King Charles in America plus FBI Raids 22 Somali Fraud Locations

Summary

Detailed Summary of "Verdict with Ted Cruz" — April 29, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson discuss two major topics: the historic visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the U.S., including King Charles's address to Congress and related events, as well as a series of FBI raids on 22 Somali-owned locations in Minnesota suspected of massive federal fraud. The episode blends firsthand accounts, political analysis, and a dose of humor in its typical conversational tone.

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1. The Historic Visit of King Charles III to America

Key Theme: Renewing the US-UK "Special Relationship"

• Focus on the significance of King Charles III addressing a joint session of Congress, only the second British monarch to do so after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
• Reflection on the intertwined history and shared values between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Notable Segments & Quotes

The Garden Party Encounter ([07:16] – [09:37])

• Senator Cruz recounts attending a garden party at the British ambassador’s residence in DC, bringing his 18-year-old daughter, Caroline.
• Fun family anecdotes: Cruz shares how his invitations extended to his wife and younger daughter, but only Caroline was interested, turning it into a memorable daddy-daughter day.
• Memorable moment: King Charles’s joke to Caroline about her upcoming exams — “Well, if you fail, you can blame me.” ([08:06])

President Trump's Tribute and Historical Context ([10:11] – [13:33])

• Excerpt from President Trump's remarks welcoming King Charles, emphasizing the deep-rooted ties between the two nations and the foundations of American liberty:
  “The American patriots who pledged their lives to independence in 1776 were the heirs to this majestic inheritance. Their veins ran with Anglo Saxon courage. Their hearts beat with an English faith in standing firm for what is right, good and true.” ([11:28])
• Both Cruz and Ferguson call the speech “classy” and reflective of true leadership during a time of diplomatic strain.

King Charles’s Congressional Address: Humor and History ([19:18] – [21:12])

• Cruz and Ferguson both praise King Charles’s unexpectedly witty and self-deprecating speech.

  • E.g., “We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except of course, language.”
  • On British Parliament tradition: “When I address my own parliament at Westminster, we still take a member of Parliament hostage... These days, we look after our guests rather well, to the point that they often do not want to leave.”
  • On history: “I'm not here as part of some cunning rear guard action 250 years ago, or as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day.” ([20:34])

• Both hosts note the King’s delivery and dry British humor, surprising even Cruz: “I actually turned to the senator next to me... and I sort of wisecracked that [the king] wasn’t known to be the most riveting speaker. And he really surprised me.” ([18:10])

Presidential and Public Reactions ([22:18] – [23:23])

• Trump (joking about the bipartisan applause): “He got the Democrats to stand. I’ve never been able to do this. I couldn’t believe it. They liked him more than they've ever liked any Republican or Democrat.” ([22:46])
• Ferguson: “Didn’t the Democratic Party just spend an entire, like, several months screaming no kings and having no kings protest? And they gave him, like, a glowing standing ovation multiple times, loving the King being there more than they’d ever do for any Republican, that’s for sure.” ([22:58])

British “War of 1812” Humor at State Dinner ([23:46])

• King Charles, referencing White House renovations: “We British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.”
• Cruz: “For those... who aren’t students of history, in the War of 1812, the British burned the White House and, like, leveled it... There's a dryness to it that just makes it really funny.” ([24:22])

Analysis & Significance

• Both hosts view the visit as a way to mend strained US-UK relations, especially regarding the UK’s lack of support in recent US operations against Iran (mentioned at [13:33]).
• Cruz emphasizes the foundational influence of British legal and philosophical traditions on the US Constitution, highlighting the visit’s symbolic value in advance of America’s 250th birthday.

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2. FBI Raids on Somali Fraud Locations in Minnesota

Key Theme: Cracking Down on Systemic Welfare Fraud

• Discussion of recent raids by the FBI on 22 daycare and childcare facilities in Minneapolis, largely Somali-owned, as part of a massive federal fraud probe involving alleged theft and misdirection of billions in government funds.

Breaking News and Political Fallout ([28:27] – [33:45])

• Ben Ferguson sets the stage: The state is confronting fraud where “taxpayer dollars [are] disappearing by the tens of billions... somebody is at least going to come in and actually hold you accountable.” ([28:27])

• Cruz alleges a nexus between the fraud, local Democratic leadership, and US Representative Ilhan Omar, accusing them of benefiting from and covering up the fraud.

