Verdict with Ted Cruz: "Christ is Born, America is Working: Christmas Hope, Jobs Booming & Welfare Fraud Exposed"

Episode Date: December 24, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Episode Overview

In this Christmas Eve episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson discuss the spiritual and cultural significance of the holiday, deliver an optimistic perspective on America’s economic recovery, and scrutinize a massive welfare and Medicaid fraud scandal in Minnesota. The episode blends holiday reflections with policy analysis and media critique, aiming to frame the current state of the nation through a Christian conservative perspective.

1. The Meaning of Christmas: Faith, Family, and Revival

Key Points:

• Cruz opens with Christmas greetings and an encouragement to focus not just on festivities, but on the birth of Jesus and its Christian significance.
• Both hosts lament secular attempts to "erase" the meaning of Christmas but feel optimistic about a revived spiritual interest in younger generations.
• Notably, 2025 saw a record-breaking number of Bible sales in the U.S., attributed partly to a faith-driven public reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk—interpreted as a sign of a spiritual "awakening."
• Cruz shares his personal family tradition: reading from Luke Chapter 2 at Christmas dinner, connecting ancient Christian narratives to present-day celebrations.

Notable Quotes:

• “[Christmas is] when we're celebrating the birth of Jesus, the birth of our Savior who came, God incarnate, came to earth to live as a man, to live without sin and then to die willingly, voluntarily, freely, to die for your sins and my sins.” — Ted Cruz (03:24)
• “There are more people under the age of 40. We had record breaking number of people that bought Bibles in 2025...that gave me such encouragement...to see that there seems to be this real awakening among this younger generation.” — Ben Ferguson (04:33)
• [Cruz reads from Luke 2:1-20, King James Version] (07:11–10:25)

Memorable Moment:
Ted Cruz’s reading of the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2 and reflection on how Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes as a symbol of being set aside for sacrifice—a parallel to Old Testament rituals (07:11–10:25).

2. Economic Optimism: “The Economy is Booming”

Key Points:

• Newly released GDP data shows 4.3% growth for the quarter; Cruz calls this “terrific news.”
• Hosts contrast this with past media predictions of economic disaster and “empty shelves”—none of which came true.
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday saw record-breaking consumer spending, contradicting media narratives.
• Guests (e.g., Kevin Hassett, head of the National Economic Council) credit Trump administration policies—especially trade deals, tax cuts, and deregulation—for the growth.
• The corporate media is accused of bias, downplaying good news when it doesn’t fit the preferred political narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• “GDP growth, it's not always immediate. Are there still people struggling? Yes, but GDP growth...means there's more jobs, it means there's more productivity, it means the stock market is going up, it means people 401ks are going up, it means wages are likely to rise.” — Ted Cruz (14:17)
• “The corporate media is utterly corrupt. They are dishonest... If ABC pretended to be a journalist, you'd say, okay, go work for the DNC because you want to be a partisan parrot.” — Ted Cruz (15:39)
• “You know, it's a fantastic report, 4.3%. That's just about as good as GDP numbers get. ... President Trump's trade policy and his supply side policy...is having a big, big effect.” — Kevin Hassett (White House Economics Advisor), played by Cruz (17:31)
• “While we collected record number of tariffs and cash, the President's trade deals seem to actually be working and the leverage seems to be working.” — Ben Ferguson (18:15)

Timestamps:

• Christmas economic snapshot & GDP growth: (12:23–13:37)
• Media double standard on economic reporting: (15:23–17:31)
• Kevin Hassett's economic analysis: (17:31–18:15)

3. Medicaid and Welfare Fraud: The Minnesota Scandal

Key Points:

• Federal prosecutors allege at least $9 billion was stolen from Minnesota’s Medicaid programs—possibly up to half of all related state spending since 2018.
• Fraud is described as “industrial scale,” with much of it attributed to networks including Somali immigrants, some funds allegedly reaching the terrorist group Al Shabaab.
• Cruz and Ferguson blast state leadership (notably Democratic Governor Tim Walz) and accuse them of turning a blind eye in exchange for political loyalty, alleging vote-buying via government largesse.
• Cruz predicts such fraud is even larger in blue states like New York, California, and Illinois, and calls for federal audits.
• The media is accused of deliberately covering up the scandal at a national level, while local outlets (e.g., CBS Minnesota) are cited for exposing it.
• When confronted about accountability, Governor Walz is played responding with accusations of racism and deflection—a "classic Democratic playbook," according to the hosts.

