Mayhem in Minneapolis: Why it's Happening, How to Stop it & Why Dems Will Shut the Government Down to Encourage More

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode Title: Mayhem in Minneapolis: Why it's Happening, How to Stop it & Why Dems Will Shut the Government Down to Encourage More
Date: January 26, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson
Notable Guest: Chris Klein (co-founder, Bitcoin IRA)

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Overview

In this highly charged episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson tackle the escalating violence in Minneapolis surrounding ICE operations, dissect the political motivations fueling the unrest, and predict an imminent government shutdown driven by Democratic opposition to ICE funding. The conversation is candid, often sharp, focusing on the interplay between local politics, law enforcement confrontations, national narrative, and the broader impact on American political life.

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1. Opening Remarks: Winter Storms & Family Time

[02:45 – 05:44]

• The episode opens with light banter about the severe winter storm impacting much of the country, particularly Texas.
• Cruz and Ferguson share advice about staying safe, segueing into humorous personal stories about playing family games during snow-ins, poking fun at mahjong versus poker.
• Tone: Conversational, relatable, playful.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Cruz: “If you don't teach your boys to play poker, you are failing as a father.” (05:02)

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2. The Mayhem in Minneapolis: Context and Critique

[07:20 – 14:13]

Key Discussion Points:

• The pair zero in on the turmoil in Minneapolis, describing the situation as both tragic and manufactured.
• Cruz underscores the tragedy of law enforcement shootings but stresses the importance of context, noting many confrontations are being escalated by activist rhetoric and political posturing.
• Comparison between Texas and Minnesota: More ICE arrests occur in Texas, but violence against ICE is concentrated in Minneapolis due to what Cruz calls deliberate local government resistance.

Insights:

• Politicians and activists are, according to Cruz, inciting further confrontation with inflammatory rhetoric and by refusing to cooperate with federal authorities.
• Cruz and Ferguson urge listeners to de-escalate personally and avoid confrontations with law enforcement, especially when armed.
• The Second Amendment is defended, but both co-hosts make clear that carrying firearms to potentially volatile protests is ill-advised.

Memorable Quotes:

• Cruz: “Everyone who has anything resembling a conscience is horrified by what's happening in Minneapolis. And what I want to call on everyone to do is just… ratchet things down, ratchet the rhetoric down, ratchet the anger down.” (07:24)
• Ferguson: “Fighting police officers while having a firearm on you is always stupid. You're putting your life at risk.” (15:39)
• Cruz: “Just because you have a right to do something doesn't mean that doing it in those circumstances isn't stupid.” (16:59)

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3. Law Enforcement, Political Rhetoric, and Escalating Violence

[10:34 – 20:35]

Key Discussion Points:

• Ferguson and Cruz sharply criticize Minnesota politicians for, in their view, inciting unrest. They claim Democrat officials are encouraging direct action against ICE, even at the risk of violence.
• Cruz details specific incidents, including a protester biting off an officer’s finger and another being arrested with tire spikes, to illustrate what he sees as organized, well-funded opposition.
• Both hosts connect these tactics and rhetoric to broader left-wing opposition to federal law enforcement and border security.

Notable Quotes:

• Cruz: “Democrat politicians are behaving with reckless irresponsibility, urging citizens, go out, find ICE, confront ICE… the flames being fanned… calling federal law enforcement officers Nazis or Klansmen or Gestapo.” (10:34)
• Cruz: “We are seeing sadly Leftist targeting ICE agents for murder. And if you have that firearm and you're engaged in violence, the agent's perception of the physical threat to them is understandably much, much higher.” (17:07)
• Ferguson: “I would say putting their citizens lives at risk and encouraging it. They're not pulling back. After we saw the last lady that was shot when she was running over an ICE agent…” (18:17)

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4. The Politics of Scandal and Distraction in Minnesota

[20:00 – 24:20]

Key Discussion Points:

• The controversy is tied to a massive fraud scandal in Minnesota—over $9 billion allegedly stolen in the state’s Somali community—which the hosts argue Democratic officials want to distract from by inflaming the ICE narrative.
• Cruz links the events in Minneapolis to a history of organized protest and violence, referencing the city’s role in the George Floyd protests and suggesting militant and funded operations against law enforcement.

Notable Quotes:

• Cruz: “Many of those Democrat politicians are complicit and face their own liability for what is to date the most massive taxpayer fraud that has ever been discovered. There may be larger ones in states like California and New York, but Minnesota is right now the single largest in the history of America.” (20:35)
• Cruz: “A violent effort to take over a city is in fact an insurrection sustained, engaged in violence, funded. And we are seeing that.” (22:46)

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5. National Media, Narrative-Shaping, and the "Soccer Mom" Voter

[26:15 – 29:48]

Key Discussion Points:

• The discussion turns to the strategic use of stories by Democrats and mainstream media to target moderate suburban women (the “soccer mom vote”), especially with emotive, not always accurate, anecdotes of ICE overreach.
• Cruz pushes back on misleading news stories, such as ICE allegedly detaining a 5-year-old, arguing the facts were misrepresented by major news networks.

