Dems Ratcheting Up the Rhetoric, an Opportunity to clean out Bureaucrats & Liberals Demonize their Opponents Week In Review

Summary

Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz – "Dems Ratcheting Up the Rhetoric, an Opportunity to Clean Out Bureaucrats & Liberals Demonize their Opponents" (October 4, 2025)

Episode Overview

On this episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson deliver a "Week in Review," exploring three central stories dominating conservative political discussion:

1. Escalating Democratic rhetoric following political violence, specifically against Republicans and law enforcement.
2. The potential to remove "woke" or left-leaning bureaucrats as a result of government shutdown-related furloughs.
3. Scrutiny of left-wing protests and the alleged Democratic financial support fueling unrest, including anti-law enforcement and anti-Israel demonstrations.

The duo critiques Democratic messaging, links incendiary political language to real-world violence, and argues for a conservative approach to government staffing and law enforcement.

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1. Dems Ratcheting up the Rhetoric and Political Violence

Key Discussion Points:

• Democratic Rhetoric Post-Assassination of Charlie Kirk (04:09):

  • Ferguson and Cruz argue that prominent Democrats are intensifying their rhetoric, even after tragedies, citing the assassination of Charlie Kirk as a flashpoint.
  • Example: Gavin Newsom's high-profile tweet labeling Stephen Miller "a fascist" (04:12).
    • Ben Ferguson (04:12): "Gavin Newsom tweeted out in all caps, Stephen Miller is a fascist.... among the things etched on the bullet casings [that killed Charlie Kirk] were 'hey, fascist, catch.'"

• Comparison of ICE to Historical Atrocities (05:56–14:43):

  • The co-hosts play and discuss a lengthy audio montage of Democrats comparing ICE and law enforcement to the Gestapo, Nazis, and slave patrols.
  • Quotes from Democrats characterize ICE as a "terrorist organization," "Gestapo," and "modern-day Gestapo."
    • Highlight Montage: (08:36–14:43) Repeated use by Democrats of comparisons between ICE and Nazi Germany, slave patrols, or secret police forces.
  • Cruz and Ferguson argue that this rhetorical approach puts law enforcement and their families in physical danger.

• Rhetoric Leads to Real-World Attacks (06:54–08:36, 16:21–17:25):

  • Ferguson describes the firebombing of rapper Ice Cube’s bus (mistaken for ICE), demonstrating the tangible consequences of political demonization.
    • Ben Ferguson (06:57): "His bus was in Portland, Oregon, and it was firebombed because these idiots saw the word ICE and thought that Ice Cube was ICE, the Immigration Enforcement Agency."
  • Discussion of targeted violence against ICE facilities and agents, with reference to the Dallas sniper attack.

• Doxxing & Calls to "Unmask" ICE Agents (16:07–16:31):

  • Cruz attributes calls to expose ICE agents’ identities to Democratic leaders, arguing this exposes them and their families to retaliation.

Notable Quote:

• Ted Cruz (16:21): "So they're not doxxed. That's what it boils down to. So that they're not outed by the same people that have maps of where ICE agents are so that you can go after them if you want to."

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2. Bureaucratic Purge Amid Government Shutdown

Key Discussion Points:

• Opportunity to Fire Entrenched "Woke" Bureaucrats (22:31–23:05):

  • Cruz and Ferguson highlight the government shutdown as a chance to dismiss long-standing left-leaning (described as "woke") federal employees.
  • Ted Cruz (22:31): "So how quickly can these firings take place? How massive could they be and how much research has been done behind the scenes to get rid of a lot of these woke bureaucrats...?"

• Lists Prepared for Layoffs (23:05–24:42):

  • Cruz recounts a discussion with a Deputy Secretary at HHS about compiling lists of staff to dismiss (“RIF” – Reduction in Force).
    • Ted Cruz (23:05): "I asked him, I said, okay, the White House asked every cabinet agency to prepare a list of people for the RIF. And he said, yeah, we're doing that."
  • Emphasis that border security, ICE, and "critical" staff will be protected from cuts; focus is on staff pursuing "radical left-wing agendas."
    • Ted Cruz (24:11): "We're going to see bureaucrats who are shutting down factories, who are destroying jobs, who are pursuing radical left wing agendas. They're going to be the ones fired."

• Democratic Hypocrisy on Shutdown Tactics (24:42–27:00):

  • Broadcast of a 2018 clip showing Democrats opposing shutdowns, now reversed as they allow a shutdown; Cruz and Ferguson label this hypocrisy.
  • Notable exchange:
    • Ben Ferguson (26:44): "It is not normal to shut down the government when we don't get what we want."
    • Ted Cruz (27:00): "...the fact that they shut it all down today demonstrates what utter hypocrites they are."

• Cruz's Response to Media Comparison with His Past (27:00–30:27):

  • Cruz distinguishes the 2013 shutdown (for "American citizens") from the 2025 situation, claiming Schumer is shutting down the government to benefit "illegal aliens."
  • Cruz accuses media of bias, noting that the House has funded the government but the Democrats have blocked it to “[give] free health care to illegals.”

