Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: MTG Resigns—Why & What it Means, plus Minnesota Taxpayers are the LARGEST Funders of Al-Shabaab Terrorists
Date: November 24, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Episode Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson discuss three major stories shaping the political landscape:

1. The announced resignation of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and its implications for the Republican Party.
2. A shocking welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota, funnelling millions of taxpayer dollars to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
3. The latest developments in Texas redistricting and the ongoing legal and political battle over Congressional maps.

The conversation is candid and loaded with sharp criticisms, notable political commentary, and direct inside takes on Republican Party dynamics, government fraud, and redistricting.

1. Marjorie Taylor Greene Resigns: Why & What It Means

Greene's Resignation and GOP Self-Policing

• [03:27] Ben Ferguson: Opens discussion on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (MTG) announced resignation, seeing it as a positive, clarifying moment for the Republican Party ("We police our own and we call out those that are bad actors… unlike the Democratic Party.").
• [03:27] Sen. Ted Cruz: Describes MTG as once a significant voice in the House, but notes her views became more extreme, prompting Trump to withdraw support. Emphasizes the resignation as a "consequential moment…for the country."

The Danger of Radicalism and Antisemitism

• [07:38] Sen. Ted Cruz: Draws a parallel with the rise of radical anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party, warning: "My hope is the Republican Party doesn't make the mistakes that the Democrats did, that we say enough is enough. No."
• Discusses the importance of Republican support for Israel, and how MTG (along with Matt Gaetz) veered into anti-Israel, anti-Semitic rhetoric.
• [09:33] Sen. Ted Cruz: Gives full credit to Trump for Greene’s resignation:

  "If there's one person who is most responsible for Marjorie Taylor Greene resigning, it is Donald J. Trump."

  • Quotes Trump’s Truth Social post: "All I see wacky Marjorie do is complain, complain, complain... She was at 12% and didn't have a chance. Unless of course, she had my endorsement, which she wasn't about to get."
• [11:30] Sen. Ted Cruz: Notes MTG's shift: attacked Trump, capitalism, "had a love fest" with The View hosts, advocated for expanding Obamacare subsidies.

Republican vs. Democratic Handling of Extremism

• [13:10] Ben Ferguson: Frames this as a moment of moral clarity for conservatives, especially regarding antisemitism.
• [13:10] Sen. Ted Cruz: Suggests voices like Greene and Gaetz might espouse "wackier and wackier views," but their platform will shrink post-resignation.
• Shares a personal anecdote: Trump called Cruz to discuss Greene’s resignation, noting how she repeatedly called the former president seeking his favor—Trump’s withdrawal of support forced her hand.

Memorable Quotes

• Sen. Ted Cruz [07:38]:

  "My hope is the Republican Party doesn't make the mistakes that the Democrats did, that we say enough is enough. No."

• Sen. Ted Cruz [09:33]:

  "If there's one person who is most responsible for Marjorie Taylor Greene resigning, it is Donald J. Trump."

Key Segment Timestamps

• [03:27] – MTG’s resignation: initial reaction and framing
• [07:38] – Cruz on antisemitism and GOP course correction
• [09:33] – Trump’s pivotal role and direct quote
• [11:30] – MTG’s ideological transformation and repercussions
• [13:10] – The future of radical voices post-resignation

2. Minnesota Taxpayers & the Funding of Al-Shabaab

The Welfare Fraud Scandal

• [18:59] Ben Ferguson: Frames the story as one every American should share—Minnesota taxpayers, possibly the largest funders of Al-Shabaab, due to an extensive welfare fraud scheme.
• [18:59] Sen. Ted Cruz:

  "This is a story that's really at the intersection of two issues that matter enormously. Number one is waste, fraud and abuse in government...but secondly, the rise of radical Islam in America."

• Reads from City Journal’s reporting detailing how Minnesota's generous, loosely monitored welfare programs—especially the Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services program—enabled massive fraud perpetrated largely by members of the Somali community.
• [22:29] Sen. Ted Cruz: Describes the prosecution: "Six of whom...are members of Minnesota Somali community…these are often just purely fictitious companies solely created to defraud the system."
• Explains "schemes stacked upon schemes" siphoned enormous sums, funnelled via remittances and informal networks (hawalas) to Somalia—and ultimately to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

The Scale and Systemic Failings

• [24:19] Sen. Ted Cruz:

  "But the massive fraud was funding terrorism."

