NPR Lawsuit Unpacked, the Fight for Women’s Sports plus Comey & a Message in the Sand Week In Review

Summary

Podcast Summary: "NPR Lawsuit Unpacked, the Fight for Women’s Sports plus Comey & a Message in the Sand Week In Review" Verdict with Ted Cruz | Release Date: May 31, 2025

In this episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," hosted by Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson, listeners are guided through three pivotal news stories shaping the current political landscape: the lawsuit filed by NPR and three Colorado radio stations against the Trump administration, the ongoing battle over women’s sports in California, and former FBI Director James Comey's controversial "message in the sand." This comprehensive discussion delves into the implications of each story, offering critical insights and analyses.

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1. NPR and Colorado Radio Stations' Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration

Overview: The episode opens with a deep dive into the recent lawsuit filed by NPR alongside three Colorado Public Radio stations against the Trump administration. The lawsuit challenges the executive order that seeks to bar the use of federal funds for NPR and PBS, alleging that such actions undermine the First Amendment.

Key Points:

• Retaliatory Funding Cuts: NPR and the involved Colorado stations argue that the executive order is a retaliatory measure aimed at silencing media outlets they deem politically biased. The administration contends that NPR and PBS do not provide "fair, accurate, or unbiased" content.

• First Amendment Implications: Co-host Travis Holloway emphasizes the constitutional battle at stake, stating, "The First Amendment prohibits defunding NPR simply because their content is perceived as biased" (06:41).

• Legislative Challenges: Ted Cruz and Holloway discuss the political hurdles in defunding NPR, highlighting that "zero Democrats will vote to defund NPR or PBS" (07:34), making the legislative process challenging due to the need for a 60-vote majority in the Senate.

Notable Quotes:

• Travis Holloway (06:41): "The First Amendment prohibits defunding NPR and PBS simply because their news and other content are not perceived as fair, accurate, or unbiased."

• Ted Cruz (07:34): "Zero Democrats will vote to defund NPR or PBS, which means if it goes through regular order, it will not happen the other way."

Catherine Marr's Congressional Testimony: The podcast highlights NPR CEO Catherine Marr's testimony before Congress, where she underscores the challenges posed by the First Amendment. Marr states, "The First Amendment is a fairly robust protection of rights," acknowledging the difficulty in addressing misinformation without infringing on free speech (08:05).

Critical Analysis: Holloway criticizes NPR's stance, suggesting that the organization's defense of its funding as a right to "propagandize and lie" is untenable. He sarcastically remarks, "The argument of NPR is that the First Amendment requires for you and me to keep paying for them to propogandize and lie" (07:50), reflecting his skepticism about NPR's commitment to unbiased reporting.

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2. The Fight for Women’s Sports in California

Overview: The second major topic addresses the contentious issue of transgender athletes competing in women's sports, focusing on California's recent policy changes. Governor Gavin Newsom's administration has adjusted state track and field rules to ensure that biological girls are not unfairly disadvantaged by transgender women competing against them.

Key Points:

• Policy Reversal: California has revised its track and field championship criteria, allowing biological girls who were previously edged out by transgender women to secure their rightful places (18:09).

• Political Shift: Both Cruz and Holloway observe a shift within the Democratic Party, noting that some legislators recognize the growing public concern over fairness in women’s sports. Cruz mentions, "At least some Democrats realize we are on the wrong side of an issue that America wants to protect girls' sports and women's sports" (21:16).

• Public Sentiment: Holloway shares insights from his 2024 Texas re-election campaign, revealing that protecting girls' sports emerged as a top concern among moderate women voters. He states, "The number one issue that moved undecided moderate women in Texas was boys and girls sports" (22:00).

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Cruz (21:16): "This shows that at least some Democrats realize we are on the wrong side of an issue that America wants to protect girls' sports and women's sports."

• Travis Holloway (22:00): "Soccer moms who love their daughters are leading the charge on this issue."

Impact on Political Campaigns: Holloway discusses how this issue has become a rallying point for conservative candidates across the nation, aligning with President Trump's stance and resonating with voters concerned about fairness and safety in youth sports.

Critical Analysis: Cruz and Holloway argue that California's policy change signifies a broader acknowledgment of the need to protect biological girls in sports. Holloway adds, "We've seen Lia Thomas in the Olympics...enough is enough," highlighting high-profile cases that have galvanized public opinion against the current policies (24:37).