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3. Funding and Fallout of Left-Wing Protests

Key Discussion Points:

• Statistics on BLM and Left-Wing Protests (35:46–36:43):

  • Cruz references Axios data: 10,000 BLM demonstrations in 2020, resulting in $1–$2 billion in insured property damage, the "most expensive civil disorder in U.S. history.” At least 19 deaths attributed to protests.
    • Ted Cruz (35:46): "...BLM protests, for example, 2020. There are over 10,000 demonstrations and cause 1 to 2 billion in insured property damage..."
  • Suggests Democratic funding enabled violent protests and property destruction.

• Pattern of Left-Wing Violence and Democratic Rhetoric (36:43–42:23):

  • Ferguson—drawing connections between anti-police, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic protests—claims that "ideologically motivated" violence overwhelmingly comes from the left.
  • Points to 2024–2025 campus anti-Semitism, LA riots, and individual acts (e.g., attempt to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh, Steve Scalise shooting).
    • Ben Ferguson (38:16): "If you look at ideologically motivated crime, the vast majority of it violence that is ideologically motivated, the overwhelming majority is on the left..."

• Recent Attacks on ICE and Law Enforcement (36:43–42:12):

  • Specific mention of two car attacks on ICE agents in Chicago in the last week alone, which the hosts link to Democratic rhetoric.
  • Continued concern about celebration of violence by some on the left, particularly in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and other political attacks.

Notable Quote:

• Ted Cruz (40:32): "There’s a direct connection between the demonization. Look, when Charlie Kirk was murdered, far too many on the left celebrated, cheered it on..."

• Contrast with Right-Wing Violence (42:34):

  • Cruz concedes that there are "crazies on the right" but claims those are isolated mentally ill individuals, while alleged left-wing violence is ideologically coordinated and celebrated.
  • Example: Assault on Nancy Pelosi's husband is labeled “tragic” but “not ideologically motivated.”
    • Ted Cruz (42:34): "The difference is the left celebrates it far too often, encourages it on the front end, celebrates it on the back end, whereas any principled conservative I know of will condemn violence across the board..."

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Democratic rhetoric and violence:
  "Labeling Republicans they disagree with as fascist is... tragically, inviting more and more violence."
  — Ben Ferguson (04:12)

• On ICE comparisons:
  "This is not Germany. That's the SS and the Gestapo. This is the United States of America. Unmask yourselves."
  — Democratic speaker excerpted in montage (11:15)

• On justification for ICE agents’ anonymity:
  "So they're not doxxed. That's what it boils down to."
  — Ted Cruz (16:21)

• On hypocritical shutdown politics:
  "It is not normal to shut down the government when we don't get what we want."
  — Montage/Clip of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, highlighted by hosts (26:44)

• On protest violence:
  "There are over 10,000 demonstrations that caused 1 to 2 billion in insured property damage. According to Axios, this is the most expensive civil disorder in U. S History."
  — Ted Cruz (35:46)

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5. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro and episode overview: 02:54–04:09
• Democratic rhetoric after Charlie Kirk’s assassination: 04:09–05:56
• Ice Cube bus attack and ICE comparisons montage: 06:54–14:43
• On doxxing ICE agents and real-world consequences: 16:07–17:25
• Bureaucratic purge discussion: 22:31–24:42
• Democratic shutdown hypocrisy clips & discussion: 24:42–27:00
• BLM protests/statistics: 35:46–36:43
• Pattern of left-wing violence and anti-Semitism: 36:43–42:23
• Distinction between left and right-wing violence: 42:34–43:27

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6. Tone and Language

Throughout the episode, Cruz and Ferguson keep a sharp, accusatory, and animated tone. They lean heavily on charged language ("radical left-wing agendas," "Gestapo," "hypocrites," "lunatics") and use current and historical analogies to highlight the gravity of their concerns. Their delivery targets conservative listeners by framing issues as existential challenges for law enforcement, democracy, and traditional American values.

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Summary prepared for listeners who want a comprehensive, timestamped, and engaging overview of the episode's central arguments and memorable moments.

Transcript

[Ted Cruz]

This is an iHeart podcast. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bones Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio music festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together? Diplo? I pulled up real quick. He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus and we had like three hours. It was really cool. He literally just like randomly showed up to my house and I'm like, oh, hey Diplo, what are you doing? He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay. You can listen to the full episode out now, wherever you get your podcast. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. Had a blast cruising around festival weekend in the all new Palisade hybrid. Hey, Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's Premium Wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk. Crazy weather we're having.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

From me, Emily Maitlis and me, John.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

And The News Agents USA listening to.

[Ben Ferguson]

The Newsagents on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search the newsagents to start listening.