• $1.7 billion sent from the Somali diaspora to Somalia in 2023 alone.
• Former law enforcement revealed single networks moving tens of millions annually, aided by government inaction.
• [26:30] Sen. Ted Cruz:

  "Millions of those dollars were flowing directly to Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked major terrorist organization. This is tragic. It is shocking...Have you seen it on CNN? NBC? CBS? MSNBC? Washington Post, New York Times?"

  • [26:37] Ben Ferguson: "Nope. None of them, none of them touching it."
• Highlights the lack of media coverage and political will to stop the fraud or confront community political machines enabling abuse.

Systemic Political Factors

• [27:33] Sen. Ted Cruz:

  "At the end of the day, the Democrats, when it comes to buying votes, shoveling this cash into this maw of fraud, even though the taxpayers were being robbed and the money was going to a radical Islamic terrorist organization...you got money and you got votes."

• Notes failure to police fraud due to fear of being accused of racism, political calculations, and dependency on Somali community votes.

Memorable Quotes

• Sen. Ted Cruz [24:19]:

  "The massive fraud was funding terrorism."

• Sen. Ted Cruz [27:33]:

  "At the end of the day, the Democrats, when it comes to buying votes, shoveling this cash into this maw of fraud, even though the taxpayers were being robbed and the money was going to a radical Islamic terrorist organization...you got money and you got votes."

Key Segment Timestamps

• [18:59] – Scandal introduction and fraud mechanisms
• [22:29 & 24:19] – Prosecutions; fraud and terrorism connection
• [26:30] – Scale of the problem, lack of media coverage
• [27:33] – Political dimensions and failure to act

3. Texas Redistricting: Update & the Stakes

The Fight Over Congressional Maps

• [31:12] Ben Ferguson: Sets up the importance of Texas' redistricting fight as a "victory update."
• [31:12] Sen. Ted Cruz: Gives background:

  "Texas...has 38 congressional seats. Right now, Republicans have 25 of those...the legislature redrew the map...expected to elect 30 Republicans."

  • Compares the Texas situation to blue state gerrymandering (e.g., California, Illinois, Massachusetts).
• Notes that a federal district court struck down the new map (which would add five Republican seats), but Justice Alito and the Supreme Court stayed that decision, allowing the new map to stand for now.

The Legal Battle and National Impact

• [32:51] Sen. Ted Cruz:

  "If that order stays in place, the likely impact of redistricting is the Democrats retake the House."

• Applauds appellate judge Jerry Smith for a forceful dissent:

  "He just unloaded on the majority opinion. He just eviscerated it as unprincipled as political, as partisan, as wrong."

• Predicts the Supreme Court will let the new Texas map stand through the next election, determining House control.

The Stakes for 2027 and Beyond

• Stresses that gerrymandering is widespread, and Texas' new map (while increasing GOP representation) is still less lopsided than blue states.
• [36:03] Ben Ferguson: Hails the development as "another victory for rule of law."

Key Segment Timestamps

• [31:12] – Texas redistricting background, comparison to other states
• [32:51] – Federal court intervention and Supreme Court stay
• [36:03] – Legal and political significance for Congressional majority

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sen. Ted Cruz [07:38]:

  "My hope is the Republican Party doesn't make the mistakes that the Democrats did, that we say enough is enough. No."

• Sen. Ted Cruz [09:33]:

  "If there's one person who is most responsible for Marjorie Taylor Greene resigning, it is Donald J. Trump."

• Sen. Ted Cruz [24:19]:

  "The massive fraud was funding terrorism."

• Sen. Ted Cruz [27:33]:

  "At the end of the day, the Democrats, when it comes to buying votes, shoveling this cash into this maw of fraud, even though the taxpayers were being robbed and the money was going to a radical Islamic terrorist organization...you got money and you got votes."

• Sen. Ted Cruz [32:51]:

  "He just unloaded on the majority opinion. He just eviscerated it as unprincipled as political, as partisan, as wrong."

Final Thoughts

• The episode underscores the hosts’ belief that Republicans must maintain "moral clarity," especially regarding radicalism and antisemitism within their ranks.
• The Minnesota story is framed as emblematic of unchecked government waste and political corruption with terrifying international consequences.
• Texas redistricting is highlighted as an existential fight for House control and an example of the broader battle over electoral fairness.