Comrade Mamdani & Gavin Newsom-Commie, Jhadist & the Dem Party Embracing the Nutty Extreme

Summary

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Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: "Comrade Mamdani & Gavin Newsom – Commie, Jihadist & the Dem Party Embracing the Nutty Extreme"

Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson deliver an impassioned critique of what they see as the Democratic Party's overt embrace of far-left extremism, focusing particularly on the political rise of Zohran Mamdani ("Comrade Mamdani") and the symbolic implications of Democratic leadership in major cities. The discussion spans from accusations of Marxism, socialism, and "jihadism" within Democratic ranks to cultural and generational changes among voters, the consequences for America's major cities, and reflections on national political sanity.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rise of "Comrade Mamdani": Symbol of the Democratic Party’s Leftward Shift

• Main Point: Cruz and Ferguson argue that Zohran Mamdani, projected as a potential future mayor of NYC, embodies the Democratic Party's explicit turn towards "communism" and "jihadism."
  • Cruz: "The Democrat Party is now explicitly, openly, unapologetically communist and unapologetically jihadist. This guy is so extreme. And yet the Democrats in New York don't seem to care." [00:57]
• Mnemonic Joke: Cruz humorously struggles to pronounce Mamdani’s name, creating a mnemonic and quipping it only makes sense with "comrade" in front. [05:48–06:35]
  • Cruz: "But the only way to say Mamdani is if you proceed it with comrade. Because when I'm addressing Communists, I call them Comrades, because that is who he is." [06:19]

2. Family Background and Accusations of Anti-American Sentiment

• Key Clip: The hosts play a clip of Mamdani’s father comparing U.S. history and policies to the inspiration for Nazi genocides (reservations for Native Americans as a model for Hitler). [07:24–08:32]
  • Mamdani’s father: "America is the genesis of what we call settler colonialism...The US put Indians in reservations. The US invented the model."
  • Ferguson (reaction): "I mean, that's where he gets his teachings from. That's pretty clear." [08:32]
• Cruz’s Accusation: Asks rhetorically if Mamdani’s family truly loves America and if there's any evidence Mamdani differs from his father. [08:38–09:09]

3. September 11th and Reaction to Tragedy

• Key Quote: The hosts play Mamdani’s own words focusing on anti-Muslim sentiment after 9/11 instead of condemning the attacks.
  • Mamdani's clip: "I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab." [10:45]
  • Cruz’s Commentary: "He didn't say, I mourn for the people at the top of that tower...He’s like, the horror is the next day my aunt couldn't wear her hijab." [10:59]
• Discussion: Cruz claims Mamdani centers victimhood rather than shared American grief, and expresses confusion at Jewish New Yorkers supporting him, likening it to "sheep voting to elect the butcher." [12:44–13:31]

4. Voting Dynamics and Demographic Shifts in NYC

• Ferguson’s Theory: Asserts "sane" voters left New York due to COVID lockdowns, leaving a more radical electorate. [15:56]
  • Ferguson: "They feel like they lost so many sane voters because of the COVID lockdown...The sane voters just left the crazy state under, you know, tyrants like Cuomo." [16:17]
• Cruz’s Counterpoint: Refuses to concede Mamdani will definitely win, but decries normalization of "communist" policies and alliances with radical elements. [17:01]

5. Democratic Socialists, Alleged Ties to Extremism, and Release of Terrorists

• Cruz Presents: Cruz references Mamdani’s meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj (linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and calls for "gun-free jihad").
• DSA Statement: Democratic Socialists of America call for release of Elias Rodriguez, described as a leftist who murdered two Jews in DC, which Cruz frames as the DSA openly supporting terrorism. [19:48–21:59]
  • Cruz: “Comrade Mandami's political party is telling the world that a terrorist who murders in cold blood two Jews because they're Jews should not be charged...That is the party of Comrade Mondami.” [21:01]

6. Collapse of Traditional Democratic Moderation

• Bill Maher Segment (35:18): Bill Maher (audio clip) warns Democrats nationally that embracing far-left candidates like Mamdani threatens to define the party's identity.
  • Maher: “I think the whole Democratic Party in the country is on the ballot, and the whole country will be looking at this race to see which way are the Democrats going to go.” [35:18]
  • Cruz’s reaction: “Bill Maher every day makes more and more sense because his party has gone so batcrap crazy...” [36:53]