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

Today so you can be dentist ready. Visit shop.colgate.com Total welcome. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you on the Weekend Review. We've got three big stories for you that you may have missed this week. First up, rhetoric from the Democrats. Well, they're not cooling it off at all. In fact, they're ratcheting it up, increasing the violence. We'll explain exactly what they're doing and what they're saying in just a moment. Also, how many woke bureaucrats can we get rid of that are entrenched in our government because of the government shutdown? The numbers, they look good. If you're ready to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse, we'll explain that. And finally, Democrats are funneling money into the protest you're witnessing. And and now we're getting to see exactly who they are. It's the week in review and it starts right now. You know, you talk about the extremism of the Democratic Party. You're witnessing it now on this issue on Capitol Hill, but we're also witnessing it with their rhetoric that has not been toned down even since the assassination of Charlie Kirk. And Democrats act like they're being moderates, that they're not being radical or extreme. Well, we've got the tapes now to prove that's just absurd.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's exactly right. It is. No matter how much violence we see, the Democrats keep leaning in on their extreme rhetoric. Just this weekend, Gavin Newsom tweeted out in all caps, Stephen Miller is a fascist. That's the entirety of the tweet. It's in all caps. Stephen Miller is the deputy White House chief of staff. And it is, by the way, as of the time that we are recording this, it has 27 million views. So people are seeing Gavin Newsom Saying Stephen Miller is a fascist. And just to remind you, the bullet casings from the rounds that were fired and murdered Charlie Kirk, among the things etched on the bullet casings were, hey, fascist, catch. Gavin Newsom knows that. His staff knows that. And labeling Republicans they disagree with as fascist is. Tragically, it is inviting more and more violence. And I wish I could tell you that Gavin Newsom was an outlier. He's not. Democrats across the board are doing this. I want you to listen to Hakeem Jeffries on CNN and listen to just how he's ratcheting the rhetoric up and up and up. Give a listen when he was greeted.

[Ted Cruz]

Formally by former President Joe Biden. And then of course, at the Capitol during the inauguration, which, by the way, was like a super villain convention that.

[Ben Ferguson]

The American people had to witness, and.

[Ted Cruz]

It'S been a national nightmare ever since.

[Ben Ferguson]

One question.

[Ted Cruz]

Super villain convention. So Charlie Kirk's assassinated. Democrats say they need to down, you know, tone down the rhetoric. And then we're what, 14 days later and he's saying that this was a super villain convention. That's not.

[Ben Ferguson]

That was Friday night, by the way, where he says that the inauguration is super villain convention. Tim Waltz, governor of Minnesota, obviously was. Kamala Harris, vice presidential nominee, has described ICE as, quote, the modern day Gestapo. J.B. pritzker, the governor of Illinois, claimed the country is becoming, quote, Nazi Germany because ICE is, quote, grabbing people off the street and disappearing them. Jasmine Crockett, who manages to never find, never find a level too idiotic, too inflammatory, too over the top that she's willing to go. She compared ICE to, quote, slave patrols. And look, this is so extreme. There was something remarkable that happened in the last couple of days. I don't know if you saw this. Ice Cube, the rapper.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. His bus was attacked.

[Ben Ferguson]

His bus was in Portland, Oregon, and it was firebombed because these idiots saw the word ICE and thought that Ice Cube was ice, the Immigration Enforcement Agency. But like, like these antifa leftist knuckleheads, you know, by the way, like ICE T and ice, Ice Baby better like, you know, cover up their name tags because the folks that are angry are not terribly bright. But it is a consequence of this demonizing of treating them. Look, it's fine for one side or the other to say, I disagree with my opponents, they're wrong, their policy positions are harmful, they're a mistake. That's the normal give and take a political discourse. And there's something fundamentally different when you scream fascist, Nazi Gestapo and you direct it not only to your Political opponents who keep being the victims of violence, but you direct it to law enforcement and to ice. I was just in Dallas at the ICE facility where another deranged shooter unloaded on an ICE facility. And it seems no matter how bad it gets, the Democrats keep it up. We put together a montage. I want you to listen. I'm going to apologize to this, apologize for this. I'm going to subject you to several minutes of Democrats gone wild just to show just how elevated their rhetoric is and how harmful it is. So give a listen to this montage.

[Ted Cruz]

Donald Trump's modern day scapo is scooping.

[Ben Ferguson]

Folks up off the streets.

[Ted Cruz]

They're in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being.

[Ben Ferguson]

Shipped off to foreign torture dungeons. No chance to mount a defense, not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye. Just grabbed up by massed agents, shoved into those vans and disappeared. When you compare the old films of the Gestapo grabbing, grabbing people off the streets of Poland and you compare them.

[Ted Cruz]

To those nondescript thugs who grabbed that, that student, that graduated student, it does look like a Gestapo operation.

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, my dad served in the, in Second World War, he fought the Nazis. And I think he's looking down right now and he's happy that I'm fighting today's Nazis.

[Ted Cruz]

Because if we just roll this clock on the wall back 75 years, we'd be looking at a time in Nazi Germany where people ran around with signs, like this new ICE sign that says.

[Ben Ferguson]

Report all foreign invaders to ice with.

[Ted Cruz]

Uncle Sam there holding up the sign. This could have been a Gestapo member 75 years ago. Report all Jews.

[Ben Ferguson]

As somebody who understands history, when I see ice, I see slave patrols. The dangers that we saw in Nazi.

