Charlie Kirk a Profession of Faith, Kimmel Off Kimmel On & the Rhetoric that Fires the Left to Violence Week In Review

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: Week in Review – Faith, Free Speech, and Political Rhetoric

Episode: Charlie Kirk a Profession of Faith, Kimmel Off Kimmel On & the Rhetoric that Fires the Left to Violence
Date: September 27, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson

---

Overview

This week’s Verdict with Ted Cruz presents a whirlwind review of pivotal stories affecting conservative America. The episode covers three main topics: a poignant reflection on Charlie Kirk’s memorial and its impact on faith in politics; the controversy over Jimmy Kimmel’s brief removal (and prompt reinstatement) at ABC over misinformation following Kirk’s assassination; and the increasing danger for ICE agents amid heated political rhetoric and recent targeted violence. The hosts discuss these themes with a mix of sincerity, candor, and their hallmark lighthearted banter, peppered with moments of gravity and sharp critique.

---

Key Topics & Insights

1. Charlie Kirk’s Memorial and the Rise of Faith in Public Life

(01:34–11:05)

Highlights:

• Profound Impact: Both hosts reflect on the unprecedented focus on faith at Charlie Kirk’s memorial, attended by major conservative figures—including President Trump and Elon Musk.
• Legacy of Unity: They recount stories of unlikely bridges built, such as Van Jones sharing Kirk’s last outreach to him, advocating civility over censorship—even in heated disagreement.
• National Consequence: They discuss how Kirk’s death and the faith professed at his memorial could spark a wider revival among young Americans and possibly alter political dialogue going forward.

Notable Quotes:

• “His life being taken has given the opportunity for all of us to share our faith... in a more bold way.”
  – Ben Ferguson, 03:18
• “I think my demeanor is probably going to be different... I want to have better conversations while doing it... I left there today more hopeful for the future of this country than I have been in decades.”
  – Ben Ferguson, 09:57
• “Today was... a celebration of his life and it was a proclamation of the gospel... I think it is going to have really profound impacts on our country.”
  – Ted Cruz, 08:34
• Van Jones (quoted): “He was reaching out to have, not more censorship, more conversation, more dialogue with somebody who honestly was one of his adversaries. Me.”
  (07:16)

Memorable Moments:

• President Trump’s somber and personal remarks about Kirk’s widow, emphasizing the comfort of faith (04:25–04:44).
• The moment Elon Musk and Trump, previously at odds, embraced at the memorial—Elon tweeting “For Charlie” (07:53–08:15).

---

2. Jimmy Kimmel, Media Misinformation & What Counts as Comedy

(12:57–26:05)

Highlights:

• Kimmel’s Controversy: Discussion centers on Jimmy Kimmel’s false claims regarding Charlie Kirk’s assassination; in reality, the perpetrator had far-left affiliations. The hosts chastise ABC for what they see as a “slap on the wrist”—a mere vacation, not accountability.
• Media Double Standards: Cruz expounds on the dangers of misinformation, the impact on public perception (highlighting polling showing confusion over the killer’s identity), and the distinction between market-based consequences and government intervention in media.
• Comedy vs. Partisanship: Cruz contrasts Jon Stewart's genuinely funny roast (even at his own expense) with Kimmel’s perceived lack of humor and partisan bitterness.

Notable Quotes:

• “His sort of joke, which wasn’t remotely funny, was that the murderer of Charlie Kirk was a right wing MAGA guy. Now that’s a lie and it’s a lie with consequence.”
  – Ted Cruz, 13:51
• “If we embrace the FCC stripping licenses from anyone who says something you disagree with, the next Democrat president who gets in the White House will... come after everyone right of center. And so that is a slippery slope to oblivion.”
  – Ted Cruz, 25:06
• “There was a time when Jimmy Kimmel could be funny. But that’s what he has become.”
  – Ted Cruz, 26:05

Memorable Moments:

• Jon Stewart Roast Segment: The hosts play and react to Jon Stewart's takedown of Cruz, particularly mocking his impressions—met with good-natured laughter and respect from Cruz for Stewart's comedic ability (18:00–23:22).
  • “That’s actual comedy... Jon Stewart just did there is a hundred thousand times funnier than whatever Jimmy Kimmel will do tonight.”
    – Ted Cruz, 23:28