7. Gavin Newsom: Another "Good-Looking Tyrant"

• Comparison: Cruz likens Mamdani to Gavin Newsom, accusing both of peddling Marxist policies with a smile, and jokes about Newsom’s privileged upbringing vs. his populist narrative.
  • Cruz: "Gavin Newsom is running a different scam than Mandani is, but it's the same scam. It is marketing Marxism, socialism, confiscatory government power..." [31:46]
  • Cruz, humorously: "...it really feels better if you’re a dissident being lined up for the firing squad, if you know that the communists ordering your death are smiling." [32:31]

8. Youth, College Radicalization, and a Grim Urban Future

• Diagnosis: Cruz blames young voters radicalized by "Marxist professors" for fueling the leftward drift, claiming their angst is redirected into anti-rich and anti-establishment politics.
  • Cruz: "It's a bunch of 20 somethings who have never known anything except college life and they've been suckled on the lies of their Marxist professors..." [26:49]
  • Ferguson: “It’s Occupy Wall Street 2.0 or 3.0, whatever version you want to describe this as. And I think that’s the part that scares me the most, is that you can now lose another great American city...” [27:36]

9. Predicted Consequences: Exodus and Political Realignment

• Cruz’s "Awards": Cruz predicts a Mamdani victory will make Mamdani “Conservative Party Man of the Year” and “Texas Realtor of the Year” due to anticipated out-migration. [28:42–30:22]
  • Cruz: "He is going to rent more U Hauls than the very Best Willy Loman salesman that has ever been in U haul of people moving from New York and coming to Texas and coming to Florida." [30:22]

10. Absence of Democratic Pushback

• Accusation: Cruz and Ferguson lament no mainstream Democrats are calling out their party’s extremes, aside from Bill Maher.
  • Cruz: “Elected Democrats are terrified. But again, listen, we endeavor on this podcast to try to be real... So maybe you might say, all right, Cruz, Ferguson, they're not the most impartial, unbiased observers...If you're not inclined to listen to us, perhaps you would be inclined to listen to Bill Maher.” [34:00]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mamdani as a symbol:
  Ben Ferguson – "He is the face of the Democratic Party. I actually think this is a gift that's going to give to conservatives and Republican candidates." [04:49]

• On Jewish voters in NYC:
  Ted Cruz – "It's like if you go to a farm and go to the lambs and the sheep and say, hey, we would like to have an election to select the butcher." [13:25]

• On the COVID exodus of voters:
  Ferguson – "They all went to Florida, they all moved out. The sane voters just left the crazy state under, you know, tyrants like Cuomo..." [16:17]

• On Democrat Socialists and terrorism:
  Cruz – “Free Elias Rodriguez and all political prisoners...They're not saying, let him serve a month in jail... They're saying let him go today with no consequences whatsoever for the cold blooded murder of two innocent people.” [21:14]

• On the generational source of radicalism:
  Cruz – "It's a bunch of 20 somethings who have never known anything except college life and they've been suckled on the lies of their Marxist professors..." [26:49]

• On the fate of New York:
  Cruz – "People are going to die if and when Comrade Mondami is elected. That is going to be the consequence." [28:42]

• On Newsom’s background vs. his image:
  Cruz – "He started a winery with the Getty millions. Billions actually, but millions from them. Started a winery at age 25. Now, Benjamin, let me ask you, did you start a winery at age 25?" [31:24]

• Bill Maher’s warning:
  Bill Maher (clip) – "This is not just New York that's on the ballot. I think the whole Democratic Party in the country is on the ballot, and the whole country will be looking at this race to see which way are the Democrats going to go." [35:18]

• On historical Democratic moderation:
  Cruz – "If you took a candidate with the identical policy views of Bill Clinton and ran him today, they would tar and feather him and drive him out of the Democrat Party." [38:16]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:57 — Initial framing: “The Democrat Party is now explicitly, openly, unapologetically communist and unapologetically jihadist.” (Cruz)
• 07:24–08:32 — Mamdani’s father: US and Nazi analogies; historical grievances.
• 10:45 — Mamdani’s statement on 9/11 aftermath.
• 17:01 — Cruz’s breakdown of Mamdani’s associations and the DSA’s statement supporting terrorist release.
• 28:42 — Cruz: “People are going to die if and when Comrade Mondami is elected...”
• 30:22 — Predictions: “Texas Realtor of the Year.”
• 31:46 — Likeness drawn between Mamdani and Gavin Newsom.
• 35:18 — Bill Maher’s warning to Democrats (audio clip).
• 38:16 — Discussion of Bill Clinton’s “unelectability” in today’s Democratic Party.

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Tone & Style

The episode is marked by sarcasm, dark political humor, and a sense of urgency. Cruz and Ferguson employ mnemonic jokes, hyperbolic comparisons, and dramatic warnings to engage listeners, interspersing the discussion with pop-culture references, quips about age, and pointed historical allusions.