Notable Quotes:

• Cruz: “This is a political campaign. And tragically, it's a political campaign that is costing people's lives.” (29:29)
• Ferguson: “They ran it into the ground... that a 5 year old was detained by ICE. And they didn’t correct that story.” (32:32)

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6. Looming Government Shutdown: Motivations & Mechanics

[26:15 – 37:36]

Key Discussion Points:

• Ferguson introduces the likelihood that Democrats will leverage the ICE controversy to force a government shutdown, framing it as a noble fight against "abuse" by federal agencies.
• Cruz predicts, with certainty, a government shutdown orchestrated by Democrats and rooted in their stance to defund ICE.
• The hosts break down which federal agencies would be affected, with DHS and ICE directly in the crosshairs.

Notable Quotes:

• Cruz: “Yes, 100%. Yes.” (on whether a shutdown is coming) (36:12)
• Cruz: “We will not fund ICE under any circumstances and we will shut the government down.” (36:39)
• Cruz: “The Democrats are saying we won’t fund it. So what will happen? I think there’s a chance… the Democrats are going to force a shutdown and I think they want it to be extended.” (40:43)
• Ferguson: "Almost like they're running in the midterms on this issue of ICE." (41:26)

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7. Closing Arguments: Policy, Politics, and Ongoing Coverage

[41:34 – 42:36]

Key Discussion Points:

• Cruz contends Democrats' messaging amounts to siding "with the criminals."
• Ferguson commits to continued coverage of these issues and urges sharing of the podcast to counter dominant media narratives.

Notable Quotes:

• Cruz: “We are defunding ICE. We are abolishing ICE. We are against law enforcement. We’re with the criminals. That’s their messaging.” (41:34)

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8. Special Segment: Crypto Investing and Diversification

[32:45 – 35:14]

Key Discussion Points:

• Brief shift to an interview with Chris Klein from Bitcoin IRA, discussing the mainstreaming of crypto in retirement investing.
• Klein dispels the myth that cryptocurrency is only for young investors and explains the scarcity model of Bitcoin.

Notable Quotes:

• Klein: “This isn't our grandfather's economy. And grandfathers are buying bitcoin and putting it inside of their retirement for long term holdings.” (34:09)

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9. Notable, Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On ICE and Preparedness:
  • Cruz: “If you are anticipating getting in a violent confrontation with police officers… leave [your firearm] at home.” (17:07)
• On Minneapolis Unrest:
  • Cruz: “It's not an accident that this is happening in Minneapolis… an organized, funded resistance… operates in many ways like a military force.” (20:35)
• On Political Strategy:
  • Cruz: “It's entirely about telling a story to pull on people's heartstrings and to cause suburban voters who are not paying close attention to say, oh, this has gone too far.” (29:48)
• On the Upcoming Shutdown:
  • Cruz: “Yes, 100%. The last government shutdown… was the longest in US history… Here, they are going to tell the narrative. We will not fund ICE under any circumstances and we will shut the government down.” (36:12, 36:39)

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10. Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Winter Weather Banter & Family Games: 02:45 – 05:44
• Minneapolis Confrontations Begin: 07:20
• Law Enforcement Use-of-Force Discussion: 10:26 – 14:13
• Political Rhetoric and Escalation: 18:17 – 22:46
• Fraud Scandal in Minnesota Discussed: 20:00 – 24:20
• Democrats’ Electoral Strategy/Narrative Shaping: 26:15 – 29:48
• Breakdown of Agency Funding & Shutdown Mechanics: 37:36 – 41:46

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Tone & Style Notes

The episode is assertive, conspiratorial, and intensely critical of Democratic motives and media narratives. Both Cruz and Ferguson encourage personal responsibility and de-escalation but frame the broader conflict in existential, partisan terms. Humor is used to lighten the beginning and humanize the hosts. Throughout, the language is informal, direct, and sometimes confrontational—mirroring the style loyal listeners appreciate.

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For Listeners: Core Takeaways

• Escalation in Minneapolis is Depicted as Politically Manufactured and funded, used to catalyze a broader struggle over federal immigration policy.
• Government Shutdown Looms: Democrats are ready and, in the hosts’ view, eager to halt federal operations over ICE funding as a political strategy.
• Media Narrative Is Key: The episode repeatedly claims that emotive, and sometimes misleading, news coverage is shaping voter perceptions—particularly among suburban women.
• Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to remain vigilant, share the podcast, and scrutinize both political rhetoric and headlines for context and accuracy.

