House Budget VICTORY, Cartels Escalate War Zone at Southern Border & Dems DIg in on Boys in Girls' Sports

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: February 26, 2025 Episode Summary

In this compelling episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson delve into three pivotal topics shaping the American political landscape: the House's narrow passage of a $4.5 trillion tax cut, the escalating violence from Mexican cartels at the southern border, and the ongoing battle over boys participating in girls' sports. The discussion is rich with insights, strategic analysis, and notable quotes that provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these critical issues.

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1. House Budget Victory: Passage of the $4.5 Trillion Tax Cut

Overview: The episode opens with the announcement of a significant legislative achievement—the passage of a $4.5 trillion tax cut in the House of Representatives. This victory, however, was not without its challenges, as the bill succeeded by a razor-thin margin amidst intense political maneuvering.

Key Points:

• Narrow Majority and Strategic Voting: The tax cut's passage was a "touch and go vote," passing by a single vote after initial failure. Speaker Steve Scalise played a crucial role in rallying votes, aided by President Trump's direct involvement in "whipping" Republican members on the sidelines (01:32).

• Budget Reconciliation Process: Sen. Cruz explains the significance of the budget reconciliation process, which allows the passage of legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing the traditional 60-vote requirement to overcome the filibuster. This strategic move is essential given the Senate's 53 Republican seats, which are insufficient to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to pass legislation through regular channels (06:08).

• Future Legislative Goals: The tax cut is just the beginning. The speakers outline a broader agenda that includes securing the border, rebuilding the military, unleashing American energy, and supporting small businesses. Sen. Cruz emphasizes the imperative to fulfill the electoral mandate: "we have a mandate from the election and we can't fail" (09:50).

Notable Quotes:

• Ben Ferguson: "Tonight, what the House did is they voted on their budget resolution. [...] There's a mandate to rebuild the military and defend America. [...] Failure is not an option." (06:08)

• Ted Cruz: "We're in the game." (20:52)

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2. Escalation of Cartel Violence at the Southern Border

Overview: The conversation shifts to the alarming increase in violence orchestrated by Mexican cartels along the Texas-Mexico border. A particularly tragic incident involving a Texas rancher killed by a suspected cartel-placed Improvised Explosive Device (IED) underscores the severity of the situation.

Key Points:

• Incident Details: A Texas rancher, Antonio Gaspares Saldiernia, aged 74, was killed by an IED near Brownsville, Texas. His wife, Ninfa Griselda Ortega, suffered injuries in the blast. This act is part of a broader trend of cartels engaging in "open warfare" within U.S. territory, defying previous perceptions of cartel activities confined to specific regions (23:06).

• Government Response: Sen. Cruz highlights the administration's commitment to classifying cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that will intensify efforts to dismantle their operations. This includes targeting their financial networks, which have seen explosive growth—from $500 million in 2018 to $13 billion in the previous year—from activities like human trafficking (25:19).

• Public Safety Measures: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued urgent safety warnings, advising those in the agricultural sector to remain vigilant, avoid remote areas, and report suspicious activities. These measures are crucial in protecting communities from further attacks (23:06).

Notable Quotes:

• Ben Ferguson: "They are terrorists and they're murdering Texans." (25:19)

• Ted Cruz: "Thank goodness. [...] Those days are ending." (27:06)

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3. Department of Justice vs. States on Boys in Girls' Sports

Overview: The final segment addresses the contentious issue of boys participating in girls' sports. The Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Pam Bondi is enforcing federal laws and President Trump's executive order to prevent such participation, leading to confrontations with states like Maine, California, and Minnesota.

Key Points:

• DOJ's Stance: AG Pam Bondi declared that allowing boys to compete in girls' sports is "demeaning, unfair and dangerous" to female athletes and violates Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. The DOJ is prepared to sue non-compliant states and cut off federal funding to enforce compliance (30:23).