---

3. Rhetoric, Violence, and Targeted Attacks on ICE Agents

(27:56–34:26)

Highlights:

• Dallas ICE Shooting: Cruz describes being on the scene in Dallas after a gunman attacked an ICE facility, drawing disturbing parallels to Kirk’s assassination—including online radicalization and engraving slogans on ammunition.
• Blame & Responsibility: The hosts blame incendiary rhetoric from progressive politicians (citing Gavin Newsom specifically) for fueling real-world violence against law enforcement.
• Personal & Political Irony: Cruz notes the shooter’s mother had previously criticized him for being pro-gun, yet her son perpetrated a mass shooting, underscoring the dangers of unchecked ideological extremism.

Notable Quotes:

• “Politically motivated violence is wrong... To every politician who is using rhetoric, demonizing ICE and demonizing CBP, stop... This has very real consequences.”
  – Ted Cruz, 28:45–29:56
• “The irony is rich that this leftist mom who was championing gun control, now her son has committed a mass murder as a sniper... it is a consequence of extreme rhetoric, extreme ideology that is poisoning the minds of of those who are driven to violence.”
  – Ted Cruz, 32:24
• “We need to stop this violence regardless of where your politics are. But we need to stop the rhetoric that is fueling this violence.”
  – Ted Cruz, 34:11

---

Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• “I want to have better conversations while doing it... I left there today more hopeful for the future of this country than I have been in decades.” — Ben Ferguson (09:57)
• “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray... then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land. That has been my prayer for a long time.” — Ted Cruz, quoting scripture (10:27)
• “If we embrace the FCC stripping licenses from anyone who says something you disagree with... that is a slippery slope to oblivion.” — Ted Cruz (25:06)
• “This has happened far too often. Here’s what I had to say at the press conference... This needs to stop. Violence is wrong. Politically motivated violence is wrong.” — Ted Cruz (28:17–29:56)

---

Structure & Flow

• Faith and National Healing: The episode’s tone is unusually introspective, with both Cruz and Ferguson emphasizing the role of faith, personal change, and hope for a generational shift catalyzed by tragedy.
• Sharp Media Critique: Moving to media, the show is characteristically biting, but with surprising self-awareness—Cruz accepts (and enjoys!) good-natured roasting but draws a hard line at harmful lies and anti-conservative bias.
• Urgent Call to Civility: The final segment reinforces a plea for responsibility and measured language in national debate, warning of real-world ramifications of incendiary rhetoric.

---

Conclusion

This week’s Verdict stands out for its blend of earnest self-reflection, political critique, and humor. The episode underscores the hosts’ belief in the potential for mourning to spark unity and spiritual renewal, even as it warns about the risks of division and media disinformation. It’s a nuanced and revealing episode for regular listeners and newcomers alike.

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Charlie Kirk Memorial & Profession of Faith: 01:34–11:05
• Jimmy Kimmel, Misinformation, and Media Critique: 12:57–26:05
• Rhetoric, Violence, and ICE Agent Attacks: 27:56–34:26

Advertisements and show promotions have been omitted as per guidelines.

Transcript

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

This is an iHeart podcast. Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG x boom and for a limited time save [e-mail] with code fall25. Bring the boom xboom.

[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Ben Ferguson]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with The Ultra Durable LG XBoom Portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time save 25% at LG.com with code Fall25. Bring the Boom X Boom.

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz, the Weekend Review. Ben Ferguson with you. And here are the big stories that you may have missed that we talked about. First up, Senator Cruz and I went to the memorial for Charlie Kirk. We're going to talk about that memorial and just how incredible it was to watch that level of worship and honoring of God and the future legacy of Charlie Kirk. We're also going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel being fired, but not really. It was a four day vacation and ABC bringing him right back on the air. And finally, it is the third time we've seen a shooting alone in Texas, the second time in Dallas area with ICE agents being targeted. So what's behind it? We'll have that as well. It's the Weekend review and it starts right now. One of the things I think that is so cool that came out of.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This.