  • “Omar was also integral in covering up the Somali fraud in Minnesota. She was a beneficiary of it. She was elected by the fraudsters. The Somali voting base is her core base.” ([30:36])

• Reading from Fox News, Cruz explains the mechanics: Daycare operators “were allegedly billing for care that was not provided.” ([31:34])

• Cruz specifically calls out Democratic officials for “taking credit” for the raids despite a record of ignoring problems:

  • “That really is like the arsonist taking credit when the firefighters turn up and put out the fire.” ([33:14])

Expansion to Other States — Nationwide Accountability ([34:31])

• Cruz hints that similar fraud is likely rampant in blue states like California, New York, and Illinois:
  • “California is coming. I have every reason to expect, and indeed I’ve been told by senior officials in the administration, California is even worse than Minneapolis.” ([34:31])

Luxury-Welfare Scandal — Shocking Data ([35:03] – [37:28])

• Listening to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins outline new oversight which uncovered numerous SNAP (food stamp) recipients with luxury cars in a red state:
  • “We found SNAP recipients had more than 2,000 Tesla owners, 200 Alfa Romeo owners, more than 144 that were receiving food stamps were driving Porsches.” ([35:14])
• Cruz reads off more luxury-car stats: 306 Land Rovers, 59 Maseratis, 11 Lamborghinis, 3 Ferraris, 3 Bentleys—all owned by food stamp recipients in one red state ([36:05]).
• Ferguson and Cruz lampoon the absurdity:
  • Ferguson: “If you're on food stamps and you're driving a Lambo or a Ferrari or a Maserati, you are defrauding the US Government full stop.” ([37:00])
  • Cruz: “Amen. Hallelujah. And listen, I'm very glad the Trump administration is having some accountability.” ([37:28])

Policy Analysis — How Fraud Happens ([37:28] – [41:59])

• Cruz explains the loopholes created by “broad-based categorical eligibility,” a process allowing states broad discretion in food stamp qualification, fostering fraudulent enrollments—even among the wealthy.
  • Cruz quotes an article:
    “Anyone who touches that pamphlet, touches or receives the phone number is then treated as being, quote, categorically eligible for food stamps, even millionaires. It's fraud by design that distributes benefits intended for the truly needy to otherwise ineligible individuals under the insidious goal of maximizing enrollment and dependency.” ([39:22])
  • Details of identity fraud using unverified social security numbers and applications from foreign IP addresses ([40:18]).

Political Edge — Direct Blame to Democrats ([41:59] – [43:17])

• Cruz puts the onus on Democrats:
  • “You want to know what the Democrats stand for? They stand for Somali fraudsters stealing your tax money and sending it to Al Shabaab, Islamist terrorists in Somalia. They stand for thieves driving Bentleys and Lamborghinis and Ferraris who say they need food stamps and stealing your money.” ([41:59])
• Calls for common sense:
  • “If you got the money for a Ferrari, we ain't paying for your food... there's not a single Democrat governor in the country that's saying that.” ([43:02])

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Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:21]: Opening banter about the King's visit and the alleged irony of "no kings" Democrats giving a standing ovation
• [07:16]: Cruz’s garden party account with King Charles and family anecdotes
• [10:11]: President Trump’s remarks on Anglo-American history and significance of the visit
• [19:18]: Highlights from King Charles’s speech to Congress (humor and historical perspective)
• [23:46]: King Charles’s “real estate redevelopment” joke about burning the White House
• [28:27]: Transition to FBI Somali fraud raids in Minnesota
• [35:03]: Revelation of luxury car ownership among food stamp recipients
• [37:28]: In-depth explanation of food stamp fraud mechanisms
• [41:59]: Cruz’s political summary and broadside against Democrats

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Memorable Quotes

• King Charles III ([19:18]): “We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except of course, language.”
• President Trump ([11:28]): “Their veins ran with Anglo Saxon courage. Their hearts beat with an English faith in standing firm for what is right, good and true.”
• Senator Ted Cruz ([41:59]): “They [Democrats] stand for Somali fraudsters stealing your tax money and sending it to Al Shabaab, Islamist terrorists in Somalia. They stand for thieves driving Bentleys and Lamborghinis and Ferraris who say they need food stamps and stealing your money...”
• Ben Ferguson ([37:00]): “If you're on food stamps and you're driving a Lambo or a Ferrari or a Maserati, like you are defrauding the US Government full stop.”

