Short‑Term Pain Long‑Term Results in Iran, Tucker & the WOKE Right plus No Cash for DHS even after 4 Terror Attacks Week In Review

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: Short‑Term Pain Long‑Term Results in Iran, Tucker & the WOKE Right plus No Cash for DHS even after 4 Terror Attacks Week In Review
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Date: March 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

This “Week in Review” episode features Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson breaking down several critical stories impacting U.S. politics and security: the aftermath and framing of the U.S.-Iran conflict, divisions among conservatives (notably with Tucker Carlson) over foreign policy, and the funding crisis at the Department of Homeland Security even in the wake of multiple recent terrorist attacks.

The hosts aim to dispel what they describe as media misinformation and partisan spin, defend the administration’s national security decisions, and critique both mainstream media and isolationist voices on the right.

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Main Discussion Points

1. Iran Conflict & Gas Prices: Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain

• Key Argument:
  The current military campaign against Iran is producing a temporary spike in gas prices, but both hosts emphasize this is necessary for long-term security and market stability.
• Ted Cruz:
  • Compares current gas prices ($3.50/gal) to the Biden era, asserting they are “significantly lower” now.
  • Contends this is a short-term spike; stresses that the collapse of the Iranian regime would lead to a further drop in global oil prices.
  • Argues the military action is about U.S. security, not about Israel:

    “...this military conflict has very little to do with Israel. The reason President Trump decided to attack Iran is because Iran has been waging war with America for 47 years, and they've killed nearly a thousand Americans, and they're the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world.” (06:12)

  • Blasts Democratic framing of the conflict as “another endless war”—calls such fears “dishonest” and “false.”
• Ben Ferguson:
  • Downplays gas price concerns as political opportunism (“the new egg price thing”) and advocates for patience.
  • Emphasizes the efficiency and limited scope of the current military operation.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Cruz (on gas prices):

  “If and when the Iranian regime collapses ... the effect on global gas prices will be to lower them significantly. So I actually think this conflict, in the long term or even the medium term, will have a substantial downward pressure on gasoline prices.” (05:52)

2. Rejecting the “Endless War” Narrative

• Both hosts vehemently deny that this conflict will become another Iraq or Afghanistan.
• They highlight the administration’s strategy for swift action and minimal troop deployment.
• Featured Clip: Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, reinforces a “decisive, efficient victory” approach, not nation-building.

Notable Segment:

• Pete Hegseth (via clip, paraphrased):

  “This is not endless nation building... we're winning decisively with brutal efficiency, total air dominance, and an unbreakable will to accomplish the President's objectives.” (11:49)

• Ted Cruz:

  “This is one of the reasons why I actually think it was a blessing that he was named and made it through confirmation. ... what happened to a lot of his colleagues ... when he was serving in uniform and deployed, that doesn't happen to this group of soldiers now.” (12:09)

3. Divisions on the Right: Tucker Carlson & ‘Woke Right’ Isolationism

• Theme: A firestorm over Tucker Carlson’s commentary, which the hosts argue crosses into anti-American, pro-Islamist propaganda.
• Ben Ferguson:
  • Plays a clip from Tucker Carlson warning that “unconditional surrender” means atrocities will occur, and implies America would be guilty of such crimes.
  • Calls out Carlson’s statements as hysteria and deeply insulting to U.S. troops.
• Ted Cruz:
  • Accuses Carlson of “anti-American propaganda” and parroting Islamist talking points, calling his comments a “new low.”
  • Cites examples of Iranian state TV and the Muslim Brotherhood promoting Carlson’s segments as propaganda.
  • Argues Carlson's isolationism aligns him more closely with progressive critics of U.S. foreign policy.