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3. James Comey's "Message in the Sand"

Overview: The final segment scrutinizes former FBI Director James Comey's cryptic social media post featuring seashells arranged to spell "86 47," widely interpreted as a coded threat against President Donald Trump.

Key Points:

• Alleged Threat: The numbers "86" and "47" are decoded by co-hosts to mean "kill Trump," with "86" being slang for eliminating someone and "47" referencing Trump's potential second term.

• Comey's Defense: Comey claims that the seashell arrangement had no malicious intent, likening it to previous benign messages. He states, "I just thought that was a cool picture" (32:08).

• Legal Implications: Hidden in their analysis is a discussion on the legal ramifications, referencing 18 USC § 871, which criminalizes threats against the President, and questioning Comey's awareness of the law (35:18).

Notable Quotes:

• Travis Holloway (30:04): "There is no other reasonable interpretation of this other than the former head of the FBI publicly calling for the murder of the President of the United States."

• Ted Cruz (35:59): "That's how calculated this guy is. So for him to say, 'I just saw a picture here, and I thought it was really cute,' I don't buy that crap."

Critical Analysis: Cruz and Holloway vehemently dismiss Comey's explanation as insincere, labeling his actions as "mocking" and a "level of contempt." They argue that Comey's behavior reflects a deliberate attempt to incite violence while simultaneously seeking personal attention for his forthcoming book.

Travis Holloway's Perspective: Holloway asserts, "He is someone who was consumed by power when he was the head of the FBI... what he is doing is mocking it is a level of contempt" (35:59), emphasizing the seriousness of Comey's actions and questioning the former director's motives and understanding of legal boundaries.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson navigate through complex and highly charged political issues, offering a conservative perspective on media funding controversies, the integrity of women's sports, and troubling statements from a former FBI Director. Their discussions aim to inform listeners about the underlying political motivations and potential long-term implications of these events.

Supporting Narratives: Throughout the episode, the hosts reference recent developments and personal experiences, such as Holloway’s campaign insights, to underscore their arguments. The conversation underscores themes of media bias, political polarization, and the protection of traditional values in American society.

Final Thoughts: Ted Cruz concludes by inviting listeners to engage further with the topics discussed by accessing the full podcast for more in-depth analysis and commentary, reinforcing the importance of staying informed and active in political discourse.

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Notable Moments and Quotes:

• Catherine Marr's Congressional Hearing (08:05):

  "The number one challenge here that we see is, of course, the First Amendment in the United States is a fairly robust protection of rights."

• Travis Holloway on NPR's Funding Argument (07:50):

  "The argument of NPR is that the First Amendment requires for you and me to keep paying for them to propagate and lie."

• Discussion on Policy Change in California (24:37):

  "This issue shows that truth and sanity are winning."

• Travis Holloway on Comey's Actions (35:37):

  "What's funny? It's actually a felony. Threatening the President of the United States is a felony that's punishable by up to five years imprisonment."

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This episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz" provides a critical examination of significant political issues, offering listeners a perspective rooted in conservative values and a call to action in the face of perceived governmental overreach.

Transcript

[Rodney Williams]

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[Travis Holloway]

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[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building weft doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Travis Holloway]

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[Rodney Williams]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories. What happens when it doesn't go right?

[Travis Holloway]

How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Ted Cruz]

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[J.R. Martinez]

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Travis Holloway]

This medal is for the men who went down that day on Medal of.

[J.R. Martinez]

Honor stories of courage. You'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Ted Cruz]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz. We can review Ben Ferguson with you. And here are three big stories that you may have missed that we talked about this week. First up, NPR and three Colorado radio stations suing the Trump administration. They want their free money back. You know, your taxpayer dollars that you work so hard for. Well, administration is fighting back and we'll give you the details in just a moment. Also, California is continuing to defy Trump on boys and girls sports. And some politicians are starting to flip on the issue and it may even be changing in California that in just a moment. And finally, James Comey and his 8647 Seashell message on the beach. Well, it's a story that's just not adding up and we'll dive into that as well. It's the Weekend Review and it starts right now. Want to move also the NPR lawsuit and get your take on that senator as well.