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Transcript

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome to the special Snowmageddon version of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. And there's a lot of you that are listening that I know are dealing with the insanity of the freezing rain and the snow. I hope you're enjoying it with your kids, making some memories, but it's a lot going on, Senator. So for everybody out there that is listening, God bless you. Stay warm.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, stay warm and stay safe. There are power outages across the country. There is snow and ice across about half of the country. The state of Texas is largely engulfed in the winter storm. There's snow and ice up north. You and I, Ben, are both in Houston right now. Houston's still in the 30s, so we haven't had snow or ice supposed to drop to the 20s tonight. And look, my counsel to everyone is stay safe. If you don't need to be on icy roads, don't go out on icy roads. Take some time and be home with the kids. Keep your family safe. It's a good excuse to do something with your kids. Do something with your wife or your husband, and just don't take any unnecessary travel right now. Stay safe and make sure you keep your family safe.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, center, have you played this game called mahjong yet?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Do I look like a 90 year old woman?

[Ben Ferguson]

Okay, I. This is what happens, see, you come up with this idea, Spend time with your family, play games. And I got suckered into my first ever game of mahjong. I literally wanted to beat my head against. So if it's offered to you, run is what I'm trying to tell you. I barely made it through a game. I just. It was. It was like watching paint dry, but more painful.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So. So, Ben, I'm actually male. So. So. So, no, I have not played that game.

[Ben Ferguson]

I told you, I got suckered into it. This is what happens. It's like, oh, let's play games.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I did this week play a game called poker. You may have heard of it. It's something that men do when they gather.

[Ben Ferguson]

I also got in trouble. This is what happens. Okay, I'm glad you brought that up. I got in trouble for teaching my twins, who are 6 and my 9 year old, how to play Texas Holden with chips. I was like, we're not playing for Money. We're just playing for chips. I got in trouble, therefore I got punished with mahjong. So it full circle. I'm glad that you figured that out there.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. You know that's. You're failing as a father chip right here.

[Ben Ferguson]

Do you see this?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

There it is.

[Chris Klein]

Yeah.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

If. If you don't teach your boys to play poker, you are failing as a father.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thank you. Okay. I'm gonna quote you on that way as my rebuttal later on.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm not sure that will get you out of any trouble at all.

[Ben Ferguson]

All I know is whoever made Mahjan, I. I want to get in a bar fight with him. I just want to be on the record for that. It may be the dumbest game I've ever played. Come at me on the comments.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I think it's like a 2000 year old Chinese woman.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, I believe. And if I found her, it may be the first I'd ever even think about hitting a woman. I just want it. That's how much I hate this game. Like I just. I'll be on the record. I'm fine with that. You can come at me in the comments section.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm saying if the 2000 year old Chinese woman happens to be alive, I'm not sure you want to fight her because there's zombie action going on.

[Chris Klein]

That's true.

[Ben Ferguson]

I'll be throwing poker chips at her. I like it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

All right.

[Ben Ferguson]

We got a lot to talk about on today's show. And. And you've been warned, men out there about mahjong. Don't take the bait. I don't care how cold it or if. How long the power is off or how close the mahjong table is to the fireplace. Don't take the bait. I want to take a quick moment and talk to you about an incredible organization and it is called Compassion International and how you can get involved. I want you to just pause what you're doing for the next 60 seconds and I want you to imagine Lucy, a 7 year old. Her stomach often aches with hunger. Her small hands instead of holding crayons. Not only the struggle of survival on dusty streets. School is a distant dream. Medical care, a forgotten hope. Lucy's potential is overshadowed. Her future is dim. But what if someone stepped in? What if there was a way to ignite hope for children just like Lucy? Well, there is. And that is with Compassion International partners and the local churches that provide children holistic support. More than just food, they receive critical medical care, life changing education, vital skills training and spiritual development all in Jesus's name. And you can empower a child just like Lucy to break free from poverty. I want you to do what I've done and sponsor a child today. You can visit compassion.com, that's compassion.com. we've got a lot Minneapolis we got to talk about, Senator, and the chaos there. We also have a government shutdown that's looming, apparently over this, this issue with ice. Let's go through that real quick.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, let's, let's start with, with Minneapolis. And listen, everyone who has anything resembling a conscience is horrified by what's happening in Minneapolis. And what I want to call on everyone to do is just, just, just ratchet things down, ratchet the, the, the rhetoric down, ratchet the anger down. You know, we, we are a nation and we're supposed to be one nation. And right now we're seeing a confrontation. Now, look, this is an organized confrontation. This is a deliberate confrontation. We're gonna talk about that. But I wanna start with the rhetoric that politicians are using on both sides and the rhetoric, frankly, that people are using, just people on both sides on X are using, where on one side they view every shooting as an absolute tragedy as evidence that, that America has become Nazi Germany. On the other side, you see some people that seem pretty eager to celebrate a violent and lethal confrontation with law enforcement. And listen, there are lethal confrontations with law enforcement. They happen. But anytime you have an American who is killed in a confrontation with law enforcement, it is tragic that a life is lost. Particularly in this instance, we now have two people, two Americans who've been killed in confrontations with law enforcement, who from all appearances, are not violent criminals. They don't have long criminal records, or at least if they do, we don't know them right now. There's no indication that they do. And anytime you have an encounter gone wrong that results in a fatality, there is cause for mourning, there is cause for grief. You know that that was somebody's mother, that was somebody's brother or sister or father, and you know that that's a tragedy. At the same time, we can ask, what has caused these shootings? What has caused these violent encounters? I'll give you an amazing stat which, which is in Texas, where you and I both live, there have been anywhere from 6 times to 10 times as many ICE arrests in Texas as there have been in Minnesota. The numbers vary, but according to 2026 reports, Texas has seen approximately 60,000 arrests, ICE arrests, compared to approximately 10,000 in Minnesota. That's one estimate that there are numbers that vary but we're not seeing violent confrontations with ICE in Texas. And I think there are a couple of reasons for that. One, the state and local officials are cooperating. Local police are working with the federal immigration enforcement agents. In Minnesota, the governor, the mayor, the local officials have decided to. To. Well, to use Tim Walter's word, go to war with the federal government.