---

Conclusion

This episode provides a mix of firsthand political observation (from Senator Cruz’s proximity to the King’s visit), bipartisan perspectives on the importance of US-UK relations, and sharp, unapologetic criticism regarding fraud in federal programs. In their trademark style, Cruz and Ferguson blend serious analysis with humor and pointed ideological commentary.

Listeners come away with insight into the symbolic value of King Charles III’s US visit, the current strains and efforts to mend the US-UK alliance, and a detailed look at systemic public assistance fraud and the political battle over its resolution.

Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you. Senator, I gotta say, you're winning. I thought I was winning. Hanging out in New York City, fighting the commies on tv. Meanwhile, look over and you're sipping tea with the King of England. I mean, and I thought you were part of the no Kings rally. I thought that was like you were going to boo and sit down and. Oh, wait, no, that was the Democrats. But they did stand. They had no problem clapping for the king. That they said they were having a no Kings rally. You can't make it up.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, God save the king. The King of England, the Queen of England are in America. They're in Washington, D.C. the king came to address a joint session of Congress. He's only the second British monarch to ever address a joint session of Congress, the first being his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1991, and he's now the second. He gave a.

[Ben Ferguson]

And to clarify, you're old, Senator, but you're not that old. You were not there for the 1 in 91, right?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I most definitely was not. I was in college at the time. And to be honest, I don't remember.

[Ben Ferguson]

70% of your colleagues were probably there. Like, I just. If we're doing the best. Right.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Not quite 70, but there are some that were. Look, Joe Biden was elected in 1972, so you know that.

[Ben Ferguson]

There you go.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

He had already been in Congress 20 years at that point.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's so funny.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So, look, the king was here. It was an important visit. We're gonna break it down. I had a chance to meet the king, meet the Queen yesterday. I'm gonna tell you about that. I'm gonna tell you about the speech. We're also gonna talk about the FBI this week raided 22 different establishments in Minnesota that are suspected of fraud. Suspected of being part of this massive Somali fraud. We're going to break down the facts of what's happened with that. I'm very glad the Department of Justice is going after this, going after it aggressively, there needs to be real accountability. All that on today's pod?

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, on Monday I flew back to D.C. early because I was invited to go to a garden party at the British ambassador's residence. And the garden party included the king and queen. And so I said, all right, this will be fun to go. And I ended up inviting my daughter Caroline. Caroline is 18. She turned 18 just a couple of weeks ago. Ben, you know Caroline. Well, there is almost no invitation at this stage in life can make that. My teenage daughter is particularly interested in going to accept this. And Caroline, I'm like, hey, do you want to come to a garden party with the King of England? And she's like, yeah. And so Caroline came up, got a chance to visit with the Queen. The Queen was delightful. I introduced Caroline to the Queen. They shook hands, they talked for a few minutes, and then I introduced Caroline to the King and he was actually quite charming. And they had a conversation that ended up being captured online and going viral. But he asked her if she was having exams right now and she's got exams coming up in a week. She said, yeah. And then he made a joke. He said, well, if you fail, you can blame me. Which I thought was really funny.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's a good out. That's a very good out. All right. I gotta say, there are certain things you get to do in your career. Taking your daughter meet the King, like, you got to use that as a little political capital down the road when she thinks you're not cool again.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, earning dad brownie points is not easy to do, but. But that was really fun and I enjoyed the chance to have her meet the King.

[Ben Ferguson]

What a great plus one, by the way.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, yeah. Like, it's very, very cool to bring your daughter and then.

[Ben Ferguson]

And how much trouble are you in, though? Hold on. How much trouble are you in at home there? Like, Heidi didn't get the invite, so she was all on board with this.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Heidi did get the invite. Heidi had to work, so Heidi actually said no. There you go.

[Ben Ferguson]

Okay.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And actually Catherine got the invite too. And Catherine, it's interesting. My 18 year old thought it was really cool. My 15 year old was like, no, I'm kind of busy. That's all right. So Katherine said no, so she didn't come.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's amazing. So it was a family affair and it turned into a daddy daughter date. I love it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It was a Daddy daughter day. It was awesome. It was a lot of fun. You know, the King's coming was important and consequential. And I actually think President Trump. They had an arrival ceremony at the White House where the President greeted the King. And the President laid out a little bit of why it was important for the King to be here and how this is really one of the beginning moments of. Of 250 of our celebration of our nation's 250th anniversary. Give a listen to President Trump explaining why this visit right now is consequential.