• States' Resistance: Governors of Maine, California, and Minnesota have publicly defied the DOJ's directives, viewing them as an overreach and a political maneuver by the radical left to mobilize their bases. This resistance is seen as a reflection of the broader ideological battle within American politics (30:23).

• Underlying Political Dynamics: Sen. Cruz criticizes Democrats for maintaining radical positions despite electoral losses, highlighting their support for policies like open borders and anti-discrimination laws that conflict with traditional gender distinctions in sports. He argues that the American populace overwhelmingly opposes boys competing in girls' sports, making the DOJ's actions a necessary enforcement of federal law (34:12).

Notable Quotes:

• Ben Ferguson: "This is an 8020 issue. [...] The Americans don't want boys competing against their daughters." (34:12)

• Ted Cruz: "I think there's a lot of Americans right now, they're like, look, if we're gonna call them terrorists, let's go after them like they're terrorists." (25:35)

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Additional Insights and Anecdotes

Dinner with Steve Scalise: Senator Cruz shares a personal anecdote about dining with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, highlighting Scalise's resilience after surviving a shooting incident and battling cancer. This interaction underscores the camaraderie and shared commitment among Republican leaders in pushing forward the legislative agenda (09:50).

Boycotts and Corporate Resistance: The hosts discuss the impact of conservative boycotts on corporations like Bud Light and Target, emphasizing the importance of consumer choice in expressing political dissent. They argue that products easily substitutable suffer the most, as seen with Bud Light being replaced by other light beers, thereby undermining attempts to harm brands through boycotts (14:06).

Call to Action: Throughout the episode, Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson encourage listeners to support their initiatives and political causes. They stress the urgency of their legislative goals and the necessity of maintaining momentum to fulfill the electoral mandate received from voters.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz" effectively encapsulates the current Republican strategies and challenges within the U.S. political arena. From navigating the intricacies of budget reconciliation to addressing violent cartel activities and enforcing gender-specific sports regulations, Cruz and Ferguson provide listeners with a thorough analysis of ongoing efforts to shape national policy in alignment with conservative values. The inclusion of personal stories and strategic legislative insights offers a well-rounded perspective, making the complex political maneuvers accessible and engaging for the audience.

Notable Closing Remarks:

• Ted Cruz: "America has spoken and we are taking masculinity back." (22:27)

• Ben Ferguson: "We have to get the job done." (06:08)

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References:

• Timestamps correspond to the podcast transcript provided.
• All quotes and summaries are based on the transcript sections relevant to content discussions.