Notable Quote:

• Ted Cruz:

  “That's what Tucker Carlson just said. That is grotesque. And by the way, any soldier who sees Tucker Carlson ought to say, how dare you say that American soldiers—No, we would not. And impugning our troops is disgusting.” (21:45)

4. Leadership Succession in Iran & Dangers of Religious Extremism

• Quick response to breaking news: Iran's new leadership is another member of the same ruling family, deemed “unacceptable” by both hosts.
• Cruz:
  • Uses North Korea as a case of failed deterrence due to poor diplomacy; draws distinction with Iran, where deterrence is “orders of magnitude” more dangerous due to religious fanaticism.
  • Critiques Obama and Clinton administrations for “appeasement” and failed nuclear agreements.
• Quote:

  “When you're dealing with religious extremism...rational deterrence doesn't work the same way.” (25:12)

5. Lack of Funding for DHS Amid Ongoing Terror Attacks

• Hosts criticize Congressional Democrats for failing to fund the Department of Homeland Security, even after four recent terrorist attacks in the U.S.
• Media coverage is lambasted as insufficient and distorted:
  • CNN allegedly described ISIS-inspired attackers merely as “Pennsylvania teenagers.”
  • Discussion of the Abby Phillips (CNN) retraction regarding attack reporting.
• Ted Cruz lists examples of past attacks by radical Islamists, and recounts the Obama administration’s alleged “purge” of references to radical Islamism from government vocabulary.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Cruz:

  “I have not seen a single one of my Democrat colleagues asked by any reporter, how can you justify not funding the Department of Homeland Security when we've had four terror attacks from radical Islamic terrorists in 10 days and we have radical clerics calling for more?” (39:02)

• Cruz on differentiating Islam and Islamism:

  “There is a distinction between being Muslim and being an Islamist. An Islamist is a political ideology ... that says we will use force, we will use violence, we will use terrorism to forcibly attack the infidels and to force them to either convert to Islam or to die.” (40:40)

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Noteworthy and Memorable Moments

• Ben Ferguson’s blunt response to Tucker Carlson’s clip:

  “You America hating Islamist fluffer. I gotta say that makes me mad.” (20:38)

• Cruz references to historical U.S. foreign policy missteps and Obama/Clinton/Wendy Sherman’s negotiations. (24:55)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:36 – Episode’s real content begins, Iran and gas prices discussed
• 05:20 – National security rationale for the Iran operation
• 10:33 – Endless war fears debunked; Hegseth audio
• 15:10 – Segment ends, transition/ad
• 18:14 – Isolationism and Tucker Carlson, internal conservative divisions
• 23:48 – Iran’s new leader, rational deterrence vs religious fanaticism
• 32:37 – Shift to terror attacks in the U.S. and DHS funding crisis
• 36:06 – Critique of media handling of terror attack reporting
• 39:02 – Cruz criticizes lack of journalistic accountability regarding DHS funding
• 40:40 – Nuanced explanation of distinction between Islam and Islamism

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Summary Table

| Segment | Topic | Notable Quotes / Points | |---------|-------|------------------------| | 03:36-10:33 | Iran conflict & Gas Prices | "Short term pain, long-term gain," "Not about Israel, but America," "Collapse of Iranian regime would lower global oil prices" | | 10:33-12:42 | Endless war narrative rebuttal | "Winning decisively with brutal efficiency," "Not invading/occupying" | | 18:14-23:48 | Woke Right & Tucker Carlson | "Anti-American propaganda," "Tucker Carlson’s rhetoric is more anti-American than some Democrats’" | | 23:48-28:09 | Iran's new leadership & deterrence | North Korea analogy, "Religious fanaticism in Iran, not susceptible to rational deterrence" | | 32:37-42:50 | Terror attacks & DHS funding | CNN coverage called deceptive, "journalism has consequences," "Distinction between Islam and Islamism" |

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Final Takeaways

• Cruz and Ferguson defend the Iran campaign as necessary, time-limited, and in U.S. self-interest.
• They attack both left and right critics (especially isolationists and media voices) for spreading what they call dangerous and false narratives.
• Strong focus on the need for honesty about the ideological motives behind terrorism and about governmental failures in security.
• Recurring motif: The media and political opponents are accused of hypocrisy, partisanship, and dangerous appeasement.

---

The episode is highly opinionated—characterized by combative and blunt language, direct attacks on other media and politicians, and a recurring call to ‘tell the truth’ about national security challenges.

Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Welcome. It is verdict with Ted Cruz Week in Review. Ben Ferguson with you. And here are the big stories that we talked about this week that you may have missed. First up, Democrats are going all in on the idea of the attacks in Iran becoming an endless war. We'll break down exactly why that's not true and it's not going to happen. Also Tucker Carlson and the woke, right. Well, they're isolationists and we explain why this undermines President Trump and also America first policies and helps our enemies. And finally, what's next after the terrorist attacks that we've already had here in the U.S. so many Americans are so concerned right now, as they should be and want to feel safe. We break it down for you. It's the weekend review and it starts right now. The president's been pretty clear about this. This is gonna be short term increase. Democrats do seem to be latching onto this. Like remember when egg prices was like a big thing in the, in the political world?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yep.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This is the new egg price thing.

[Ben Ferguson]

Right.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Oh my gosh. Donald Trump says lower price of the pump for you. Look at it now. Look how bad it is now. It's gonna be, you know, $10 a gallon in California. It's gonna be five, six hours a gallon. Everywhere else. The president's come out and says it's gonna be short term. I believe him. I think also seeing how hard we're hitting Iran right now is also showing the timeline here that they are wanting to do everything as fast they can. Why drag this out, Go all in, do it quickly, get the pain over with and let those people hopefully rise up and take over Iran and actually move forward. Are you that worried about, about the gas prices? I'm not yet. Like, if it's three months from now or two months from now, I'm going to be more worried. But right now I feel like this is exactly on schedule or ahead of schedule, as the White House has described it.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. So look, there's been a short term increase in gas prices. And any time there's a military conflict in the Middle east, gas prices go up because a lot of oil comes from the Middle east. And so military conflict has an effect on supply and demand. I think this will be short term. One of the things to remember is, so six months ago, gas prices were about. I don't have the exact number off the top of my head, but about $2.50 a gallon. Yeah, they've risen about a dollar. They're about $3.50 a gallon. This is national averages. And so it is true that over the last six months, gasoline prices have risen. Where were they 18 months ago? Under Joe Biden, they were nearly $6 a gallon. So by any measure, they're massively cheaper than Joe Biden. Yes, they've gone up from about 250 to about 350. But I think this is a short term increase. And I gotta say, if and when the Iranian regime collapses, and by the way, we've utterly degraded their military and we've taken out the Ayatollah and the senior military leadership, if and when we have a government in Iran that is not a radical, theocratic Islamist government who wants to murder America, who is funding terrorists all across the world, who is actively trying to murder Americans every single day, if we have just a normal government, I don't really care who we have, just as long as it's not a crazy person killing Americans, the effect on global gas prices will be to lower them significantly. So I actually think this conflict in the long term or even the medium term will have a substantial downward pressure on gasoline prices. There's a short period where prices have spiked somewhat, although, to be clear, they're much, much lower than under Biden, but they are higher than they were six months ago under Trump. Look, I think the Democrats are attacking gas prices because they hate Trump and they're just. Everything Trump does is wrong. This is an incredibly important decision that Trump has made for advancing US national security. And I will say part of the Reason why, when, like, I was being questioned on Lindsey Graham, I like Lindsey. As I said, I agree with him sometimes. I disagree with him sometimes. But what the questioning really was about is, isn't the Iran war about Israel? Isn't this all about Israel? And the suggestion was Israel is a puppet master controlling Donald Trump. That's just a blatant lie. This military conflict has very little to do with Israel. The reason President Trump decided to attack Iran is because Iran has been waging war with America for 47 years, and they've killed nearly a thousand Americans, and they're the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world. And so the people trying to say, I don't want another war for Israel, I don't want my children to die for the Jews, that is. That is not honest. Because we are doing this because the regime in Iran is killing Americans. And to be clear, if they had the capacity, if they had nuclear weapons, they would kill many, many more Americans. If they could, they would kill you and me right now, Ben. If they could, every listener of this podcast, they would kill. If they had a nuclear weapon, I believe there is a real possibility they would detonate it in the skies of Tel Aviv or New York or Los Angeles. And I'm not interested in seeing a day where hundreds of thousands of Americans are murdered by an ayatollah chanting death to America. That's why President Trump acted. But it was not about Israel. It was about America. And I think we need to be very, very clear about that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I also think one of the other things that I think is really frustrating is just seeing how many people act as if somehow Donald Trump was hoodwinked by Israel for us to get involved in this war. And you were asked about that. I was asked about it as well on tv. And I said, that is the biggest load of crap I've heard in a long time. President Trump isn't hoodwinked by anybody. President Trump isn't walked around by anyone. And if you've ever been around him, you know that. I think it goes back to what you just said. The President understood the national security risks, not to Israel.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, this is America first, correct?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It's America. And the national security threat to America, including the fact that they're trying to kill and have sent people and trained people and paid people to try to kill the President of the United States of America. Also people in the last administration, John Bolton, for example, was one of those. There's several others on this list that have actually been.