[Donald Trump]

Here in the shadows of monuments to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, honoring the British king might seem an ironic beginning to our celebration of 250 years of American independence. But in fact, no tribute could be more appropriate. Long before Americans had a nation or a constitution, we first had a culture, a character and a creed. Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rarest of gifts, moral courage. And it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea. For nearly two centuries before the Revolution, this land was settled and forged by men, women, who bore in their souls the blood and noble spirit of the British. Here on a wild and untamed continent, they set loose the ancient English love of liberty and the Great Britain's distinctive sense of glory, destiny and pride. And that's what it is, glory, destiny and pride. The American patriots who pledged their lives to independence in 1776 were the heirs to this majestic inheritance. Their veins ran with Anglo Saxon courage. Their hearts beat with an English faith in standing firm for what is right, good and true. In recent years, we've often heard it said that America is merely an idea. But the cause of freedom did not simply appear as an intellectual invention of 1776. The American founding was the culmination of hundreds of years of thought, struggle, sweat, blood and sacrifice. On both sides of the Atlantic, fate drew a long arc from the meadow at Runnymede to the streets of Philadelphia that ran through the lives of people born and bred on the British code that no man should be denied either justice or right. American patriots today can sing My country, tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, only because our colonial ancestors first sang God Save the King.

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, I gotta say, one of the things that was really interesting about watching the President and interacting with the King and the Queen is that right now there have been politically tensions have been pretty high. I think everybody knows that with England, and there's been a lot of frustration there. Certainly, I'm one of those. I think they should have stepped up in a different way with what we're doing with Iran. But the President also understood, and I thought it was incredibly, just not just classy, but also what leaders do to say, hey, we don't always agree on everything, but we welcome you. We're going to roll out the red carpet and we're going to have grand conversations that hopefully will make things even better. Moving forward. And just listening to him talk there, I think he did a phenomenal job with his speeches.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I agree. I think the President's remarks were really well written. They were well delivered, they were important. There is no doubt the special relationship, which is the term that has been used for a long, long time to describe the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. It's strained right now. The UK's decision not to help us in Iran and in fact, to block us from using British military bases, that has put real strain on that relationship. And it's going to be real strain with consequences. But at the end of the day, that's a decision from Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister. That's not King Charles who made that decision. And I think the king was here to try to remind Americans, and maybe remind the British as well, of the centuries, and not just 250 years, but centuries before that, of intertwined history and our rights and liberties. We didn't just invent the concepts of individual liberty and government that are reflected in the declaration of independence 250 years ago that are reflected in the Constitution. Many of those ideas originated in England. Originated. The Magna Carta was critical. The English Bill of Rights was critical. Great thinkers like John Locke, who laid out the reasoning behind the natural rights of life, liberty and property that became the foundation for much of the American experience. And in fact, King Charles, when he was addressing Congress, I think he did something very eloquent and elegant in that he talked about. He said, look, there's tension right now between our two nations. But he said, we've always had tension. And he said, when we started, in fact, 250 years ago, we had tension that resulted in a war. But it was interesting.

[Ben Ferguson]

There was a lot of tension.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, he made a point. He said the principles that animated the American Revolution, and in particular, he singled out taxation without representation. He said, those were principles that we had developed and that were integral to us. Now, we disagreed, meaning we, the British, disagreed on whether they applied to the colonies. But literally, the grounds upon which we declared independence were grounds that were integral to the British constitutional history and understanding of rights. And in fact, when the Supreme Court is interpreting the Constitution and our Bill of Rights, and much of our Bill of Rights mirrors, at times, even word for word, the English Bill of Rights. Often the Supreme Court will look to, for example, Blackstone and look to English common law for how these rights were understood hundreds of years before America existed. So that intertwined history is really important. And I do like President Trump's pointing out, like, this is a great way to celebrate 250 years by reminding us of big things that matter. I'm gonna say something else that surprised me. King Charles is funny, and I was gonna say his.