[Ted Cruz]

Germany are the dangers that we need to react to now. And another $30 billion to hire and.

[Ben Ferguson]

Trained ICE agents who have functionally become a secret federal police force. With expanding domain, an authoritarian government in.

[Ted Cruz]

Washington D.C. is dispatching mass agents to.

[Ben Ferguson]

Abduct immigrants from our streets to be coming out of our country. I mean, I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't even remember ever witnessing anything like that. To have a democracy, a beacon of hope for the world to now be turned into one of the, you know, one of the worst countries where the.

[Ted Cruz]

Military are in our streets without any.

[Ben Ferguson]

Regard for people's constitutional rights, while our president is spending millions of dollars for prompting himself up like a failed dictator.

[Ted Cruz]

Every single ICE agent who's engaged in this aggressive overreach and are trying to hide their identities from the American people will be unsuccessful in doing that. This is America. This is not the Soviet Union. We're not behind the Iron Curtain. This is not the 1930s. And every single one of them, no.

[Ben Ferguson]

Matter what it takes, no matter how.

[Ted Cruz]

Long it takes, will of course be identified. This is not Germany. That's the SS and the Gestapo. This is the United States of America. Unmask yourselves.

[Ben Ferguson]

Just been overwhelming. I mean, just watching everything online now. The ice, you know, thugs and people do not want to continue to watch people fund this kind of extraction, this kind of violence. Yeah, it's violence. The other things and all the other cuts pay for a massive increase in.

[Ted Cruz]

The masked secret police that are terrorizing our communities.

[Ben Ferguson]

Ice. This is despicable. It's un American. I called ICE the modern day Gestapo.

[Ted Cruz]

A few months ago and some people.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thought that was going too far, thought that was too extreme, got angry at me for saying that, well, come on.

[Ted Cruz]

Like, that's literally what's going on. You have called to abolish ice.

[Ben Ferguson]

How do we achieve a future that's post ice. How do we achieve a future free.

[Ted Cruz]

Of terrorism by abolishing ice?

[Ben Ferguson]

ICE is a terrorist organization.

[Ted Cruz]

It needs to be defunded and needs to be abolished. We're seeing aggressive Gestapo type tactics in people being approached on the street, in their home, at the clinic, at church, at all kinds of locations. That's why this morning, on the house of the floor, I warned the American people that this is looking like the American Gestapo in the making. I think we need to be really active at, like, challenging what ICE is.

[Ben Ferguson]

Doing on every front we can.

[Ted Cruz]

And obviously being ready, in the case.

[Ben Ferguson]

Of Trump, trying to call in their.

[Ted Cruz]

National Guard or whatever, federalized National Guard.

[Ben Ferguson]

I can't see how anybody can say they're a Christian and treat someone from another land in their own land this way.

[Ted Cruz]

It's mean is what it is. It's mean spirited.

[Ben Ferguson]

A lot of these folks are being picked up by, you know, hooded thugs in the street in the most un American ways.

[Ted Cruz]

ICE agents without visible ideas, without any official markings on them, with masks. They're asked. They're acting more like vigilantes than of agents of our government because we don't live in a country, an authoritarian country where we have secret police who are masked, who are intimidating, who are scaring people. That's the stuff of authoritarian states. That is not the stuff of the. That's not how the United States operates.

[Ben Ferguson]

He sent out ICE and Border Patrol.

[Ted Cruz]

To intimidate folks from walking in to our event. He ended up arresting this poor soul.

[Ben Ferguson]

That was just trying to sell strawberries as collateral damage to intimidate us. That is a preview, Stephen, of things to come in voting, Bruce, and polling places across this country. And the ICE issue is alarming beyond words. It is the private, largest private domestic.

[Ted Cruz]

Army of its type police force anywhere in the world.

[Ben Ferguson]

He'll have 30,000 people that increasingly appear.

[Ted Cruz]

To be swearing an oath of office.

[Ben Ferguson]

To him, not the Constitution of the United States again. Wake up to what's going on in this country that's happening in the United States of America.

[Ted Cruz]

Masked men jumping out of unmarked cars, people disappearing, no due process, no oversight, zero accountability happening in the United States of America today.

[Ben Ferguson]

People ask, well, is authoritarianism. You're being hyperbolic. Bull. We're being hyperbolic.

[Ted Cruz]

If you're a black and brown community, it's here in this country. I have heard enough in the last couple of weeks about ICE agents and wearing masks that I think when we win the majority in the House, you're going to see enough Democrats make it a priority for ICE enforcement that they are no longer faceless. It looks too much like some 1800s bank robber or, you know, some KGB officer in Russia, you know, pulling protesters off the streets. Senator, you listen to that. And it's very clear that Democrats get talking points and they stick with them. And when they do this, they're doing it on purpose to undermine the rule of law. They're to undermine law enforcement. We've seen them do this to the Supreme Court as well. There's quite a few, quite, quite a few examples recently of them really just using their words to turn people to hate someone, to hate law enforcement, to hate police, to hate the Supreme Court, to hate law and order. And yet they say they want to ratchet down, but they're not. They're doing the complete opposite of that.