[Ben Ferguson]

They've had hits out all Right, o', Brien, Hook.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes, exactly. So you go with the list here. The president was clear about this, that this is about America. And I think that's another example. When I said there's like four or five working theories, Democrats throwing gel at a wall saying, does any of this fit with Americans? I also think it's very interesting. And final thing to you. I don't think the American people are buying this. And part of it's because I think Democrats have just said some of the most orlandish and crazy things on every issue, tried to hurt Donald Trump. Now it's becoming a little bit more of white noise, and that's that. I'm thankful for that, to be honest with you.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, no, I think that's right. And look, some of the reaction of the voters will depend on how this plays out. If this military conflict lasts many months or years, if we're sitting here a year from now and still mired in a military conflict, if we've got a massive troop presence on the ground, if we have hundreds or thousands of American soldiers being killed, this war will be very unpopular. Yeah, I think the chances of that happening are very, very close to zero percent. Iran is not Iraq. We're not going to see a massive troop presence on the ground. We're not going to see an extended military occupation. Actually, I want you to listen to Pete Hegseth making this point and we're going to wrap up on this. Listen, listen to the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. You see, this is not 2003.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This is not endless nation building under

[Ben Ferguson]

those types of quagmires we saw under Bush or Obama. It's not even close.

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Our generation of soldier will not let that happen again.

[Ben Ferguson]

And nor will this president, who very clearly ran against those kinds of never

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ending, nebulously scoped missions.

[Ben Ferguson]

Those days are dead. Instead, we're winning decisively with brutal efficiency, total air dominance, and an unbreakable will to accomplish the President's objectives. On our timeline, we stay locked on the target because here at the Department

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

of War, that's our job.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You listen to Pete there. This is one of the reasons why I actually think it was a blessing that he was named and made it through confirmation.

[Ben Ferguson]

He's a guy and he's a combat veteran who's been in harm's way.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. This is a guy that I think is genuinely in the room advocating to make sure that what happened to a lot of his colleagues when he was serving in uniform and deployed, that doesn't happen to this group of soldiers now. And it's clear that this is personal for him. That's why I'm so thankful that he's there in this position, because he lived the other side of it that he was just describing.

[Ben Ferguson]

Right. Look, avoiding endless wars does not mean embracing isolationism. Yeah, Peace through strength is what Reagan called it. Donald Trump just understands it as being a strong commander in chief, that when people are killing Americans, he is going to respond vigorously to take them out. And by the way, our enemies are terrified. As I've said before, at 3am on January 3, there was not a Latin American dictator who didn't have to change his shorts because that's when President Trump seized Nicolas Maduro. What is happening in Iran? The top leadership has been taken out. Every bad guy, every person who hates America is really, really worried right now because this is a nation that defends itself. And by the way, that makes clear if you kill Americans, there are going to be massive consequences to it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden's weakness and appeasement. That if you kill Americans, oh, well, we're not going to do anything about it. That invites more people to target and kill Americans. This is about avoiding war by being strong enough to take out the people that are killing Americans, and that avoids protracted military conflict. I think that's what we're seeing right now, and it makes America a whole lot safer.