[Ben Ferguson]

That is just something that no one could have planned is how many people are now sharing their own faith and sharing the gospel. You and I have talked more about our faith on this podcast in the last two weeks than we have ever before. And it's not that we're afraid to talk about our faith, but we talk a lot about what's happening in the world and politics. J.D. vance said.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, that was something really profound. J.D. said, as he said that he often felt uncomfortable talking about faith. And he made the same comment that he's talked more about faith in the last two weeks than he has probably in his entire life.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, even this morning, I had two times I was on Fox this morning before it started, and the entire conversation was not about politics. The entire conversation was about faith.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

His life being taken has given the opportunity for all of us to share our faith. And I think in a more bold way, in a more proud way, in a more. I'm not afraid to share my faith. I think sometimes I think I'm in the world of politics and that's maybe not my place to be doing that as much. I'm going to change my mentality on that, I think, forever moving forward.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And I can think of very few sentiments that would make Charlie happier than that.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. And it was the whole time it was about faith. If you look at today, I also think one of the most incredible things was you and I were sitting there with the most powerful people in the world, certainly in the conservative movement, where we're all in the political world, and the entire thing was about God. I've never seen that before. I've never been a part of that before.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

No. And, and, and at the very end, President Trump spoke and, and, and he gave, I think, very good remarks. But I want you to listen to what he said in particular about Erica and her testimony. Here, here, give a listen to Charlie's.

[Jon Stewart]

Incredible and beautiful widow. Erica.

[Ben Ferguson]

We know the weight of this monumental.

[Jon Stewart]

Loss is almost unbearable. But even in the midst of heartache, pain too great to even fathom, you have somehow found the strength and deep faith to be a comfort to millions.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And millions of people.

[Jon Stewart]

And thank you very much, Erica.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Thank you very much.

[Ben Ferguson]

You and I have seen Donald Trump give a lot of speeches. This was one of the most, I think, somber, sincere, and one of the most incredible speeches, I think, by Donald Trump that had nothing to really do with him.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well. And President Trump knew Charlie well. Charlie had spent a lot of time.

[Ben Ferguson]

I think he's rattled by it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Charlie. Charlie in the 2016 campaign was Don Jr. S bodyman. He traveled with Don Jr. All over the country. And Charlie helped mobilize young people for the 2016 election. He helped mobilize young people for the 2020 election. He played a really integral part in the victory in 2024. And President Trump has spent a lot of time with Charlie Kirk. Just about everyone in the White House has. I mean, it was one of the things. The entire White House is shaken. This is not some distant person they don't know. This touched almost everyone who works in the Trump administration had connections to Charlie, had personal connections, and they were shaken by it. And, you know, one of the bits of news that broke this week, that I thought it was a small snippet, but it encapsulated who Charlie was. Well. And Van Jones, who you and I both know. Well, he's very much a man of the left, maybe even far left. He's not someone who you would typically envision saying nice things about Charlie Kirk. But I want you to listen to what he said in the last few days about his last interaction with Charlie Kirk.

[Ben Ferguson]

Charlie Kirk and I were not friends at all. In fact, the last week of his.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Life, we were beefing hard, beefing online, beefing on air.

[Ben Ferguson]

But the day before he died, he did something that shocked me. He sent me a personal message calling for personal dialogue, wanted me to come on his show. He said we could be gentlemen together.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

He said we could deal with our disagreements agreeably. And in the past week and a half, just watching people talk about civil.

[Ben Ferguson]

Wars and censorship and all this stuff.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Coming out of his death, I just thought it was important to let people.

[Ben Ferguson]

Know, don't put that on Charlie Kirk.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Because the last day of his life.

[Ben Ferguson]

He was reaching out to have, not more censorship, more conversation, more dialogue with.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Somebody who honestly was one of his adversaries. Me.

[Ben Ferguson]

And I just want to share that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

With the world, and I hope that maybe it might help somebody on both sides deal with issues more like he did.

[Ben Ferguson]

Van. Putting that out there immediately brought me to today. You and I were sitting there, and we looked over to the right of us, and you leaned over and you said, there's Elon. And several weeks or months ago, Charlie had said that he wanted Donald Trump and Elon to make up.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yep.

