Islamist Terrorists, Tipping Point in Iran & Netflix Trying to Buy Warner Bothers

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Islamist Terrorists, Tipping Point in Iran & Netflix Trying to Buy Warner Brothers

Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Date: February 4, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson tackle three major themes:

1. The emergence of the Iran-backed terrorist group, the Polisario Front, in Africa and U.S. government reluctance to confront them;
2. An evolving, precarious moment in Iran, where the current regime may be facing its biggest existential threat in decades;
3. The controversial Senate hearings on the proposed $83 billion Netflix-Warner Brothers merger, focusing on censorship, political bias, and foreign influence in American media.

The tone is combative, urgent, and skeptical—particularly toward government bureaucracies and perceived left-wing influence in media.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Government Shutdown: Fast Resolution and Return to “Normal Insanity”

[00:20–01:56]

• The government shutdown ended swiftly, as Senator Cruz predicted.
• Cruz views Democrats as lacking stamina for a prolonged shutdown fight.
• The discussion quickly pivots to national security concerns.

2. Terrorism and the Polisario Front – A New Global Threat

[04:08–15:34]

• Background:

  • Cruz introduces the audience to the Polisario Front, an Islamist separatist militant group in Western Sahara.
  • Notes most listeners will never have heard of it:

    “You broke news on a terrorist organization and a name that I had never heard of, which means I'm assuming about 100% of the people listening right now have never heard of this terrorist organization.” — Ben Ferguson [04:08]

• Why Important:

  • Iran is now heavily funding and arming the group, attempting to create a "Houthis of West Africa."
  • Polisario’s backers: historically Algeria, now increasingly Iran—making it a geopolitical and terrorism threat.

• U.S. Response – Frustration with State Department:

  • Cruz shares a tense Senate Foreign Relations Committee exchange:

    “I believe both witnesses were instructed do not say a negative word about the Polisario Front. But I'll tell you what, rather than me describe the questioning, just give a listen to the back and forth I had…” — Ted Cruz [08:01]

  • State Dept. officials refuse to directly call Polisario a terrorism threat, offering vague, process-heavy answers:

    “It was full of sound and fury, and yet signifying nothing.” — Ted Cruz [12:05]

  • Cruz suspects “deep state” reticence:

    “Look, they were instructed to say nothing about the Polisario front.” — Ted Cruz [14:27]

• Cruz’s Position:

  • He is leading legislation to designate Polisario Front a terrorist organization.
  • Sees this as crucial for U.S. security and a litmus test for plain talk and credible terrorism policy.

3. Tipping Point in Iran – Historical Opportunity for Regime Change

[15:34–26:33]

• Escalating Tensions:

  • Iran flies a drone at a U.S. ship; the U.S. shoots it down.

    “We shot the drone down. They flew a drone at one of our aircraft carriers. We shot it down because it was a hostile threat.” — Ted Cruz [16:03]

  • Cruz dismisses upcoming Trump administration-Iran negotiations, calling them a stalling tactic by Iran.

• Iranian Regime’s Strategy:

  • Trying to distract U.S., stall nuclear program negotiations, and buy time.

• U.S. Missed Opportunities—Historical Context:

  • Compares the current moment to 2009’s Green Revolution in Iran and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  • Advocates arming Iranian protesters against the regime:

    “I want to see the Iranian regime toppled, but not by America. I want to see them toppled by the people of Iran.” — Ted Cruz [20:13]
    “I'm urging the president, do not miss this moment of time. If this regime falls, if the mullahs who hate America and want to murder Americans are out of power... that would be the single biggest improvement in national security we've seen in decades.” — Ted Cruz [21:45]

• Broader Implications—Venezuela & Cuba:

  • Notes that Venezuela and Cuba, along with Iran, are all regimes on the brink.
  • Argues that a collapse of all three would be a "geopolitical shift… since the fall of the Berlin Wall":

    “If we see free and fair elections in Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, and if they elect leaders… who embrace freedom and want to be friends with America... that would be, without exaggeration, the greatest geopolitical shift since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” — Ted Cruz [23:28]