[Senator 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. I want you to pause what you're doing for just one minute, and I want you to hear about love, generosity, and compassion. We say those words all the time, and they sound good, they feel good. But here's the truth. Those words don't mean anything unless they turn into action. And right now, not later today, not tomorrow, there's a child in the world who doesn't know if they'll eat, if. If they'll have a chance to learn, or if there's any hope at all. And while we're all busy, life keeps moving forward. But that child is waiting. This is where you come in. With Compassion International, you have the chance to change a child's future. Not just with words, not with promises, but with real help that provides food, education, and hope through local churches and people already in their community. Put your words into action and join me. Introduce a child to a loving, heavenly father [e-mail] that's compassion.com.

[Podcast Announcer]

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Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures available at public.comDisclosures Flag Football

[Ben Ferguson]

is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. Iflag hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org Come on. No.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, I know my golf swing is off today.

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[Ben Ferguson]

Can't.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I think I might have gotten away

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Green, right? I love green.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

What?

[Ben Ferguson]

No.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

What to come back.

[Ben Ferguson]

I paid for the full hour.

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Now on to story number two.

[Ben Ferguson]

The Democrats and the press are trying to undermine President Trump. They're trying to undermine the US Military and they're trying to bolster Iran and the, and the ayatollahs. Do you know who else is doing that?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Who else?

[Ben Ferguson]

Tucker Carlson and the rest of the so called woke. Right. There's a group of isolationist folks on the right. It is a small group, but they are loud and vocal. And Tucker Carlson has now all but declared war on President Trump's foreign policy. I want you to listen to Tucker Carlson in his latest show. I'm going to warn you, what he says here is shocking and it is to the left of Chris Murphy. So it is more anti Donald Trump than Chris Murphy and the Democrats. Listen to Tucker Carlson. Unconditional surrender means foreign troops get to rape your wife and daughter if they want.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

And everyone knows that.

[Ben Ferguson]

And that has been, if there's one consistent lesson of history, it means unconditional surrender means foreign troops get to rape your wife and daughter.

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Everyone can feel that.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's like the most atavistic instinct there is. And so to avoid that, people will do anything.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And so that's why it requires that

[Ben Ferguson]

level of force to get a population subdued to the point of unconditional surrender.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That's why.

[Ben Ferguson]

And so in this case, of course, we don't have the ground force necessary. I don't think Americans would voluntarily participate in it. I just don't think we can do that. It would require weapons of mass destruction. It would require presumably nuclear weapons in order to do that. And let's stop, let's not lie to ourselves. We're moving toward that.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

You hear Tucker there and, and I mean, you want to talk about unhinged, that is like some of the most anti American propaganda I've ever seen spewed by someone like Tucker Carlson. It is a new low even for him. And that, and, and the bar keeps dropping day after day.

[Ben Ferguson]