[Ben Ferguson]

Civil war is what they're describing. And you have that governor there over his fence, like, yelling and encouraging people to. To go after ice.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You have Democrat politicians who are behaving with reckless irresponsibility, urging citizens, go out, find ice, confront ice, get in their way, frustrate them, block them from arresting violent criminals, from arresting murderers, from arresting gang bangers, from molesting child molesters. And you see those efforts that. That really. The flames being fanned as you use rhetoric calling federal law enforcement officers Nazis or Klansmen or Gestapo. Well, that. That leads to the temperature going up and up and up. I'll say. Secondly, just a word of advice to anyone who is in an interaction with law enforcement, which is don't do anything on your own side to escalate. If you are driving a vehicle, an suv, and you drive that vehicle directly into a law enforcement agent, the odds are quite significant you will be met with lethal force. That's true in Minnesota. It's true most places across the country, that if you respond to law enforcement with violence, you are risking your own safety and your own life. Likewise, this latest shooting. Look, as we sit here today, we don't know all the facts. And one of the things I would urge people to do is not to just leap to conclusions. Anytime you have an officer involved shooting, there's always an investigation. That is standard practice in just about any context. And so there'll be an investigation here. You and I have both seen a number of the videos. It is hard to tell from the videos exactly what happened. There's a lot of day after quarterbacking going first, frame by frame. What I can tell you is this. We know that the individual who lost his life came to the protest. He came to the protest, as has been reported, multiple times, with a firearm, with. With multiple magazines of ammunition. And. And there was a violent confrontation that ultimately resulted in his being shot and killed. What exactly transpired, I'm gonna wait for the investigation to figure that out. There are basic rules that govern when officers, either police or federal law enforcement officers, when they can permissibly use lethal force. They can use lethal force if they reasonably believe that their safety is in danger or the Safety of others are in danger and so they can use lethal force. If in the instance of the first woman who was killed, we saw it, it took a couple of days for it to come out. The video of the ICE agent from his camera and she clearly drives the vehicle straight into him and hits him. And the ICE agent ended up going to the hospital with internal injuries. If you actually run over a law enforcement officer, that that is a justifiable use of lethal force. With respect to the most recent incident, it will depend upon the extent to which the agents reasonably believed that that the individual posed a threat to them and he had a gun. There was confusion, confusion at the time. And so there needs to be an investigation. Here's what they can't do. What they can't do is if a suspect is fleeing and by the way, fleeing even if they've committed a crime, there's a classic example of someone steals a television and they're running away with the television. An officer is not allowed to shoot someone in the back even as if they're committing a crime.

[Ben Ferguson]

Exactly.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The Supreme Court has ruled that you cannot use that lethal force to shoot someone in the back when they're fleeing a crime. So whether it is a good shoot or a bad shoot turns on the question of did the officers reasonably believe that the individual posed a serious threat to themselves or to others. They could intervene if someone is getting ready to hurt somebody else, they can also use lethal force to prevent that. I'll say this also, though that question will take some time in an investigation to resolve. But the individual who was shot, he could have avoided that risk altogether. All of this he could have avoided, number one. Number one, he could have chosen not to go to the protest. That's one choice. Now you might say, well, he feels passionately that he disagrees with what ICE is doing and he wants to exercise his First Amendment rights, okay, Those are protected. He has that right. Secondly, he could have chosen to go there and not bring a firearm. Now, lots of folks on on X are going back and forth saying the Second Amendment, you got a right to bring your gun. And you're right, you do. You do have a right to bring your gun. That being said, if you are going into an environment where there is a reasonable possibility that you will get in a violent confrontation with law enforcement, my advice to everyone, leave your damn gun home. If you are anticipating violent confrontation with law enforcement, you're having a gun.

