Verdict with Ted Cruz – BONUS POD: DC Police Chief accused of ‘Cooking the Books’ on Crime plus Trump Classifies Fentanyl as a WMD

Date: December 16, 2025
Hosts: Ben Ferguson (filling in on this episode), Senator Ted Cruz (regular host)
Main Themes:

1. DC Police Chief accused of manipulating crime statistics to create a false sense of public safety.
2. President Trump's executive order classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD).

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on two underreported yet impactful stories. First, it examines new revelations that the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, under Democrat leadership, deliberately misclassified and minimized crime statistics, creating the illusion of improving public safety while actual crime soared. Second, the hosts analyze President Trump’s dramatic decision to classify fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, examining the implications for national security and the ongoing war against drug cartels.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. DC Police Chief Accused of Manipulating Crime Stats

[02:58 – 15:11]

a. US Attorney Investigation

• In August 2025, an investigation by the US Attorney’s office for DC began into the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for allegedly deflating crime statistics.
• Over 6,000 reports and 50 witnesses reviewed.
• The finding: a significant number of crime reports were misclassified, making DC appear safer than it was.

b. Political Implications & Accusations

• Ben Ferguson: “What's easier than actually fighting crime?... Apparently lying about the crime stats to make it look like you're fighting crime is more important than actually saving American lives.” [06:15]
• Ben claims this was an effort by Democrat leadership to “lie to the people while crime was out of control.”
• Judge Jeanine Pirro (US Attorney) released a statement, confirming manipulation but noting it didn’t rise to the level of criminal charges—leaving internal reform to the MPD.

c. House Oversight Committee Findings

• House Oversight Committee Republicans released a corroborating report.
• Accusations include outgoing DC Police Chief Pamela Smith (Democrat appointee):
  • Pressured commanders to downplay crime stats “by any means necessary”.
  • Pushed for lesser charges for serious crimes (not publicly reported).
  • Required that certain serious crimes be rerouted through her office—ostensibly to reclassify them.
  • Punished/retaliated against commanders who insisted on accurate reporting.

Ben Ferguson [10:30]:
“The D.C. police chief rigged the data. She didn't actually fight crime. She just lied about the crime stats. Pressuring the commanders to report lower crime statistics, push them to pursue lesser charges for serious crimes, required certain crimes to be reviewed by her office… so that she could misclassify them so it wouldn't seem as dangerous.”

• House Oversight Chair James Comer (Quote [via Ben, 10:00]):

  “Chief Pamela Smith coerced staff to report artificially low crime data and cultivated a culture of fear to achieve her agenda.”

d. Pushback from DC Mayor

• Mayor Muriel Bowser responded skeptically to the findings, citing lack of direct evidence and criticizing the process:

  “I don't see any evidence of that... when the committee provides me their backup information, information which they haven't, when the committee provided the report to the Washington Post before they provided it to us. Highly unusual when you're talking about an audit of numbers.” [13:21]

e. Impact on Trump’s Crime Narrative

• Ben claims that because crime was actually higher than reported, President Trump’s efforts reduced crime more substantially than previously thought.
• Links this alleged deception to the rationale for Trump’s persistent law-and-order stance, National Guard deployments, and his electoral victory.

2. Trump Classifies Fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction

[15:11 – 18:38]

a. The Nature of the Announcement

• President Trump designates fentanyl as a WMD, aligning it with nuclear and chemical weapons.
• The move aims to equip federal agencies with greater authority to combat foreign drug trafficking organizations.

Ben Ferguson [15:13]:
“No one in this country would stand for a plane crash every day of innocent Americans crashing to the ground. But that's the equivalent of what is happening at the hands of narco terrorists.”

b. CDC Overdose Data

• In 2024, 80,000 overdose deaths reported nationwide; 48,000 attributed to synthetic opioids (fentanyl).

c. Policy Measures & Military Operations

• Executive Order justifies designation:
  • “Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic... it threatens our national security and fuels lawlessness in our hemisphere and at our borders.”
• US military actions in the Caribbean—strikes on drug-smuggling vessels, destruction of 20+ vessels, leading to nearly 90 deaths tied to drug running since September.
• Trump’s rationale: every intercepted vessel “saves 25,000 American lives.”

d. International Reactions

• Venezuela’s President Maduro accuses the US of using anti-narcotic measures as a pretext for regime change.
• US offers $50 million for Maduro’s capture, labeling him a narcoterrorist.

e. Broader Impact

• Ben frames it as a “campaign promise fulfilled,” empowering further action against “those that are selling it, those that are shipping it, and those that are producing it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Crime Stats Manipulation:

• Ben Ferguson [06:15]:
  “If you're a Democrat, apparently lying about the crime stats to make it look like you're fighting crime is more important than actually saving American lives.”
• Ben Ferguson [10:30]:
  “The D.C. police chief rigged the data. She didn't actually fight crime. She just lied about the crime stats.”
• House Oversight Chair James Comer, via Ben [10:00]:
  “Chief Pamela Smith coerced staff to report artificially low crime data and cultivated a culture of fear to achieve her agenda.”
• Mayor Muriel Bowser [13:21]:
  “I don't see any evidence of that... when the committee provides me their backup information, which they haven't… highly unusual when you're talking about an audit of numbers.”

On Fentanyl as a WMD:

• Ben Ferguson [15:13]:
  “No one in this country would stand for a plane crash every day of innocent Americans crashing to the ground. But that's the equivalent of what is happening at the hands of narco terrorists.”
• President Trump, cited by Ben [15:50]:
  “No bomb does what this is doing. 200 to 300,000 people die every year that we know of.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:58: Start of substantive content, introduction to major stories.
• 06:15: First detailed discussion of DC crime stat manipulation.
• 09:09: Reporting from Fox News and summary of House Oversight findings.
• 10:30: Ben Ferguson summarizes MPD misclassification tactics and impact.
• 13:21: Mayor Bowser’s response to allegations.
• 15:11: Transition to Trump’s fentanyl as WMD announcement.
• 15:50: Ben quotes Trump and outlines new policy.
• 18:38: Episode wrap-up and call to subscribe.

Takeaways

• The episode delivers a strongly conservative, combative analysis of public safety reporting in the nation's capital, charging Democratic leadership with deception and tying this to national political fortunes.
• It also frames President Trump’s fentanyl classification as a historic step, equipping his administration—now in a second term—with war powers against the opioid crisis and international narco-terrorist actors.
• The tone is urgent, unsparing, and highly critical of political opponents, blending investigative headlines with sharp advocacy and policy explanation.