[Travis Holloway]

So this week, npr, National Public Radio and three Colorado Public Radio stations filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Trump White House against the president's executive order barring the use of funds for NPR and for pbs. And the lawsuit says, quote, it is not always obvious when the government has acted with a retaliatory purpose in violation of the First Amendment. But this wolf comes as a wolf. The order targets NPR and PBS expressly because in the president's views, their news and other content is not fair, accurate or unbiased. Now, now let me stop and say, listen, you, you could file a reasonable lawsuit arguing that on any of these particular executive orders that, that where you're dealing with congressional appropriations, that challenging the authority of an executive order to limit congressional appropriations, that's an area that's being litigated. That's going to be litigated. And reasonable minds can, can differ on what is permissible. And we've talked in previous podcasts that there is, there is a significant dispute over the president's authority to engage in what is called impoundment, which is essentially to decline to spend money that Congress has appropriated. That you want to file a lawsuit over that, okay, courts will sort that out. That'll be litigated. But, but here what this lawsuit is claiming is that the First Amendment prohibits defunding npr. And the reason they say it really is absurd is you can't defund the NPR Simply because, quote, their news and other content is not fair, accurate, or unbiased. Now, let me say, I think no objective person on planet Earth can contend that NPR or PBS are fair, accurate, or unbiased. And so we really are in Alice in Wonderland through the Looking Glass, where you now have litigants arguing because NPR and PBS are dishonest and political. You can't cut off funding because cutting off funding would be silencing our right to be dishonest and political and not just. Look, you absolutely have a right to be dishonest and political. So MSNBC can publish any nonsense they want. CNN can publish any nonsense they want. Now, nobody watches them. It's kind of a tree falling in the woods. But they have a right to say it. They have a right to say utter Nonsense. But NPR's argument is not only do they have a right to say it, which I agree, they do, but they have a right to have the taxpayers fund them forever that it is illegal for us to stop paying for their partisan lies. I gotta say, that is an absurd claim. And it is the simple, simple reality of the absurdity of the left.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, it is. And I wonder when we will actually get resolution on this. Is there a real chance you think that we could actually defund NPRPBS and just say, hey, make it on your own? Is there a real chance?

[Travis Holloway]

Look, I certainly hope so. I am pressing to do so. I'm pressing Congress to do so. I'm pressing Congress to enact and codify the Doge cuts that we've seen Elon Musk and Doge put in place. We're gonna have a battle in Congress. We're gonna have a battle in Congress. If it has to go through regular order, what regular order means is the standard path of legislation. That means it's subject to filibuster. That means you need 60 votes in the Senate, which means you need seven Democrats, if you have to get seven Democrats.

[Ted Cruz]

And that's how they save it, is what you're saying. That's right. That's their ideal situation, is you guys complain about it. And we keep giving billions to our propaganda machine.

[Travis Holloway]

Yeah. Zero Democrats will vote to defund NPR or pbs, which means if it goes through regular order, it will not happen the other way.

[Ted Cruz]

Isn't that proof of just how biased they are? The fact that zero of them would go to defund it because they know how valuable it is to their propaganda.

[Travis Holloway]

And they don't care. In fact, I want you to listen to Catherine Marr, the CEO of npr, who describes the First Amendment as the, quote, the greatest challenge that she faces to controlling narratives here. Give a listen.

[Catherine Marr]

The number one challenge here that we see is, of course, the First Amendment in the United States is a fairly robust protection of rights. And that is a protection of rights both for platforms, which I actually think is very important. The platforms have those rights to be able to regulate what kind of content they want on their sites. But it also means that it is a little bit tricky to really address some of the real challenges of where does bad information come from and sort of the influence peddlers who have made a real market economy around it.

[Ted Cruz]

I mean, that's where your tax towers are going. And that's the woman who's in charge.

[Travis Holloway]

Dammit, that pesky First Amendment. We wanna censor, we wanna silence voices we disagree with and that First Amendment stands in the way. And here I want you to listen to this, this montage of Catherine Marr being grilled at congressional hearing. Give a listen to just how extreme the NPR CEO is.

[Catherine Marr]

And I welcome the opportunity to discuss the essential role of public media in delivering unbiased, nonpartisan fact based reporting to Americans. Madam Chair, thank you so much for the opportunity to address this. I know.

