Verdict with Ted Cruz — Week in Review: “Regime Change Isn’t a Dirty Word,” a Meeting with Machado, & the Soldiers Who Changed a Hemisphere

Episode Date: January 17, 2026
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson

Episode Overview

This week’s “Verdict with Ted Cruz” dives into three major global stories:

• America’s stance on regime change, especially regarding Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba.
• Senator Ted Cruz’s private meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
• A first-person account of meeting with American soldiers wounded in the mission to capture Nicolás Maduro.

Senators Cruz and Ferguson bring listeners up to speed on why these moments might represent one of the most significant turning points in U.S. foreign policy since the Cold War, emphasizing strong leadership, the power of American voice, and the cost and courage of those enacting change on the ground.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Regime Change: Principle or Provocation?

Timestamps: 00:47 – 12:39

• Moderation over extremes: Cruz rejects the idea that Americans must be either “neocon warmongers” or “isolationists,” advocating instead for an “America First” foreign policy (00:47).

  “Most Americans, I think, agree with President Donald Trump and agreed with President Ronald Reagan. Neither one were… neocon warmongers.” — Ted Cruz (00:51)

• Defining regime change: Cruz challenges the online vilification of ‘regime change,’ arguing the world is better when tyrannical regimes fall, citing the Soviet Union and drawing parallels to China, Iran, and Venezuela (01:55).

  “Should you be for regime change when the Soviet Union fell ...unambiguously, yes, the world is better off when a cruel, tyrannical communist regime falls.” — Ted Cruz (02:01)

• No to boots on the ground, yes to supporting dissidents: Cruz strongly opposes large-scale American military interventions, recounts opposition to the Iraq War, and stresses promoting change through diplomatic, economic, and moral support instead (03:30).

• Iran focus: Both hosts underscore support for revolution in Iran but stress the importance of local agency:

  “This podcast is a message to the people of Iran. Freedom matters. You're the ones in charge of fighting for your revolution. But know that America stands with you.” — Ted Cruz (04:44)

• Russian involvement in Iran: The hosts joke about a Russian military jet as the “dictator extraction plane” ready in Tehran for a possible evacuation—an example of how close change might be (05:39).

  “What was there in the windshield? The little Uber logo? I'm just curious.” — Ted Cruz (05:39)

• Caution and realism about revolution: Cruz is clear-eyed about potential turmoil after revolutions and states he has no personal favorite to lead Iran, hoping only for free, democratic elections and better U.S. relations (06:28).

  “I'm not Pollyannish about what comes next. ...Anytime you have a revolution, there is uncertainty, and the outcome can be good or bad.” — Ted Cruz (06:28)

• Why Iran is different: Cruz draws sharp distinction between past U.S. conflicts and Iran, noting that the Ayatollah is actively targeting Americans, making regime change there a particularly urgent U.S. interest (08:12).

• Quoting Reagan’s Cold War leadership and its legacy: Cruz tells the story of Natan Sharansky and the powerful role of words (“evil empire”), stressing:

  “When he talked about Marxism Leninism, he said, Marxism Leninism will end up on the ash heap of history. And then... said, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” — Ted Cruz (09:13)

• The power of the American voice remains potent: Cruz shares a personal story about a North Korean dissident’s painting, symbolizing the reach and moral duty of American leadership (11:45).

2. Inside the Room: Senator Cruz Meets María Corina Machado

Timestamps: 14:00 – 24:09

• Who’s in the meeting and why: Cruz explains that opposition leader María Corina Machado personally invited a group of both Republican and Democratic senators to meet after her White House appointment with President Trump; emphasizes bipartisan unity is crucial for supporting Venezuela’s democratic movement (14:18).

• Machado’s strategy ensured Republicans like Cruz (Texas), Rick Scott (Florida), Bernie Moreno (Ohio), and John Curtis (Utah) were not excluded from what might have otherwise become a partisan Democratic photo-op (15:35).