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Summary Takeaways

• Cruz and Ferguson see Zohran Mamdani as emblematic of the Democratic Party’s “radicalization,” expressing alarm at his ideology, his family’s views, and what they see as his lack of mainstream American values.
• The hosts lament the exodus of centrist voters from New York and the rise of “radicalized” youth voters.
• Cruz frames Mamdani and figures like Gavin Newsom as stylish frontmen for dangerous leftist policies, supported (or at least unopposed) by the Democratic establishment.
• Bill Maher’s commentary is used to underscore that even ideological liberals are alarmed at the direction of their party.
• The episode is a call to arms for conservatives, simultaneously warning of dire consequences and predicting a backlash that could energize conservative politics, while expressing regret for the decline of once-great American cities.

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Transcript

[Ted Cruz]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Podcast Advertiser/Announcer]

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[Ted Cruz]

Oh, you smell amazing, James.

[Mom (in Gain ad)]

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[Ben Ferguson]

I never said that.

[Podcast Advertiser/Announcer]

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[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Welcome.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. And Senator, we've got a couple big topics to talk about today, including, I think it's fair to say the Democratic Party now has just decided, screw it, we're just going to totally embrace Marxism, socialism, Communism. That's the future of the party. Those are our biggest names in the party.

[Podcast Advertiser/Announcer]

And.

[Ben Ferguson]

And Mandani is probably going to be the mayor of New York City.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, Comrade Mandami is apparently the future of the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party is now explicitly, openly, unapologetically communist and unapologetically jihadist. This guy is so extreme. And yet the Democrats in New York don't seem to care. They will vote for any radical they're enamored with, with the extreme left wing. And listen, you're seeing the Democrat Party elected leadership, Kathy Hochul, Hakeem Jeffries, rally around him and say, this is the face of the Democrat Party. We're gonna break down just how radical and extreme Comrade Mandani's record is and how dangerous that is for America. We're also gonna talk about how the Democrats and the corporate media are losing their mind, irrationally melting down over the fact that President Trump is building a brand new ballroom at the White House. And that is apparently the greatest crisis facing America, is that the president has raised $300 million to raise a ballroom for future presidents to host state dinners and host events at the White House. And it's clear that democracy is melting down. They're not worried about a communist becoming mayor of New York City. They're not worried about. About a jihadist becoming mayor of New York City. They're worried that there's going to be, bless my heart, a ballroom at the White House.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

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[Ben Ferguson]

To tell a story of how a.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

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[Self-defense Expert/Commentator]

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[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

If a homeowner thinks someone may be breaking in, what should their priorities be and how should Burna fit into that plan is a really important question everyone should be asking.

[Self-defense Expert/Commentator]

No matter where you live your plan should be to escape, to get to a safe location and many times that doesn't mean engaging the intruders directly. Verna is great for using either chemical rounds or the kinetic rounds to buy you and your family time to get out and get to safety which should be your main priority.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Senator, this is a really interesting moment and I really do think it's important for us to just kind of take a step back. Look at the Democratic Party. I was doing Shannon Bream show Fox News Sunday. And the first topic we talked about was Mandani winning. We talked about the race in New Jersey and a couple others, but everyone was focused on Mandani. And I made the argument that this is now just the Democratic Party embracing what they are. Marxists, Socialists, Communists. They're fully embracing it. He is the face of the Democratic Party. I actually think this is a gift that's going to give to conservatives and Republican candidates. The midterms like we've never seen before. And if this is the type of leader they want, AOC 2.0, even more extreme than AOC, that's hard to say. It's shocking. But, I mean, we went from aoc, we went from Bernie Sanders to AOC to Mandani, and the Democratic Party has decided not to police this at all.

[Ted Cruz]

So, Ben, I gotta say, I came up with a mnemonic today. So pronounce the guy's name who's about to be mayor of New York.

[Ben Ferguson]

Mandani.

[Ted Cruz]

Nope.

[Ben Ferguson]

So I got it wrong, Donnie.