[Ben Ferguson]

Either he's funny or his speechwriters are unbelievable. It may be a combination of both, but it's both. But I also think, like, man, after seeing him, I liked him a lot more after watching this visit than I ever did before. Just because I always thought he was kind of a. A stiff, you know, prim and proper kind of, you know, awkward guy. That is not how he came across on this trip at all. In fact, I remember when he came back when Bush was in office back in 2000, 2008, I think it was 2005 maybe when they made their visit, if I remember correctly. And that that year could be wrong, but he didn't even have. And granted, he was not the king yet, so I think he was playing a role. But it's like he's now like, I am the guy and he's way more funny than he was when he visited back then.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I will say this past weekend I was in Scottsdale, Arizona and I was at, you know, talking about that 2005 visit. This last weekend I was in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Hoover Institute had a gathering of its board of overseers and its top supporters. And they invited me to come speak Saturday night to the dinner. And what we did at the dinner is we did a fireside chat where Condi Rice interviewed me. And I've known Condi for 25 years. And Condi's remarkably capable, by the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

She's so awesome.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

She's phenomenal. And we had an hour long discussion that was really deep and nuanced. But beforehand, Condi and I were chatting and I mentioned to her that on Monday that I was gonna go to this garden party and I was excited to meet the king and queen. And she referenced that 2005 visit. And she said, oh, yeah, when he came, she was Secretary of State at the time. And she said, well, I was the senior woman, so I was his escort. And I'm like, all right, I'm psyched to go to a garden party and like meet him. And I'm like, you really big footed me. You're like, I was his date. Okay, that would be one step up. But look it, I will admit the humor and it was very well written, it's very British, dry humor. But he delivered it very well. And I'm going to confess, I actually turned the senator next to me before the speech started. And I sort of wisecracked that he wasn't known to be the most riveting speaker. And he really surprised me. I was not expecting give a listen to some of the better jokes he had in his speech because they were really well done.

[King Charles III]

As Oscar Wilde said, we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except of course, language. Now, as you may know, when I address my own parliament at Westminster, we still follow an age old tradition and take a member of Parliament hostage, holding him or her at Buckingham palace until I am safely returned. These days we look after our guests rather well, to the point that they often do not want to leave. This is a city which symbolizes a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called a tale of two Georges. The first President, George Washington, and my five times great grandfather, King George iii. King George, as you know, never set foot in America. And please rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, I am not here as part of some cunning rear guard action 250 years ago, or as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, there's some really good lines there. That one right there, the 250 years, or as we say, just the other day, like, look, the speechwriters killed it. But he delivered the lines with a grin. And it was really, really, really fun to see him do that in such a fun way in front of Congress.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, I really like the I'm not here as some sort of cunning rear guard action that, that made me laugh out loud and actually when I just listened to it right now, made me laugh out loud again. Like that was funny and delivered really well. And I'll tell you, for those of you who are not watching this on YouTube, if you watched it, you can see him. The joke about, as Dickens would have said, a tale of two Georges. That joke didn't quite land and he sort of made this like self deprecating face. He acknowledged facially that it didn't land. Yeah. That it's a pun. It's a pun. That and when his facial expression is what prompted a bigger laugh and then a round of applause. But it was that in particular, you had to see the expression to see how he made it a winner. And I was really happily surprised. Now, his speech was good enough that here's what President Trump had to say about the speech afterwards.

[Donald Trump]

This is a great honor and we welcome Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom to the White House. Very special place. Very, very special. And I also want to, before we really begin, I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress. He got the Democrats to stand. I've never been able to do this. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. They liked him more than they've ever liked any Republican or Democrat.

[Ben Ferguson]

I love that Or Democrat, actually. Like, that was one of the best lines. And it goes back to, like, what I said at the beginning. I'm like, didn't the Democratic Party just, like, spend an entire, like, several months screaming no kings and having no kings protest? And they gave him, like, a glowing standing ovation multiple times, loving the King being there more than they'd ever do for any Republican, that's for sure.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, the White House today tweeted out a picture of President Trump and King Charles just with the words two kings, which. Which drove the left out of their minds.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, that was. That was good, easy trolling right there.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And I will say King Charles also had another couple of jokes at the state dinner at the White House. Give a listen to these.