Look, the phrase, the words someone like Tucker Carlson, you don't even have to put that constraint that is more anti American. Rhetoric than anything I've ever heard Bernie Sanders say or even Chris Murphy, what he said there. Listen, Tucker continues to go to new lows and new lows. And part of it is President Trump this week said that Tucker Carlson is, quote, not MAGA and not smart. The more Tucker Carlson attacks Donald Trump, the more fringe he gets. And so I think this was Tucker acting out when Trump said what was obviously true. But Tucker just said, go back, rewind and listen to what he just said. He said, number one, if Iran surrenders, that American soldiers are going to rape their wives and daughters. And in fact, he said it twice. What utter and complete garbage. You America hating Islamist fluffer. I gotta say that makes me mad. I think of the servicemen who. And women, but the. But the men in particular who are risking their lives. And Tucker Carlson standing there saying, if you surrender to America, American soldiers are going to rape your women. We have never done that. That is not something America does. No, Tucker, American soldiers are not going to rape Iranian women. You know who rapes the people they conquer? Iranians do. Islamists do. That is in fact part of what they do. Part of what they do is that they rape women as a means of subjugation. But Tucker's not going to tell you that because Tucker is now one of the leading proponents of Sharia law in the United States. He's literally an apologist for Islamist. And so, so now you might say, wow, that statement seems incredible. It seems extreme. Here are a couple of data points. Number one, during this war, the Iranian national television is playing Tucker Carlson show in Iran. They view that as such valuable propaganda. They want the Iranian people to hear Tucker. Number two, the Muslim Brotherhood, by the way, Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine and they are terrorists. Are tweeting out Tucker Carlson show. The Muslim Brotherhood is saying, this is our spokesman. Man, this guy is good. I cannot recall another major political figure on left or right who has said, if you surrender to America, American soldiers will rape your women. That's what Tucker Carlson just said. That is grotesque. And by the way, any soldier who sees Tucker Carlson ought to say, how dare you say that American soldiers. No, we would not. And impugning our troops is disgusting. And the second thing that Tucker said in that clip is that Donald Trump is moving towards using a nuclear weapon in Iran. No, he's not, Tucker. That is a complete nutter lie. That is false. We are not going to nuke Iran. It is only deranged. That's the sort of thing the Ayatollah would say. And you've got to ask yourself, look, some of you may think back to when Tucker was on Fox News and he was actually said a lot of things you and I loved that made a lot of sense. This guy today is just a kook. And even worse than that, he is the most prominent purveyor of Islamist lies about America and about Donald Trump. Tucker Carlson has gone full out to war with Donald Trump's national security and foreign policy. And it is he and Chris Murphy are now, they are comrades in arms. He and Chris, Tucker Carlson and Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Ilhan Omar and aoc they all have the exact same foreign policy and it is anti American and it is pro Islamist and it's dangerous as hell.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

We've got some breaking news as we are recording this on Sunday. They have now named a new leader in Iran. It is the son of the former leader there. That is someone that the president has said is unacceptable. Your reaction to that as well?

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, look, it's not surprising. The mullahs are going to get together and they're gonna want another mullah to be the ayatollah. And they want the country to continue to be run by Islamist clerics who embrace a death cult. And it's interesting. One of the things I'm going back to Chris Murphy and what he said a minute ago, you know, we rely on deterrence to stop the most egregious acts of harm. Deterrence works with many countries because you have rational actors. Let's take, for example, North Korea. So North Korea is an exceptionally dangerous part of the world. Why does North Korea have nukes? Well, it goes back to a previous Democrat, President Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton sent a State Department employee named Wendy Sherman to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Kim Jong Il, who was the father of the current dictator, Kim Jong Un. And the deal they cut is that Bill Clinton agreed to send billions of dollars to North Korea. And in exchange for that money, North Korea would promise not to develop nuclear weapons. Well, what happened? We now know what happened. They took the billions of dollars, they used it to develop nuclear weapons. And today North Korea has nuclear weapons. So it was a spectacular failure. Fast forward to Barack Obama. Barack Obama comes into office and he decides his signature foreign policy move is he wants to negotiate an agreement with Iran on nuclear weapons. So what does he do? He actually goes and recruits the same damn person, Wendy Sherman, to negotiate his Iran deal. Literally there are 8 billion people on planet earth ban. There is 1 out of 8 billion who has screwed this up previously, has negotiated a deal to send billions of dollars to a foreign dictator and it's resulted in that dictator using the billions of dollars to develop nuclear weapons. That would be Wendy Sherman that that's who Obama brought in and said, hey, can you do the same for us? Now we live with the failures of the Clinton administration and Wendy Sherman with North Korea. And Kim Jong Un is a dictator. He's megalomaniacal. He's dangerous as hell. He is testing ICBMs. He has targeted, explicitly target US citizens, including Austin, Texas. He is a city that he has said he's targeted before. However, our best protection is Kim Jong Un knows if he ever used a nuclear weapon, the result would be massive, overwhelming retaliation and his regime would lose power that day. It would be the end of his life if he did that. As dangerous as Kim Jong Un is, at least there's some possibility of rational self deterrence. Here's what makes Iran orders of magnitude more dangerous. When you're dealing with religious extremism, when you're dealing with theocratic zealots who are in a death cult, who glorify death and suicide, rational deterrence doesn't work the same way. So for example, if the Ayatollah detonated a nuclear weapon, say in Tel Aviv or in New York or Los Angeles, and let me be clear, I believe if the Ayatollah could do so, he would have done so already. The response would be overwhelming and devastating. But the problem is when you celebrate death and suicide, that normal cost benefit analysis does not apply. And so, yes, they've named a new Ayatollah. The Ayatollah is what, the son of the old Ayatollah. Okay, great. That is not acceptable because President Trump has rightly made the decision. We're not going to allow US national security to be vulnerable to religious zealots who are funding terrorism, who are funding, who are the number one funders of terrorism worldwide and have been for 47 years. So I told a number one, Skippy Jr. Is not going to get to take over either because allowing Iran to wage war and to murder Americans is not consistent with US national security.