[Ted Cruz]

I sent around a tweet with any of them. I sent around a tweet and I realized I misspelled his name. And look, it's not a name you and I are terribly used to, but I came up with a mnemonic to figure it out. It's M a M, as in Mary D a N, Y. And I actually invert the N and the M. I call him Mandami, and that's not it. And the way I figured out the mnemonic was ma', am, it's Danny, because it's Mam, Danny, which is really hard. Like, you keep saying Mandani, but it's not M a N, it's M a M. And I'm just. Look, if we're. But the only way to say Mamdani is if you proceed it with comrade. Because when I'm addressing Communists, I call him Comrades, because that is who he is. And by the way, if you think that, by the way, let's be clear, Ben, you will think of my mnemonic. You're going to be Mammoth Stani. You're going to be on the radio. You're going to be doing cnn, and you're going to think Mammoth Stan, you will repeat it. It will be a little voice in the back of your head, and you won't screw it up. And our listeners won't either. But just to show I'm not engaged in hyperbole, maybe you're saying, oh, come on, he can't be that bad. He's not an Actual Communist. I want you to listen to what his father said. This is Comrade Mamdani's father talking about his view of the United States. And just play the clip.

[Podcast Advertiser/Announcer]

America is the genesis of what we call settler colonialism. And the American model was exported all around the world. Abraham Lincoln generalized the solution of reservations. They herded American Indians into separate territories. For the Nazis. For the Nazis, this was the inspiration. Hitler realized two things. One, that genocide was doable. It is possible to do genocide. That's what Hitler realized. Second thing Hitler realized is that you don't have to have a common citizenship. You can differentiate between people. The Nuremberg Laws were patterned after American laws anyway. The US Put Indians in reservations. The US Invented the model.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, that's where he gets his teachings from. That's pretty clear.

[Ted Cruz]

So listen, I want you to hear what Mamdani's dad just said. Abraham Lincoln was the model for Adolf Hitler. And the Nazis got concentration camps from the United States of America. Now, let me just ask you. I want to ask you, Ben, seriously and fairly, someone who says that. Do you think he loves America?

[Ben Ferguson]

No. I think he hates America. I think he wants to trash America. I think he thinks America is literally the enemy of him.

[Ted Cruz]

Now, is there any indication, any, whatsoever, that Comrade Mandani's the son? His views are one iota different from Daddy's?

[Ben Ferguson]

No. In fact, it's almost like one for one super clone is the way I would describe it.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, okay, but let's play devil's advocate. You know, look, sometimes dads are whack jobs and sons become more reasonable. And Comrade Mandani, I mean, he did live in New York. He's presumably got some affection for the people of New York. He's running for governor of New York. Surely something like what happened on September 11, surely that impacted him. The entire world watched in horror as radical Islamic terrorists flew not one, but two planes into the World Trade center, murdering between the World Trade center and the pentagon, murdering roughly 3,000Americans in that horrible morning in September. Surely young Comrade Mandami was horrified at what he saw and horrified at the mass slaughter. Well, let's give a listen to what? In his own words. This is not daddy. This is the son, the comrade. Here's what he said he thought the day after September 11th. Give a listen. I want to use this moment to speak to the Muslims of New York City. I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, let's go back to the quote there, Senator. My aunt stopped taking the subway after 911 because she did not feel safe in her hijab. He's actually claiming that she is the victim of 9 11.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and let's be clear, among all of the sentiments did he express. I looked at those planes flying into the towers and I felt horrified. But by the way, as a Muslim, he presumably could say I was horrified by someone who shares my faith could be so radicalized as to murder 3,000 people. He actually could say something powerful there. He didn't say that. He didn't say, I mourn for the people at the top of that tower as flames roared around them who faced a choice between burning alive and jumping to their death. And you and I both watched those mornings in a horrific horror as people leapt from a hundred stories high and fell to their death because the alternative was to burn alive like it was a moment America was under attack. And yet somehow Comrade Mandami, that, that is. I can't pronounce his name either. Even with my mnemonic, I'm getting it wrong. But somehow he doesn't express that sentiment. He's like, the horror is the next day my aunt couldn't wear her her job. And by the way, for all of the leftist rhetoric that the crime of 911 was Islamophobia, I'm not aware of a meaningful uptick in violence against Muslims in New York. I actually remember this country coming together, coming together, strongly embracing each other, unifying. I remember President George W. Bush in, I think, the finest moment of his presidency, standing on the rubble in New York City holding a bullhorn. And when someone from the crowd with firefighters all around called out, we can't hear you. He said, I can hear you. And soon the world will hear you. The people that knock down these towers will hear you. That was a moment where, if you had the tiniest bit of love for America, you don't have to be the most patriotic soul. You just have to give a tiny little crap about the United States of America. You felt a surge of, yes, we will stand strong against the vicious murderers who attacked us. And yet Comrade Mondami expresses none of that. Apparently, 911 was all about. Look, he was clear. I'm talking to the Muslims. By the way, if you're Jewish. And I got to say, it is astonishing, some significant percentage of Jewish voters in New York are voting for Comrade Mondami. I don't get that. It's like if you go to a farm and go to the lambs and the sheep and say, hey, we would like to have an election to select the butcher. Like he views them, I believe, as the enemy. And yet you have voters. And by the way, there are wealthy socialites on the Upper east side who were voting for him and are perfectly oblivious. You know, when Comrade Mamdani abolishes the police and a crackhead kicks in their front door, suddenly they're. Let me ask you, Ben, seriously, you spent a lot, you spent more time in New York than I have. I mean you were a CNN contributor for like umpteen years. Help me try to get in the mind. Let's assume you're a multimillionaire Upper east side socialite. Try to explain the thinking of saying, I want to vote for a communist jihadist.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it's very interesting because I think there's two things here as we really break this down. One, I think that, that to be a socialite in New York, it is now a mandate that you're a liberal Democrat. You will not rise in the New York ranks or the Hamptons if you're a hardcore conservative. I think that's part of it is just.