Transcript

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you as always. And Senator, it was a wild night last night in Washington, D.C. and the big headline is a $4.5 trillion tax cut has passed the House. It was touch and go. It's a slim majority in the House, but they got it done for the American people.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, this is the first step. So you and I are recording this. It is 12:20 in the morning. Tuesday night, the House had a touch and go vote on the floor of the House on whether to begin the first step of budget reconciliation. They ended up getting the votes by one vote. Initially, they put it on the floor of the House and it failed. Then they brought it back. President Trump was whipping the votes that were on the on the sidelines and it passed by one vote. Now, this doesn't mean it's done, but it's the beginning of the process. We're going to break that down. We're going to explain what it means, what that, what that is starting us on the path to do. We're also going to talk about the rather shocking news from this week about an IED that exploded in South Texas, blowing up a Texas rancher as the Mexican cartels are engaged in what you would have to call just open warfare at this point. IEDs you envision in Iraq, you envision in war zones, you don't envision them in the state of Texas. We're going to break that down. And finally, we're going to talk about the latest step in the battle over boys and girls sports, which is the Department of Justice is coming after the state of Maine, the state of California and the state of Minnesota to comply with the federal law and Trump's executive order concerning boys and girls sports. And Maine and California and Minnesota are saying, hell no, we're going to break that down as well.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, it's awesome. I got to tell you, today I did something that was just really fun and it was to spend a little time at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas, Texas, with my friends at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And I got to see just what their work looks like with some videos that I was shown, some pictures of the impact that so many of you are having by being involved with IFCJ and helping the people in Israel. After more than a year of war, terror and pain in Israel, there is still a great demand for basic humanitarian aid. And that is where the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has supported and they continue to support those in the Holy Land still facing the lingering horrors of war and those who are in desperate need right now. Your ongoing monthly gift of $45 will provide critically needed aid to communities in the north and the south that have been devastated by the the ongoing attacks against the Jewish people. Now, your generous donation each month helps deliver to those that are in need the most, including the evacuees and the refugees from all of these different war torn areas. There's also a lot of first responders and volunteers and wounded soldiers, even elderly Holocaust survivors that are in desperate need. And you are helping them. That is why I, I just want to say, number one, thank you for getting involved and helping so many people in this great time of need and uncertainty. Your gift to bless Israel and her people, you do that by visiting supportifcj.org that's one word, support ifcj.org or you can call them 888488 IFCJ. That's 888-488-IFCJ 888-488-4325 or support ifcj.org. all right, so, Senator, it was an exciting and intense night on the floor of the House. It was the. The vote was on, it was off. People on the floor taking phone calls, speaking on the phone that's been reported was with the President, United States of America. This was part of the whipping votes. And by the way, this is when I tell people, please share this podcast on social media, because we're going to pull back the curtain here and explain to you what happened and what is next. So, you guys, they're messing with the algorithms now. So we ask for your, Your, Your support of the show by sharing it on social media, hitting that subscribe or download the episode button every time you see the show. But, but, Senator, this was one of those moments where it's like, okay, this is real. It's a tight majority in the House, and it passes because of phone calls, literally, from the President on the floor.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, tonight was the first step in delivering on our promises to the American people. And if you look at the election in November, there was a mandate from the voters. Number one, the mandate is secure the border. And that is the most overwhelming mandate we have. Beyond that, there's a mandate to rebuild the military and defend America. There's a mandate to unleash American energy, and by doing so, to lower energy costs, to lower inflation. And there's a mandate to bring the economy back to help small businesses. And that means extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts that are expiring this year. All of that we gotta get done. And I gotta say, failure is not an option. So tonight, what the House did is they voted on their budget resolution. Now, why does a budget resolution matter? The reason it matters is ordinarily to pass legislation in the Congress, you need 60 votes in the Senate. Why is that? Because the Senate rules give the minority the ability to filibuster. And the ability to filibuster is the ability to block legislation unless you have 60 votes to cut off debate. Now, we only have 53 Republicans in the Senate, which means if you need 60 votes, you need seven Democrats. The seven Democrats are not going to vote. There are. There are not seven Democrats. There's not even one Democrat who's going to vote to secure the border, who's going to vote to cut taxes, is going to vote to rebuild our military. And so if you got to go through the filibuster, you can't win. Now, the main exception to the Senate filibuster rule is something called budget reconciliation. Budget reconciliation is a law that was passed in the 1970s that provides for moving forward on budgetary matters. And by statute, a budget reconciliation cannot be filibustered, which means you can pass it with only 50 votes in the Senate. You don't need 60. So if you go back to 2017, the 2017 Trump tax cuts we passed using budget reconciliation, if you go back to the Biden administration, the Democrats use budget reconciliation multiple times to pass things like their incredibly misnamed Inflation Reduction act, which was the Green New Deal spending scam. They used that because they couldn't get 60. Now, in order to pass our agenda, we are trying to pass budget reconciliation. The House and Senate have a difference in strategy on how to do this, and we've talked about this in a previous podcast, but I'm going to explain a little bit of it. The House, the Speaker of the House, believes we should pass one single reconciliation bill. What he refers to it as is one big, beautiful bill. Donald Trump has repeated that multiple times, and he believes that's the best way, with his exceptionally narrow majority in the House, to get all of this across the finish line. I will tell you, virtually every Republican senator, including myself, believes the way to do this is two bills, starting with one bill that secures the border, rebuilds the military, and unleashes energy, and then a second bill that extends the tax cuts and makes them bigger and bolder. I don't know who's right. I don't know if the Senate's right or the House is right. But at some level, Ben, I don't care. We just have to get the job done. So tonight I had dinner with Steve Scalise. Steve is a good friend. He is the House Majority Leader.