[Ben Ferguson]

If you're wanting to get arrested, if you're wanting to get a mug shot that day, and there's some protesters that got there and they want to get arrested. It's pro. And if you're going to fight the police there, there's two, by the way, there's two different types of being arrested. You go back to civil rights. And there was. And Martin Luther King was a perfect example of this. Many times they knew they were going to be arrested, but they did in a very peaceful manner. Fighting police officers while having a firearm on you is always stupid. You're putting your life at risk. As my dad said, we were talking about this, and he's obviously life in law enforcement. I carry a gun. I. When I'm pulled over, the first thing I do is I tell that police officer I have a gun. Absolutely to know it. What do you want me to do? I can either take it off, I can put on the floorboard, it's on my holster, you know, my waist, whatever. But you don't. You have a right to carry a gun. And I think this is one of those things. I think it's important we make it clear I'm in favor of people carrying gun. You are as well. What I'm not in favor of is saying that carrying a gun while fighting a cop is somehow protected as part of your Second Amendment. That is not how it works. And there's too many people out there, they're like, well, so now you guys are saying you're not in favor of the Second Amendment. No, I'm in favor of the Second Amendment. I'm also in favor of you not fighting law enforcement while having a gun on your person and putting their lives at risk because you're putting their lives at risk and your own life at risk. I just want to get that off my chest because I've been seeing these Internet warriors and they drive me insane.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And look, just because you have a right to do something doesn't mean that doing it in those circumstances isn't stupid.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

If you are anticipating getting in a violent confrontation with police officers, by the way, that's stupid in and of itself. You should not get in a violent confrontation with police officers. But if you are entering an environment where you see that as a reasonable possibility, if you have an IQ that breaks room temperature, any firearm you have, leave it at home. Why? Because in a violent confrontation with law enforcement, if you have a firearm, the odds of that confrontation escalating rise dramatically. Look, police officers don't know if. If you intend to use that firearm to. To commit harm, to harm others, or to harm them. We are seeing sadly Leftist targeting ICE agents for murder. And if you have that firearm and you're engaged in violence, the agent's perception of the physical threat to them is understandably much, much higher. Yep. Had that individual left his gun at home he almost certainly would be alive today. And third, I'd say don't engage in a violent confrontation with law enforcement. Don't. And listen many of, and by the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Way, I wish the Governor Walts would also say the same thing you're saying right now. I wish the mayor would say the same thing as well because they're out there basically saying they're not going to risk their lives. They're wanting people to hire people and, and, and to encourage others to show up and, and, and basically go out there and risk their lives. They're going to stay in their mansions, they're going to stay back in their billion dollar yachts writing these checks to these protesters and follow the money. But you've got a governor and a mayor there that are, that are deliberately, I would say putting their citizens lives at risk and encouraging it. They're not pulling back. After we saw the last lady that was shot when she was running over an ICE agent with a two ton car. They've encouraged more of that which I also think is very sick for them as an elected official.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It is reckless and it is irresponsible and they're doing it. I will say from the political agenda of a leftist. Seeing more civilians killed in confrontations with ICE agents furthers their political agenda. They want ICE delegitimize. They want enforcing our federal immigration laws delegitimized. Why? Because they supported for four years Open Borders. They've decided they are a radical Open Borders party. And, and every, every single shooting you have, particularly with someone who is not a Trender or Agua gang member, an MS.13 gang member, someone who appears to be a mother of three or an ICU nurse. Every shooting that happens, unfortunately we're seeing Democrats in the media use to inflame the tensions to divide us more and to distract from the absolute scandal of $9 billion stolen by Somali fraudsters in Minnesota.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is the guy. Jail free card. And we need to connect that dot for people so they understand. I truly believe that the Democratic Party as a whole, certainly the governor and the mayor, they need a distraction from, from the billions that were stolen and their connection and their donations that came to them from some of these people that are even in jail now. They need this to go away. They, I think every time there's a shooting there they think, great, we're getting away from that scandal and this is the new thing. So this is working out perfectly for us. That also is a part of this, the politics that people have to understand.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I think that is absolutely right, particularly because I think many of those Democrat politicians are complicit and face their own liability for what is to date the most massive taxpayer fraud that has ever been discovered. There may be larger ones in states like California and New York, but Minnesota is right now the single largest in the history of America. And the Democrats really, really, really want everyone to forget that. Let me say something else. I don't think it's an accident that this is happening in Minneapolis. Minneapolis is where the George Floyd riots began. It's where the Black Lives Matter antifa riots began, where the looting began, where the firebombing of police cars began, where the violence began. And there has grown up an organized, funded resistance in Minneapolis that operates in many ways like a military force, operates with intelligence, operates with millions of dollars behind it, operates with surveillance, operates by targeting law enforcement agents, operates by sending people in to deliberately obstruct law enforcement, including. You had at one of these, one of these instances, one detainee bit the finger off of a law enforcement agent. You had another person who was arrested, who had spikes that she was putting to blow the tires out on law enforcement vehicles, and she was arrested with a whole bag full of those. They are engaged in not just peaceful protests standing there holding a sign, but deliberately active, violent protests designed to stop law enforcement from arresting the criminals. And there's real money behind it. And, and, and, and listen, I would call upon DOJ and the FBI, follow the money in Minnesota.