[Ted Cruz]

And by the way, to be clear.

[Ben Ferguson]

The alternative here, wherever it's going, right?

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, but to be clear, the alternative here, we're talking Andrew frigging Cuomo. We're not talking go right wing, we're not talking Donald Trump, we're not talking Ted Cruz, we're talking Andrew friggin Cuomo, a left wing Democrat, corrupt woman, grabbing like, like, like I'm not a big Cuomo fan, but it's not like if you're a New York voter, you have to suddenly pull the lever for Jesse Helms. And yet given the choice between a solidly left wing Democrat and a full on communist and I believe America hating jihadist, it sure looks like. I hope these polls are wrong and maybe a burst of sanity will pull us back. But it sure looks like a ton of New Yorkers are gonna say, nope, nope, I don't want partial lefty, I want full on nutrition. Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want full blown commie. Yeah. Well, and the other thing that's interesting is as I was in New York last, I think it was last week, I'm up there almost every other week now. And I talked to a lot of the people there that live there and I'm like, explain this to me. They feel like they lost so many sane voters because of the COVID lockdown.

[Ted Cruz]

They're all in Florida.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is now just. Yeah, they all went to Florida, they all moved Out. The sane voters just left the crazy state under, you know, tyrants like Cuomo who locked them down and took their lives away from them for two years and wouldn't allow them to even leave their houses or go out or do anything. I mean, it was a ghost town. We all know New York was a ghost town for a very long time because the lockdowns there. And so you lost a large group of voters that were sane. I'm not saying conservative. I'm just saying they weren't socialist, communist type voters. And this is now what you're left with. And so I. Now look at this. I'm like, all right, Mandani wins. I think it's pretty clear he's gonna be the mayor of.

[Ted Cruz]

Don't concede that. I'm actually not willing to concede that. I'm gonna hold out hope until the last vote is counted. It sure looks like that from the polling, but I'm not willing to concede that. And by the way, you might think, look, one of the things we try to do on verdict is we try to be real. So we try not to engage in just partisan rhetoric and hyperbole. Like when I call him a communist jihadist, I call him a communist because he's called for, among other things, seizing the means of production, which is the very essence of the economic core of communism. Yeah, I call him a jihadist. Okay, let me read you from his tweet. On October 17th, quote, Today at Masjid Al Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahaj, one of the nation's foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed Stuy community for nearly a half century. I was also joined by CM, Dr. Youssef Salaam of Harlem, a beautiful jama. And he sends out a tweet. Now, who is the person that he's taking a picture with? Well, this particular imam is in fact an unindicted co conspirator in the 1993 World Trade center bombing that killed six people. He also preached that homosexuality is a disease. And by the way, there are a bunch of left wing gay and lesbian people in New York who are voting for this guy. And he also called for an unarmed, quote, army of 10,000 men to wage a gun free jihad through New York City. That's what the imam called for. That's who Comrade Mamdani poses for a picture with and tweets out three weeks before the election. He's not hiding it. He's saying, yeah, he will stand with the jihadists against you the innocent citizens, and I gotta tell you, look, to give you a sense also of just how whacked out the Democratic Socialists of America, which is Comrade Mandani's party, just yesterday they put out a statement calling on the United States to release Elias Rodriguez. Who is Elias Rodriguez? Elias Rodriguez is the deranged terrorist who executed two Jews in Washington D.C. this spring. And you recall this Elias Rodriguez, by the way, he's not a Palestinian, he's an Hispanic dude from Chicago. But he's a left winger who is suckled on the teat of Marxism and America hate and Jew hate, that is the left. And he murdered this young couple who had just been engaged. And as you know, I didn't know this young couple, but a fact I discovered after they were murdered. The two of them met at an event where I was speaking and I knew multiple friends of mine who knew them well. And it was literally I was the speaker at the event. They both came to it. They were both involved in the pro Israel community. They met, they fell in love, and this lunatic didn't shoot them once he unloaded his entire magazine into the two of them murdering a young man and a young woman simply because they were Jewish. He didn't know them. All he knew was, these are Jews, I must murder them. He screamed, free Palestine. Now let me read what the DSA Liberation Caucus put out, which is the Democrat Socialists of America excellent statement that we are proud to add our name to. Free Elias Rodriguez and all political prisoners. So understand, Comrade Mandami's political party is telling the world that a terrorist who murders in cold blood two Jews because they're Jews should not be charged, should not be prosecuted, should be let to go free. Presumably because killing Jews in the interest of their radical leftist ideology is deserving of no punishment. They're not saying, let him serve a month in jail. They're not s saying let him serve a week in jail. They're saying let him go today with no consequences whatsoever for the cold blooded murder of two innocent people. That is the party of Comrade Mondami, who by all appearances in the polling is about to become the next mayor of New York City. And I will say, listen, Ben, there are a lot of Republicans who are saying what you said is, which is, hey, this is great for Republicans, it's great for conservatives. This will show the world just how whacked out the left is.