[Travis Holloway]

Do you.

[J.R. Martinez]

Is it up to you and NPR to crack down on bad information or decide the truth? Answer the question yes or no, Ms.

[Travis Holloway]

Marriage.

[Catherine Marr]

Absolutely not. I'm a very strong believer in free speech and I believe that more speech.

[Travis Holloway]

Your public statements say otherwise. During the COVID pandemic in the 2020.

[J.R. Martinez]

Election, you said you censored information through conversations with government.

[Travis Holloway]

Which governments were those, Ms. Maher? The Biden administration? Yes or no?

[Catherine Marr]

Madam Chair? Wikipedia never censored any information.

[Travis Holloway]

These are your public statements, Ms. Maher.

[Catherine Marr]

Madam Chair, we are in full compliance with the FCC's inquiry and we'll continue to cooperate.

[Travis Holloway]

I remind you, you're under oath. I'm assuming you're concerned.

[J.R. Martinez]

Both of you are concerned about this and that's why you brought so many.

[Travis Holloway]

Attorneys with you today.

[Catherine Marr]

First of all, I want to recognize your concerns. One of the first things that I did in coming in in May was to beef up our editorial standards.

[Travis Holloway]

Why is NPR even doing editorials?

[Catherine Marr]

I'm so sorry.

[Travis Holloway]

Federally funded entity that's supposed to provide the news. Can you not provide the news?

[Catherine Marr]

Of course. Congressman.

[Travis Holloway]

An article by Uri Berlinger. I've been at NPR for 25 years. Here's how we lost America's trust.

[Catherine Marr]

Well, I do want to say that NPR acknowledges that we were mistaken in failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively and sooner. Our current editorial leadership, Wuhan, we recognize that we were reporting at the time, but we acknowledge that the new CIA evidence is worthy of coverage and have covered it.

[Travis Holloway]

You've even talked about the First Amendment kind of getting in the way of what you want it to get done. NPR is now taking this non biased approach.

[Catherine Marr]

I so appreciate the opportunity to perhaps clarify some things. My talk about truth was really referencing the way that people use truth to refer to belief as opposed to facts.

[Travis Holloway]

Your comments said that truth was getting the way of getting things done and that you were prioritizing what you wanted to get done over truth. Did they come up in your job interview like, do you see a problem, Congressman?

[Catherine Marr]

Thank you for the question. No, they never came up in my job interview.

[Travis Holloway]

You're a rabid progressive, like, and do.

[Rodney Williams]

You not think it's a problem that.

[Travis Holloway]

Your political leanings make it seem to.

[Rodney Williams]

The American people that you're not biased.

[Travis Holloway]

And you're not doing your job because you agree that your job is to.

[Rodney Williams]

Have journalistic integrity, Right?

[Catherine Marr]

Absolutely. But there is a strong firewall between the newsroom and anything that I.

[Travis Holloway]

Let's talk about the newsroom.

[Rodney Williams]

You have 87 registered Democrats, not a.

[Travis Holloway]

Single Republican in your, in your editor boards.

[Rodney Williams]

I mean, how does that work to.

[Travis Holloway]

Give us the perception that you're doing your job of actually delivering unbiased information?

[Catherine Marr]

I would agree with you that that number is a concern. If it is accurate. I do believe that we need to have journalists who represent the full breadth of the American society so that we can report well for all Americans.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, I just got to stop it there. This goes on for several more minutes, but that part there at the end where he's like, you got 87 people on the editorial board. They're all Democrats. You don't have a single Republican. And then she's like, yeah, if that number is true, then it is a concern.

[Travis Holloway]

The argument of NPR is that the First Amendment requires for you and me to keep paying for them to propagandize and lie. And I gotta say, one of my favorite facts, as I said, it's not just npr, it's three Colorado radio stations. The statewide Colorado public radio station based in Denver, ksut, which was originally founded by the Southern Ute Indian tribe. And this is the one that cracks me up. The Aspen Public Radio, which broadcasts in Aspen, one of the richest communities on planet Earth. If you're in Aspen and you look at the airport, you just see a line of private jets as far as the eye can see. And their argument is the First Amendment mandates that we tax American workers to pay for propaganda in Aspen. Because the poor wretched masses of Aspen can't afford to pay for their own propaganda, they need to tax American workers instead.