[Ben Ferguson]

Amen.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You see report after report after report of people being surveilled, of people being stopped on the street and asked for their identification, not by law enforcement, but by these rogue militias. And, and, and you know, the Democrats of the media were really fond for a long time of using the word insurrection.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, they love that word.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

A violent effort to take over a city is in fact an insurrection sustained, engaged in violence, funded. And, and we are seeing that. And indeed we've seen, I, I've seen pictures on X of parts of Minnesota where, where they're building walls and trying to create an autonomous zone. And it is exacerbated by the fact that the Democrat politicians are handcuffing the police so that the local police are not able to do their job. And I'm certain those police are deeply frustrated by the politician bosses that prevent them from doing their job.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Public Investing Representative]

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[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, what you just said is the perfect segue into the second subject that I want to cover, and that is Democrats right now are trying to find any way they can to fight back and to hurt Donald Trump because approval ratings give you your power in Washington, D.C. especially if you're dealing with rhinos on the House side or even on the Senate side. Right. They look at the poll numbers more than anybody. They want a reason not to stand with President Trump on certain issues. That's how Washington works. And what we're now witnessing is Democrats, I think, feel like this issue plays to their base, it engages their base and they're now going to use it to, to justify another government shutdown. This is my opinion. I want to get your thoughts on it because I, I think that we're headed there for this reason where they're like, hey, we have a justification now for what? We want to get rid of ice. We're getting rid of ice. Funding, funding for them. Is that worth shutting the government down over? Are you seeing the way I'm seeing it now, that this is where we're headed?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes. But before we get to shutdown, I want to point out because politically, it's more than just their base. Yes, it is true that these violent protests energize their base, drives turnout, drives fundraising. The crazies get all the more excited, the more violence the left foments. But it's about more than that. It's also about totally capturing the news cycle, taking the fraud and corruption out of the news cycle. That's, that's a totally separate objective that is critically important to them. But there is a third one, Ben, which is not the base of the Democrat Party, but rather moderate women soccer moms who may not be deeply politically engaged. And historically moderate suburban women have been a swing vote. If you look in the last decade, the two most predominant political movements we've seen is that we've seen, number one, blue collar voters moving right. That's moved Midwestern states. States like Ohio have gotten a lot red. They used to be purple. Ohio is now red. But we've also seen suburban voters, particularly suburban women, moving left. And that's moved what used to be red states to purple states like Georgia and Arizona. Both of them, just a few years ago, they had four Republican senators from Georgia and Arizona. We now have four Repub Democrat senators from Georgia and Arizona. The reason is suburban women in Atlanta and Phoenix move left. The Democrats of the media are seizing on this to tell stories and understand they're looking for not the person that is following every development, but just the person who's living, living their life and taking in what's happening and seeing a headline, you know, Ice Shoots Mother of three ICE Shoots ICU Nurse ICE Apprehends five Year Old child. That story was everywhere, by the way. It's a total lie. It's absolutely false. In fact, what happened is ICE came to apprehend the father. The father ran off and abandoned the five year old child. And understandably, ICE was not going to leave a five year old child alone on the street in the middle of.

[Ben Ferguson]