• Memorable Analogy:

  • Recalls an NRA ad about Tiananmen Square:

    “Imagine what would have happened if they had had guns… If a million people with guns rise up, that's not a protest, that's a revolution. The Chinese Communist government falls.” — Ted Cruz [25:20]

4. Netflix–Warner Brothers Mega Merger: Censorship, Bias, & Foreign Influence

[27:37–37:13]

• Hearing Highlights:

  • $83B proposed merger scrutinized for monopoly power, American jobs, and dangerous foreign funding.
  • Both Cruz and Ferguson voice concerns over foreign (especially Middle Eastern and Chinese) investments shaping content—fear of censorship, propaganda, and suppression of conservative views.

• Key Exchange (Senate hearing excerpts):

  • Cruz interrogates Netflix and Warner Bros. executives:

    “Censorship in the media and censorship in Hollywood. There already seems to be only one acceptable political view… How are people at home… to feel even remotely confident that if this merger happens, the combined entity would not simply be a propaganda outlet…?” — Ted Cruz [29:24, 30:24]

  • Executives insist content isn’t politically slanted by design, but struggle to name conservative-leaning programming.
  • Cruz slams them for being unable to say “we are not on stolen land” and for Hollywood’s blackballing of conservatives:

    “That's how woke and lefty and disconnected these people are. And they want to have even more power over the entertainment that you're allowed to consume in your home.” — Ted Cruz [37:06]

• Fears over Middle Eastern Funding and China:

  • Ferguson highlights Paramount’s willingness to take billions in foreign funding:

    “24 billion in Middle East funding scares the hell out of me because what are they going to say you can and can't do? …If that money's coming in, what else could not be made because of that?” — Ben Ferguson [34:08, 34:54]

  • Example: Censoring a Taiwan patch to allow “Top Gun Maverick” to play in China.

• Timeline and Political Stakes:

  • The review process could take months to years, involving DOJ and FCC scrutiny.
  • Cruz positions himself and the Commerce Committee as key watchdogs, promising more hearings.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On State Department Evasion:

  “It was full of sound and fury, and yet signifying nothing.” — Ted Cruz [12:05]

• On Iran Regime Toppling:

  “If this regime falls, if the mullahs who hate America and want to murder Americans are out of power... that would be the single biggest improvement in national security we've seen in decades.” — Ted Cruz [21:45]

• On Netflix/Warner Bros. Merger & Censorship:

  “There already seems to be only one acceptable political view … How are people at home… to feel even remotely confident that if this merger happens, the combined entity would not simply be a propaganda outlet…?” — Ted Cruz [29:24, 30:24] “That's how woke and lefty and disconnected these people are. And they want to have even more power over the entertainment that you're allowed to consume in your home.” — Ted Cruz [37:06]

• Ben Ferguson’s Concern Over Foreign Investment:

  “24 billion in Middle East funding scares the hell out of me because what are they going to say you can and can't do?” — Ben Ferguson [34:08]

• Analogy to China/Tiananmen:

  “Imagine what would have happened if they had had guns… If a million people with guns rise up, that's not a protest, that's a revolution. The Chinese Communist government falls.” — Ted Cruz [25:20]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:08] Introduction to the Polisario Front and African terrorism
• [07:58–14:17] Senate hearing exchanges: Cruz vs. State Dept. on Polisario
• [15:34] Transition to Iran: Drones, regime crisis, and opportunity
• [20:13] Case for arming Iranian protesters
• [23:28–26:33] Wider implications: Venezuela, Cuba, Tiananmen analogy
• [27:37] Warner Bros-Netflix merger: antitrust, censorship, and foreign influence
• [29:21–37:06] Senate hearing soundbites; debates on media bias and corporate power

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Conclusion

This episode delivers a pointed, inside-the-room look at U.S. foreign policy and national security decisions, exposing bureaucratic reticence and calling for direct, aggressive action. Domestic media consolidation is dissected through the lens of political bias and foreign influence, with both hosts expressing grave doubts about Hollywood’s integrity and independence. For listeners seeking the conservative take on security threats abroad and culture wars at home, Cruz and Ferguson provide a fiery, skeptical, and at times combative perspective—with memorable quotes and tense hearing moments that cut through political euphemism.

