Verdict with Ted Cruz — Week In Review (September 6, 2025)

Overview

In this “Week In Review” episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson analyze the week’s most significant stories: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s claims about Chicago crime, Cruz’s Clean DC Act, and a major bust of the Sinaloa cartel in New England. They discuss the disconnect between progressive leadership and crime statistics, legislative battles over urban safety, and the opioid crisis tied to drug cartels. With sharp criticism of Democratic policies, personal anecdotes, and national security concerns, the hosts frame these topics as central to conservative priorities leading up to the midterm elections.

1. JB Pritzker and Chicago Crime: “Nothing To See Here”

[03:07–09:52]

Key Points & Insights

• Pritzker’s Optimism vs. Statistics:
  The hosts deride Governor JB Pritzker’s assertion that Illinois, especially Chicago, is “succeeding” in crime control, calling out his “reality-denying vision.”
• Crime Rates Highlighted:
  • “Chicago has had the most murders of any American city for 13 consecutive years… three times higher than LA, five times higher than New York City, two times higher than Islamabad, and 15 times higher than Delhi.” — Ted Cruz [06:02]
• Leadership Comparison:
  Cruz likens Pritzker and Gavin Newsom to “the meme of the dumpster burning in the background and saying… everything’s fine here.” [04:25]
• The Political Argument:
  Cruz alleges Democrats choose criminals over victims:
  • “If they have a conflict between a murderer and a victim... the Democrats will pick the criminal every single time.” [07:28]
  • Criticism is leveled at Pritzker’s statement that efforts to remove “illegal immigrant killers and rapists” are “dangerous” and “anti-American.” [07:01]
• Call for Political Change:
  Cruz references successful law-and-order policies under Trump, Bukele (El Salvador), and China’s clean-up of San Francisco for Xi’s visit as proof that public safety can be prioritized if there is political will.
• Stats on Crime Perception:
  A recent poll is cited: “68% see crime as a major problem in large cities.” [08:06]

Notable Quotes

• Cruz: “JB Pritzker says he's succeeding at fighting violent crime in Chicago. And you’re right, it is reminiscent of these Mexican government leaders who said they're handling it just fine. Look at the great progress they're making. And you look at the cartels who are murdering Mexicans with impunity and who are committing vast numbers of crime in the United States.” [04:25]
• Cruz: “Don’t believe your lying eyes. Just make sure to duck the bullets when you’re in your living room. But everything other than that is great.” [04:25]
• Cruz — on Democratic priorities: “The highest murder rate in the U.S., they describe as a success. It’s reminiscent of leadership in El Salvador when they had the highest murder rate in the world and... described what they were doing as a success.” [08:34]

2. The Clean DC Act: Reversing Urban Crime

[17:09–21:34]

Key Points & Insights

• D.C.’s Crime Crisis:
  Cruz claims DC’s murder rate is now higher than even Bogota, Colombia, and carjackings and vehicle thefts have surged.
  • “27 homicides per 100,000 residents each year. That is higher than Bogota, Colombia… vehicle theft... three times the national average.” [17:32]
• Personal Anecdote:
  Cruz recounts his truck being broken into while filming Verdict late at night in DC. [18:41]
• Cause & Effect:
  Cruz blames DC’s rising crime on a 2022 city law that reduced penalties for violent offenses following George Floyd protests, referencing carjackings and assaults on Congressional staffers.
• Legislative Response:
  The Clean DC Act, sponsored by Cruz, seeks to repeal the 2022 law and restore stringent penalties for violent crime.
  • Supported by the D.C. Police Union and Fraternal Order of Police.
  • Cruz frames the act as a litmus test:
    • “Do you stand with the carjackers? Or do you stand with citizens of America? That ought to be an easy vote. Although sadly… an awful lot of Democrats are going to vote with criminals.” [21:20]

Notable Quotes

• Cruz — on the urgency of action:
  “The violence is out of control and it was made worse by a 2022 law… that lessened the penalties for violent crimes almost entirely across the board. They lessened the penalty for murder, for carjacking, for violent assault. And the effect, understandably, was those crimes all increased.” [18:39]
• Cruz — on the political divide:
  “Every Democrat, every House member needs to decide, okay, where do you stand? ...That ought to be an easy vote.” [21:20]

3. The “Trump Is Dead” Social Media Saga

[22:01–28:21]

Key Points & Insights

• Viral Rumors:
  The left became “giddy” over rumors about Trump’s health after two days of no public appearances, in sharp contrast to the media’s treatment of Biden’s absences.
• Trump Responds:
  Trump brushes off the rumors as “fake news,” highlighting his busy schedule and referencing the double standard.
  • “Biden wouldn’t do [press conferences] for months. You wouldn’t see him. And nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him. And we know he wasn't in the greatest of shape. ... It’s so fake. That’s why the media has so little credibility.” — Donald Trump [23:28]
• Media & Political Culture:
  Cruz and Ferguson denounce expressions of hope for the president’s death from Democratic figures and activists, highlighting a breach in norms:
  • “I have never wished death upon Joe Biden or Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton or any of the Democrat leaders. ... What the hell is wrong with these people where they say they wake up every day hoping, please, please, please let me see that he is dead?” — Ted Cruz [26:45]
• Civility and Respect for Office:
  Cruz reflects on the tradition of respecting the office of the presidency, regardless of party, and laments what he describes as a new level of hostility.