[Ted Cruz]

Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, you can go back and listen to the full podcast from earlier this week.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the Wealth Break. Let's be honest. Building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. It's not just about saving. It's about investing. It's about navigating systems that weren't built for you, embracing your hustle and relying on your community to create something bigger. And that's exactly why we created the wealthbreak. We made something different, something more human. It's not just another financial podcast. It's a conversation about real life, real struggles and real wins. We're here to talk about the journey. You'll hear from people who've broken barriers, found creative ways to succeed, and learn to build wealth on their terms. Whether it's the first time homeowner, a gig worker, or someone turning a side hustle into a six figure business, we're bringing you their stories. And we're not stopping at success stories. We're breaking down the realities, like what it means to take risk, how to navigate failure, and why resilience matters. Because wealth isn't about money. It's about creating a life where you can thrive and help others to do the same. So if you're ready for a podcast as much as about people as it is about money, you're in the right place. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Travis Holloway]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[J.R. Martinez]

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Travis Holloway]

This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it.

[J.R. Martinez]

I'm J.R. martinez. I'm a U.S. army veteran myself and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and I Heart Podcast podcast from Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Travis Holloway]

Why should you listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand? We're not boring. A lot of news is boring and tedious and depressing and makes you angry. You don't want to live your life like that. Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty. We're Armstrong and Getty. We try to bring you the truth and help you figure out this crazy.

[Ted Cruz]

Modern world about something about a comedic tone.

[Travis Holloway]

We have a winner. Yes. Listen to Armstrong. You get it on Demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ted Cruz]

Now, on to story number two. Senator, let's deal with California. And there has been a fight since the President came in with his executive order on trying to protect women from men. Being in their locker rooms, being in their sports, beating them up. We saw it during the Olympics in boxing. We've seen countless women who, their achievements have been taken away from them on the podium because of men claiming they're women, which is impossible in reality. And California decided they were gonna stand up to Donald Trump. And guess what? It didn't go very well for them.

[Travis Holloway]

Well, listen, we've seen the Democrat Party getting more and more radical ever since Donald Trump took the oath of office back in 2017. They hate Trump and they've gotten more and more extreme on a host of issues. And one of the poster children for their extreme issues is embracing boys and girls sports, men and women's sports. And it is wrong, it is unfair, it invites injury, and it also deprives both girls and women of athletic victories they should have and they've earned. There are differences between boys and girls. There are differences between men and women. That did not used to be a controversial proposition. It is only in today's Looney Tune left that they can't tell the difference between men and women. But I gotta tell you, even though in the Senate, Senate Democrats, all of them, continue to defend men and women's sports and boys and girls sports, we're seeing the state of California, we're seeing the Democrats beginning to retreat. We're seeing Gavin Newsom, the governor, who's been a far left radical governor. He's got ambitions of being president. He's looking at, looking at running in 2028. And he's decided, okay, we're on the wrong side of an 8020 issue. We're, I want to get the hell away from this. And so California announced this is a big deal. They're changing their policy for track and field so that if you are a biological girl and you got, you missed out on making it to the state championship because you were beaten by a biological male who claims to be a transgender woman, then the girl, you will still get your slot. You still get invited to the state championship. Look, that's a significant step in the right direction. And Gavin Newsom is embracing it. And I gotta say, this really illustrates that at least some Democrats realize, wow, we are on the wrong side of an issue that America, America wants to protect girls sports and women's sports. We want to protect our daughters. And we don't want to see them hurt or competing unfairly. And so the crazy thing is that means in track and field in California now, they may give three gold medals, one to the boy, one to the girl, and one to the transgender athlete. You may have gold medals all around, but for bright blue California to make this concession, it shows that at least some Democrats realize they are way on the wrong side of this issue.

[Ted Cruz]

This also, I think, is an issue that it's worth fighting for. And I think many that are listening are saying, we don't want to give in and we don't want to give up. And the pendulum went so far to the radical left for so many years that this is the fight that is worth fighting on and fighting over. And showing California having to change girls track and field championship rules after the Trump threatens funding over the trans athletes is just an example of, hey, we are in many times the silent majority, and we need to start acting like it, especially on these types of issues.