[Ben Ferguson]

So, and Ben, let me ask you. So one of the key Democrat talking points that they keep repeating is they say that ICE are fascist or Nazis or Gestapo because they're wearing masks. Let me ask you, why is ICE wearing masks?

[Ted Cruz]

So they're not doxxed. That's what it boils down to. So that they're not outed by the same people that have maps of where ICE agents are so that you can go after them if you want to.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, so Democrats, including Hakeem Jeffries, have called for unmasking ice, identifying them and going after them. And look, that's putting ICE law enforcement officers at risk. That's putting their spouses at risk, that's putting their children at lunatic in Dallas used An app, the ice finder. To go find the facility, to get up on the roof with a bolt action rifle and fire multiple rounds, murdering two people. And look, I understand. I think it's perfectly reasonable if you're an ICE agent not to want a bunch of angry radicals who want to harm you and your family to be able to dox you. This is a direct result. And it's not fringe people. Hakeem Jeffrey stood at the podium and said, unmask these guys and go after them. And. And that tragically, lunatics are listening to them now.

[Ted Cruz]

If you want to hear the rest of this conversation, you can go back and listen to the full podcast from earlier this week. Operation Overlord, the D Day Beaches. It's Ben Ferguson, and you and I share a passion for history, so I hope you'll join me next spring on the D Day beaches in Normandy. The invasion that sealed Hitler's doom. Omaha and Utah. Discover the sacred patch of sand with me, 10 days in Europe, luxury hotels and fully escorted by America's leading expert on France and the D Day invasion. Kin chase. Paris, Champagne Country 5569. And that includes your airfare stand at General Patton's gravesite, Bastogne, Point du Hawk and Mulberry Harbor. Call now on your cell phone, dial £250 and say the key word conservative Tour. Or go to conservativetours.com an A plus rating with the BBB. All your sightseeing in Paris too. You'll have the option to receive a one time auto dialed text message from iheartmedia and I'll see you on the Chaz Elysees. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bones show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio music festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. Check this out. So how did Ashes come together? Diploma. Well, I kind of briefly met Bailey, I think, at Morgan's show, one of them. And I think he's just a guy in Nashville. He's cool as hell. And I had a new kind of sound I wanted to do, and I think he's the one guy that could carry it. And I came to his house, I had a show. I pulled up real quick, he was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus. And we had like three hours play the record for him. We kind of like got a scratch and then he handled it on his own on the road. Yeah, it was really cool. He really just like randomly showed up to my house and I'm like, oh hey Diplo, what are you doing? He's like I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like okay. And then now we're here playing it live. You can listen to the full episode out now wherever you get your podcasts and big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. Had a blast cruising around festival weekend in the all new Palisade Hybrid. In times like these, true peace comes from trusting God's provisions and stewarding it well. And at Kurt Elliott Precious Metals, they believe managing your resources isn't just business, it's a calling guided by biblical principles. That's why I want you to know about the amazing job they do with precious metals. They know wealth isn't just numbers, it's about legacy, purpose and the lives you impact for generations. Gold and silver that you can actually hold, steward and pass on. With Kirk Elliott Precious Metals, you're going to receive three important things. Real bullion. No gimmicks. Just investment grade gold and silver. No overpriced coins. No flashy ridic markups. You're also going to get transparent pricing, something very hard to find in the gold and silver space. You just pay 8% when you buy and nothing when you sell. No hidden fees ever on transactions. At the end of the day, they're a faith driven, guided company. They treat every client like family, offering honest upfront answers that make you understand exactly what you're doing with your hard earned money. Now. If you're seeking a partner with an Eternity mindset, go to kepm.comben that's K-E P M.com ben or call them 720-605-3900 or online at ke-p m.com ben Time.

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[Ted Cruz]

Take a deep dive into the stories making the news headlines across the world.

[Ben Ferguson]

The News Agents we're not just here to tell you what's happening, but why?

[Ted Cruz]

From me, Emily Maitlis and me, John.

[Ben Ferguson]

Sopel with Global's award winning podcast the News Agents Dropping daily covering everything you need to know about politics and current affairs.

[Ted Cruz]

And The News Agents USA listening to.

[Ben Ferguson]

The News Agents on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search the newsagents to start listening.

[Ted Cruz]

Now. On to story number two. So how quickly can these firings take place? How massive could they be and how much research has been done behind the scenes to get rid of a lot of these woke bureaucrats that we, that we've been wanting to get rid of. That the President's wanting to get rid of. The Cabinet secretaries have wanted to get rid of. Like how? I mean, I'm assuming they're burning the midnight oil kind of like Doge did. Let's find the people we want to get rid of and this is our chance to do it. And we, and by the way, once it's done, like it's not like you got offering them jobs back, like it's done.

