now they're having to deal with reality.

[Ted Cruz]

We're going to keep. And by the way, Starmer's, Starmer's tenure in office is every bit as imperiled as Chuck Schumer's. The British people are very, very unhappy with Starmer. He will almost certainly lose the next election in the uk. Chuck Schumer, Everyone is very, very unhappy with Chuck Schumer. And I think he will almost certainly lose his next election. I don't think he can win a Democrat primary. And I think there's a real chance he's on the ballot in 2028. I think there's a real chance. Chuck Schumer doesn't even run for reelection.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, you may, you may absolutely be right on that one. I think that the writing starting to appear on the wall there for sure. Don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. So hit that subscriber auto download button wherever you get your podcast. You can also watch it on YouTube. If you like to watch the show, do it there. You can see it on Facebook as well and the center. I will see you back here Wednesday morning.

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[Martha Stewart]

Stewart from the Martha Stewart Podcast. Ever wonder how to make hosting look effortless? Here's a secret Getting ahead of the Mess with new Reynolds Kitchens Countertop Prep Paper Just lightly wet the counter beforehand so the paper grips and stays in place. Then lay down the Reynolds Kitchen's countertop prep paper so drips and spills stay on the paper, not all over your kitchen counter. You can roll out dough, prep a party spread, or cook alongside family. When you're done, cleanup is as simple as lifting the paper and revealing that clean counter underneath. Effortless. You can use it for cooking and baking, prep and even crafting, especially when you need extra working space. Because when the mess is already handled, you can focus on what matters the food, the people and the moment. It may look effortless, but now you know it's Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper. Take a tip from me. Wet it, set it, prep it, done. Make it easy. Make it with Reynolds Kitchens countertop prep paper available now in the Reynolds Wrap aisle in Walmart.

[Ted Cruz]

People at work supported me while I

[Martha Stewart]

was going through treatment by not treating me like somebody who was going through treatment.

[Ted Cruz]

Treatment sucks. Cancer sucks.

[Martha Stewart]

Being engaged with work really helped to

[Ted Cruz]

oh, I just knew I was going to beat this thing.

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[Ben Ferguson]

We can make work a better place

[Ted Cruz]

for healing, Learn more and sign the [e-mail].