[Travis Holloway]

Well, I'll tell you, Ben, this, this issue is a powerful issue. And as you know, I ran for reelection in Texas last year in 2024. It was a quarter billion dollar race. I was Chuck Schumer's number one target. And my campaign was the first campaign in the country last year to put. Put real time and energy behind this. This. This issue of we're gonna protect girls sports from boys competing. And we put tens of millions of dollars behind this issue. What's fascinating is the media completely misunderstood the issue. So one of the things that my campaign did is we did focus groups in Houston and Dallas of undecided moderate women to understand what issues move them. And we tested 30, 35 different messages. The number one issue that moved undecided moderate women in Texas was boys and girls sports. And when I started campaigning on it, it was very funny. The reporters are like, oh, Cruz is trying to appeal to the crazy right wing. And I was just laughing at him. I'm like, you guys are so clueless. This is not the crazy right wing. This is soccer moms. This is soccer moms who love their daughters. And we led on this issue. And then you saw Senate races all across the country pick up the same message, because they were seeing the same data we were. We saw President Trump lean in hard on this message.

[Ted Cruz]

Some of those women that you were talking to, let's be very clear, had moved from California because how many people from California moved to Texas over the last six years? A lot.

[Travis Holloway]

We have over a thousand people a day moving to the state of Texas. And California is overwhelmingly the heaviest, the largest state that is sending people to Texas. But this issue, what's fascinating, Ben, is, you know, four years ago, this issue did not work politically. You saw campaigns try to raise it four years ago, and I think people thought then that it was jumping the shark, that it didn't feel real. Four years ago, I think people said, oh, come on, that's not a real threat. Well, you know what? We've now seen Lia Thomas, the swimmer who is a biological man and looks like Michael friggin Phelps, who we've also seen. And I think this was really a seminal moment in the Olympics. The two dudes competing in women's boxing and beating the hell out of women. And I think a whole lot of people said, wait, this is not theoretical. This is happening over and over and over again. Enough is enough. And I think this is another milestone that California is retreating on. This issue shows that truth and sanity are winning.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And now the question becomes, how much are they gonna be able to fight back through the court system? And is this gonna be something that's gonna be unfortunately an issue for probably years to come?

[Travis Holloway]

Well, look, we'll see. And to be honest, California hasn't conceded altogether. They're still having biological males compete against women, which is unfair. It invites injury. You know, if you're playing volleyball, we've seen women who have a biological man spike the ball into their head. And I mean, I mean, it is. California is still Looney Tunes. But the fact that even the lefty government of California is saying we've gone too far, that's a very positive sign.

[Ted Cruz]

As before, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic, you can go back and download the podcast from earlier this week to hear the entire thing.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealth break. Let's be honest. Building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. It's not just about saving. It's about investing. It's about navigating systems that weren't built for you, embracing your hustle and relying on your community to create something bigger. And that's exactly why we created the wealthbreak. We made something different, something more human. It's not just another financial podcast. It's a conversation about real life, real struggles, and real wins. We're here to talk about the journey. You'll hear from people who've broken barriers, found creative ways to succeed, and learn to build wealth on their terms. Whether it's the first time homeowner, a gig worker, or someone turning a side hustle into a six figure business. We're bringing you their stories and we're not stopping at success stories. We're breaking down the realities. Like what it means to take risk, how to navigate failure, and why resilience matters. Because wealth isn't about money. It's about creating a life where you can thrive and help others to do the same. So if you're ready for a podcast as much as about people as it is about money, you're in the right place. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Travis Holloway]

@ Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than just a car. It's the two door coupe that was there for your first drive, the hatchback that took you cross country and back, and the minivan that tackles the weekly carpool for the cars you couldn't live without. Trust Amica Auto Insurance Amica Empathy is our best policy.

[Ted Cruz]

As a dad. There's nothing more important than having great movies to show my kids. Movies that celebrate family and our values. Well, if you didn't see Angel Studios record breaking animated film King of Kings over Easter, well you're gonna love it and you should check it out. And Angel's big next hit is already here. The Last Rodeo starring Neil McDonough rides into theaters May 23rd. It's an inspiring family driven story about a veteran bull rider who returns to the arena to save his grandson. And it features real life PBR stars. Now this is the best thing. I'm gonna give you two free tickets to see the Last rodeo on the big screen when you become a premium member. Angel Guild. That's right, join the Guild and you'll get tickets to every angel theater release plus stream angel originals like Homestead, the Shift and more exclusively with your membership. More than 1 million people have joined the movement to reshape entertainment for our family and you can do it right now by going to angel.com verdict to get your free tickets and start Streaming today. That's angel.com verdict the stories that matter from people that do it right. Angel.com verdict to get your free tickets now.