[Ben Ferguson]

So I think that starts happening today. I think October 1st you start seeing pink slips. I think we will see left wing bureaucrats fired today. I think we'll see them fired tomorrow. You know, this evening I had dinner with the deputy secretary of HHS who's a longtime friend of mine. He was actually a groomsman in my wedding. Great guy. I asked him, I said, okay, the White House asked every cabinet agency prepare a list of people for the rif. And he said, yeah, we're doing that. He said every agency, when the White House directs us to do that, we do that. We're going to see, I think hundreds, if not thousands of left wing bureaucrats fired in the next several days. I think that's going to put the Democrat party in crisis. And by the way, we're not going to fire people that are critical for the priorities you and I care about. So we're not going to see border patrol agents who are securing the border fired. We're not going to see ICE agents who are deporting gang bangers fired. We're not going to see FBI Agents who are catching pedophiles. We're not going to see them fired. We're not going to see soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines who are keeping this nation safe. We're not going to see them fired. We're going to see bureaucrats who are shutting down factories, who are destroying jobs, who are pursuing radical left wing agendas. They're going to be the ones fired. And ultimately the Democrats are going to cave. The only question is how long Schumer wants to go through this charade before he gives in.

[Ted Cruz]

Which brings me to my final question. That is the media does seem to be covering this a little bit more with honesty than I've ever seen them before. Today there was a viral clip that is the tables have been turned. Democrats are now literally under fire for a clip that shows them slamming government shutdown tactics, the same ones they're accused of using right now. And here's what it sounded like back in 2018. In December of 2018, Donald Trump was President Chuck Schumer, Nance Pelosi in the Oval Office. Listen, we do not want to shut.

[Ben Ferguson]

Down the government because you can't get.

[Ted Cruz]

Your way every time you shut it down. Let me say something, Mr. President, North Dakota, we came in here in good.

[Ben Ferguson]

Faith and, and we're entering into a.

[Ted Cruz]

This kind of a discussion in the public.

[Ben Ferguson]

But it's not bad, Nancy.

[Ted Cruz]

No, no, it's called transparency. I know it's not transparency when we're not stipulating to a set of facts. I, I mean, you listen to that one. They're like, we're not in favor of it. And then the speaker also put out a very interesting video montage reminding people the same thing, like, hey, you guys think that it's the Democrats, Mike Johnson putting this out and here he is and what he said to remind the people about Democrats in their own words.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is not normal to shut down the government when we don't get what we want.

[Ted Cruz]

If the government shuts down, it will be average Americans who suffer most.

[Ben Ferguson]

A government shutdown means seniors who rely.

[Ted Cruz]

On Social Security could be thrown into chaos. Families will be hurt, farmers will be hurt. It's the service members who will work without a paycheck.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's the firefighters who will be furloughed. This shutdown, you know who's going to feel the pain? You know who it hurts? You. Everyday people. And the most vulnerable, Seniors, veterans, working families, hungry kids, y'. All. Democrats are signaling they're ready for a fight this time.

[Ted Cruz]

Schumer tells the Associated Press. Quote, they things have changed.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is not normal to shut down the government when we don't get what we want.

[Ted Cruz]

I mean, I love them using AOC's words. I feel like the media has changed a little bit here. Your thoughts on that?

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, I'm impressed that you recognize AOC's voice. I didn't know. I knew that was a shrill Democrat. I didn't know who that was. So I appreciate that clarity. Listen, every single Democrat, I think, without exception, has gone on record being against shutdowns. The fact that they shut it all down today demonstrates what utter hypocrites they are. And I gotta say, as I was walking off the Senate floor, so I voted to fund the government this afternoon. The Democrats voted against it and caused a shutdown. All the reporters were circling and their talking point that they really wanted to press is they said, okay, Cruz, in 2013, in the fight over Obamacare, you, Ted Cruz, forced a shutdown. Isn't that what the Democrats are doing now? And I just started laughing at them. And I said, look, number one, in 2013, when I did a 21 hour filibuster on the floor, I was fighting for Americans. I was fighting for American citizens whose healthcare premiums had skyrocketed. And they had skyrocketed because Obamacare was a train wreck. It was a disaster. It caused a massive increase in health insurance premiums. It made the health insurance companies rich, and it made millions of ordinary Americans unable to afford health insurance. And by the way, I was also fighting for it at a time when the House of Representatives, that was Republican, had voted to fund the federal government. Fund the entirety of the federal government, but not fund Obamacare. So not fund the law that was causing damage to American citizens. And I said, here what's happening is Chuck Schumer is shutting down the federal government, not to help American citizens who are getting hurt, but he's shutting down the federal government in order to help millions of illegal aliens and give them free health care. And he's willing to shut down your federal government to give free health care to illegals. And that fundamentally there's a hypocrisy to it. And I also said, you know, the reporters were like, isn't it the same? And I said, listen, let me be clear. In 2013, it was Chuck Schumer who shut the government down. Then I was trying to fund the entirety of the federal government except for Obamacare. And Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid decided, no, we'll shut it all down because we care so much about socialized medicine. And I told the reporters, we had like 50 reporters standing outside the Senate floor and I said, look, none of you guys reported that. You all blame the shutdown on me because you're all left wing hacks. Yeah, today all of you are still left wing hacks. You agree with the Democrats, but the facts are so overwhelming. It is Chuck Schumer and the Democrats who are shutting the government down that even you dishonest liars are reporting. This is the Schumer shutdown because the House has funded the government. Exactly. The status quo. The funding yesterday is continued to tomorrow. It is the Democrats who said let's shut it down. And I think at the end of the day they're going to lose that battle. But this is what you got to ask yourself is how long do the Democrats have to perform for their crazy left wing activists before they allow the government to reopen as before?