Notable Quotes:

• “The magnitude cannot be overstated. What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors... It's a staggering industrial scale fraud. It's swamping Minnesota and calling into question everything we know about our state.” — Cruz quoting Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson (23:13)
• “As horrific as this fraud is in Minnesota... I'm going to make a prediction that it is worse, that there is even more fraud in New York, California and Illinois.” — Ted Cruz (29:15)
• “Minnesota will protect their neighbors. And this is what happened...” — Governor Tim Walz, played by local reporter (31:28)
• “[Tim Walz] is literally overseeing the biggest recorded fraud in US Government history...” — Ted Cruz (32:20)

Timestamps:

• Introduction to Medicaid fraud: (22:46)
• News clips from CBS on fraud scale and prosecution: (26:13–28:26)
• Cruz's nationwide prediction and call for audits: (29:10–30:36)
• Democratic response & media critique: (30:36–32:20)

4. Systemic Issues in Welfare: "The Biggest Fraud in Welfare"

Key Points:

• Cruz cites a Wall Street Journal op-ed (Phil Gramm & John Early) exposing “fraud” in the fundamental structure of welfare: massive government outlays are not counted as income, inflating poverty statistics and enabling benefit stacking.
• The U.S. spends $1.4 trillion annually on welfare; dividing this among the “poor” would deliver $70,000/year per household—evidence of government inefficiency.
• Example given: A single parent with $11,000 in wages, classified as “in poverty,” but receiving over $64,000 in combined cash and in-kind benefits.
• Cruz argues this system incentivizes dependency, calling instead for a safety net that encourages work.

Notable Quotes:

• “The source of this dramatic mismatch is a fraud built into how various programs determine welfare eligibility. The government doesn't count any refundable tax credits or benefits that aren't paid in cash as income to the recipients.” — Ted Cruz (36:24)
• “One of my favorite phrases is that the social safety net should be a trampoline and not a hammock.” — Ted Cruz (39:38)
• “It's almost modern day slavery where you keep people addicted to it so that they owe you on election day.” — Ben Ferguson (40:55)

Timestamps:

• Welfare calculation breakdown: (33:36–36:24)
• Philosphy of work vs. dependency: (39:47–40:55)

5. Final Notes

Episode Tone:
Conversational, occasionally combative, blending faith-based optimism about America’s spiritual and economic future with sharp criticism of Democrats and the media.

Key Themes:

• Rediscovering Christian roots as a national source of hope and unity
• Positive assessment of the Trump administration’s economic stewardship
• Alarm over fraud in government programs, cast as a result of Democratic governance and media complicity
• Urgent calls for accountability, transparency, and policies that prioritize work and self-determination over entitlement

Most Memorable Moments:

• Ted Cruz’s Christmas reading and reflection (07:11–10:25)
• Statistical demonstration of welfare system efficiency (or lack thereof) (36:11–36:24)
• Cruz’s prediction of fraud in other blue states and call for national audit (29:15–30:36)
• Blast at Governor Walz’s deflection tactics during the Minnesota Medicaid scandal (31:28–32:20)

Quick Reference: Key Timestamps

• Christmas Reflections & Bible Reading: 03:24–11:34
• Economic Update & Media Critique: 12:23–18:52
• Medicaid/Welfare Fraud in Minnesota: 22:46–33:13
• Welfare System Analysis & Solutions: 33:36–40:55

For listeners seeking:

• Inspiration and practical traditions for keeping Christ at the center of Christmas
• Insights into current economic trends under the Trump administration
• Awareness of large-scale welfare fraud and implications for policy
• Conservative critique of media narratives and Democratic leadership

This episode delivers all, blending policy, faith, and critique with a distinctly personal and ideological flavor.