Verdict with Ted Cruz: Radical Judiciary Undermining Trump, Fencing Fairness & Mexico's Water Theft Week In Review
Release Date: April 12, 2025
Host: Senator Ted Cruz and Co-Host Ben Ferguson
Source: Premiere Networks

1. Judicial Activism Undermining the Trump Administration

Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson delve into the pressing issue of judicial activism, highlighting its detrimental impact on former President Donald Trump's administration. Cruz emphasizes the unprecedented number of nationwide injunctions issued against Trump:

Ted Cruz [02:43]: "It is an absolute abuse of power. It is worse than it has ever been. We have seen against Donald Trump in the first two months of administration, more nationwide injunctions issued against President Trump than in the entirety of the George W. Bush administration, all eight years. The entirety of the Barack Obama administration, all eight years. The entire of the Joe Biden administration, all four years. More in two months than in those 20 years we have seen."

Ben Ferguson underscores the severity of this abuse:

Ben Ferguson [03:12]: "Two months and 20 years. You say it, you said it quickly. I want people to just pause and think about how much of abuse of power there has to be if they're doing it that much. Like this is deliberate."

Confrontation with Amy Klobuchar

A heated exchange unfolds between Ted Cruz and Senator Amy Klobuchar regarding the legitimacy and frequency of nationwide injunctions:

Amy Klobuchar [13:15]: "And the only reason there's all these injunctions, Senator Cruz, is because he's violating the Constitution."

Ted Cruz [14:20]: "Why don't you file them in red districts? Why are you seeking out the most left-wing judges in the country who used to be radical activists..."

This confrontation highlights the partisan divide over the judiciary's role in policymaking and underscores Cruz's stance that the judiciary is overstepping its constitutional boundaries.

Legislative and Impeachment Remedies

Cruz discusses potential remedies to curb judicial overreach:

Ted Cruz [11:11]: "Well, it could be done quickly. There's legislation, in fact, there's legislation we were talking about at that hearing that Chuck Grassley introduced that I'm a co-sponsor of, that would remove the power of a district judge to issue nationwide injunctions."

However, he expresses skepticism about its passage due to partisan resistance:

Ted Cruz [11:22]: "Is that gonna pass? Probably not. Because for it to pass in the Senate would take 60 votes, which would mean we would need seven Democrats to support it."

Cruz also explores impeachment as a less likely but possible avenue:

Ted Cruz [11:36]: "The other remedy that you and I have talked about before is impeachment. You can impeach a judge in the House with a majority vote, 218 votes."

2. Investigation into US Fencing's Trans Athlete Policy

Senator Cruz addresses the controversy surrounding US Fencing's recent disqualification of Stephanie Turner, a female fencer who refused to compete against a transgender athlete:

Ted Cruz [16:41]: "USA Fencing has received widespread criticism for something that happened last week. Stephanie Turner... was disqualified from the entire tournament because she stood up for what she believed in."

As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Cruz has initiated an investigation into US Fencing's policies:

Ted Cruz [20:01]: "I wrote a letter to the chief executive officer of USA Fencing... if it does not and instead continues to put women at risk, Congress may be forced to terminate USA Fencing's NGB certification."

Cruz outlines his objectives and the questions posed to USA Fencing, emphasizing the need to protect women's sports from what he perceives as unfair competition against biological males:

Ted Cruz [22:10]: "There's no difference between men and women. And that is profoundly unfair to women and girls competing in sports. And I'm going to do everything I can to stop it."

3. Mexico's Water Theft Impacting Texas Farmers

The episode shifts focus to the severe issue of Mexico diverting water meant for South Texas, threatening the livelihoods of American farmers. Cruz provides a detailed account of the violation of the 1944 Mexican Water Treaty:

Ted Cruz [25:20]: "Mexico has been openly and brazenly violating the treaty. They've not been providing the water. They are diverting that water that should go to South Texas from farmers under the treaty to Mexican farmers."

The consequences for South Texas are dire:

Ted Cruz [26:52]: "There is a massive drought... Farmers are taking half of their acreage out of production. They're shutting down half of their farms... One sugar mill in all of Texas last year... shut down because of water."

Cruz criticizes the Biden administration's inaction and outlines his efforts to address the crisis:

Ted Cruz [27:25]: "President Trump talks a lot about foreign countries taking advantage of America. This is literally the Mexican government stealing our water."

He details legislative measures and collaborations aimed at securing water for Texas farmers:

Ted Cruz [28:36]: "In December, as part of the continuing resolution, I authored legislation that got adopted that provided $280 million in emergency relief for Texas farmers..."

Cruz also shares President Trump's direct intervention:

Ted Cruz [32:13]: "Here's what President Trump sent this evening... I will make sure that Mexico doesn't violate our treaties and doesn't hurt our Texas farmers."

Following Trump's tweet, Cruz reports progress:

Ted Cruz [33:57]: "Within an hour of that tweet going out, the president of Mexico sent out a tweet saying, we're going to fix this."

Conclusion

Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson provide a comprehensive review of the week's major political developments, focusing on judicial overreach, the integrity of women's sports, and international agreements impacting American agriculture. Cruz's commentary reflects a strong conservative stance, emphasizing constitutional adherence, protection of traditional values in sports, and defense of American economic interests against foreign encroachments.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Judicial Activism:

  Ted Cruz [02:43]: "It is an absolute abuse of power. It is worse than it has ever been."

• Legislative Remedies:

  Ted Cruz [11:11]: "There's legislation we were talking about... that would remove the power of a district judge to issue nationwide injunctions."

• US Fencing Investigation:

  Ted Cruz [16:41]: "Stephanie Turner... was disqualified from the entire tournament because she stood up for what she believed in."

• Mexico's Water Theft:

  Ted Cruz [25:20]: "Mexico has been openly and brazenly violating the treaty."

• Presidential Intervention:

  Ted Cruz [32:13]: "I will make sure that Mexico doesn't violate our treaties and doesn't hurt our Texas farmers."

Relevance for Listeners

This episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz" offers listeners an in-depth analysis of current political challenges facing conservative policies, the judiciary, sports integrity, and international treaties. For those seeking to understand the intersection of law, politics, and societal issues from a conservative perspective, this episode provides valuable insights and actionable information.