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Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Ben Ferguson]

It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you. Senator, we've got a lot to discuss, including, hey, we've got a government that's all the way back open again. Congratulations on that. That's big news, right? You predicted it. It was going to be quick, short. We've moved on and we're back to the normal insanity of Washington, D.C. is that a fair way of putting it?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, that's exactly right. I will say in Monday's pod, I said, in fact, the title of Monday's pod was a very short government shutdown. I predicted the House would come back, they would reopen the government. That's exactly what happened. So now the Democrats did not have the stomach for a long, prolonged fight on government shutdown. So it didn't happen. What we're going to talk about today is national security, how we keep this country safe. We're going to talk about a terrorist organization in Africa called the Polisario Front, which is incredibly dangerous. It is funded by Iran. And we're going to break down how. I'm pressing the Trump administration to take on the Polisario front directly. We're also going to talk about Iran. We have a moment in time that I think is a unique moment in history. And we need to act right now. The ayatollah and the mullahs are teetering on the edge. We have an opportunity to remove a regime that wants to kill Americans. And I think we should take that opportunity right now. And finally, we're going to talk about a hearing that happened in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week that focused on the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Brothers. I will say there were fireworks at the hearing. I've got real concerns about the merger. We're gonna break it all down for you today.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, we're gonna talk about all that in a moment. But before we get to that, if you've got a dog, I got a brand new puppy we introduced in the show not long ago. And I can tell you rough greens is part of the diet. If you've got a dog you love, then you need to check out rough greens.

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

So.

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[Ben Ferguson]

All right, so Senator, rarely do I say this. You broke news on a terrorist organization and a name that I had never hear of, which means I'm assuming about 100% of the people listening right now have never heard of this terrorist organization. How did we not know about it? How did you learn about it and.

[Ad Host / Sponsor Voice]

Why is it such a major deal?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, I am deeply engaged in fighting Islamist terrorist organizations all across the world. And there are serious, very dangerous Islamist organizations. One of the things that I have a responsibility for doing. I'm the chairman of the Africa subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. So I focus a lot on Africa. This is a new thing. I just started a year ago focusing on Africa. And so I've been diving in and Africa is a major battleground. It's a major battleground between China and the United States. It's a major battleground between Russia and the United States. And it's also a major front for terrorism and radical Islamic terrorism. So in my course on focusing on Africa, I focused on Nigeria and the fact that Nigeria is killing Christians. It is the single most dangerous place on the face of the planet to be a Christian. Over 50,000 Christians have been murdered in Nigeria. It is the single place on planet Earth where the most Christians have been murdered. I've been leaning in. I called on the Trump administration to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern. And President Trump did so. And so the President is fighting to protect Christians in Nigeria. It is Islamists in Nigeria, particularly Boko Haram, but it's other Islamists as well that are murdering Christians. Well, there's also a challenge with a group called the Polisario Front. And let me give you a little bit of the history of the Polisario Front. The Polisario Front is a separatist militant group founded in 1973 that is seeking independence for Western Sahara, a territory that is claimed by Morocco for decades. The best way to understand it was as a Cold War relic, analogous to the Palestinian Liberation Front, the plo, but it was in West Africa. And there's still a degree to which that framework is accurate. The Polisaria Front is backed by Algeria. It operates from refugee camps in Tindouf, and it declared an independent country called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976, about 20 to 30% of the disputed territory. It is a darling of the international left and the United nations. And the group has continued its insurgency against Morocco. The critical dynamic is that Iran has begun pouring resources into the group. They want to make the Polisario Front into the Houthis of West Africa. The Iranians have been providing money and weapons and directions. In June of last year, Joe Wilson in Congress introduce the Polisario Front Designation act of 2025, which would designate the group as a foreign terrorist organization. I am leading the fight in the Senate to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. And this week we had a hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee where two career officials from the State Department were testifying about Africa, were testifying about the Middle East. And I asked them about the Polisaria Front and I gotta say their answers. Let me just give a really kind word. They were terrible. They were unbelievably bad.