[J.R. Martinez]

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Travis Holloway]

This medal is for the men who.

[Ted Cruz]

Went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it.

[J.R. Martinez]

I'm J.R. martinez. I'm a U.S. army veteran myself and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these Heroes on the new season of Medal of Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and iHeart podcast from Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal. To Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by accident of valor, going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Travis Holloway]

Why should you listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand? We're not boring. A lot of news is boring and tedious and depressing and makes you angry. You don't want to live your life like that. Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty. We're Armstro and Getty. We try to bring you the truth and help you figure out this crazy.

[Ted Cruz]

Modern world about something about a comedic tone.

[Travis Holloway]

We have a winner. Yes. Listen to Armstrong and Yeti on Demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ted Cruz]

I want to get back to the big story number three of the week you may have missed.

[Travis Holloway]

Unless the head of the FBI is calling for the murder of the President of the United States. And. And that is another story that broke in the last few days. So the former FBI director, James Comey, he tweeted out this image, and it is an image of seashells on the beach that spell out 86, 47. Now, 47 is obviously Donald Trump. And 86 on the face of it, to 86 someone is standard slang for killing someone. And as I posted on social media, is there any other reasonable interpretation of this other than the former head of the FBI publicly calling for the murder of the President of the United States and Comey backed away from it. I gotta say, part of the reason I think he put it out is he's got a new book coming out and he wanted some attention. But it is unimaginable that a head of the FBI would be particularly a president who has had two assassination attempts. This is not theoretical. Donald Trump was shot. He came within a half inch of being killed in Butler, Pennsylvania. And yet the head of the FBI is openly calling for people to 86 Donald Trump.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and not only, as you mentioned, is it a dog whistle, but also, yeah, he had a book coming out. He's like, hey, if I do this, and maybe there's just narcissism and arrogance to A level that even I didn't realize with, with him. And I thought it was pretty high, where he's like, I'm so powerful, I can get away with this. And then everybody will want to interview me. I get to dog whistle this against the present, while also guaranteeing that every single show will want to book me to talk about my book, AKA and also the seashells on the beach. It was one hell of a move. And I think it's one where he thought, nothing's gonna happen to me, even if I do get interviewed by the Secret Service, who cares?

[Travis Holloway]

Well, and I will say he doubled down this week by calling on the FBI essentially to fight the President of the United States and accusing the Trump administration of being, in his words, quite white supremacist adjacent. Listen to this. So follow up on the seashell situation when you were explaining why you took it down, but what were you trying to communicate to the public? Impeach Trump? What was your reasoning for it? No, I just thought it was a cool picture. Someone was expressing a political view in a very clever way in shells that were organized by the same color for each of the letters. I just thought, what a cool thing. And I'm well known as a political opponent of Donald Trump, and I just thought, that's cool. My Instagram account is family politics stuff, including stuff like this. I put a shell on last fall. I thought it was cool. Someone had painted the inside of a big shell to say Vote Kamala. I thought, that's really cool. So I put that on. But so it's not any particular message other than that? I was just gonna ask you about the MSNBC interview you were doing, because on social media, everyone's saying he's talking about the white supremacist adjacent Republican Party. Everybody in the party voters.

[Rodney Williams]

What?

[Travis Holloway]

What's. You want to clarify? No clarification at all?

[Ted Cruz]

No, I'm not going to comment on it.

[Travis Holloway]

Okay, thank you. Thank you. Hello.

[Ted Cruz]

I love it. Be well. I'm not going to clarify on that. I'm going to keep that out there as well. Buy my book.

[Travis Holloway]

What utter garbage. Oh, I just thought it was kind of interesting. Interesting. I just thought it was, you know, kind of pretty. The seashells were pretty. Like, what an absurd claim. And there's something mocking about it that he could claim. Okay. Number one, James Comey is not a stupid man.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, he's smart. He knows what he's doing.