[Ted Cruz]

By the way, how's he doing? For people that know his history of being shot and the health issues, I just. I want to pause and ask, how is he doing physically?

[Ben Ferguson]

Really, really well. So Steve, Steve has been. Is a good friend. He's from Louisiana. He's a conservative. He's a friend. He and I have been friends a long time. He's doing great. And listen, Steve, we all remember where Steve was shot with a crazed, angry leftist who went to the practice of the Congressional baseball game and wanted to kill Republicans. And shot and badly wounded Steve shot him in the pelvis and he was in a coma for several days. He almost died. He's recovered from that. And then, I gotta say, Steve has had some tough health scares because he had, just a couple of years ago, cancer. And he was down in Houston at MD Anderson being treated. And MD Anderson is an amazing hospital. My mom, who's 90 now, she was treated there for cancer. It is. Look, cancer is a terrifying diagnosis. I hope never in my life to be a patient at MD Anderson. I don't want to be a patient there because you're only a patient there if you have cancer. I'd really like not to have cancer. But I'll tell you this. If I ever get cancer, you better believe I want to be patient at MD Anderson. I mean, they do an amazing job. And I got to say, Steve, his health is doing great. I told him tonight he is. He's in remission. He's finished with his cancer treatment. He is strong. His color is back. He is full of life and vim and vigor. I told him, I said, look, even, you know, five, six months ago, when he was coming out of the cancer treatment, you could see. Look, when you go through that, you go through chemo, it weakens you. You can just see it's hard. Your body is. I mean, it's. It exacts a cost of.

[Ted Cruz]

It's brutal.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's brutal. But you know what? Steve is strong and effective and good. I was really encouraged. It's the best I've seen Steve in years, and he's come through this. And he was jubilant. So he was on the House floor. He's the House Majority Leader. He was trying to get the votes to pass this on the House, and he wasn't sure. So the first time they brought it on the House, it failed. And then he kept pressing, and then he got it done. And he got it done. Look, a critical piece of getting it done was President Trump. And I sort of joked when Steve showed up at dinner, I said, you know, it does help when the Chief Whip in the House is named Donald J. Trump.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, no doubt about it.

[Ben Ferguson]

And they were putting President Trump on the phone with the Republican votes that are wobbly. And he was saying, listen, I need you to vote with us. And he flipped the votes. And so it was. Steve told me. So we were supposed to have dinner at 7:30. He didn't get there until about 8:30 because he was on the floor badly.

[Ted Cruz]

Sure.

[Ben Ferguson]

And Steve told me. He's like, all right, I'm late for dinner. So he said, I'm picking up the tab. Which I appreciated. Last time Steve and I had dinner, I picked up the tab. And he said, I'll tell you what. Order a drink, whatever you like. Make it expensive. I'm paying. And he said, I want to sell.

[Ted Cruz]

That's what I want to know. Did you make it hurt a little bit.

[Ben Ferguson]

So I ordered Macallan 25 neat. There you go. Which is a great single malt Scotch. And, you know, Steve is not a big scotch guy. I actually don't drink scotch a lot, but I do like McAllen. And so we toasted, and when someone.

[Ted Cruz]

Else, by the way, is paying, it's just a nice little touch there.

[Ben Ferguson]

Look, Steve said, hurt me a little bit and order something pricey. So I thought about Michelob Ultra, but, but, but somehow McAllen25 seemed a better call.

[Ted Cruz]

As long as it wasn't a Bud Lighter or a Budweiser. I'm good with it. That's, that's. I'm still, I'm still on the boycott train there, by the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, I will say, you and I have been to a lot of Astros games. Yes, I love the Strohs. You know, it used to be a few years ago, I'd go the Astros and every baseball game, I have a Bud Light. I mean, that's what I, what I drank. You know, I, I'm old enough that I, I don't. I drink light beer instead of regular beer because, you know, I like, you know, water that's slightly flavored.

