Verdict with Ted Cruz — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Huge Victory — Trump Designates Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization, plus NYT says Illegal Aliens Stealing Identities of U.S. Citizens are the Real Victims
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Date: November 26, 2025

Overview

In this Thanksgiving week episode, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson break down three major topics dominating the news: President Trump’s executive order designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the New York Times’ controversial portrayal of identity theft by illegal immigrants, and a University of Minnesota initiative denouncing “whiteness” as a pandemic. The episode is framed with reflections on family and gratitude but quickly moves into heated commentary on national security, media bias, and the culture wars shaping America.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Thanksgiving Reflections & Family Time

Timestamps: 03:08–12:03

• Family First Message: Both hosts emphasize the importance of taking time for loved ones during the holidays, sharing heartfelt anecdotes about playing games with their children.
  • Sen. Cruz: “What an incredible privilege… watching your kids grow up, watching your kids express strong, passionate views. Just take this week… to love on your kids.” (05:05)
• Poker Stories: Both hosts recount memories of learning and teaching card games—Sen. Cruz shares a humorous tale about losing his allowance to his grandmother in a poker game, illustrating the value of both competition and family bonding.

Notable Quote:

“Life goes so fast… I hope during this week you take a minute to sit down and play a game with your kids.” — Senator Ted Cruz (03:23)

2. Trump’s Designation of Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization

Timestamps: 12:03–18:58

• Major Policy Shift: President Donald Trump announced the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, a move Senator Cruz has advocated for over a decade.
  • Sen. Cruz: Describes how his legislation laid the groundwork for this action and outlines the challenges faced during the first Trump administration due to resistance from the State Department.
• Legislative Strategy: The approach was changed from top-down (designating the global umbrella) to bottom-up (designating individual affiliates like Hamas).
• Bipartisan Effort: The Senate bill is sponsored by Cruz and Democrat John Fetterman, symbolizing rare cross-party cooperation, though Cruz concedes it's unlikely to clear the Senate.

Notable Quote:

“This is literally 10 years of hard work, and it will make America safer because the Muslim Brotherhood is funding terrorists that want to murder you and want to murder me.” — Senator Ted Cruz (16:24)

• International Context: Cruz highlights how several Middle Eastern nations and European countries have already banned the Muslim Brotherhood, with U.S. action seen as overdue.

Notable Quote (from Wall Street Journal Editorial):

“Nearly a quarter century after 9/11, the U.S. has taken aim at a leading incubator of Islamic terrorism, the Muslim Brotherhood.” (Cited by Ted Cruz, 18:21)

3. The New York Times on Identity Theft by Illegal Immigrants

Timestamps: 22:28–32:16

• NYT Story Analysis: The hosts react with frustration to a New York Times story portraying an illegal immigrant who committed identity theft as a victim alongside his American victim.
  • Ben Ferguson: Reads excerpts that detail the life disruption for the real Dan Kluver, whose identity was stolen and whose life was upended by IRS debts and confusion.
  • Sen. Cruz: Highlights that over one million illegal immigrants are estimated to use stolen or fraudulent Social Security numbers and decries the NYT coverage as “propaganda”.

Notable Quotes:

“The entire story goes on to say, this guy who has stolen the identity of a poor working man in Minnesota... he’s the victim.” — Senator Ted Cruz (29:51)

“More than 1 million illegal immigrants have stolen identities of Americans and Americans are hurting all over the country. And the New York Times is saying you too should have your identity stolen.” — Senator Ted Cruz (31:49)

• Critique of Media Narrative: Both hosts accuse the NYT of flipping the true victim/perpetrator dynamic, letting ideology override reporting on real-world consequences for American citizens.

4. University of Minnesota’s “Whiteness Pandemic” Initiative

Timestamps: 32:16–39:12

• Criticism of Academic Indoctrination:
  • Ben Ferguson: Introduces a University of Minnesota website warning of a “whiteness pandemic” and branding family and “colorblindness” as elements of systemic racism.
  • Sen. Cruz: Delivers an impassioned critique of the language used, linking it to Marxist ideology, anti-American sentiment, and an attack on traditional family structure. Reads directly from the website, mocking its assertions while warning parents about higher education’s ideological climate.

Notable Quotes:

“Are you white? Then apparently you are an evil, noxious scourge on America. You are a pandemic. You are a virus.” — Senator Ted Cruz (32:41)

“This is open ‘we hate families’ is what the University of Minnesota is saying.” — Senator Ted Cruz (34:37)

• Taxpayer Funding Critique: The hosts point out that taxpayer dollars fund these university initiatives and allegedly also fund international terrorism through welfare fraud tied to Minnesota’s Somali community (referencing a previous episode’s exposé on Al Shabaab).

Notable Quote:

“The only answer is re-educate yourself. Because who you are, who America is—and understand this screed against, quote, anti-whiteness is also a screed against America.” — Senator Ted Cruz (37:12)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On family and poker losses:

  “She cleaned me out. Everything.” — Ted Cruz, on losing poker to his grandmother (08:32)

• On policy and persistence:

  “I have literally been fighting for this to happen for 10 years.” — Senator Ted Cruz, re: Muslim Brotherhood designation (12:26)

• On immigration/identity theft narrative:

  “His credit has been ruined. It has been a nightmare for him. And yet the New York Times… say it’s one identity. The poor guy that stole his identity is really the victim.” — Ted Cruz (29:51)

• On academic culture wars:

  “That is the family system is part of the whiteness pandemic… This is open, ‘we hate families’ is what the University of Minnesota is saying.” — Ted Cruz (34:37)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Thanksgiving Reflections & Family Games: 03:08–12:03
• Trump’s Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation: 12:03–18:58
• Analysis of NYT Story on Identity Theft: 22:28–32:16
• University of Minnesota “Whiteness Pandemic”: 32:16–39:12

Tone and Language

The tone is direct, personal, and combative, mixing personal anecdotes with passionate policy arguments and sharp cultural criticism. The hosts use humor, sarcasm, and strong language to underscore their points, especially when critiquing the media and academic institutions.

Summary

This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz intertwines personal gratitude and family stories with unfiltered commentary on current events shaping conservative discourse. Senator Cruz celebrates a decade-long policy win, lambasts what he describes as harmful media narratives and academic indoctrination, and urges listeners to stay vigilant both in politics and in their families—ending on a warning about the ideological direction of American education and media.

Listeners come away with:

• A behind-the-scenes view of the Muslim Brotherhood’s terrorist group designation
• Strong criticism of media framing in immigration and identity theft issues
• Concern about progressive ideology in academia
• A reminder to value family and the foundational values of the United States.