Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode Title: Murder Rate Plummets—Trump Literally Saving Lives plus Disastrous Jack Smith Testimony
Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Overview

In this episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson dive into recent crime and drug overdose statistics, attributing significant nationwide reductions to President Trump’s leadership and Republican policies. They also analyze Special Counsel Jack Smith’s recent testimony before Congress, arguing it exposed serious overreach and constitutional violations in the pursuit of Donald Trump and his allies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historic Declines in Murder and Overdose Rates

[02:50-10:41]

• Latest Data: Newly released statistics show a nationwide murder rate drop of over 20% from Jan-Oct 2024 to the same period in 2025.

• Senator Cruz details:

  • In 2025: 5,912 murders; in 2024: 7,369 murders—~1,400 additional lives saved.
  • Major city breakdowns:
    • Chicago: -30%
    • NYC: -20%
    • Birmingham, AL: -49%
    • Albuquerque, NM: -32%
    • Baltimore, MD: -31%
    • Atlanta, GA: -26%
    • Oakland, CA: -33%
    • Washington, D.C.: -31% (after National Guard deployment)

• Broader Crime Trends:

  • Motor vehicle theft: -25%
  • Robbery: -18%
  • Aggravated assault: -8%

• Media Reaction:

  • Cruz criticizes media (e.g., Axios) for downplaying or disconnecting these trends from Trump administration policies.

“These are historic lows... If these trends continue, the US may record its lowest murder rate since 1960.”
—Sen. Ted Cruz [06:18]

• Root Causes (Cruz):
  • Calls out improvements in violent crime arrests (+100%), disruption of gangs/criminal enterprises (+210%), increased drug/fentanyl seizures (+31%), and significant upticks in arrests of child predators, human traffickers, and espionage cases.

“In one year, [the FBI] captured as many on the top 10 list as Biden did in all four years.”
—Sen. Ted Cruz [09:47]

2. Drug Overdose Deaths & Border Policy

[13:21-17:05]

• Drug Overdoses Down:

  • Overdose deaths fell ~21%—from 91,694 (2024) to 72,836 (2025)—about 19,000 lives saved.

• Key Drivers (according to Cruz):

  • Tightened border security: Illegal crossings down 99%.
  • Crackdown on drug traffickers: Notably taking out Venezuelan drug boats.

“There are 19,000 Americans who are alive today. These are sons and daughters, these are husbands and wives... You combine the decrease in deaths from drug overdoses with the decrease in deaths from murders and you’re looking at more than 20,000 Americans that are alive today.”
—Sen. Ted Cruz [15:40]

3. Media & Democratic Response to Crime

[17:05-20:02]

• Ben Ferguson: Compares Republican “real results” on crime to what he describes as Democratic efforts to manipulate or reclassify crime statistics for political optics.
• Example: DC officials allegedly altered crime statistics before the election.

“The difference here is one party really fights crime and goes after the criminals and wins, and the other one... make[s] it look safer by altering the numbers.”
—Ben Ferguson [17:56]

• Senator Cruz: Rebukes reports that depict Trump administration immigration enforcement as targeting children, clarifying the context behind viral stories.

“‘The left went crazy with that... In this instance, the five year old child was abandoned by his father… law enforcement will always take care of the kid... It is fundamentally dishonest to claim, aha, what they were doing was arresting the child.’”
—Sen. Ted Cruz [18:43]

4. Jack Smith Testimony & Alleged Abuses

[22:44-40:11]

a. Overview of Alleged Misconduct

• Cruz’s Framing:
  • Calls Jack Smith’s actions “orders of magnitude worse than Watergate.”
  • Asserts Smith prosecuted Trump to “subvert democracy” and prevent reelection.
  • Claims Smith subpoenaed the phone records of roughly 20% of GOP senators and over 400 Republicans in political "persecution."

“If you’re a fan of Les Mis, Jack Smith would make Javert blush. He was out of control and he continues to be brazen.”
—Sen. Ted Cruz [23:53]

b. House Judiciary Committee Hearing Excerpts

• Chairman Jim Jordan’s Cross-examination [24:45-29:23]:

  • Questions Jack Smith’s reliance on Cassidy Hutchinson’s disputed testimony regarding Jan. 6 incidents.
  • Smith acknowledges much of Hutchinson’s testimony was “second or even third hand” hearsay.
  • Jordan: “You were still considering putting [Hutchinson] on the witness stand because you had to get President Trump. And everybody can see that.”

• Cruz Anecdote:

  • Reveals Hutchinson invented an exchange with him in her book, calling it “truly fiction” and suggesting her other claims were similarly unreliable.

c. Rep. Brandon Gill on Subpoenas & Constitutional Concerns

• Congressional Subpoenas:
  • Jack Smith admits his office subpoenaed phone records for Speaker Kevin McCarthy and 9 senators, under non-disclosure orders that prevented them from knowing.
  • Smith used “flight risk” language in filings about McCarthy, which he later concedes didn’t apply.

“You think the Speaker of the House is a flight risk? ...You walked all over the Constitution throughout this entire process... It’s absolutely disgraceful.”
—Rep. Brandon Gill [35:31-38:21]

• Cruz:
  • Argues Smith knowingly acted unconstitutionally, counting on secrecy and lack of challenge, likening Smith to a Scooby Doo villain whose plot was foiled “by those meddling kids—the voters of America.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cruz on Trump policy results:

  • “America is much, much safer as a result.” [16:55]

• Ferguson on media treatment:

  • “The media want to do everything they can to say, nope, nope, this drop in the murder rate, it just happened magically. It’s probably due to global warming or something.” [09:19]

• Cruz on Jack Smith’s justificiations:

  • “Jack Smith is just calmly telling Congress that he went before the judge and he lied... He has no good answer.” [39:15]

• Cruz on Smith’s legacy:

  • “[He’s] like the villain in Scooby Doo. You know, he would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids.” [39:38]

• Cruz on Cassidy Hutchinson’s book:

  • “I literally laughed out loud at the exchange because it was truly fiction.” [31:23]

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |:---:|:---| | 02:50 | Main discussion begins: murder & overdose statistics | | 05:26 | Murder stats broken down by city | | 08:33 | Violent crime arrests data | | 13:21 | Overdose deaths data and analysis | | 17:05 | Media and Democratic reaction, crime stat comparisons | | 22:44 | Jack Smith background and context | | 24:45 | Jim Jordan questions Jack Smith | | 31:57 | Cruz critiques Cassidy Hutchinson’s book | | 33:08 | Rep. Brandon Gill questions Jack Smith | | 38:22 | Discussion on Smith’s justification, constitutional violations | | 40:11 | Episode wrap-up |

Conclusion

The episode asserts that the Trump administration and Republican policies have produced measurable declines in both violent crime and drug overdoses, saving tens of thousands of American lives. Cruz and Ferguson argue these achievements are underreported due to political bias in the media and contrast them with what they frame as Democratic efforts to misrepresent or downplay crime stats. The second half dissects Jack Smith’s congressional testimony, highlighting GOP critiques of his conduct and the underlying legal, ethical, and constitutional concerns in his investigation of Trump. The episode is marked by a sharp, partisan tone and a blend of data analysis, anecdote, and direct transcription from recent hearings.