[Travis Holloway]

He knows exactly what he is doing. And James Comey, number one, he knows who 47 is. He knows exactly who 47 is. 47 is the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. Number two, the claim that he didn't know what 86 is. Listen, that. That is. That is absurd. It is. It is not remotely credible. And the fact that he's saying that. The fact that he's saying that is mocking it is a level of contempt. And listen, I got to say, I don't know Comey personally, but in my view, he is someone who was consumed by power when he was the head of the FBI. I think he had delusions of grandeur. I think he believed he was J. Edgar Hoover and he wanted to have presidents of the United States reporting to him. By the way, do you happen to know off the top of your top of your head, what 18 USC section 871 provides?

[Ted Cruz]

No. What is it?

[Travis Holloway]

What's funny? It's actually a felony. Threatening the President of the United States is a felony that's punishable by up to five years imprisonment. You would think the head of the FBI would know that. And yet he blithely said, oh, I just saw some pretty seashells, you know, nothing to see here.

[Ted Cruz]

And let's just remind people when you said that he's smart. This is the same guy that mocked the Trump administration the first time, right when they got into office, when he just sent a couple FBI agents over to try to entrap General Flynn. Like, never forget, that's how calculated this guy is. So for him to say, oh, I just saw a picture here, and I thought it was really cute. Of seashells. I don't buy that crap. For a moment.

[Travis Holloway]

He proposed sending someone wearing a wire to entrap the President of the United States. And I want you to listen to him with Nicole Wallace on msnbc, because I want you to listen to just this smarmy, sanctimonious, dishonest. You can tell what I think about him here. Just play his words and see if you agree with me.

[Ted Cruz]

You are back in the middle of a political firestorm.

[Travis Holloway]

Yeah, for walking on the beach with my wife. So I don't know how we ended up here. Never occurred to me that it was any kind of controversial thing, but that's the time we live in. Okay, Ben, there's a technical word for what he just said there that would be called a lie. He's deliberately lying. He knows he's lying. He is not in trouble for walking on the beach with his wife. He is understandably in trouble for publicly advocating the murder of the President of the United States.

[Ted Cruz]

And yet there's a lot of people think he knew exactly what he was doing. And yeah, he may get hauled in for some questioning, but he's not going to get arrested because he's a former FBI director and that guy never gets in trouble, right?

[Travis Holloway]

Well, we shall see. I will say Cash Patel and Dan Bongino are not your typical heads of the FBI.

[Ted Cruz]

As always, thank you for listening to Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. Don't forget to download my podcast and you can listen to my podcast every other day. You're not listening to Verdict or each day when you listen to Verdict afterwards. I'd love to have you as a listener to again the Ben Ferguson Podcast. And we will see you back here on Monday morning. Wholesome family entertainment is so important, especially for my family with my three boys. And there's a new movie I want you to know about. I want to give you free tickets. The Last Rodeo Angel Studios newest family Blockbuster starring Neil McDonough hits theaters May 23rd. And become a premium member right now and get two free tickets to see the Last Rodeo on the big screen. Plus, you can stream other angel exclusives like Homestead, the Shift and more, help choose which movies get made and support film and filmmakers that share our values. So join the angel guild [e-mail] verdict that's angel.com verdict. Don't miss the Last Rodeo. Only in theaters.

[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Travis Holloway]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

[Travis Holloway]

What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

[Travis Holloway]

At Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than just a car or a house. It's the four wheels that get you where you're going and the four walls that welcome you home. When you combine auto and home insurance with Amica, we'll help protect it all. And the more you cover, the more you can save. Amica empathy is our best policy.

[J.R. Martinez]

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the impression, probable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Travis Holloway]

This medal is for the men who went down that day.

[J.R. Martinez]

On Medal of Honor Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Travis Holloway]

Why should you listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand? We're not boring. A lot of news is boring and tedious and depressing and makes you ang angry. You don't want to live your life like that. Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty. We're Armstrong and Getty. We try to bring you the truth and help you figure out this crazy modern world.

[Ted Cruz]

How about something about a comedic tone?

[Travis Holloway]

We have a winner. Yes. Listen to Armstrong and Yeti on Demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Rodney Williams]

This is an iHeart podcast.