[Ben Ferguson]

When you say terrible, explain what you mean by that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I believe both witnesses were instructed do not say a negative word about the Polisario Front. But I'll tell you what, rather than me describe the questioning, just give a listen to the back and forth I had with two senior career officials from the State Department. Mr. Paladino, thank you for being here and testifying this afternoon. I'd like to ask you about the specifics of your testimony and specifically two things you said in your written testimony. Back to back. You said that, quote, Algeria's counterterrorism successes also make it a critical pillar of stability in the region. Then in the very next paragraph, you said, again I'm quoting, quote, we look to North African countries to provide critical support to ensuring terrorist activity in the Sahel does not spread. Now, I'm assuming that that somewhat opaque reference to terrorist activity in the Sahel is about the Polisario Front, though you didn't name the group. Iran is trying to turn the Polisario Front into the Houthis for West Africa, a proxy force capable of waging war to threaten regional stability and pressure US Partners whenever Iran wants leverage. The Polisario Front works with Iranian terrorist groups.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

It takes drones from the irgc.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It moves weapons and resources around the region, including to jihadists and much more. I believe they should be designated as a terrorist group, and I've drafted a bill to do so if there is no change in their behavior. Before getting to any other questions, is that what you meant by, quote, terrorist activity in the Sahel? Were you talking about the Polisario Front?

[State Department Official 1]

It's an important question, Senator. Thank you. What I was referring to. Well, what I would say in regards to the Polisario is President Trump has made clear his desire to achieve a lasting resolution to the problem in the Western Sahara, to that dispute. And as part of that, American policy currently is we are engaging all parties, and we're going to continue to pursue that for a lasting resolution. And we seek that because if we can get to that resolution, that is going to be our best shot at advancing peace and security, which will prevent further terrorist activity. Now, you mentioned designation, Senator. And I would just add we're constantly assessing threats to the American homeland, and we have a process for that. It's something that we will continue to look at. And it, as the secretary said, if we proceed, that will be grounded in the process and the evidence and the law. Thank you, Senator.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So I see that the opacity I referenced was not accidental, but was, in fact, deliberate, because in the full course of that answer, there was no direct indication that, yes, the terrorist activity in the Sahel is coming from the Palisario Front. And that is a significant blind spot in our counterterrorism posture. Do you assess right now that the Polisario Front poses a threat to US Interest in any sense? And if so, in what sense?

[State Department Official 1]

Senator? Thank you, Senator. We're actively engaging all parties in the Western Sahara dispute in the interest of achieving a lasting and durable peace. That's the policy of the president. And we're. We're seeking more time to continue to find a way to find common ground and to come to an agreement to stabilize the situation and allow there to be prosperity to follow based upon stability.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, I will say that answer was positively Shakespearean. It was full of sound and fury, and yet signifying nothing. And by the way, I will say, in terms of the President, I feel confident I've spent a lot more time with the president than you have, and he does not have any difficulty at all calling terrorists what they are. Mr. Borkert, let's. Let's see if we do any better with you. Iran has trained fighters from the Polisario Front, and Hezbollah has provided them with weapons. In your written testimony, you said that your bureau is working with North African countries to counter the threat from Iran and its proxies, and you specifically talked about groups tied to the IRGC and Hezbollah. You likewise did not specifically mention the Polisario Front. First of all, same question to you. When you talk about the threat posed to North African countries by Iran and its proxies, does that include the Polisario Front?

[State Department Official 2]

Senator, thank you for that question. We continue to monitor activities throughout North Africa. We continue to see if the IRGC and Hezbollah are their activities in that region and globally. And as we look at these activities, we will work with our partner countries in order to counter those threats and where possible, designate or encourage those countries to designate the irgc, Hezbollah, and in those terrorist groups.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So I have to say, it seems to me you turned to your colleague and said, hold my beer. It certainly. Let me just ask a final question to both of you. Were both of you instructed in this testimony not to say anything negative about the Polisario Front? Because it sure seems like you were, Senator.