[Ben Ferguson]

We then, a few minutes later, see Elon in the box with President Trump. They hugged the president, patted him on the chest, and he tweeted out a picture Elon did of them talking. And all it said was, for Charlie. I mean, you want to talk about bringing people back together, that's incredible.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That's important. It's. It's valuable. It. It is very much a testament to Charlie. The legacy Charlie. A testament to Charlie. I will say I respect Van Jones for putting that out. You know Van better than I do, but he didn't have to put that out. He didn't have to say that. And I do think it reflects who Charlie was.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And I think the entire memorial today reflected. It was a celebration of his life and it was a proclamation of the gospel and that I'm really grateful to have been friends with Charlie. I'm really grateful to have a chance to be there for this celebration, because I think it is going to have really profound impacts on our country.

[Ben Ferguson]

I think we're going to end up finding out down the road that today was one of the biggest days, not in politics, with the biggest people in politics in a room, but one of the biggest days for young men and women, accepting Christians and learning about the Lord from this horrific moment in our history. And I think you look at that, bringing all these people together, the way that he was doing it, I think it's going to change the way we have dialogue and conversation. I think my demeanor is probably going to be different. I'm still going to fight the good fight and I'm still going to fight hard, but I want to have better conversations while doing it. I think everybody's temperature is going to change a little bit and how we interact the way that Charlie did it. And I left there today and I don't know. I want to ask you this as we wrap. I left there today more hopeful for the future of this country.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

Than I have been in decades. And more hopeful for the younger generation in this country that they're going to see the light. Because I have been very worried for quite some time. It's part of the reason why I do this is that we have lost an entire generation to the radical left. I think we are seeing a very quick pendulum shift that only God could create and put people in a place to do it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Absolutely. You know, I'm reminded of the Scripture, 2nd Chronicles 7:14. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, will and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land. That has been my prayer for a long time. And I think today was, in a very real sense, a great many people in America calling out for God to hear our prayer and to heal our land. And I pray that that is the outcome, the path we are on, that we see revival. Our country needs it now.

[Ben Ferguson]

If you want to hear the rest of this conversation, you can go back and listen to the full podcast from earlier this week.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's Time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Elevate your listening listening experience to new.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom. And for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code fall25. Bring the boom XBoom.

[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Ben Ferguson]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG XX Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG x boom. And for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code fall25. Bring the boom x boom.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now on to story number two. All right, I want to. I want to pivot real quick to something that just truly is hysterical and that is ABC News News. We thought they like had actually done the right thing and were willing to say that it. Yeah, it's no Jimmy Kimmel. You're not going to go out there and lie about who assassinated and what they believed in of Charlie Kirk. We now know that the sin for doing that, for that crime is a sentence of going on a vacation for about six days. So less than a week. And ABC News like, all right, we started back up on Tuesday night. Now here's the other interesting thing. Not everybody's going along with this. Next star and Sinclair are saying, no, they're not going to be hearing it. They want in a real apology for him before they think about putting him back on the air. Your reaction to that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, you and I are recording this show Tuesday night. And as we're recording it, Kimmel has not yet gone on air. So I don't know what he's going to say. He might do all sorts of things. He might stand up and give a heartfelt apology. He might admit that in his last show he told a lie he engaged in active disinformation. His sort of joke, which wasn't remotely funny, was that the murderer of Charlie Kirk was a right wing MAGA guy. Now that's a lie and it's a lie with consequence. I mean, we've seen the polling that shows a majority of Democrats believe Charlie Kirk's killer was a right winger. Now that is a brazen lie. Charlie Kirk's killer was radicalized. He was a leftist. Law enforcement has said this over and over again. He was living with his boyfriend, who was a transgender, who was a furry, who was a man transitioning to be a woman. The killer engraved antifa and transgender slogans on the casings that he used for the assassination. So there is no ambiguity. This is a man of the left. And so maybe, maybe, just maybe, and I may be holding out hope, Kimmel stands up and gives a heartfelt apology, says I'm sorry, and what happened to Charlie Kirk was horrific. It was a political assassination. It is wrong. And it's clear this was not some right winger who did this. This was a leftist. This is my side of the aisle. This is Jimmy Kimmel speaking. And I'm sorry if that happens. I think the odds are very, very high you and I, almost regardless of what happens, are going to be talking about this on Friday's pod. So on Friday we'll know what he said. We don't know what he said right now. I think that's unlikely. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. But I think it's unlikely that Kimmel, he may give a half hearted apology. He may say, I'm sorry, some people were offended. Maybe I actually think he's more likely to be defiant and say, to hell with you, everyone who was offended by the lies that I told. But we'll see what I will say. Look, my view on Kimmel, I think he is profoundly unfunny. He hasn't been funny in years. There was a long time ago when he could be a comedian, a thousand years ago. But then partisanship and hate overcame him and his show consists of just relentlessly screaming, I hate Donald Trump. I hate Donald Trump. I hate conservatives. I hate Republicans. By the way, frequently I hate Ted Cruz. Ever since I beat him at basketball, I lived rent free in his head. And the problem is, listen, as a Republican, I'm actually fine with comedy that is roasting Republicans and Democrats. I think good comedy makes fun of everyone. Actually today I retweeted so Jon Stewart did a whole riff on the Daily show blasting me and it was funny as hell. He actually played a clip from our Last Verdict where, you know, where I talked about Kimmel and I did an impression of a Godfather, actually. I'll tell you what. Let's play Jon Stewart, because this is actually comedy. Listen, I don't agree with Jon Stewart's politics, but Stewart is actually funny. I mean, he makes me laugh. And so let's play the clip. I'm gonna play a clip. This is making fun of me. But to all our verdict listeners, this is me playing Jon Stewart just mocking me. And he does a very good job. He's a talented comedian. I'm perfectly fine with comedians who mock me, as long as that's not all they do, as long as they don't just scream, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. But they're actually funny. So here was Jon Stewart on the Daily show talking about he's gonna quote verdict, and then he's just gonna mercilessly mock me. Give a listen.

