Verdict with Ted Cruz - "Liberals Celebrate Kirk Assassination on Social Media, 'Love' Texts from Assassin to Boyfriend & Designating Antifa as Terrorist Organization Week In Review"

Date: September 20, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Episode Overview

This "Weekend Review" episode dives deep into transformative news of the week, focusing on the aftermath and media response to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The episode examines the reactions on social media and in traditional media, unpacks newly released text messages between the assassin and his transgender boyfriend, and details legislative and executive moves to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization. Throughout, Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson highlight perceived double standards in media coverage, the weaponization of language, and the political importance of tracking the funding behind left-wing activism and political violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media and Social Media Reaction to Charlie Kirk's Assassination

[03:07 – 11:34]

• Double Standards in Political Violence:

  • The hosts note a stark contrast between the conservative reaction to Kirk’s assassination and violence seen in other political contexts:
    • “Did any cities get burned down? No, none. Police officers that were attacked? No. Was there any assaults on people because that were angry? No.” (Sen. Cruz, 03:57)
  • They accuse mainstream media and left-wing pundits of not condemning those who celebrated Kirk's death, and even enabling such sentiment.

• Debate on Free Speech vs. Consequences:

  • Cruz and Ferguson clarify the boundaries of free speech:
    • “...you have a First Amendment right to say unbelievably horrible hateful things...The First Amendment does not mean that you are immune from the consequences of your speech.” (Cruz, 05:04)
  • Citing hypothetical situations, they argue that expressing joy over murder, especially from positions of power, should have consequences, such as losing a job or being expelled from university.
  • Ferguson references the president of the Oxford Union, who celebrated Kirk's death on social media, as an example of toxic normalization of violence.

• Polling Data on Political Violence:

  • The hosts reference polling that allegedly shows “50.2%” of self-described left-of-center respondents justify the murder of Elon Musk, and “56%” for Donald Trump, highlighting leftist radicalization. (Ferguson, 07:44)
  • They urge Democrats to forcefully denounce violence, citing Bill Maher's stance that “Donald Trump is not Hitler. Stop saying that.” (Ted Cruz, 09:29)
    • Notable quote:
      • "Stop saying it. Exactly. Well. And I think now they're realizing that using the words fascist and Hitler and these types of things has desensitized people and allowed for this type of violence to become reality." (Sen. Cruz, 09:29)

• Silver Linings in Response:

  • Despite the tragedy, the hosts find solace in public support for Kirk after his death:
    • “His Christian testimony has become so powerful. I will say his wife, Erica, the speech she gave this week reduced me to tears.” (Ben Ferguson, 10:22)
    • The aftermath has prompted more people to engage with Kirk’s work, go to church, and read the Bible.

• Call to Investigate Funding:

  • Cruz and Ferguson urge authorities to “follow the money” behind left-wing activism and violence:
    • “There is real money that is going into these riots. On campus that is going into funding Antifa, that is going into funding Black Lives Matter. ...We need to follow the money behind the radicalization.” (Cruz, 11:02)

2. The Assassin’s Text Messages and Media Coverage

[14:42 – 27:16]

• Newly Released Text Messages:

  • Ferguson reads disturbing texts between the assassin and his transgender boyfriend, emphasizing that they serve as a full confession:
    • “Now, number one, reading those text exchanges, it is 100% clear. It's not 99%. It's not 98%. It's 100% clear. This defendant is the murderer. He is the assassin.” (Ferguson, 18:57)
  • The texts indicate clear motive and premeditation, including explicit details.
  • Both hosts refuse to name the perpetrator (“I don't repeat these bastards name.” - Ferguson, 15:34) to deny notoriety.

• Criticism of Mainstream Media’s Framing:

  • They accuse networks like CNN and MSNBC of obscuring the motive.

    • “Kaitlan Collins and CNN and msnbc, they say, we don't know the motive. ... Yes, they have. They repeatedly laid out the motive. ...He was not hiding his motive.” (Sen. Cruz, 19:51)

  • The most heated criticism is leveled at ABC News for how they covered the text messages, alleging they romanticized the relationship and overlooked the gravity of the crime.

    • Memorable exchange with ABC audio:
      • “[ABC] It was very touching in a way that I think many of us didn’t expect. A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself...” (ABC, 21:11)
    • Hosts’ response:
      • “Touching and loving. Oh, these text messages. I murdered this person for you. Oh, my love. Pitter patter, pitter patter. That is repulsive.” (Ben Ferguson, 22:14)
      • “It’s like what in the world are you guys doing over there at ABC News with your Special Report live coverage?” (Sen. Cruz, 21:58)

• ABC’s “Doubling Down”:

  • The hosts play a second clip where ABC’s Matt Gutman insists again on the emotional and “touching” aspects of the exchange:
    • “He kept calling him my love. My reason for doing this is to protect you, you know, but also asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement. So there's this heartbreaking duality...” (Matt Gutman, 24:38)
    • Cruz and Ferguson find this framing “repulsive” and symptomatic of what they view as a broader media corruption.