[State Department Official 1]

I'm just trying to explain what we're trying to do policy wise.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That's a yes or no question.

[State Department Official 1]

No, I received no instructions to that effect, Senator.

[State Department Official 2]

Senator, I received no instructions to those effects either.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So you just decided to go that. Go that. Down that road for the heck of it. Okay. Thank you.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, so I'm going to start with the first question here, Senator. How the Hell do those guys get their job? And how do they get to keep them if that's what they do? I just got to know, like, that's the best job I've ever seen.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. Look, they were instructed to say nothing about the Polisari affront.

[Ben Ferguson]

And when you say they, like who. Who sits down with them before and says, don't say anything about this terrorist group?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So both of those guys are career State Department employees. So they would have.

[Ben Ferguson]

So this is like the deep State, as I like to call it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, they would have submitted their testimony for approval, and they may well have had portions where they say something about the Pulsar Front. They're talking about terrorists, and that's who they're talking about. They're just not saying it. And listen, the administration is trying to negotiate a big peace deal in Africa. And so right now, there are folks in the administration who are trying to negotiate a deal in Western Africa. And right now, one of the consequences of that is that they're reluctant to call out the Polisario front. I think the Polisario front is really dangerous. They're funded by Iran. And so I'm working to call out people who are enemies of America and to impose real cost and consequences on those jihadists that are enemies of America.

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, it really is incredible that they're this cautious on this. And then you look at where we are in the world. Which brings me to what's going on in Iran. There's a big meeting on Friday with the Trump administration. There's a lot of fanfare around it. While we're getting ready for this conversation, Iran does what Iran does, right? Which is usually do something really stupid, and they decide to fly a drone at one of our ships. That was a bad idea. So let's bring everybody up to speed on that as well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So we shot the drone down. They flew a drone at one of our aircraft carriers. We shot it down because it was a hostile threat. It was an unmanned drone. Listen, there is a negotiation session scheduled for Friday. I think the chances of anything positive or productive coming from that session are 0.0%. I think the Iranian. The Iranian regime, they're sending back channel messages to the administration, and they're saying, hey, we're willing to do another Obama Iran nuclear deal. Isn't that a great idea, by the way?

[Ben Ferguson]

It was a great deal for them. They got literally, like, cash and bills that are unmarked. Like, how much better does it get than that that you then can give to terrorists to then blow up people?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Listen, they got $1.7 billion in cash on pallets flown in by Barack Obama. They got over $100 billion.

[Ben Ferguson]