[King Charles III]

On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the readjustments to The East Wing, Mr.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

President,

[King Charles III]

following your visit to Windsor Castle last year, And I'm sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, that's a great line right there. Like, whoever he hired, like, I want to steal them and bring them here. Because they were brilliant jokes.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And by the way, for the. For those of y' all who aren't students of history, in the war of 1812, the British burned the White House and, like, leveled it. And so that's. Look, I assume the King probably has a speechwriter on staff, but whether he used his normal speechwriter or brought in, it wouldn't surprise me if they actually brought in a comedy writer. I mean, yeah, for sure. Because there's. And what I like about the humor is it's just. It's the wry British humor. There's a dryness to it that just makes it really funny. But listen, I am glad that the King was here, and I am glad that both he and President Trump focused on the foundation of our culture, of our law, of our understanding, that our rights come from God Almighty, that governments are instituted to secure those rights, that history we've got this entire year, our 250th birthday is going to be a lot of discussion of that. And I think the Kings being here was. Was an important part of that.

[Ben Ferguson]

It really was. It was very cool. It was nice to see people come together and have this moment, especially after what we just had at the White House correspondence dinner.

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[Narrator]

I need your attention for 60 seconds.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Love.

[Narrator]

Generosity. Compassion. We say those words all the time. They sound good. They feel good. But here's the truth. Those words don't mean anything unless you turn turn them into action right now. Not later today, not tomorrow. There's a child in the world who doesn't know if they'll eat, if they'll have a chance to learn, or if there's any hope at all. And while we're busy, while life keeps moving, that child is waiting. This is where you come in. With Compassion International, you have the chance to change a child's future. Not with words, not with promises, but with real help that provides food, education and hope through local churches and people already in their community. Put your words into action. Introduce a child to a loving heavenly father. [e-mail] that's compassion.com I want to move

[Ben Ferguson]

sender on to another topic and that is some good news for people that are sick and tired of seeing crimes committed in one actual action. Especially when it comes to taxpayer dollars disappearing by the tens of billions. And now we have the FBI that is raided the the Minneapolis fraud ridden care centers, 20 plus of these that were actually rated by the FBI including the famous children's leering center that was supposed to say on their sign learning but it was just the leering center. That one was rated as well. And, and I am, I am excited to just say at least it looks like now we're getting some real action in into stopping this fraud. Into showing that if you take away taxpayer dollars this way and you send it to terrorist organizations like Al Shabaab and you bribe Democrats to look the other way like Governor Waltz, but with campaign contributions, somebody is at least going to come in and actually hold you accountable.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes, look, I'm very glad that there is finally going to be some accountability. 22 locations in Minneapolis raided by the FBI this week. You mentioned the Quality leering Center. Of course, their most proud graduate, Ilhan Omar, who actually is not technically.

[Ben Ferguson]

We had World War 11 yesterday. Did you know about that? We've had 11 world wars. That's impressive stuff. I didn't think the King of England knew that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It really is stunning. So she was giving a speech and the speech referenced World War II, but the two is two Roman numerals and that's how you normally write World War II. And she read that as World War 11.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, now. And didn't like correct herself. Just owned it and kept going like it was not like if you or I did that. And by the way, if you've ever read a speech and you're tired or you're just kind of it's a long day, you can, you might correct it. She had no clue, no idea.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, look, there's a level of ignorance there. If a ninth grader thought World War II was World War 11, you would flunk that ninth grader. I mean you think about it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Used to nowadays we'll just socially just pass them on in our public school system back in the good old days, you'd fail.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Look, look, Ilhan Omar is one of the leading Democrats. She and AOC and I mean the crazy squad is driving the agenda of Democrats today. And the level of ignorance of basic world history is really stunning. And Omar was also integral in covering up the Somali fraud in Minnesota. She was a beneficiary of it. She was elected by the fraudsters. The Somali voting base is her core base. Their money helped elect her. Their votes did elect her and she and Tim Walsh and the governor and Keith Ellison, the ag, they were all absolutely involved in the COVID up. They had every incentive. It was corrupt and we're talking over $9 billion of taxpayer money swindled away. And so here's what Fox News reported about the raids. Federal authorities raided more than 20 locations including childcare facilities in Minneapolis on Tuesday as part of a sweeping fraud investigation into largely Somali owned businesses. Sources confirmed to Fox News, quote, today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation. A Department of justice spokesperson said authorities executed 22 federal search warrants in Minnesota on Tuesday morning as part of the operation, which is not immigration related. Sources said the raid center on federal fraud investigations into largely Somali owned businesses, including childcare facilities that registered they their daycare with the state but were allegedly billing for care that was not provided. Sources told Fox News that two of the raids were conducted at the Quality Leering center and Baby Halim no child care, both in Minneapolis. Vice President J.D. vance addressed the raids Post on X writing, the task force of the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding. Governor Tim Waltz, this is, this is you. You want to talk about amazing chutzpah?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Said the raids were carried out by federal and state law enforcement after state agencies, quote, caught irregular behavior and reported it. Quote, if you commit fraud in Minnesota, you're going to get caught. And that's exactly what we saw today. We catch criminals when state and federal agencies share information, joint investigations work and securing justice depends upon it. Now that truly is stunning because Waltz, his entire governorship has looked the other way on massive fraud, has refused to investigate it, has profited from it, has been elected by it, has taken campaign donations from it. The entire Democrat machinery was built on fraud and now he's taking credit. That really is like the arsonist taking credit when the firefighters turn, turn up and put out the fire.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it really is. And it's all because now he's not running for reelection. Right. So he can just be like, oh, we're rooting out fraud and try to I guess rebuild his legacy so maybe he can have a grand comeback one day. I don't know if that's going to work. There's one Aspect of this though, Senator, that excites me. And it's the fact that it's clear this is the beginning, not the end based on what was said by the doj, like this is the tip of the iceberg. We're going to the catalyst point. And then there's been directives at all states, including Republican led states, to start looking at waste, fraud and abuse. They're looking at California. I think you're gonna see more people that are gonna be indicted and more places that are gonna be rated outside of Minnesota. That is exactly what the American people voted for, which was to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That is exactly right. And I will point out also that other blue states are coming. California is coming. I have every reason to expect, and indeed I've been told by senior officials in the administration, California is even worse than Minneapolis has been. And I want you also give a listen to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and what she revealed about fraud and abuse concerning snap, concerning food stamps. Give a listen to Secretary Rollins.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, this one's amazing. By the way, for context. This is about luxury cars and how many people on food stamps are driving like luxury cars. It's incredible sharing.