[Senator 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. I want to be honest with you for a second about how an act of compassion really feels. A couple of years ago, I made the choice to partner with an amazing organization called Compassion International. Why? Because I wanted to sponsor a child in need. It was a nice idea, sure, but I had no idea just how much that simple act would change my life as well. I sponsored Nadia and got to watch her life change right in front of my eyes. Going from starving literally alone on the streets to getting the health care and education she needs to reach her God given full potential. I got to be a part of that change. And the light of that compassion not only illuminates in her, it illuminates now in me. That is the power of compassion. The light of Christ shines on all of us. Feel it for yourself and change literally a child's life. Change the world and you also change yourself. You can sponsor child today. Visit compassion.com that's compassion.com no one knows

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[Ben Ferguson]

is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. Iflag hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults from first time players to elite competitors, IFLAG delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org hey it's Bobby

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Bones from the Bobby Bones Show. You know, Eddie and I recently stopped by YEAH in Nashville.

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It's an incredible nonprofit empowering kids through music education.

[Ben Ferguson]

Thanks to Hyundai, we recorded a special podcast episode while we were there. Check it out.

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What's the dream for?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, in the next few years we would love to have more consistent programming during the weekend. Our Rock Block program is dependent on funding venues that are available to host band based programming. We would love to extend the camp to a second consecutive week so that kids can go a little bit deeper into what they've created during the first week camp. And we'd love to expand our programming to offer more industry related skills like audio, lighting, production, recording so that kids can be on a track to see where what they may create with an instrument can lead, but also to welcome those that may not want to be on stage but lack the opportunity at school to have an entry point into music.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The full episode is out now presented

[Ben Ferguson]

by the Hyundai Ioniq 9.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

To donate and learn more about yeah's mission, just visit yeahrocks.org I want to get back to the big story number three of the week you may have missed. Senator, I want to go back to the overall conversation here with these terrorist attacks. It is depressing. I think there's a lot of Americans that are very concerned about it and that is something that I think so many Americans, they want to feel safe and secure. The Department of Homeland Security not being funded and these four terrorist attacks in a normal world with the normal media would be front page news and they'd be running up and they'd be sticking a microphone in front of the face of the people that voted no to funding dhs. I go back to the media when they were obsessed with the price of eggs, remember? And they were trying to say that it was somehow Donald Trump's fault that the egg prices were high. They went like 247 coverage on that over eggs. But on this issue they're completely gone from covering it and holding accountable the Democratic leadership. Like how are you guys holding this up? There are dead Americans and that's not sensationalizing. That is a fact. There are dead Americans and terrorist attacks and you guys have unfunded. The department that is supposed to be doing this in charge of it, helping with this, aiding with this. And this is one of those times where there is a lot of uncertainty about what's next.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, the Democrats, it is hard to overstate how little they're concerned. Look, I think they could leave DHS defunded for the rest of the year. I mean, I mean that's really how bad it is. They're not concerned at all. They don't care about the people whose lives they're ruining. They don't care about the people who can't pay their rent or can't feed their kids. And they don't care about leaving us exposed to a massive terrorist attack. And that seems harsh. I don't like saying that, care about it because, but give me an alternative explanation. And I think the media plays a huge part in it because they believe there is zero cost. So they're appeasing their radical base. So look, the CNN tweet that I read just a minute ago describing the two ISIS inspired terrorists as just two Pennsylvania teenagers that could have had a normal day enjoying the warm weather. Yeah, like, like that, that was so ridiculous. They, they deleted that tweet. But, but, but I also want to play what, what, what Abby Phillips, who, who you know, you've been on her show with her, what she said about this, because it shows, shows just the mindset of CNN Here, give a listen to how she described two Republicans say Muslims don't belong here after an attempted

[Senator Ted Cruz]

terror attack against New York's Mayor Zoran Mamdani.