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[Podcast Listener/Caller]

Every now and then I rinse it out and I need jammy rinse tonight and I need it more. My kid wears a bed and the smell never leaves. I don't know what to do. I'm always at the the dark the sweat in that short smells like a Dark.

[Self-defense Expert/Commentator]

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[Ted Cruz]

When impossible odors get stuck in, I gotta tell you, my heart grieves. Listen, New York, I agree with you on that, is a great American city. It is still the center of finance in America and the world. It is the center of media in America and the world. And much like I grieve for San Francisco, an iconic American city, Look, San Francisco doesn't embrace your values of mine, but I don't like to see lunatics like Gavin Newsom and other leftists destroying cities that are a central part of who America is. And I gotta say, I think a huge problem with what's happening in New York is young people. Young people in their 20s who have college degrees, who were radicalized in college, who sat in the student lounges drinking lattes and smoking clove cigarettes or actually bongs or whatever.

[Ben Ferguson]

I don't forget, they're the, I don't know, but the handout generation.

[Ted Cruz]

I don't know, when you and I were kids, people smoked club cigarettes. I actually don't even know if college kids do now, but whatever they were.

[Ben Ferguson]

Doing, you just age yourself, Senator. I think you did.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, you know, I'm gonna be 55 in December, so it's. But the beauty of it is in the Senate, they still think I'm 12. I mean, like the median age is 106.

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

That's very true.

[Ted Cruz]

And so, you know, they think I'm running around in short shorts with a beanie, but you know, it's a bunch of 20 somethings who have never known anything except college life and they've been suckled on the lies of their Marxist professors and they think, yes, join the revolution, globalize the intifada. They don't even necessarily know what it means, but they feel. And by the way, they're also unhappy with life and angst. And a lot of these 24 year olds are mad that they're not billionaires and driving Lamborghinis yet. And so they're like, okay, let's just attack the actual billionaires who built companies and that'll make me feel better.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, and it's New York City now. I mean, it really is. There are so many people there that are gonna vote for him because he has basically turned public enemy number one into successful New Yorkers that are wealthy. And he's saying that they've stolen something from you that you never had and we're going to take some of it back and give it to you. It's buying votes 101, your life sucks because of these evil rich people that have all the 1 percenters. It's Occupy Wall Street 2.0 or 3.0, whatever version you want to describe this as. And I think that's the part that scares me the most, is that you can now lose another great American city the way that you described San Francisco. Look at places like Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore, Memphis. The list goes on and on. The only good news is there is a cause and effect. And I think that's why Donald Trump got elected. I think that's also why he's being so successful right now. That's why I say, hey, I need an aoc, a Mandani, to remind America you don't want any part of this. And conservatives are getting it done for you right now. I think that's the blessing in disguise here.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, the unfortunate thing is, and I don't think this is hyperbole, people are going to die if and when Comrade Mondami is elected. That. That is going to be the consequence. Listen, I was in New York on Friday, so I was there campaigning for Mike Lawlor. Mike Lawler is a Republican congressman from New York. He's in one of the most competitive districts in America. Mike's a good guy. He is not as conservative as you and I are, but given that district, he is a Republican who gets elected to get. He's as conservative as you can get, and he fights for his district. And I like Mike. And he asked me, will you come up and campaign? And so I joined him. I joined him, number one at the Conservative Party in New York. They had a big dinner and they had me come in and speak, and I actually said something. I said, if Kamrad Mamdani is elected, I'm gonna make a nomination right now, which is a year from now. I want to name him the Conservative Party of New York man of the Year. Because Comrade Mandani is going to make more people join the Conservative Party in New York than anyone has in history as they realize these people are nuts. And I'm gonna make a second nomination if he is elected. I'm make this nomination now. And remember this date, write this down. Diaz, our producer, write this date down. A year from now, bring it up. And on this podcast, I am going to nominate right now Comrade Mandani as the Texas Realtor of the Year. Because not only is he going to drive New Yorkers to join the Republican Party and the Conservative Party, but he is going to result. He is going to rent more U Hauls than the very Best Willy Loman salesman that has ever been in U haul of people moving from New York and coming to Texas and coming to Florida. And anyone with any sense is going to get out of there.