Winter, freezing to death outside. Yeah, I mean, they wouldn't leave him alone, period. But the, but the argument that the left has made, I'm like, let me get this straight. You guys want the kid to be left alone just to wander the streets of a city and, and be alone? That's insane. And then in the winter when they could freeze to death, that's also insane. They found the woman, the mother of the child.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes, it is reported they found the mother of the child. They knocked on the door, tried to give the child back to her. She wouldn't take him. She closed the door and said, no, I won't take him. And so look, the purpose of that story is not actually factual journalism. It is entirely about telling a story to pull on people's heartstrings and to cause suburban voters who are not paying close attention to say, oh, this has gone too far. If they're shooting moms and nurses and arresting little kids, clearly it's gone too far. This is a political campaign. And tragically, it's a political campaign that is costing people's lives. But because, look, the political campaign is having some real effect. It is having effect. We saw, you know, John Kasich speaking of suburban women. We saw John Kasich put out a whole video saying, you know, oh, oh, I'm just, I'm hurting so much. We must stop, we must stop arresting illegals. You know, unfortunately, that's the target audience. And in the world of politics, we've gotta realize that. We've gotta confront the bad stories with stories that are compelling and it's where tone matters. And I would encourage, look, the administration is doing a fantastic job securing the border. Illegal crossings have dropped 99%. It's phenomenal. They're doing a Terrific job going and arresting violent criminals, murderers and rapists and gang bangers, which is why we've seen the murder rate drop 20%. We covered that in the last podcast, that the murder rate has dropped 20% across the country. That's a massive success. What I think the administration could do better is, is the tone with which they're describing this, that, that immediately when an incident like this happens, they come out guns blazing, that, that we took out a violent terrorist. Hooray. And the problem is, particularly for someone not paying attention, if you're being told this is a mom of three and there's no indication, you know, she's not waving an ISIS flag or doesn't have a suicide vest around her. Yeah, escalating the rhetoric doesn't help and it actually loses credibility. And so I would encourage the administration to be more measured, to recognize the tragedy and to say we don't want anyone, anyone's lives to be lost and the politicians who are pouring gasoline onto this fire, they need to stop.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, I agree with you there. And I also think, look, facts matter. Explaining what happened is very important. The five year old story is a perfect example. All the morning news shows, abc, NBC, cbs, they led with that story and ran it into the ground that morning that a 5 year old was detained by ICE. And they didn't correct that story.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Story.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's a new year, 2026. You've probably heard the name bitcoin and cryptocurrency. So the question so many people have is, is it safe and is it something that I should be invested in? It's a question I want to get answered for you today. And joining me now to talk about that is the co founder of Bitcoin, IRA Chris Klein. Chris, I appreciate you being here and it is pretty cool to see what's happened in the crypto space. It has become normal. It now can be a part of your ira. The federal government has changed the rules. They're accepting cryptocurrency like it's a stock.

[Chris Klein]

Yes, absolutely. And it's, it's really driven itself into a mainstream space. I remember a decade ago when we first started bitcoin ira, and everybody was like, are you crazy, kid? You're putting bitcoin in retirement accounts? Is this even possible? And you fast forward to where we're at today, where countries are building stockpiles, corporations are building stockpiles. Strategy, for example, is pretty much its entire business models around this. It's a piece of diversification that every major player in the space and economics is looking at and so should to the individual sovereignty of the average American looking to put it inside of their retirement.

[Ben Ferguson]

You guys actually have a really cool stat that you told me about at dinner and that is that your clients 75% were born before 1976. So the idea that you maybe missed out on this or if you're a little older, it's a young man's game in crypto that is also just not true.

[Chris Klein]

That's definitely one of the myths I wanted to come debunk with you and your audience is this isn't, this isn't our grandfather's economy. And grandfathers are buying bitcoin and putting it inside of their retirement for long term holdings. Especially now that they're thinking about inheritance and handing some of these things down. But yeah, that was actually shocking to me. We discovered that in 2018 that 75% of them were older than my parents generation. And what we found from surveying all of them was this is something that they think is new age and that I think almost every American, especially older ones has a genuine concern of watching what's happened to the US dollar over the last four or five decades. And there's always been gold and silver as a potential hedge. Land, real estate, these scarce assets. And bitcoin, while it may seem, oh that's digital and it's different, it's scarce. There's only 21 million assets of Bitcoin that will ever be mined. 19 and a half million have been mined so far. And you and I actually won't live. Our kids will probably live to see the last one get mined. This is something, you know, we're in a world of abundance. Since I was born in 1985, it's abundance we just printed and printed and print. This is a moment in time where we may be able to revert back to scarcity. And there'll be a day where just saying I have one Bitcoin will be life changing.

[Ben Ferguson]

Chris. I hope a lot of people that are watching this you guys will go and find out more. It is amazing what you can do in your retirement account now just like your other investments with bitcoin cryptocurrency. Find out more right now@bitcoin ira.com Ben that's bitcoin ira.com Ben and see what cryptocurrency can do for your portfolio. Not only is the Democratic party looking for an opportunity, so is the media and, and they now believe that like this civil war and hold this flag up is you know, and planet is we as Democrats were willing to shut down the government to defund ice. That's going to be the premise, is what I've been told from, from many in the media that I've talked to and some of my friends on the left, they're like, yeah, we're going to shut down. We're justified this time way more than we were last time. Last time we really weren't justified very much in shutting down the government, but we tried it anyway. Now they actually feel emboldened. Do you think a government shutdown is going to come? Yes OR no?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes, 100%. Yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