[Ted Cruz]

I like it.

[Ben Ferguson]

But after the whole Bud Light thing, it's an amazing thing. You go, you go to the Minute Maid Stadium. You, you go to watch, or I guess it's now the Daikin Stadium.

[Ted Cruz]

Daikin's, like, no, no, we paid a lot of money to change that name.

[Ben Ferguson]

I know, but it's hard to make.

[Ted Cruz]

Always going to be minute made. There's this. I just, I laugh because when they change it, I'm like, dude, how many people are going to remember this? It's. It's going to be minute made for the majority of my lifetime.

[Ben Ferguson]

So. But I'll say this. You'd go to the stadium, and a few years ago, like, everyone was drinking Bud Light. It was literally every person in the stadium. That's what they drink. And now I don't even think they sell Bud Light. I mean, I mean, it is an astonishing difference. It.

[Ted Cruz]

No, it's, it is, it's. It is a real boycott. It has not gone away at all. And, and I, I do love, every once in a while when, when conservatives say, okay, you insult us at this point, enough already. We're not backing down. And we have it. Like, I don't think I'll ever drink one again the rest of my life.

[Ben Ferguson]

So, by the way, there's a structural reason for that. So, listen, you take Something like the NBA. The NBA got all woke. It put all the damn slogans on the court and on the, the jerseys. It pissed me off. It pissed a lot of conservatives off. Here's the problem. I love basketball. Like, for me, the price of boycotting the NBA, the price of boycotting the NFL, the price of boycotting sports is painful. Like, I get great joy from watching professional sports. And so I didn't like their politics, but I'm like, I'm not willing to sacrifice my joy just because I'm pissed about politics. What got Bud Light is they have a product that is easily substitutable.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Easily replaceable.

[Ben Ferguson]

Every place you could get a Bud Light, there's a Coors Light.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

There's a Miller's Light. It's right next to it. And by the way, show me the guy that if you do a blind taste test between Bud Light, Miller's Light and Coors Light could tell you the difference. I don't know. That's someone with a better palate than me. They're all light beers and they all taste pretty much the same to me. You know, I'll probably piss off some listeners, but I can tell the difference between a Guinness and a Bud Light.

[Ted Cruz]

Yes, yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

But I'll be damned if I can tell the difference between a Bud Light and a Coors Light. That meant every customer. It was not a boycott. That was painful. It was not a boycott. That's like, I got to give up something that gives joy to me. It was a boycott that said, oh yeah, I can have, literally hold my.

[Ted Cruz]

Beer or let me return it and I'm gonna get a different one and watch how easy this is for me.

[Ben Ferguson]

Right, Right. And that got them in real trouble, by the way. Target gotten a little bit of this when they got super woke. And Target is somewhat substitutable, but I'll say I think Target and they suffered a big drop, but I think they've come back. Because, listen, I mean, I guess instead of Target, you can go to Walmart, but they're not a ton of choices. I'll tell you, my girls, I'll confess, my teenage girls love Target.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Trust me, my wife loves it. And there's no way she was substituting Walmart for it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, I mean, it's. But it's a more expensive substitution. Bud Light got hit because it was a cost free way to say, I don't like what you did.

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Ted Cruz]

On January 27, it is international Holocaust Remembrance Day. We remember the great horrors, the evil of the Holocaust.

[Ben Ferguson]

Millions and millions of Jews were slaughtered during the Nazi reign of terror.

[Ted Cruz]

Now today we are witnessing the rise of global anti Semitism, the constant attacks.

[Ben Ferguson]

On Israel, showing us that it is more important than ever to remember the atrocities of the Holocaust and to ensure it never happens again. We have proudly partnered with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.

[Ted Cruz]

Now they provide food, shelter, safety to.

[Ben Ferguson]

So many Israelis in Israel as they fight against radical Islamic terrorism in our time, including those remaining Holocaust survivors. Your donation today will help provide food.