[Ben Ferguson]

He's Gavin Newsom.

[Ted Cruz]

He is Gavin Newsom. And by the way, okay, did you hear Gavin Newsom on the podcast discussing his rough, hardscrabble life eating Wonder Bread growing up in the hood? Because, you know, Gavin was an oppressed youth. Did you see that?

[Ben Ferguson]

It was almost as oppressed as he was during the COVID lockdowns when he was the only one allowed to have dinner with his friends without masks on.

[Ted Cruz]

You know, look, to be clear, Gavin Newsom is California Royalties, 4th or 5th generation California Old money. His daddy was one of the lead lawyers for the Getty billionaire fortune. He grew up. He was featured in the San Francisco paper in an article entitled Growing up Rich. And to be clear, he started a winery with the Getty millions. Billions actually, but millions from them. Started a winery at age 25. Now, Benjamin, let me ask you, did you start a winery at age 25?

[Ben Ferguson]

No. I felt like I worked really hard. But I promise you it was not a winery at 25.

[Ted Cruz]

And look, it's okay. I don't fault Gavin for the success of his parents or his grandparents or his great great grandparents. And it's amazing how many leftists were raised with silver spoons inserted just about any place you could insert a spoon. But when he pretends like, like he's on this, this NBA podcast and he's talking about, oh, I, I just had to support myself. I had to support myself playing ball, like, what a load, what a crock. And, and it's pathological. Newsom is running a different scam than Mandani is, but it's the same scam. It is marketing Marxism, socialism, confiscatory government power, and trying to make it. I will say this, I'm gonna compliment right now, both Comrade Mondami and Gavin Newsom. They got great smiles. I mean, to be honest, every dentist in America must be like, look at those pearly whites. They be worthy. Smile like it. And you know, I gotta say, and I'll say this as a Cuban American whose family, you know, fled Cuba, it really feels better if you're a dissident being lined up from the firing squad. If you know that the communists ordering your death are smiling. Like, it really makes it less painful as you're sent to the Gulag to know it's a good looking tyrant who is sending me to the Gulag. But, but sadly, that's where we are. And can I ask you one more question on this topic? Sure. Is there. Is there a single sane Democrat who is calling out Comrade Mamdani or Gavin Newsom on these issues?

[Ben Ferguson]

No, because they created these crazies and they allowed them to fester in their party and they literally didn't police their party. So this is the Democratic Party now. And their leaders are not Democrats. They are commies. They are socialists. They are Marxists. Just look around the country. This is who they are.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, the elected members of the Democrat Party, particularly on the national scene, they're scared. They're scared of the mob. They're scared of the angry left wing radicals with torches and pitchforks. We saw this at the no Kings rally where they're terrified. We're in the middle of the. We're in day 27 of the Schumer shutdown because they're terrified of the mob. And so elected Democrats are terrified. But again, listen, we endeavor on this podcast to try to be real, to try to have facts, to try not to engage in just empty partisan rhetoric. So maybe you might say, all right, Cruz Ferguson, they're not the most impartial, unbiased observers. If you're not inclined to listen to us, although I will say, if you've made it 29 minutes into this podcast and you're not inclined to listen to us, wow, you've got some endurance. Bravo to you. But indulge the setup nonetheless. If you're not inclined to listen to us, perhaps you would be inclined to listen to Bill Maher. Bill Maher is a liberal. He is a Democrat. He's been a liberal and a Democrat his whole life. Listen to what Bill Maher had to say. The warning to Democrats. He had to say about Comrade Mandani.

[Bill Maher]

The Democrats, let's face it, they're kind of split.

[Podcast Advertiser/Announcer]

Now.