[Cancer Survivor]

Previously no data was shared. We had no idea where the taxpayer dollars were spent, just one red state. The recent dump of data we found SNAP recipients had more than 2,000 Tesla owners, 200 Alfa Romeo owners, more than 144 that were receiving food stamps were driving Porsches. Again, this is the data dumps we're getting because that we before forward we had no accountability on any of these programs. We now are requiring accountability. The blue states are suing us. They don't want to share the data. And can you imagine this was a red state where there is actually some taxpayer accountability. Imagine what's happening in the blue states if that's happening in the red states.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, I love that. It's like a bunch of Tesla owners, Alfa Romeo also Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs. And you're on food stamps. Like these were high end luxury cars, Ben.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It's even worse. So let me give some additional breakdown. So there are 306 Land Rovers that

[Ben Ferguson]

cheap, by the way.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

There were 59 Maseratis.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, that's a food stamp car.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You know that there were 11 Lamborghinis, there were three Ferraris and there were three Bentleys. These are people getting food stamps, driving a quarter million dollar or more like a Lamborghini. Could be a million dollar car depending on which one they had. Yeah, that is an absolute abuse. And if that happened in just one red state that handed over its data. How much do you think it's happening in Minnesota? How much do you think it's happening in New York? How much do you think it is happening in Illinois? How much you think it's happening in California? The numbers are going to be stunning.

[Ben Ferguson]

Every, every time they went after and got somebody there for fraud recently, what were they doing? You saw them putting in a six figure car that was being seized and in some of the cases there was like multiple six figure cars that were being seized center and put on flatbeds. Like yeah, they finally raid the house of this fraudster and look at what they had. Like if you're on food stamps and you're driving a Lambo or a Ferrari or a Maserati, like you are defrauding the US Government full stop.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Amen. Hallelujah. And listen, I'm very glad the Trump administration is having some accountability. Let me read from what the New York Post wrote about this story about Ferrari drivers on food stamps. So it's entitled Ferrari Drivers on Food Stamps How States Help Scammers Gain Welfare, New York Post what do a university professor, a celebrity barber and a professional football player have in common? All three bought new six figure luxury sports cars and lived lavish lifestyles while collecting food stamps. How on earth can these quote, welfare recipients purchase high end vehicles while remaining on the dole? Thanks to a federal loophole known as broad based categorical eligibility. The Clinton administration manufactured this loophole and the Obama administration supercharged it. Currently, 43 states in Washington D.C. used broad based categorical eligibility to bypass federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility limits on income, assets, or both. The mechanism, based on a federal law that was meant to minimize states administrative cost, is simple. State welfare agencies print up a brochure about welfare programs or set up an informal hotline and deem it a quote benefit under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Anyone who touches that pamphlet, touches or receives the phone number is then treated as being, quote, categorically eligible for food stamps, even millionaires. It's fraud by Design that distributes benefits intended for the truly needy to otherwise ineligible individuals under the insidious goal of maximizing enrollment and dependency. And it works in almost every state. Researchers from the foundation for Government Accountability examined DE identified data on food stamp enrollment in a single representative state. The data set matched recipients with jobs, addresses, car registrations and more. And then then they redacted the personal details before the researchers reviewed. That's what produced these outcomes. And by the way, it also Thousands use Social Security numbers that federal databases could not verify that included real numbers with mismatched names and birthdays. Numbers issued years before the applicant's date of birth, numbers of people who died years ago, and numbers that don't even exist. All are clear.