[Ted Cruz]

Water, medicine and other bare necessities to Jewish communities. Go to their [e-mail], that's supportifcj.org or call toll free 888-488ifc j 888488 ifcj today. All right, I want to ask you one other question on the budget issue. So for people that say okay, this passed, how quick is this going to move forward or how long Is this.

[Ben Ferguson]

Going to take a long way to go?

[Ted Cruz]

So what's the timeline on this? So we, so we limit expectations or be realistic?

[Ben Ferguson]

So the budget resolution just starts this process. Now what's happened in the House is they've directed each of the House committees to draft the underlying bill. So what was voted on tonight was not securing the border, it was not rebuilding the military, it was not cutting taxes. It was the opening resolution to say go draft that legislation. That was a real fight.

[Ted Cruz]

So this is the first sitting to use a baseball analogy.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes. Now it actually gets your, your batter at the plate. Like if they failed, they don't even get a batter at the plate. So, so now we can start swinging.

[Ted Cruz]

We're in the game.

[Ben Ferguson]

But, but they're going to be harder steps forward. And I believe we're going to get this done. I believe we're going to get this done. We're going to secure the border, we're going to rebuild the military, we're going to unleash American energy and we're going to extend the tax cuts. But, but it is going to be a lot of trade offs. It's going to be hard. It's going to be hard because the House majority is so excruciatingly tiny that on any issue, if you lose two votes, you're, you're out of luck. But, but I think we will get the job done. And I will say both Mike Johnson, the Speaker and Steve Scalise, the majority leader, they're both good friends. I work very closely with both of them. And I think we will go through some difficult paths to get there. But all of us, from the most conservative Republican to the most moderate, squishy, wobbly Republican, all of us want to produce these victories. We get there was a mandate from the election and we can't fail. And by the way, if we fail, if we don't secure the border, if we don't rebuild the military, if we don't unleash energy, if we don't extend the tax cuts, we'll get killed in November of next year.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, and that's, I'm a big believer. Donald Trump said on the floor, right. Like, hey, you don't want to be involved in this.

[Ben Ferguson]

Right? Get it done. We made a promise to the voters. Let's deliver on the voters. And I think today was an important step to doing that.

[Ted Cruz]

Let's talk about the border for a second. There was, there was another big story. And I want you to just read part of this for people because it truly is heartbreaking it makes me angry. It's what you see in war in the Middle east and it's happening now against ranchers and people in agriculture. The warning is very real now that the cartels are acting like what they are, terrorist organizations. I think this is another example of the president getting it right, saying we're going to declare them as terrorist organizations because that's what they do, they are terrorist organizations. And now we have another data point of saying, here's the proof.

[Ben Ferguson]

So let me read from a story in the New York Post. Texas rancher killed by suspected cartel IED on Mexican border as authorities warn of growing threat here's what the New York Post reported. Quote, a Texas border rancher was killed near the border by a suspected cartel IED earlier this month, The Texas Department of Agriculture told the Post Tuesday as officials issued an urgent safety warning for the Rio Grande Valley rancher. Antonio Gaspares Saldiernia, 74, who worked on both sides of the border along with Horatio Lopez Pena, was killed in the blast in Tamaulipas, Mexico, which was just south of Brownsville, Texas. Lopez's wife, Ninfa Griselda Ortega, was hospitalized with injuries. Saldierna was driving on his ranch when he hit the explosive device, causing it to detonate, according to krgb. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said the deadly explosion is part of a, quote, growing threat posed by cartel activity along our southern border and encourages ranchers to, quote, exercise extreme caution in the area. Quote, I encourage everyone in the agricultural industry to stay vigilant, remain aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement. Additionally, you can avoid dirt roads and remote areas, refrain from touching unfamiliar objects that could be explosive devices, limit travel to daylight hours, stay on main roads and avoid cartel controlled regions, said Miller. This is happening right at the Texas Mexico border. It, I gotta say, it is dangerous and it shows. You know, some in the media say, gosh, it's hyperbole, it's rhetoric to call the cartels terrorists. They are terrorists and they're murdering Texans.