[Jon Stewart]

Now, Cruz has supported this president through insults to his own wife's looks and to his own father's loyalties. And yet Cruz still manages to maintain a modicum of self respect when it comes to this president trampling all over our Constitution. Sir, it brings me no pleasure to have to play this.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, I like Brendan Carr. He's a good guy. He's the chairman of the fcc. I work closely with him. But what he said there is dangerous as hell.

[Jon Stewart]

Fantastic. Fantastic. Senator Ted Cruz boldly stating that the FCC chairman threatening the licenses of networks is dangerous. And Senator Cruz, I would just say, maybe you should stop there. I would stop there. I would not continue with the thought. Perfect. No notes. All right, go on.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And I gotta say, he threatens it. He says, we can do this the easy way or we could do this the hard way.

[Jon Stewart]

The.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

What?

[Jon Stewart]

Sort of impressive. The hard way. Oh, what kind of mobster have you ever heard? We could do this the hard way. We could do it the easy way. The hard way. Easy or hard? That's not the Godfather. That's Lenny from Mice and Men. The bunny. The bunny can do it, Daisy. The hard way. You got more, Senator, don't you?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And I gotta say, that's right out of Goodfellows. That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, nice bar you have here. It'd be a shame if something happened to it.

[Jon Stewart]

That's not a Goodfellas quote. I know this because all of my decorative pillows have Goodfellas quotes on them. I mean, I would go home. I would say, that's Me at home. Look at me. Now, senator, a lesser man might tell you to go home and get your shine box, but I don't. Because you wouldn't even know what that means. Ted Cruz. I mean, to do that with Goodfellas, with that accent. Is there anything in pop culture that I love that you can't ruin?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Dad, I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat animals. But Lisa, animals are so delicious. There's the animal. We get bacon from the animal, we get ham from the animal, we get sausage from. Dad, that's all the same animal. Smithers, release the hounds. Excellent.

[Jon Stewart]

They're not booing, they're saying boo.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Urns.

[Jon Stewart]

Imagine having to endure a Texas power outage with this guy. Who wants to hear my Apu? Anyone? Well, he ruined my love of the Simpsons. At least I've still got my favorite franchise, Star wars, all to myself, so I don't have to.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The Force is strong with this one.

[Ben Ferguson]

There is no try, do or do not.