I just want what you just said, Senator, because it's so frustrating. This is not Saturday Night Live. It may be literally what the Obama administration did, like over a billion, 1.7 billion of cash on pallets flown with your tax dollars to Iran.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And by the way, that that was tiny compared to the more than $100 billion that Joe Biden flowed into Iran. And they use that. Iran provides more than 90% of the funding for Hamas, more than 90% of the funding for Hezbollah. They use that to stage October 7th. They use that to wage war on the United States. They use that to kill American servicemen and women. We have right now an historic opportunity. And what I am urging the president, don't miss this. So I think the Iranians are trying to distract the administration. They're trying to say, hey, let's negotiate a deal. And actually what Iran wants to do is spend three, three years negotiating a deal where they do nothing. And they try to rebuild their nuclear program.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Is some of this just stalling to try to get their own country under.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Have a kumbaya in Iran that we hate, the big Satan, right? The US and so if they can figure out a way for America to hit them, then I think that actually brings people together is what they're hoping in Iran to say. Okay, maybe we do need to stand up against America.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And by the way, that phrase you use, the big Satan, that. That's not an accidental phrase. The Ayatollah refers to Israel as the Little Satan and refers to America as the Big Satan, the Great Satan. They are waging war on us and their objective is to right now to talk, to try to prevent being toppled. Look, millions of Iranians have stood up and tens of thousands have been killed. It's not clear what the estimate is. The estimates have ranged anywhere from 10,000 Iranian protesters killed to as many as 40,000. The regime is sitting there literally machine gunning these protesters and murdering them. I've called very publicly for the Trump administration to arm the protesters. Listen, I want to see the Iranian regime toppled, but not by America. I want to see them toppled by the people of Iran. And if they're just being gunned down like fish in a barrel, they're not able to do so. And so I think we ought to be providing weapons. And I'm urging the president, don't be distracted. The Iranian regime is trying to say, let's negotiate another deal. Like Obama. You go back to 2009. 2009 was the green Revolution. There were again, Iranians standing up, and Barack Obama made a decision to side with the Ayatollah and abandon the protesters. Now, President Trump has said he's not going to do that. He's told the people of Iran, we are with you, and this is a moment of time. I'm urging the president, do not miss this moment of time. If this regime falls, if the mullahs who hate America and want to murder Americans are out of power, and if we have instead a freely elected regime. Look, Iran for decades was secular. It was pro American. That would be the single biggest improvement in national security we've seen in decades.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, we've talked about this a lot. But let's reset for people just to understand. Not only do we have what's happened in Venezuela, and there was a lot of Democrats that thought it was going to just turn into instant chaos and anarchy there in Venezuela. So far, that's not been the case. That is, as they're trying to work through what next steps look like. But that's good for the people in Venezuela who've been suffering for so long. And yet there was a lot of people, I think they were hoping that Donald Trump would have to own some sort of anarchy and civil war in the streets and just, you know, all sorts of craziness there. You then look at Cuba, and the president's been pretty clear about that. We also are seeing that they're getting in serious trouble now with basic things like oil and gas and trying to hold shoestring their country together because they've lost a lot of what they were getting back and forth with Venezuela. They're teetering right now. I think it's a fair assessment on it. Just with their economy, inflation, the list goes on and on. You combine that with Iran, and what we could witness is all three of these happening very quickly, moving in the right direction for all of us.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, we have a very real potential in the next six months of seeing the regimes in Venezuela, Cuba and Iran all fall. And there are a thousand ways this could go wrong. There could be bad things that happen. So I'm not being Pollyannish, but if we see free and fair elections in Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, and if they elect leaders, and I think there's a real possibility of this, who embrace freedom and want to be friends with America, that would be, without exaggeration, the greatest geopolitical shift since the fall of the Berlin Wall, since we won the cold without firing a shot. That is what has been teed up by Donald Trump being a strong commander in chief. And so with Iran, I'm urging the president and the administration do not miss this moment because getting out of power, a theocratic lunatic who wants to murder us, that is unambiguously good for America.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. It's also interesting, and this is another headline that just came from Fox, and just to put it in perspective, I think, of what Iran's leadership's trying to do to bait America into some sort of military conflict so they can try to rally their country. You had Iranian gunboats that unsuccessfully. That's the key word here. And I'm reading this headline from Fox. Attempted to board US Oil tanker as Trump builds military presence.

[Ad Host / Sponsor Voice]

The six armed Iranian vessels attempted to.

[Ben Ferguson]

Board the tanker before a US Navy ship escorted it to safety. That is how desperate the Iranian regime is right now to try to do something different.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And listen, this is why I'm calling for the administration to arm the protesters. You know, remember back to Tiananmen Square? Tiananmen Square, you had a massive uprising in China. And I gotta admit, Ben, I remember the NRA ran full page ads in newspapers all over the country. They ran it in six newspapers. They ran it in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times and USA Today. The full page ad, it was a gigantic picture of Tiananmen Square, just people everywhere. And I remember the words the NRA put in that ad. They said, last week over 1 million people rose up in protest in Tiananmen Square. And then they asked a simple question. Imagine what would have happened if they had had guns. Yeah. Now that's more than 30 years ago. And I still remember that ad because I remember looking at it going, wow, if a million people with guns rise up, that's not a protest, that's a revolution. The Chinese Communist government falls. If a million people with guns rise up. Right now, the Iranian people are risking their lives, but if you're standing there holding a spatula and an IRGC soldier is firing a machine gun at you, you're going to die.

