Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: Christian Persecution in Nigeria, Communist Crackdown on Christians in China & Senator Cruz Spied On – Week in Review
Date: October 25, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Overview

This episode dives into three major issues that, according to Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson, have been largely underreported or misrepresented by mainstream media:

1. The mass persecution and killing of Christians in Nigeria, and Senator Cruz’s legislative efforts to hold the Nigerian government and its officials accountable.
2. The renewed crackdown on Christians in Communist China and bipartisan U.S. efforts to pressure Beijing to respect religious liberty.
3. Revelations that the Biden administration's DOJ, under Special Counsel Jack Smith, sought the phone records of conservative members of Congress, including Senator Cruz, as part of its investigations into January 6th.

The episode’s tone is urgent, critical of media and governmental inaction, and deeply partisan, offering sharp commentary and humor alongside stark accusations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christian Persecution in Nigeria (02:40–15:38)

Shocking Scale of Violence

• Senator Cruz details staggering figures:
  • Over 50,000 Christians killed since 2009.
  • More than 18,000 churches and at least 2,000 schools burned.
  • Women and children subjected to abductions, forced marriages, slavery, and rape by groups like Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa.
    “We have seen over 50,000 Christians killed… over 18,000 churches… the government becomes a tool of the persecution of Christians.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 03:59)

Nigerian Government Response

• Nigerian officials have fiercely denied these accounts, labeling Cruz’s efforts as a smear.
  • Oluwole Oke (House Foreign Affairs, Nigeria) called Cruz’s legislation “a deliberate attempt to damage the Nigerian image.”
  • Minister Mohammad Idris and Presidential Spokesperson Baya Onano refuted all suggestions that Nigerian officials side with extremists.
  • Senate President Godswill Akpabio cautioned against “framing the crisis along religious lines” (06:30–08:50).

Cruz’s Legislative Push

• Cruz introduced a bill to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” requiring sanctions on officials involved in or enabling persecution.
• Direct pressure on both Congress and the Trump administration to escalate action, as previous executive action is possible without full congressional passage. “If you’re a local official and... persecuting Christians or turning a blind eye... each of those individual government officials would face sanctions.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 07:48)

Media & International Response

• Mainstream and left-leaning media blamed for ignoring the issue.
• Quoted support from unexpected figures:
  • Bill Maher:
    “If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck... This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza.” (Bill Maher, 12:07)
  • Van Jones (CNN):
    “Africa is being overrun by Islamist terrorists, including Boko Haram, with no conversation about that at all...” (Van Jones, 13:39)
• Cruz and Ferguson express outrage at the “double standard” in coverage:
  “Where is ABC? Where is CBS... Where’s the New York Times?... about the mass murder of over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria?” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 15:18)

Call to Action

• Urges listeners to speak out, contact lawmakers, elevate the crisis on social media, and press for both legislative and executive action.

2. Crackdown on Christians in Communist China (19:28–27:38)

Worsening Religious Persecution

• Recent escalations against the Zion Church and prominent pastor Jin Mingri, whose children are U.S. citizens.
• The CCP “fears anything it cannot directly control, perhaps most of all, faith.”
  “The Chinese Communist Party is conducting another sweeping crackdown on Christians.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 19:53)
• Pastor Jin and 30+ church colleagues have been detained or gone missing (24:06).

U.S. Government Actions

• Cruz and Democrat Chris Coons jointly introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning China’s actions, demanding release of Pastor Jin, and reasserting U.S. commitment to religious liberty.
• Resolution cites 40 years’ worst crackdown on a Christian urban “house church,” and notes China has been a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom every year since 1998.

Strategy & Leverage

• Ferguson highlights frustration: world leaders prioritize trade over rights.
• Cruz insists U.S. should use both “pressure through public condemnation and economic leverage.”
  “President Trump is very effective at employing economic leverage. I think we should do both.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 23:38)
• Urges President Trump to make this a priority in the upcoming Asia meeting with Xi Jinping.

Broader Philosophy

• American foreign policy should stand for religious liberty for all, not just Christians or Jews.
• Not a call for military intervention, but for strategic use of economic/political tools and the presidential “bully pulpit.”