[Bill Maher]

There's the far left version that did not do too well in recent elections. And then people like the governor who say, we got to come back to the middle. Common sense. And whenever this discussion comes up, this is what you hear a lot. We need a sister soldier moment. A time when something, some issue with the Democrats says, look, I'm not with the far left. And this is how you know you can trust me that I'm not. I think I have the issue, okay? And it's the mayor's race in New York. I think he seems like a sweet guy. Mum, dummy. But I would just like to say, because the election is in a couple of weeks, this is not just New York. That's on the ballot. I think the whole Democratic Party in the country is on the ballot, and the whole country will be looking at this race to see which way are the Democrats. Democrats going to go. No, Andrew Cuomo may not be that exciting and that inspirational, but, you know, for a party that said, we want to get back to normal, he's kind of normal. I mean, what?

[Ted Cruz]

No, well, I. He's got some things in his history.

[Ben Ferguson]

That I was going to say not.

[Self-defense Expert/Commentator]

The normal I want to embrace.

[Bill Maher]

Well, we did a deep dive on that because we had him on the show. Yeah, a lot of it is kind of bull. I mean, maybe he was a little too handy, a little too Italian, a little too touchy, you know, did not a.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's what he said, you know?

[Podcast Host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Bill Maher]

You know, did not get the memo.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, it's. When you're having to defend Cuomo to try to save your party, you're not in a good place.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, but Bill Maher. And let's be clear. Bill Maher did not vote for Donald Trump. Bill Maher would not vote for me. He is a liberal. He is a Democrat. But Bill Maher every day makes more and more sense because his party has gone so batcrap crazy that he believes in things like free speech. He believes in things like not supporting a communist government that seizes private property and the means of production in society. He doesn't want to support Hamas terrorists and other jihadists. That used to be mainstream. That used to be. All of those propositions were things that used to be the case that. That Republicans and Democrats came together. Look, Bill Clinton, When Bill Clinton was president, neither you nor I supported Bill Clinton. We did not vote for Bill Clinton. But you know what? The Bill Clinton election, when he was elected, it was not the fate of Western civilization. It was not, do we elect a communist jihadist? I would have rather the Republican be elected. But the world didn't end when Bill Clinton got elected. Bill Clinton's views, if you took a candidate with the identical policy views of Bill Clinton and ran him today, they would tar and feather him and drive him out of the Democrat Party. He would be completely and entirely.

[Ben Ferguson]

He would not get elected today as president.

[Ted Cruz]

He would not get elected. He probably wouldn't get elected as a Democrat dog catcher because they have radicalized and they instead want someone like Comrade Mondame whose party says, release the terrorist who murders Jews because they're Jews. That's where their radical base is. And, you know, some of y' all may not. May not know what a Sister Soulja moment is. And Sister Soulja actually refers to Bill Clinton. When Bill Clinton was running for president, Sister Soulja was this rapper and Bill Clinton denounced her in the middle of the primary. And it was viewed as a brave moment of sort of taking on his base. But it demonstrated to the voters, or it was perceived to demonstrate to the voters that he was reasonable and rational and not a crazy nut case. And it is an interesting question. Is there even one national Democrat, by the way, Gavin Newsom wants to be elected president. Can he denounce Mondame? JB Pritzker wants to be elected president. Can he do it? Cory Booker wants to. Chris Murphy wants to. None of them are going to because, look, John Fetterman has been critical. But John Fetterman, I think the Democrat Party is being quite explicit that they're gonna do everything they can to drive him out of the Democrat Party just like they would Bill Clinton if he were there. But I don't know a Democrat. And interestingly, one ambitious Democrat is there nobody looking around. Andy Beshear, who's pretending he's a moderate in Kentucky. Josh Shapiro, who has got to be horrified at what Mandami saying. Has he said a word? Crickets. Crickets. Crickets. There is not one. And maybe that will change. But, but, but I fear not just for the state of the Democrat Party, but I fear for, for, for the future of our republic. I think we do better when we have two political parties that are reasonable and rational and have some meaningful disagreements than we do with one party that is utterly whack job and trying to destroy America. Look, we've seen through history. It is a pendulum and it goes from one party to the other. There will come a time when these lunatics are in charge of the country again. And they've gotten so extreme that I really shudder in fear for our great nation.

[Ben Ferguson]

Amen. Don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We always try to bring you the biggest news we can and let you know what's going on behind the scenes, even at 3:13am Eastern time as we're wrapping this podcast. If you don't think we're committed, just look at the clock right now. Three at 3:15. This may be our latest one we've ever done.

[Ted Cruz]

Senator and Ben, to be clear, you should be committed.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's very true. Very true. 3:15 in the morning. We're finishing this thing up. Hit that subscribe auto download button and the center and I will see you back here on Wednesday morning.

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