[Ad Host / Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And so the only way that protest succeeds is if they're able to fight back. And if suddenly the IRG soldier says, crap, if I shoot at you, you're gonna shoot back and I'm gonna die. That's how you topple the regime. And I think we have an extraordinary moment in time right now.

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[Ben Ferguson]

To finally end with the other topic, and it deals with a very interesting media merger and antitrust conversation that took place in Washington D.C. you came in and asked questions on this of the two companies that were there talking about this. I actually, and I rarely do this, and I don't even think I told you this. I wrote an op ed about this for Fox News. You can go and read it there. But what I was talking about was from a national security standpoint, and my headline was, Reagan would tell Americans to watch this Netflix merger hearing closely. And I said, here's why. And I went through. My biggest concern with this merger is one of safety and security, because I want to know that the majority of things are being made. Are being made in America and that China doesn't get influence over us. And that's what I. The questions I asked. What really worried me about this merger was how much foreign money they're saying, and it's in the billions that could be coming into this deal from the. The Middle East. That concerned me as well. You asked a lot of questions about this. And there's also a lot of conservatives like you and I that are frustrated with some of the programming that Netflix have. But at least I'm like, they're wanting to keep this production in America and they're willing to expand it in America. Whereas on the other side of it, my concerns with Paramount is they're taking foreign money from the Middle East. I don't like that influence, and I certainly don't want China to take influence as well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, this is a massive merger. It's $83 billion, and I'm deeply concerned about it. And so we had a hearing this week in the Senate Judiciary Committee with the CEO of Netflix and a senior executive from Warner Brothers. Give a listen to the questioning that I asked them.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

I and many others on this committee have been concerned for a long time.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

About censorship, Censorship in the media and censorship in Hollywood.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

There already seems to be only one acceptable political view. Actually, I want to ask, did either of y' all watch the Grammys this week?

[Ben Ferguson]

I did not.

[Netflix Executive]

Just the tail end of it.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

One simple question. Are we, right now on stage, stolen land?

[Netflix Executive]

I have no idea the history of this land, of this where we're sitting today.

[Warner Brothers Executive]

Nor do I, Senator.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

So that speaks volumes that neither of you are willing to say, hell, no, we're not on stolen land. And I will say, it's a Grammys. When you see an entertainer say, nobody is illegal while we're on stolen land.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And then you see entertainers leap to.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

Their feet, clapping so excitedly at the notion that America's fundamentally illegitimate, it starts to convey that the entertainment world is deeply corrupt.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And I will point out that same.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

Singer who says, no one is illegal on stolen land, promptly went back to her $14 million mansion and somehow that stolen land she wasn't concerned about. Just the United States of America. Look, Netflix has long been a left wing company. Your founder, Reed Hastings is one of the biggest Democrat donors in the country, including giving millions recently to the massive gerrymander in California, making it one of the most gerrymandered states in the union. Because your founder desperately wants a Democrat. House of Representatives. Susan Rice from the Obama White House is on your board of directors. You guys gave $50 million to the Obamas, as far as I can tell, to produce no discernible content whatsoever. How would you tell a Texan sitting at home to feel comfortable? CNN is already a dumpster fire. There's nothing resembling objectivity. There's nothing resembling journalism anymore. How are people at home? How should they feel even remotely confident that if this merger happens, the combined entity would not simply be a propaganda outlet pushing one particular political view with much greater market power than you have now?

[Netflix Executive]

Well, sir, we would fail. We would fail pushing a political view or propaganda.

[Ben Ferguson]

We.

[Netflix Executive]

We deliver entertainment to consumers. Our consumers see our business pretty much the way they see America. About 40% conservative, about 40% liberal, about 20% don't know. And they. What do we. But when we turn on. When they turn on tv, they're tuned in to be entertained. And if we fail to entertain them by trying to promote propaganda or something, or something, anything other than Entertainment, we fail.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

Mr. Campbell, same question to you.

[Warner Brothers Executive]

We have a very broad range of content across not only HBO Max, but all of our platforms that we need to appeal to all audiences. Our content ranges from hard knocks from the NFL to shows like Deadliest Catch and Gold Rush. It's a very broad collection of programming that represents broad interests across America.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

You have a wide range of programming on hbo. Name one program that is designed to appeal to conservatives.