• Cruz’s personal connection: His advocacy for Houston’s “Citgo Six” (American oil executives imprisoned by Maduro) and family history of persecution by communists drives his commitment to supporting democratic dissidents (17:40).

  “Part of that is, listen, I hate communists… My family was imprisoned and tortured by communists.” — Ted Cruz (17:55)

• Dissidents change the world: Cruz sees highlighting and amplifying dissent as central to encouraging regime collapse and advancing human rights (18:20).

• Why now matters: Both hosts reflect on this period as potentially one of the most consequential of their lifetimes, with three major anti-American regimes (Iran, Venezuela, Cuba) at risk of collapse or democratization—directly attributing Democratic momentum to President Trump’s “we have your back” message (19:28, 20:10).

  “If that happens, that will be the single most significant foreign policy development the world has seen since the Berlin Wall was torn to the ground.” — Ted Cruz (21:30)

• Machado’s message to U.S. Senators: Unity in America is essential, and she explicitly credited Trump for the momentum behind Venezuela’s democratic awakening, a point that didn’t sit well with some Democrats (22:46).

3. On the Ground: Meeting America’s Wounded Heroes of the Maduro Raid

Timestamps: 25:32 – 31:25

• A historic, high-risk operation: Cruz recounts visiting three wounded U.S. soldiers in San Antonio who took part in the mission to arrest former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. All soldiers survived; none are in life-threatening condition (26:15).
• Heroism under fire: One soldier, having been shot in the leg, continued to lead and protect his team until the fight was over. Cruz tells each soldier they are “part of history… that changed the Western hemisphere.” (26:58)
• Personal touches:
  • Each wounded soldier asked to keep the bullet or shrapnel that wounded them as a memento of their sacrifice—a request granted on the spot by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (28:40).
  • Their wives, described as young, faithful, and proud, stood by their sides. One soldier, when asked how he felt, responded, “I’m ready to go again.” Cruz jokes, “Can you do Saturday?” Soldier: “Well, can we hold off till Monday?” (30:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On regime change:

  “Should you be for regime change when the Soviet Union fell … unambiguously, yes, the world is better off when a cruel, tyrannical communist regime falls.” — Ted Cruz (02:01)

• Personal, global stakes:

  “This podcast, there may be someone who is risking their life or even, God forbid, loses their life because they hear our words… I think we have a responsibility to speak truth, to speak for justice.” — Ted Cruz (12:13)

• Regarding American leadership’s influence:

  “If that happens, that will be the single most significant foreign policy development the world has seen since the Berlin Wall was torn to the ground. It will literally remake the geopolitical map.” — Ted Cruz (21:30)

• On the soldiers’ spirit:

  “I said, great. Can you do Saturday? And he said, well, can we hold off till Monday? So that kind of gives you a sense of the spirit.” — Ted Cruz (30:46)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------|-------------| | Neocon vs. isolationist false choice | 00:47 | | Regime change, historical examples | 02:01 | | Rejecting boots-on-ground interventions | 03:30 | | Message to Iran’s dissidents | 04:44 | | Dictator “extraction plane” in Iran (humor) | 05:39 | | Meeting with Soviet dissident Sharansky | 09:13 | | Painting from North Korean dissident | 11:45 | | Meeting with María Corina Machado | 14:18 | | Dissidents & the Citgo Six | 17:40 | | The world on the verge of change | 19:28, 20:10| | Machado’s emphasis on U.S. unity | 22:46 | | Madura raid soldiers’ heroism | 26:15 | | Giving soldiers their bullet/shrapnel | 28:40 | | “Ready to go again” — soldiers’ attitude | 30:45 |

Episode Tone & Takeaway

Throughout, the tone is both urgent and reflective, laced with Cruz’s characteristic humor but grounded in the gravitas of possible world-historic change. The hosts fuse personal narrative, policy critique, and anecdotes from the field to animate high-stakes debates around U.S. foreign policy, the fate of dictatorships, and the unsung bravery of American servicemen.

For listeners wanting to understand America’s new role in a possibly transforming world: this episode delivers context, candor, and the unfiltered perspective of a key political insider.