3. Pursuing Antifa as a Terrorist Organization & Following the Money

[30:12 – 38:10]

• Cruz’s Senate Judiciary Committee Exchange with FBI Director (Kash Patel):

  • Cruz recounts urging the FBI and administration to “follow the money” behind violent protests and to officially designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.
    • “Antifa. Do you believe Antifa is a terrorist organization?...I would encourage the administration to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.” (Ben Ferguson & Sen. Cruz, 30:33)
  • He introduces (and supports) the Stop Funders Act, which would add rioting as a RICO predicate, enabling the prosecution of those who financially support violent protests.

• Testimony and Trump Administration Action:

  • Cruz details how, the day after his Judiciary Committee push, President Trump responds by declaring his intention to designate Antifa a terrorist organization, with heavy consequences for its funders.
    • “Trump described the group as, quote, a sick, dangerous, radical left disaster. ...strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated...” (Ferguson, 33:57)
  • Cruz asserts that this move distinguishes protected speech from criminal conduct:
    • “Free speech is protected. You can say things that are vile, ...Conduct is not protected. When you engage in violence, it is not protected. What an TIFA is doing, engaging in violence, engaging in harassment, engaging in threats, that is not protected.” (Cruz, 35:18)

• Foreign and Domestic Funding Claims:

  • Cruz suspects Antifa and related protests are funded from both foreign hostile actors (Qatar, Iran, China) and wealthy leftist donors like George Soros.

• Importance of RICO Prosecutions:

  • Discussion of the need to attack not just “street-level” actors but the network of financiers:
    • “If you want to solve the problem, it's why I've introduced the legislation, the Stop Funders Act. Because RICO is an incredibly powerful tool to prosecute not just an individual defendant, but a criminal organization.” (Cruz, 36:13)

• Host’s Concluding Distinction:

  • “If you engage in violence, it is not speech. Violence is not speech.” (Ben Ferguson, 37:47)
  • Cruz and Ferguson maintain that the true task is to protect all forms of speech, even distasteful ones, but to draw a hard line at violence.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Free Speech and Consequences:
  • "The First Amendment does not mean that you are immune from the consequences of your speech." (Sen. Cruz, 05:04)
  • "If you go in and tell your boss, go screw yourself, yeah, you're gonna get fired." (Cruz, 07:42)
• On Normalizing Political Violence:
  • “This is a problem when you define your opponent as Hitler, Nazi, evil, fascist. That is a permission structure to then say violence is an appropriate response.” (Ferguson, 07:44)
  • “Now they're realizing that using the words fascist and Hitler and these types of things has desensitized people and allowed for this type of violence to become reality." (Cruz, 09:29)
• On ABC’s Coverage:
  • “That is repulsive. It is repulsive that ABC News is gushing over this psychopathic murderer...To them it is sweet and beautiful. This radical leftist murdering Charlie Kirk. I got a message for you guys. It’s not sweet and it’s not beautiful.” (Ben Ferguson, 22:14)
• On Antifa as a Terrorist Organization:
  • “There’s a big difference between a political organization and a terrorist organization. And Antifa has all the markings, as you described it, of a terrorist organization.” (Sen. Cruz, 37:13)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:07] - Start of main content, outlining episode themes
• [07:44] - Discussion of political violence polling and the normalization of rhetoric
• [10:22] - Reaction to public mourning and rallying support for Kirk
• [14:42] - Examination of assassin’s text messages
• [21:11] - ABC News coverage and hosts' reaction
• [24:38] - Second ABC News segment, hosts' strong response
• [30:12] - Details on Cruz’s exchange with Cash Patel and legislative push
• [33:57] - Trump administration responds, officially moves to designate Antifa
• [36:13] - RICO strategy explanation
• [37:47] - Summarizing distinction between speech and violence

Tone & Language

• The tone is passionate, assertive, and often combative toward mainstream media and political adversaries.
• Both hosts use vivid, unfiltered language to emphasize points (e.g., “repulsive,” “psychopathic murderer,” “gushing”).
• There is a consistent focus on double standards and perceived left-wing hypocrisy.

For Listeners

• This episode synthesizes a critical conservative take on the week’s events, centered on the intersection of political violence, media coverage, free speech, and policy.
• The show is especially notable for its unflinching criticism of media responses and the push for real-world policy change regarding Antifa.
• Listeners interested in further details can find extended discussions in the full episodes referenced by the hosts.