[Ted Cruz]

What does this mean moving forward if they continue this? And how could this change the way that we interact with them? Because I think there's a lot of Americans right now, they're like, look, if we're gonna call them terrorists, let's go after them like they're terrorists. How dare them be allowed to do this?

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, I believe we're going to do that. I believe we're starting with we saw on January 20th President Trump securing the border. We've seen the numbers of illegal crossings plummet drop 90%. We're going to go after them. We're going to go after them. We're going to go after the people who are here, the murderers, the rapists, the child molesters, the gang members. We're arresting them, we're deporting them, we're going to send them back. But we're also stopping the traffic coming in, the human traffickers, the drug traffickers that is impacting the cartel's bottom lines. But I think we're going to use leverage to go after the cartels directly and try to. Joe Biden and the Democrats gave billions of dollars to the cartels, a stat you and I have talked about multiple times. But it's a stunning stat. In 2018, the Mexican drug cartels made roughly $500 million from human trafficking. $500 million is a lot of money. Last year, they made $13 billion, a 2,600% increase. That is ending now. And I have every confidence the Trump administration is going to go after their money. It's going to go after them directly, and you are going to see the cartels targeted just like we target Al Qaeda and Hamas and Hezbollah. The days of the cartels terrorizing Americans, those days are ending.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Thank goodness. And there's clearly a mandate from the American people. While we may have won this election, the fight to restore a great nation is only beginning. And now is the time to take a stand. And Patriot Mobile is leading the charge. It has never been easier to switch your cell phone than in 2025 with technology, you literally over the phone with a. With a code they send you. It is amazing. But here's the reason why I'm a. I use Patriot Mobile not only one, I save money over what I was paying before with Big Mobile, and two, I'm no longer supporting the radical left. Now, I didn't realize until someone told me just how radical Big Mobile had gotten. Where they are supporting organizations that pay for abortions or supporting radical Democratic causes and organizations. They're helping Democrats get elected at the local, state and national level. That is actually why over a decade ago, Patriot Mobile was started and they are now America's only Christian conservative wireless provider. Now, let's talk about coverage. In 2025, you have zero problems with coverage anymore because, well, Patriot Mobile uses all three major networks. What does that mean for you? It means whatever coverage you're used to now, you're going to stay exactly the same or you may even be able to improve it, but it will not be any issues when it comes to coverage in fact, they have a coverage guarant. But when you pay your bill, this is where the magic happens. They take a portion of your bill every month and they give it back to organizations that support our first and our second amendments, that support the sanctity of life, that support our veterans, our first responders and our wounded warriors. And like I said, switching with technology now has never been easier. You keep your same phone you have now, keep your same phone number and you can even upgrade to a new phone if you want to. They have a 100% US based customer support team to help you find the perfect plan and to save money. And if you own a business or a small business, they have a division that just works on switching multiple lines over easily. So make a difference with every call you make. Go to patriotmobile.com verdict that's patriotmobile.com verdict and stand up for what you believe in with every call you make, with every text you send. Patriotmobile.com verdict or 972 patriot and you're going to get a free month of service with a promo code. Verdict, that's 972 Patriot or patriotmobile.com Verdict Join me and make a difference with that bill you're going to have every month and fight for what you believe in. Patriot mobile.com verdict all right, center. Lastly, there is a war that is taking place between Donald Trump and certain states that are saying, we're not gonna listen to you. Maine now is the latest state to tell the doj. In essence, this is adding to California and Minnesota saying we're not gonna comply with the federal laws protecting girls sports. Uh, there's, I, I, I'm trying to figure this out. Is this pure arrogance or is this a political move by the radical left to say we're not gonna comply and we think it's gonna be good for us to raise money and for our base, break this down for us. What do you think?