[Jon Stewart]

At best, he sounds like Yoda with a sinus infection. Trying not to come do or do. You may enjoy Star wars, said Cruz, but there's one thing we'll never have in common, and that's my comfort movie. The Princess Bride. A fantastical tale of adventure and true love. With an outstanding cast. Oh, you know what's coming. You know what's coming. With an outstanding cast, including the inimitable. Oh, it just roll it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So what is it you have that's so worth living for? He presses on his chest and Wesley goes. True love. Liar. Shut up, witch.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm not a witch.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm your wife. But after what you just said, I wish I wasn't. Don't say that name. What? Humperdick? Humpadick? Humpadick. Humpadick. I can't hear you. So.

[Ben Ferguson]

Whoa.

[Jon Stewart]

That was a strange. I'm like, that was a one man show. Do you know how hard it is to make Mario Lopez uncomfortable? Truly Mario Lopez, the man who, need I remind you, did this dance in a tank tee in front of everyone at the Max.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, I gotta say I'm laughing a little bit because it is pretty good roast. I'm not gonna lie.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, Ben, that's hysterical. Yeah, I do like to do impressions. I'm not particularly great at them, but I have fun. And I like pop culture. But like, that's actual comedy. Like, I'm gonna make a prediction right now. What Jon Stewart just did there is a hundred thousand times funnier than whatever Jimmy Kimmel will do tonight. So we'll see what he does. But look, the point that I made in this podcast is the federal government, the FCC should not be threatening the licenses of ABC in order to force them to take someone off the air. Even someone incredibly unfunny with terrible ratings who gets 1.1 million views, which means he gets fewer views views and listens than verdict does. We beat Jimmy Kimmel regularly. And someone who was actively lying about a political assassination. I think all of those are reasons for ABC to fire him. But I don't think the federal government should be forcing ABC to fire him. Why? Because, look, when Biden was president, the Biden FCC tried to yank Fox News license and I led the fight against it. We beat them. We stopped them from doing it. You know what? If we embrace the fcc, stripping licenses from anyone who says something you disagree with, the next Democrat president who gets in the White House will do this and will come after. Will come after everyone right of center. And so that is a slippery slope to oblivion. But at the same time, understand, just because I'm saying the federal government shouldn't force Kimmel off the air, I think market forces should. And it's interesting that that 66 ABC stations did not carry the Kimmel program tonight. And if there are enough market forces, ABC ultimately will respond to them. I think market forces are a great check for horrific, unfunny, partisan, dishonest speech. And by the way, if you're dishonest enough, there could also be legal liability and litigation and all sorts of consequences that come when you lie on. I just don't think it should be government regulators saying we don't agree with the politics of your speech, so we're taking your license. But that being said, the world is better off without an unfunny, dishonest left wing partisan who lies to the American people. And sadly, there was a time when Jimmy Kimmel could be funny. But that's what he has become.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, great point. As before, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic, you can go back and download the podcast from early this week to hear the entire thing. I want to get back to the big story number three of the week. You may have missed center. You were in Dallas when this shooting happened. It was eight hours.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights. Because let's be real, your music deserves it. The Future of Sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time save 25% at LG.com with code Fall25. Bring the Boom X Boom.

[Variety Podcast Host]

There's a lot going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Ben Ferguson]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co editor in chief Cynthia Littleton.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search daily Variety and listen now.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra durable LG X Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The Future of Sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time save 25% at LG.com with code Fall25. Bring the Boom X Boom.

[Ben Ferguson]

After we watch Gavin Newsom go on on late night TV demonizing ICE agents, saying that they are authoritarian. And then the liberals are like, wait, wait, we're not attacking ICE agents. Yes, they are. They've undermined them, they've demonized them. And we are watching attack after attack happen against ICE agents. It's horrific.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. I was in Dallas this week for a series of unrelated meetings and the news broke that this deranged gunman had opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas, that he had gone onto a rooftop emulating Charlie Kirk's assassin and with a bolt action rifle fired multiple rounds, ended up killing two people, severely injuring a third. And then he took the gun to himself and took his own life. And it was horrific. When the news broke, I canceled my morning meeting and just drove over to the ICE facility that morning, was there shortly after the shooting had occurred. And this has happened far too often. Here's what I had to say at the press conference that was ongoing when I arrived at the facility. This needs to stop. Violence is wrong. Politically motivated violence is wrong. It was two weeks ago today that we saw a political assassination in Utah that tore the heart out of much of this country. This is the third shooting in Texas directed at ICE or cbp. This must stop. To every politician who is using rhetoric, demonizing ICE and demonizing cbp, stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxed and calling for people to go after their families.

