Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: BONUS POD: WH Declares Victory on Affordability Crisis w/ AI, Tech, and American Industry Boom
Date: November 21, 2025
Hosts: Ben Ferguson, Senator Ted Cruz
Main Theme: The episode analyzes the White House’s claim of victory over the affordability crisis, highlighting the Trump administration's economic policies, job growth, AI and tech sector investments, and the media’s response to shifting economic realities.

Overview

This episode dives deep into the economic headlines of the day, focusing on the Trump administration’s efforts and declared successes in addressing the so-called affordability crisis. Ben Ferguson covers recent economic data, including job growth, wage increases, and a surge in private and foreign investment—paying particular attention to American industry, manufacturing, and technological innovation in the AI sector. The episode is framed as a response to the Biden era’s economic “failures” and counters what the hosts view as misleading mainstream media narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Economic Data and Job Growth

• Strong Jobs Report

  • September saw the addition of 119,000 new jobs, more than double the expert predictions of 50,000.
  • Construction jobs saw a particularly large uptick (+19,000), the biggest monthly gain in a year.
  • Private sector and native-born Americans are the main beneficiaries of these new jobs—a change from the prior administration.

  Quote:

  “These gains came after the summer passage of President Trump's historic tax cuts and multiple big trade deals...Nearly all of this solid monthly job growth came from the private sector and went to Americans rather than foreign born workers, the opposite of what we saw under the previous administration.”
  — White House Press Secretary, 08:46

• Wages Outpacing Inflation

  • Over the year, wages rose 3.8% for American workers.
  • Real wages are expected to increase by about $1,200 for the average worker this year.

  Quote:

  “Wages continue to way outpace inflation. If you go back to the three years of the Biden administration, the average American worker actually lost about $3,000 of take home pay. In the first 10 months of the Trump economy, we’ve increased take-home pay by about $1,200 adjusting for inflation.”
  — Economic Analyst, 11:01

• Contrast with Previous Administration

  • Under Biden, inflation “skyrocketed to 9%,” resulting in a $3,000 reduction in private sector workers’ take-home pay.

  Quote:

  “This is a complete reversal of the failed Biden era when we saw inflation skyrocket…causing workers to see their wages decline by $3,000.”
  — White House Press Secretary, 08:46

2. The Media Narrative vs. Economic Reality

• Hosts argue that mainstream media is ignoring the positive economic indicators, instead continuing to claim “Trump’s economy is a disaster.”

• Ben Ferguson frames the economic turnaround as the “Trump effect,” arguing that, contrary to the media, things are improving significantly.

  Quote:

  “If the economy is in such bad shape, how is it that wages are going up like this now? There’s no doubt…a lot of the money we’re making now is going to goods and services that are high price.”
  — Ben Ferguson, 08:36

3. Job Creation and Immigration

• Emphasis on American jobs going primarily to native-born citizens.
• Repeated claims that under Biden, most new jobs went to foreign-born and even illegal immigrants.
• Republican Senator Bernie Marino is cited, arguing Biden’s policies “cannot be undone” and urging GOP urgency over the border and job market.

4. Investment & Industry Boom: AI & Tech Focus

• Trump administration’s America First policies welcomed a historic influx of both U.S. and foreign investments into key sectors:

  • Manufacturing
  • AI infrastructure
  • Technology and supercomputing
  • Industry and energy

• Over $9 trillion in investments cited, with specific calls out to individual sources:

  • UAE: $1.4T (manufacturing, tech, aerospace)
  • Qatar: $1.2T (manufacturing, tech)
  • Japan: $1T (auto, US steel)
  • Apple: $600B (tech, manufacturing)
  • EU/Saudi Arabia: $600B–$1T
  • Nvidia, SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle: $500B+ (AI infrastructure)
  • South Korea, India, Micron, IBM, Pfizer, Google, and others all making massive pledges.

  Quote:

  “What the media should be calling this is the Trump effect…America first economic policies have sparked trillions of dollars in new investments in US manufacturing, technology and infrastructure…you need to invest in America.”
  — Ben Ferguson, 14:20

• The President’s requirements for real domestic investment—“you can’t just export or import, you must be a real player in this country”—are credited for this surge.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Economic Progress:

  “President Trump is making significant progress to fix this and he will not stop working until he solves it. As the President recently stated, he is never satisfied.”
  — White House Press Secretary, 09:56

• On Native vs. Foreign-Born Job Gains:

  “…almost all of the net job creation in the United States under the Biden administration went to foreign-born workers. Of course, some of those people are illegal immigrants…that meant a lot…was actually going to illegal aliens…”
  — Economic Analyst referencing JD Vance and Bernie Marino, 12:10

• On AI and Industry Investment:

  “SoftBank, open AI and Oracle, 500 billion all AI infrastructure projects. Nvidia! A half a trillion dollars into AI infrastructure and supercomputers.”
  — Ben Ferguson, 15:11

Important Timestamps

• 03:37–08:46 — Ben Ferguson’s overview of the “massive job growth” story and introduction to economic context.
• 08:46–10:17 — White House press secretary’s official statement recapping jobs report, wage data, and inflation.
• 10:44–11:42 — Vice President JD Vance & economic analyst break down the jobs numbers and wage growth in context.
• 13:00–15:40 — Deep dive into U.S. and foreign investment in American industry, technology, and AI, detailing company- and country-specific investments.
• 15:41–16:46 — Ben Ferguson’s summary and final framing of the episode’s economic message.

Tone and Style

The episode is energetic, pointed, and heavily partisan, with a persistent us-versus-them narrative contrasting Trump administration “victories” with the failures ascribed to the Biden era. The hosts use stats, named investments, and rhetorical flourishes to build their case, while repeatedly dismissing “media lies” and highlighting urgency for continued conservative economic reform.

Conclusion

This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz offers an assertive, data-packed defense of Trump’s recent economic record, touting unexpected job growth, rising wages, and a surge of both domestic and foreign investment—especially in AI, technology, and industry. The conversation’s guiding thesis: the “Trump effect” is real, the U.S. economy is on the upswing, and Americans should disregard negative media portrayals of the current economic landscape.