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, listen, unfortunately elected Democrats remain radical. They have not learned any lessons from the November election. So if you look at Democrats in Congress, if you looked at Democrat governors, they continue to support open borders. They continue to support releasing murderers and rapists and child molesters into this country. You look at, we talked about this in last week's podcast, how Massachusetts is literally releasing violent child rapists who are illegal immigrants rather than turn them over to ICE to be deported. And, and, and I gotta say, look, this is not a 6040 issue. It's not a 7030 issue. This is an 8020 or a 9010 issue. I mean, if you ask any rational, insane person, a violent child rapist, should we release him into our community? Any rational person, most normal Democrats would say, hell no, that's a dumb idea. And yet the elected Democrats in Massachusetts, their answer is, let them go. We are opposed to deporting anyone, no matter how vile. They're continuing the same position on. They continue to support. The Democrats in Congress continue to support sterilizing and castrating children for sex change operations. Again, that's an 8020 issue. They're on the wrong side of it, but they're listening to their radical base. And when it comes to men and women's sports, this is another 8020 issue. The American people don't want boys competing against their daughters. They don't want men competing against, against women. And yet the Democrats are all in on that. And I've been amazed. Normally when your party gets clobbered in election, you go and reassess, gosh, maybe we miscalibrated. Maybe we should change where we stand. The Democrats are not doing that. And so what happened this week is Pam Bondi, the new Attorney general, targeted in particular three states targeted, Maine, California and Minnesota. And she issued a warning to them that those states have to comply with federal anti discrimination laws that require them to keep boys at a girl's sports. And here's what Pam Bondi said, quote, this Department of Justice will defend women and does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law. We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law. And President Trump's executive order protecting women's sports. And she continues, the Department of Justice says, quote, as President Trump's Recent Executive Order 14201 on this subject explains, allowing men and boys to compete in women's and girls sports, quote, is demeaning, unfair and dangerous to women and girls. This practice is also illegal under federal law. It denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports in violation of Title 9 of the Educational Amendments of 1972. And so understand the Department of Justice is making clear they intend to sue these states and they intend to cut off federal funds to these states if they continue to embrace the radical notion that they're gonna let boys compete in girls sports. We talked about in Monday's pod how the governor of Maine is in open defiance saying, to hell with you, we'll see you in court. It's amazing Democrats continue to embrace these radical positions.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, it really is. Don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscribe or auto Download button on those in between days. Grab my podcast, the Ben Ferguson Podcast and if you want a quick morning update of what's going on, grab the 47 Morning Update. I give you the three biggest stories of the day in about a 10 minute short form podcast. Grab that as well. The center and I will see you back here on Friday morning. Masculinity is back and Maximus is helping Americans like you increase their testosterone to the top percentile. MaximaStribe.com's testosterone solutions are clinically proven to at least double your testosterone so you can regain your energy, increase lean muscle mass and elevate your mood. Experience the hype today. Visit maximus tribe.com that's maximus tribe.com results.

[Ben Ferguson]

May vary and outcomes aren't guaranteed. Claims may not have been reviewed by FDA and Maximus does not claim to treat or prevent disease. That's Maximus Tribe.com the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions.

[Ted Cruz]

It's over.

[Ben Ferguson]

Fly, Eagles, fly.

[Ted Cruz]

Celebrate the big win with the official.

[Ben Ferguson]

Licensed Super Bowl Champions gear, available [e-mail] the Eagles win at Super Bowl 59. From jerseys to hats to must have collectibles, we've got everything you need to rep your team with pride. Don't wait. These styles won't last. Shop [e-mail] and gear up like a champion. Each week on Echoes of History, we uncover the epic stories that inspire Assassin's Creed. We're stepping into feudal Japan in our special series Chasing Shadows, where samurai warlords and shinobi spies teach us the tactics.

[Ted Cruz]

And skills needed not only to survive, but to conquer.

[Ben Ferguson]

Whether you're preparing for Assassin's Creed Shadows or fascinated by history and great stories, listen to Echoes of History, a Ubisoft podcast brought to you by historyhits. There are new episodes every week.