[Ben Ferguson]

Stop.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This has very real consequences. Look, in America, we disagree. That's fine. That's the democratic process. But your political opponents are not Nazis. We need to learn to work together without demonizing each other, without attacking each other. And I want to say thank you. I want to say thank you to the brave men and women of law enforcement. I want to say thank you to the brave men and women of ICE and CBP and everyone who puts their lives on the lines to keep us safe. The divisive rhetoric tragically has real consequences. I hope that every one of us will. I hope that every one of us will pray, number one, for the safety of law enforcement that are risking their lives to keep us safe. Number two, for the health of those who were shot and injured today. We still don't know the full details of who was injured. But for the families also of the victims of this shooting, violence has no place. It is wrong. And we should come together. If we want to have a debate about immigration policies, we can do so in the halls of Congress without demonizing each other, and especially without demonizing the men and women who every day put on a badge and go risk their lives to keep us safe. And we should not be putting language out there that. That. That inspires mad men to commit evil crimes. Our prayers are with the men and women of law enforcement. And we ought to come together and have some decency across the political aisle to say this violence is wrong and it needs to stop.

[Ben Ferguson]

We know, Senator, a lot about this gunman. We know that he was googling the shooting of our friend whose funeral we just went to, Charlie Kirk. We know that he was looking at the app that they put out there and these websites where you can track ICE agents, which is great doxing where they are.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That is an app designed to encourage violence against ICE agents and law enforcement. And whether it's Gavin Newsom or Akeem Jeffries or any other Democrat who is encouraging this targeting of ICE agents, it is fundamentally wrong and that they need to stand up and stop it. You know, I will say this shooter, it's. The news has since come out this shooter, his mother was a hard leftist who actually had been vocally critical of me and other Texas Republicans for not embracing gun control. And in fact, In May of 2022, she posted the following. Governor Abbott, Senator Cornyn, and Senator Cruz, how does it feel that your action to open up gun laws is responsible for the killing of 21 more people? Do you secretly sit in front of a TV and smile with a demented smile? You must be proud of all the money that sits in your bank accounts from the gun lobby support. Was it worth it? Governor Abbott? How about you senators, when you prioritize money over people, this is what you get. And I will say the irony is rich that this leftist mom who was championing gun control, now her son has committed a mass murder as a sniper. It is tragic and it is a consequence of extreme rhetoric, extreme ideology that is poisoning the minds of of those who are driven to violence. And I will say this assassin wrote on his shell casings anti ice very much emulating what Charlie Kirk's murderer did, writing pro antifa and pro transgender propaganda on his shell casings. And we need to stop this violence regardless of where your politics are. But we need to stop the rhetoric that is fueling this violence. And there's a lot of Democrat politicians engaging in this rhetoric no matter how many lives are lost. And I want to be clear, I am not calling them Nazis. I am absolutely opposing any any violence or calls to violence. I'm calling on them to tone down their rhetoric and stop demonizing their opponent. Stop demonizing. I stop demonizing law enforcement because it's dangerous. And tragically, lunatics are acting on the rhetoric they're hearing from these politicians.

[Ben Ferguson]

As always, thank you for listening to Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. Don't forget to download my podcast and you can listen to my podcast every other day. You're not listening to Verdict or each day when you listen to Verdict afterwards. I'd love to have you as a listener to again the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here on Monday morning.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with The Ultra Durable LG XBoom Portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time save 25% at LG.com with code fall25 bring the boom XBoom there's a lot.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Going on in Hollywood. How are you supposed to stay on top of it all? Variety has the solution. Take 20 minutes out of your day and listen to the new daily Variety podcast for breaking entertainment news and expert perspectives.

[Ben Ferguson]

Where do you see the business actually heading?

[Variety Podcast Host]

Featuring the iconic journalists of Variety and hosted by co Editor in Chief Cynthia Littleton.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

The only constant in Hollywood is change.

[Variety Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app. Search Daily Variety and listen now.

[LG XBoom Advertiser]

Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with The Ultra Durable LG XBoom Portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because, let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG XBoom and for a limited time, save [e-mail] with code Fall25. Bring the Boom XBoom. This is an iHeart podcast.