[Warner Brothers Executive]

We don't design our programming to appeal.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

I can think of a lot that are designed to go to liberals. Name one.

[Warner Brothers Executive]

None of our shows are designed to go to any political group. They're designed to appeal to.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

Really. John Oliver's not designed to appeal to a certain group.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's a.

[Warner Brothers Executive]

It's a program that. For which there's.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

You just said none of your program is. Look, let me ask you. Do you think CNN is fair and balanced?

[Warner Brothers Executive]

I do believe CNN is a fair.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

So when CNN showed riots and fires behind them and you put a chiron. Mostly peaceful, but fiery protest, was that journalism?

[Warner Brothers Executive]

Sir, I'm not involved with cnn. And in fact, they're not part of this transaction. But they have an independent editorial board. They have independent news gathering. We don't direct.

[Senate Judiciary Committee Member (likely Josh Hawley)]

They're only. They have no independence other than hating Donald Trump, which is why their viewership numbers have plummeted because they don't actually report news. They instead engage in very biased propaganda. And I will say the truest words you said a minute ago is when you said with respect to Mr. Sarandos, well, he and I see the world in very much the same way. That is exactly the problem, that in the world of journalism it should not be propaganda. In the world of entertainment, there is a reason why entertainers who are even slightly right of center get blackballed in Hollywood. Writers get blackballed in Hollywood, actors get blackballed in Hollywood. And I've heard nothing today to give me any confidence that this merger would do anything other than make that problem much, much work.

[Ben Ferguson]

Senator, this is one of those subjects. It's the reason why I decided to write an op ed because it does matter. When companies get big and they have as much influence as Paramount does or as Netflix does, it is concerning that the propaganda as you described that can be put out that can fundamentally shape this country. It's why invoked Ronald Reagan, the op ed that I wrote@fox news.com and there's also the concern of foreign influence coming in. I don't want American movies being paid for.24 billion in middle east funding scares the hell out of me because what are they going to say you can and can't do? I go back to Top Gun Maverick. There was a simple patch, a Taiwan patch on his jacket and they banned.

[Ad Host / Sponsor Voice]

That movie from China, period, Full stop. Well, if that money's coming in, what.

[Ben Ferguson]

Else could not be made because of that? That worries me as well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I'm very worried about woke Hollywood. It has gone so leftist. It is engaged in so much indoctrin. It is trying to silence views that are pro America. Silence views that are conservative, silence views that are pro freedom. And listen, this merger, it's not going to go through unless the Department of Justice signs off on it. And the Department of Justice has to approve the merger and say that it does not create a monopoly, it does not increase monopoly power. I think there are very real concerns. This hearing was the beginning of the scrutiny for it. I expect to see more scrutiny, more questions asked about this massive merger. But I don't want to see even bigger market power pushing a pro Democrat, pro leftist, anti American agenda. And I'm very concerned that's what's happening right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

Final question on this. When do the consumers find out what happens here? How long until we get an answer of who gets to buy what?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, typically this process takes months to years, and so the Department of Justice has to assess whether this is allowed to go forward. The FCC may well engage as well in signing off on this. I'm the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. I expect to be quite engaged in this process. So it will take some time. At a minimum, it's several months. It could be upwards of a year. And the consequence if this merger happens, it is really significant for news and it's really significant for entertainment. And by the way, I think entertainment in many ways is more important than news. We get so much of what we understand about the world from entertainment. Reagan understanding a massive left wing monopoly. Listen, I asked these guys, are we on stolen land? Neither one of them could say no. They're not willing to say America is legitimate. No, this is not stolen land. That's how woke and lefty and disconnected these people are. And they want to have even more power over the entertainment that you're allowed to consume in your home.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's going to be interesting. We're going to be following it here, we can promise you that. And don't forget, we do the show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscribe or auto download button wherever you get your podcast and send her. Cruz and I will see you back here in a couple of days.

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Right now this is an Iheart podcast.

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