Notable Quotes

• Ferguson: “I love how the president just trolls the media on this one. Like, yeah, you guys are a bunch of scumbags.” [24:51]
• Cruz — on Democratic hostility:
  “There’s something really wrong when you are openly cheering for the President of the United States to die and the people laughing ... There's something just fundamentally wrong about that.” [27:17]

4. Drug Cartels in New England: The Hidden National Epidemic

[33:06–45:07]

Key Points & Insights

• Cartel Spread:
  The Sinaloa Cartel, formerly thought to be a border-state problem, is now operating nationwide, including New England.
  • “171 Sinaloa Cartel members were arrested in New England, the DEA has now announced.” — Ben Ferguson [33:06]
  • "In a single week. 171 Sinaloa Cartel members arrested in Boston.” — Ted Cruz [34:10]
• The Opioid Crisis and Fentanyl:
  DEA Agent Jared Forget explains the massive seizure of 22,000 counterfeit pills, the prevalence of fentanyl, and the difficulty in distinguishing real from fake pills—including Adderall counterfeits made (and labeled) by the cartel [36:03].
• Youth at Risk:
  Cruz and Ferguson emphasize the extreme danger to children and teenagers:
  • “One tiny mistaken decision made by a 14 year old that ends that child’s life.” — Ted Cruz [39:37]
• Personal Story & Parent Warning:
  Cruz shares an anecdote about showing his daughters how even the tiny grains in a Sweet and Low packet could represent a fatal dose of fentanyl, urging parents to have frank talks about this threat [41:06].
• First Responder Challenges:
  Local agencies are running out of Narcan due to skyrocketing overdoses, and even officers risk lethal exposure [39:53].
• National Security Response:
  The Biden administration is deploying fighter jets and naval assets to the Caribbean to disrupt cartels—framed as a demonstration of new administration resolve [45:07].

Notable Quotes

• DEA Agent Jared Forget:
  “I’m a DEA agent. I cannot tell the difference between a fake one and a real one. So we need to remind parents, schools, caregivers... have those conversations with your kids.” [36:36]
• Cruz:
  “It is terrifying being the parents of young kids today... one small decision that seems easy... and they don't think they are risking their lives.” [39:56]
• Cruz — on solutions:
  “We are moving major assets to take on the cartels and to defeat the cartels.” [45:37]

5. Political Outlook and Call to Action

[09:52–12:27]

Key Points & Insights

• Democratic Party “In Shambles”:
  Ferguson claims the Democratic Party is leaderless and ideologically adrift, with Obama “coming back to mentor people.”
• Midterm Forecasts:
  Cruz warns against complacency among GOP voters, despite what he calls Democratic extremism: “On the other side, we have a real enthusiasm gap… The left is not complacent. They are enraged. They are outraising Republicans three to one… It's our job to make sure that the common sense majority of this country is not complacent.” [10:49–12:27]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cruz — satirical meme:
  “It reminds me of that meme of the dumpster burning in the background and saying, you know, everything's fine here. That is today's Democrats.” [04:25]
• Ferguson — on Democratic celebration of Trump's rumored ill health:
  “That’s sick. And that’s the guy who ran for vice president of the Democratic Party.” [26:40]
• Cruz — on the fentanyl threat:
  “If you are a parent, if you are a grandparent, have this conversation with your kids or your grandkids... I don't know a parent who is not terrified about the risk that their kids will make one wrong choice and it will cost them their entire life.” [41:47]
• Cruz — on restoring public safety:
  “The only answer is new political leadership that actually says keeping our citizens safe is our number one priority and we're going to do so.” [08:29]

Timestamps Quick Reference

• Pritzker & Chicago Crime: 03:07–09:52
• Clean DC Act: 17:09–21:34
• Trump Dead? Social Media Rumors: 22:01–28:21
• Sinaloa Cartel in New England: 33:06–45:07
• Midterms & Political Analysis: 09:52–12:27
• Personal/Parental Warnings on Fentanyl: 39:37–41:47

Tone

The episode is assertive, urgent, and often sarcastic, with Cruz and Ferguson employing pointed humor and dramatic contrasts to underscore their criticisms of progressive policies and to rally conservative listeners.

This summary covers all substantive content and discussion, omitting advertisements, intros, and outros.