[Ted Cruz]

If you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic, you can go back and download the podcast from earlier this week to hear the entire thing. Operation Overlord the D Day Beaches It's Ben Ferguson and you and I share a passion for history. So I hope you'll join me next spring on the D Day beaches in Normandy. The invasion that sealed Hitler's doom. Omaha and Utah. Discover the sacred patch of sand with me, 10 days in Europe, luxury hotels and fully escorted by America's leading expert on France and the D Day invasion. Ken Chase, Paris champagne country 55.69 and that includes your airfare stand at General Patton's gravesite, Bastogne, Point du Hawk and Mulberry Harbor. Call now on your cell phone, dial £250 and say the key word Conservative Tour or go to conservativetours.com an A plus rating with the BBB. All your sightseeing in Paris too. You'll have the option to receive a one time auto dialed text message from iheartmedia and I'll see you on the Chass Elysees. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bones Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio music festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. Check this out. So how did Ashes come together? Diploma. Well, I kind of briefly met Bailey, I think at Morgan's show, one of them. And I think he's just a guy in Nashville. He's cool as hell and I had a new kind of sound I wanted to do and I think he's the one guy that could carry it and I came to his house. I had a show. I pulled up real quick. He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus. And we had like three hours play the record for him. We kind of like got a scratch and then he handled it on his own on the road. Yeah, it was really cool. He really just like randomly showed up to my house and like, oh hey Diplo, what are you doing? He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay. And then now we're here playing it live. You can listen to the full episode out now wherever you get your podcasts and big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. Had a blast cruising around festival weekend in the all new Palisade hybrid. I am sure if you've been listening to conservative radio and podcasts, you've heard a lot of talk about gold and silver. Now there are people that ask me all the time, who do I I trust? And that is Kirk Elliott Precious Metals. You get more than gold and silver. You get trusted guidance from a team that puts people first. Always. The mission is clear. They want to help you and your family protect what matters the most with real metals, real service and real clarity. Here's what sets Kirk Elliott apart. Number one, a bullion only approach. They focus on investment grade metals. No overpriced collectibles or gimmicks. That means more precious for your money and fair value when it's time to sell. They also have transparent pricing. This is why I recommend them and love using them. Just 8% when you buy and zero commissions when you sell. No hidden fees ever. Many companies do that. They also give you personalized guidance. You're never just a number. There's no pressure. They give you honest answers and education that put you in control. I want you to go to ke-pm.comBen that's K-E-P M.comBen to schedule your personal portfolio review. Ask about today's unique market window and how the current silver to gold ratio might work in your favor. Protect what matters. Visit kepm.com ben or call them 720-605-3900 Kirk Elliott Precious Metals Smarter metal investing starts with them.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

Take a deep dive into the stories making the news headlines across the world.

[Ben Ferguson]

The News Agents we're not just here to tell you what's happening, but why. From me, Emily Maitlis and me, John Sopel with Global's award winning podcast the News Agents Dropping daily covering everything you need to know about politics and current.

[Ted Cruz]

Affairs and The News Agents USA listening.

[Ben Ferguson]

To the News Agents on America's number one one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search the News agents to start listening.

[Ted Cruz]