3. DOJ/Jack Smith Spying on Senator Cruz & Other Congressional Republicans (31:41–46:38)

Shocking Discoveries

• Cruz found out recently that Special Counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed AT&T for his cell phone records related to the January 6th investigation—AT&T refused, citing constitutional protections.
• Verizon (unlike AT&T) complied for eight other GOP Senators and one House Member.
  “It turns out... Jack Smith sent a subpoena to AT&T demanding my cell phone records. And AT&T told him to go jump in a lake.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 32:42)

Broad Scope of Surveillance

• Subpoenas requested: “detailed records for inbound and outbound calls, text messages, direct connect, and voicemail messages.” (33:13)
• Congressional immunity (“speech and debate clause”) cited as a bulwark AT&T invoked to refuse compliance.
• News of the request was initially concealed via a court “gag order.”

Political Implications

• Cruz alleges the effort is politically motivated “fishing expedition” aimed at intimidating and surveilling political opponents.
  • “For the executive branch to engage in wholesale spying on their political opponents... This was political persecution. This was snooping.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 37:47)
• Ben Ferguson speculates this could extend beyond the listed senators, depending on their service provider.

Historical Parallels & Partisan Critique

• Cruz draws lines from Nixon’s abuses to the Obama and now Biden administrations, alleging Democrats “weaponized” DOJ/FBI for political ends.
  “What Richard Nixon tried to do to the justice system, Barack Obama succeeded in doing.” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 45:01)
• Suggests the “wheels came off” under Biden administration—no more pretense about rules, only raw power politics.

Next Steps

• Cruz expects upcoming hearings and promises coordination between targeted lawmakers to prevent future abuses.
• Calls for “real investigation,” transparency, and reforms to “make sure this never happens again.”

Memorable, Humorous Exchanges

• Cruz jokes about being “offended” he wasn’t initially targeted: “I was joking with Sean [Hannity]... I was saying, I’m actually kind of offended. Like, how did I get left out of this list?” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 32:13)
• Light banter about embarrassing texts that could have been revealed if records were handed over: “I just want to say I’m really grateful they did not find the pictures you sent of me of you in a pink tutu...” (Sen. Ted Cruz, 40:24)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Sen. Ted Cruz (on Nigeria):
  “It is the most Christians being murdered anywhere on the face of the planet is happening in Nigeria.” (06:03)
• Bill Maher (on Nigeria):
  “They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country.” (12:07)
• Van Jones:
  “Africa right now is being overrun by Islamist terrorists, including Boko Haram, with no conversation about that at all.” (13:39)
• Sen. Ted Cruz (on Trump-Xi diplomacy): “President Trump has an opportunity... to call on President Xi to release these pastors, release Pastor Jin, release the Christians who are being persecuted, and stop persecuting people of faith...” (25:20)
• Sen. Ted Cruz (on DOJ surveillance):
  “This is going to be the Watergate of the Biden DOJ... Jack Smith was a partisan prosecutor who was drunk on power.” (42:56)
• Ben Ferguson (on surveillance):
  “Isn’t that amazing? By the way, are you sitting United States Senator? Don’t tell him. We don’t want him to know.” (34:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Christian persecution in Nigeria: 02:40–15:38
• China’s crackdown on Christians: 19:28–27:38
• DOJ subpoena/spying scandal: 31:41–46:38
• Bill Maher & Van Jones on Nigeria: 12:07–14:32
• Cruz humor on embarrassing texts: 40:24–41:06

Tone and Language

• Passionately political, urgent, and direct.
• Frequent use of rhetorical questions, sarcasm, and pointed humor.
• Bipartisan moments (reference to Chris Coons) but overwhelmingly critical of mainstream media and Democratic administrations.
• Calls for activism, investigation, and reform.

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode offers a sharp, detailed breakdown of consequences and policy moves around the global persecution of Christians—arguably blending news and advocacy. Sen. Cruz presents forceful evidence and quotes, critiques Nigerian and Chinese government denials, and rails against domestic “political persecution” by the current administration. The episode blends information with pointed commentary and moments of levity, aiming both to inform and to mobilize a conservative audience.