Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz — BONUS POD: Iran Threatens Trump w Assassination plus Doctor can't answer "Can Men Get Pregnant?"

Release Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson
Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz
Main Theme: Political and cultural flashpoints—U.S. foreign policy toward Iran amid threats to Trump, and a viral moment in Congress over gender, science, and abortion pill debates.

Episode Overview

This episode addresses two headline-dominating topics:

1. The escalating tensions between Iran and the Trump administration, including explicit death threats against Donald Trump and the ongoing U.S. "maximum pressure" campaign.
2. A striking exchange in a Congressional hearing, where a doctor testifying on abortion pill regulations is repeatedly pressed on the question of whether men can get pregnant—exposing divisions in contemporary debates over gender, science, and public policy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Iran Crisis: Escalation, Threats, and U.S. Response

Segment Start: [00:00]

• Overview: The U.S. continues its "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, including severe restrictions on oil exports to starve the regime's funding, particularly for proxy wars.
• Recent Developments: The Iranian regime has escalated its rhetoric, including an explicit threat aired on Iranian TV to assassinate former President Donald Trump, referencing a prior assassination attempt on the campaign trail.
• U.S. Reaction:
  • Trump administration has canceled meetings with Iranian officials.
  • New 25% tariffs imposed on allies doing business with Iran.
  • Signals that "help is on its way" for protesters in Iran, understood as a potential prelude to diplomatic or even military intervention.
  • Military options are "absolutely on the table." Precautions include relocating U.S. personnel in the region ([03:00]-[04:30]).

Quotes:

• "President Trump has the back of the people that are celebrating in the streets in Iran and advocating and fighting for their freedom." — Ben Ferguson [07:24]
• “Iranian state TV aired threats against Donald Trump, saying this time the bullet won’t miss, referring to the attempted assassination… Even with that happening, it’s obvious that [Trump] is making sure that this isn’t personal, but about national security…” — Ben Ferguson [07:35]

U.S. Congressional Perspective:

• Rep. Carlos Jimenez (R-FL) on U.S. resolve:
  "It won't be boots on the ground, but... the United States has demonstrated... we can touch you anywhere at any time of our choosing... when he [President Trump] makes statements like that, usually [he] follows up." [06:58]

International & Domestic Dynamics:

• European nations have summoned Iranian ambassadors.
• U.S. lawmakers urge for restoring internet access in Iran to support protest organization and information dissemination ([05:00]).

2. Supreme Court & Congressional Showdown: The "Can Men Get Pregnant?" Exchange

Segment Start: [09:30]

• Context:

  • Following a Supreme Court hearing on gender and sports, the focus shifted to a Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee hearing on abortion pills (mifepristone) and their regulation in a post-Roe America.
  • The most viral exchange took place between Senator Josh Hawley and Dr. Nisha Verma, OB/GYN, on whether men can get pregnant.

• Discussion Highlights:

  • Dr. Verma, representing Physicians for Reproductive Health, was repeatedly asked if biological men can get pregnant. She declined to give a direct yes/no answer, instead referencing the complexity of patient identities she encounters.
  • Senator Hawley pressed for clarity, arguing his question is rooted in "biological reality" and not political maneuvering.

Notable Exchange (Josh Hawley vs. Dr. Nisha Verma):

• Hawley: "The goal is just the truth. So can men get pregnant?" [10:34]

• Verma: "I take care of people with many identities, but can men get pregnant? Many women that can get pregnant? I do take care of people that don't identify as women." [10:51]

• Hawley (pressing): "Can men get pregnant? Yes or no?" [11:01], "Let me just remind you…science and evidence should control, not politics..." [11:05]

• Verma: “Science and evidence should guide medicine.” [11:13]

• Hawley: "Do science and evidence tell us that men can get pregnant? Biological men, can they get pregnant?" [11:16]

• Verma: (Acknowledges the question as a political tool, avoiding a binary answer) [11:21]

• Hawley (culminating): "It is not polarizing to say that there is a scientific difference between men and women...your refusal to recognize women as women and men as men is deeply corrosive to science, to public trust, and yes, to constitutional protections for women as women." [13:51]

• Host’s Reflection:
  Ben Ferguson reacts to the exchange as emblematic of "radical" agendas in health and gender debates and touts the Trump administration and conservative lawmakers as fighting to restore "clarity" and protect women's safety ([14:42]).

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On U.S. Power Projection:
  "We can touch you anywhere at any time of our choosing... when he's saying to the protesters, keep on protesting because we're going to have your back, I believe this president is going to have their back."
  — Rep. Carlos Jimenez [06:58]

• On Iran's Threats:
  "Iran... aired threats against Donald Trump, saying this time the bullet won't miss, referring to the attempted assassination..."
  — Ben Ferguson [07:24]

• On Gender and Science Controversy:
  "For the record, it's women who get pregnant, not men. We are here about the safety of women and science..."
  — (Senator Hawley) [12:45]

Important Timestamps

• Iran / Trump Pressure and Threats: [00:00] - [08:00]
• Congressional Hearing: "Can Men Get Pregnant?" [10:09] - [13:51]
• Ben Ferguson’s Wrap-up and Analysis: [14:42]

Tone & Style Note

The episode features a distinctly conservative perspective, with strong language elevating the actions of Trump and congressional Republicans while characterizing opposing viewpoints as radical or evasive. The hosts maintain an urgent, combative style, aiming to provide listeners with clear distinctions between “truth” and “political agenda.”

Summary Takeaway

This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz brings listeners into two critical areas: U.S. foreign policy brinkmanship with Iran and what the hosts frame as a cultural battle over gender identity and science in American public discourse. Through detailed breakdowns of policy moves and viral moments in Congress, Cruz and Ferguson highlight the ongoing contest for clarity and principle in high-stakes national and international arenas.