I want to get back to the big story number three of the week. You may have missed the left wing Crime Statistics center are brutal BLM protests, for example, 2020. There are over 10,000 demonstrations and cause 1 to 2 billion in insured property damage. According to Axios, this is the most expensive civil disorder in U. S History. There were also 19Americans in the conservative numbers who died directly caused by the demonstrations. And that's another data point that the left and the media does not want to talk about. But if you look at this and you see what the Democrats have done to our cities and the fact that this has all been, I think, bought and paid for, funneled money going into these groups that are advocating for this type of organized violence, that's the other thing that scares the hell out of me.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, and I want to draw a linkage between each of the stories we're talking about today, which is that we see left wing policies that undermine law enforcement, that seek to abolish or defund the police, that put Soros prosecutors in office to that release violent criminals, and you see the result being more and more violent crime. You then see Democrats engaging rhetoric to obfuscate, to hide that, to pretend it's not happening. But you also see the left engaging in increasingly angry rhetoric demonizing their opponents. And if you look at ideologically motivated crime, the vast majority of it violence that is ideologically motivated, the overwhelming majority is on the left, as you mentioned, the BLM riots all across the country. American cities burned all across the country. Not just that, you look at the anti Semitic, anti Israel campus protests. Those were leftists, those were anarchists, those were jihadists, those were communists. All across the country, over 2,300 antisemitic incidents reported on campuses, which is, by the way, the highest ever recorded. That was in 2024 and 2025, the LA riots this year, 2025, 17 people injured. A state of emergency in LA County. The city reports 19.7 million cost as of mid June. Wow. Of course, President Trump the target of two assassination attempts. Tragically, our friend Charlie Kirk successfully murdered in a horrific assassination. This pattern, the murderer who flew from California to Maryland and to murder justice Brett Kavanaugh. Thankfully, he was arrested by the police before he could carry out that heinous act. But, and by the way, you go back to 2017 when a gunman came to Washington D.C. looking for elected Republicans to murder, went to the congressional baseball practice and opened fire, hitting multiple elected Republicans, nearly killing Steve Scalise. Had the bullet been an inch, one side or the other, Steve, a good friend, would have been killed that day. Instead he was injured badly. Thankfully, he survived. This pattern is happening over and over and over again. And there's a direct connection between the demonization. Look, when Charlie Kirk was murdered, far too many on the left celebrated, cheered it on when Luigi the Nutcase murdered the CEO of a health insurance company. Supposedly respected members of the media celebrated leftist or getting his face tattooed on them. They celebrate violence. And. And this week we saw two more instances happen. We saw, number one, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents targeted in two separate car attacks during enforcement actions in Chicago this past week. Two different car attacks. It turns out that when Democrats demonize ice, when they call them Nazis, as the Democrats have done over and over and over again. Our last podcast we played a whole clip of Democrats calling ICE and law enforcement Nazis and Gestapo. It turned out when you use that kind of language, there are lunatics who listen to it and move to violence. As you know, I was on the ground in Dallas and was on site within minutes of the sniper attack at the ICE facility in Dallas by a deranged leftist who, who wrote, wrote his, his left wing agenda on the shell casings emulating what Charlie Kirk's murderer had done. This pattern is happening over and over and over again. And I gotta say, Ben, it's disturbing. I don't see many Democrats modulating.

[Ted Cruz]

No, they're not.

[Ben Ferguson]

Their rhetoric. Gavin Newsom Just this week called Steve Miller, the deputy White House Chief of staff, a fascist, using the same language that motivated, among others, the murderers of Charlie Kirk. And they keep doubling down and doubling down and doubling down. And they know more ICE agents are going to be targeted. They know more police are going to be targeted. And I want to be clear about something, because some will say, well, gosh, there are crazies on the right who commit violence. And that's true. But if you look at ideologically motivated violence, the crazies on the right who commit violence are usually just mentally deranged people. So. Or to put it a little different, liberals can be the victims of violence as well. So Nancy Pelosi's husband was attacked by a deranged, mentally ill person with a hammer. Now, that was tragic, but I would not describe that as ideologically motivated violence. He was simply a victim of a mentally ill person engaging in an act of violence. And that's horrific. And there's a difference. You and I didn't celebrate that. Nobody. Violence is never, never, never right. And the difference is the left celebrates it far too often, encourages it on the front end, celebrates it on the back end, whereas any principled conservative I know of will condemn violence across the board, say, do not engage in violence. And compare the difference of the reaction when George Floyd died and you had violent riots and fires across the country compared to when Charlie Kirk was murdered. And you had candlelight vigils and prayer vigils. And the violence was from the leftist attacking people, praying and holding up candles.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, well, and not only that, you even had Democrats this week attacking Jeffries, talking about those that went to the Republican convention as being, like, extremists. I mean, they're not dialing this back.

[Ben Ferguson]

Supervillain. Supervillains is what he called the inauguration.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, yeah. Excuse me, the inauguration. Yeah, he talked about the inauguration. He said that there was a super villain convention. And that is them not being downplaying this. That is him ratcheting it up, knowing that we just left Charlie Kirk's funeral from being assassinated.

[Ben Ferguson]

And the hate on the left, it is directed at conservatives, it is directed at capitalism, it is directed at Americans, but it's also viciously anti Semitic. And on Yom Kippur in Manchester, a Syrian. A Syrian, ironically, with the name. Wait for it, what was the name of this murderer? His name is Jihad Al Shami, and he targeted worshipers at a synagogue on Yom Kippur. This pattern is happening over and over and over again, and it's wrong. And we need to stand against it.

[Ted Cruz]

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. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bone Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio music festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together? Diplo? I pulled up real quick. He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus and we had like three hours. It was really cool. He literally just like randomly showed up to my house. I'm like, oh hey Diplo, what are you doing? He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay, you can listen to the full episode out now, wherever you get your podcasts. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. Had a blast cruising around festival weekend in the all new Palisade Hybrid. Oral health goes beyond just aesthetics. It's deeply connected to your general health and well being. That's why preventing oral health problems before they start is so important. When you use the Colgate Total Active.

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[Ted Cruz]

Today so you can be dentist ready. Visit shop.colgate.com total I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have to revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Ben Ferguson]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it because.

[Ted Cruz]

Wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app. Take a deep dive into the stories making the news headlines across the world.

[Ben Ferguson]

The News Agents we're not just here to tell you what's happening, but why?

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Sopel with Global's award winning podcast the News Agents dropping daily covering everything you need to know about politics and current affairs.

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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