Okay. And it's going to be tied to this issue, right?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes, yes, 100%. The last government shutdown, which was the longest government shutdown in US history. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats forced through really to show his radical base that he was fighting because he's scared of being primaried by aoc. But they also did it to tee up the issue of healthcare and the cost of health insurance premiums. Mind you, the premiums have skyrocketed because of Obamacare, because of their policy. But they did the shutdown. It was entirely with an eye towards November that they say, look, we fought like crazy on health insurance and the mean Republicans didn't give us what we wanted, which was $50 billion in corporate welfare subsidies to giant health insurance companies. And that's why your health insurance has gone up. Now that's factually wrong. Uh, but it is a political narrative they're telling here. They are going to tell the narrative. We will not fund ICE under any circumstances and we will shut the government down. And by the way, the media covered for them so much. Their base was so happy with the shutdown, I think they perceive very few downsides to shutting the government down. Now, this shutdown that will happen on January 30th will be, will likely be smaller than the previous one. And the reason is we funded.

[Ben Ferguson]

Explain. Explain why. Because does that mean they're being more strategic in how they're doing it? Or explain that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Okay, now between the two, we have passed some appropriations bills. So once appropriations bills are passed, those departments are funding so ag, the Department of Agriculture, and so everything that goes through AG is funded. Cjs, Commerce, justice and Science, that is funded. Energy is funded, water is funded, Interior, Environment, Ledge Branch, Military, Construction, and the va, all of those are funded. So the shutdown will not impact any of those. So what would a shutdown impact? It would impact Defense, the Department of War, it would impact the Department of Labor, it would impact hhs. It would impact the Department of Education, it would impact the Department of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. It would impact the sec, the fcc, the independent agencies, and it would impact dhs, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE directly under that. And I think you're going to see the Democrats force a shutdown. And actually, you don't have to take my words for it. Here, let me read for you what what Schumer tweeted out to the world. He said, quote, what's happening in Minnesota is appalling and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill. But because of Republicans refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ice. I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included. There he is explicitly, unequivocally threatening a shutdown. I think that's what we're going to see come January.

[Ben Ferguson]

And by the way, he's not the only one. So Elizabeth Warren was responding to another tweet. I want to read it. It was just the tweet she was responding to to give it context. As reminder, DHS legislation that funds ICE at current levels without policy restrictions is in the Senate and needs 60 votes to pass. Deadline is next Friday. Elizabeth Warren puts it out there with this and she says, quote, I'm a hell no, not a penny more for ice. We should not fund this terror. So she's also jumping on board with this as well. And then there's other senators have come out and, and so this is why I say this isn't a one off. This is clearly a coordinated attack is the best way I can describe it.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, here's Chris Murphy on cnn. Give a listen.

[Ben Ferguson]

Want to ask about what your leader, Chuck Schumer says, that Democrats are going to vote against a government funding package that is before the Senate soon and it includes money for the Department of Homeland Security. How is that going to play out?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, we can't vote to fund this lawless Department of Homeland Security.

[Ben Ferguson]

We can't fund this lawless Department of Homeland Security. Senator, that's pretty bold words if you ask me, by a senator. That clearly is like, hey, we're all on the same page. This is what we're doing now.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, that's the position of every Democrat. And understand, this is the same position that is abolish ICE and abolish the police. They're saying they're going to refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security, the department that is charged with keeping us safe, with securing our border, with protecting our families. And the Democrats are saying we won't fund it. So what will happen? I think there's a chance. We see Congress put together an appropriations package that funds everything but dhs. That, that might be, that might pass. In terms of dhs, I think the Democrats are going to force a shutdown and I think they want it to be extended and in order.

[Ben Ferguson]

This is not a short one to be clear. You think they want this to be painful, almost like they're running in the midterms on this issue of ice.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I think they want to be able to tell their base, we are defunding ice. We are abolishing ice. We are against law enforcement. We're with the criminals. That's. That's their messaging.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is incredible. We're going to keep covering it. I can promise you that. We're going to keep exposing it. I go back to the issue of follow the money here. That's something I'm certainly interested in many other Americans as well. So don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscribe or auto download button and make sure you do not miss an episode. Plus, the majority of the episodes now are on Facebook and on YouTube so you can watch them there. If you're a YouTube watcher, just put in Verdict with Ted Cruz as well and you can watch this episode there as well. And the center. I will see you. Oh, one other thing. Let me just say this. Make sure you share this podcast. When you guys put on social media, it reaches people that don't normally listen to it. So I mean this sincerely. Thank you. But people I see all the time in the airport, they're like, hey, what can I do to help Share the show. Share the show so other people hear the info we're putting out there. It helps tremendously. It's a great way to get involved. So again, we'll see you back here in a couple of days.

[Public Investing Representative]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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