[Ben Ferguson]

And they still got him.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That both stolen identities and synthetic identities are being used to defraud the system. The BBC loophole doesn't just expand enrollments. It creates the condition for outright criminals to flourish. When state agencies eliminate asset checks, they tear out the trip wires that cost fraudulent applications. This is so a case in point. The wealthy professor barber and professional athlete that FGA researchers spotted could be victims of identity fraud. Because SNAP intentionally allows anything to serve as proof of identity, even a library card. If states were cross checking income and assets, those cases would be flagged as potential fraud. Thousands more. Here's something else. Thousands more food stamp recipients in the study enrolled using IP addresses traced to foreign countries, including China, Mexico and Canada. More than 5,000 applicants in this state used foreign based email addresses to apply. And countless others used disposable emails, the kind designed for identity theft and phishing. Look, the USDA puts improper food stamp payments at $10.4 billion a year with a B. That's more than one in every ten dollars spent on the program. And so now we're going after that fraud. And I'm here to say, yes, this is what I voted for. Holding the criminals accountable. And by the way, holding the Democrats accountable who have enabled this theft of taxpayer fraud. You want to know what the Democrats stand for? They stand for Somali fraudsters stealing your tax money and sending it to Al Shabaab, Islamist terrorist. And Somalia. They stand for thieves driving Bentleys and Lamborghinis and Ferraris who say they need food stamps and stealing your money, that is. And by the way, look, sometimes Heidi will say, gosh, you know, that rhetoric sounds really harsh. Well, Ben, if the Democrats don't stand for that, then I just want to ask you a question. Why wouldn't Democrat governors do what the Trump administration has done? Why wouldn't they go after and cut them off? And they don't do it because ideologically they are in favor of it. If they just said, I mean, is there one Democrat in the country will say, all right, we're going to have a rule. Nobody on food stamps can have a Ferrari. Like if you have a Ferrari, sell your damn card.

[Ben Ferguson]

Stamps.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, and buy your food with that money you get for selling your car. But you don't get if you got the money for a Ferrari. We ain't paying for your food. I got to say, that sounds like common sense and there's not a single Democrat governor in the country that's saying that.

[Ben Ferguson]

Amen to that. Don't forget we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscribe or Auto Download button. Please share this podcast with your family and friends. Share it on your social media pages wherever you are on social media and the Senator and I will see you back here on Friday morning.

[Sponsor - TryJoyBox]

Most Mother's Day gifts end up in a drawer, but a song lives in the heart forever. This year, tryjoybox.com is giving away 1 million free custom songs to celebrate 1 million incredible moms. Just share a few memories and Joybox produces an original track and greeting card just for her instantly. It's the most personal gift you'll ever give and right now, it's completely free. Make mom the star of her own [e-mail] 1,000,000 songs $0 [e-mail] the wait is almost over.

[Sponsor - NFL]

Get ready for the NFL season with the highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release. Every rivalry, every rematch and every Rookie Day view with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed, Be there for every can't miss moment. The full NFL schedule release coming in may. Get all the [e-mail] ScheduleRelease

[Martha Stewart]

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[Cancer Survivor]

I need to be healthy every day to survive it and go through the next chemo round and the next chemo round, so it's important that work was part of that to keep my mind busy for 8, 9 hours and then I had to go back and face the reality. I had a goal and the goal is to survive.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Research shows there is a significant connection

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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