[Ben Ferguson]

And the House of Speaker Mike Johnson says nothing really to condemn those comments.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

That is shocking that she said that. And it did backfire as you described it because she had to come out center and then apologize on this one or retract it. And this is how her retraction, by the way, the next night. Take a listen.

[Ben Ferguson]

This morning I issued a correction first

[Senator Ted Cruz]

thing in the morning on X for

[Ben Ferguson]

a mistake that I made in last night's show. But I also wanted to do so on air as well. I incorrectly said that the bombs that were thrown by ISIS inspired suspects in New York over the weekend were directed at Mayor Mamdani.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

They were not.

[Ben Ferguson]

I failed to catch and correct that mistake in real time. And I take full responsibility for that. And while we do make mistakes, it is important to acknowledge and correct those errors when they happen.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Senator, I appreciate when there's a correction, but there was a lot of people online that were actually frustrated with a correction because what Abby was doing was acting like she didn't correct somebody that said something on her show in real time. And there was a lot of people going like, you're the one that said it. Don't act like someone else said it. You're the one that has to correct your own information you put out there that was incorrect. It wasn't a guest on your show that you failed to correct what they said.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, and, and Ben, I don't care about her. She. She's. She's a leftist quack. What I do care about is the failure of supposedly journalistic outlets to actually do journalism. They are propagandists. The mistake she made was not random. It was just not, oops, I said green. I meant red. It is consistently skewing in a way that, number one, she's not identifying that the terrorists in question were radical Islamic terrorists. Number two, she's claiming the target or what she claimed the target was. Mandami. The target was not Mandami. In fact, there was a protest against Mandami, and the radical Islamic terrorists tried to throw the bombs at the protesters who were opposing Mandami. And, and, and if you look at her whole story, it wasn't even on the terror attack. It was on. And, and Republicans criticized Muslims. And oddly enough, there's not outrage that Republicans criticized Muslims. It reminds me of. So there's a classic Tweet that Norm MacDonald, the great SNL comedian, said. And his tweet, he said, what terrifies me is if ISIS were to detonate a nuclear device and kill 50 million Americans, imagine the backlash against peaceful Muslims. Like, that was Norm MacDonald's tweet years ago, and that was CNN. Like, ISIS terrorists try to kill a lot of Americans. Can you believe how upset people are with Muslims? Like, like, cover the damn news. Cover the facts. By the way, you look at Mandami statement after that terror attack, he didn't identify the two criminals. He didn't mention they were radical Islamic terrorists. He didn't mention they were affiliated with isis. Instead, he blamed the guy who was protesting against him, who was intended to be the target of the bombs. When the media is this wildly dishonest, it has real consequences. And so, yes, those are two instances on this terror attack where CNN had to correct themselves because they were so absurd. But, but I ask you, I mean, you mentioned before, I have not seen a single one of my Democrat colleagues asked by any reporter, how can you justify not funding the Department of Homeland Security when we've had four terror attacks from radical Islamic terrorists in 10 days and we have radical clerics calling for more?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, by the way, it's Journalism 101. Every journalist out there knows that's the question you should ask senators on the way to the airport as they're walking out of their office, as they're at the airport waiting on, like, this is just basic journalism. If you have terrorist attacks and you've voted to not fund the Department of Homeland Security, there should be. And traditionally, there would have been hell to pay on that one. I also go back to the part you're talking about with this whole, like, cleansing of. Oh, like, let's not act like this is Muslim extremists. I put out a list of just like the history in the past that we've dealt with with radical Muslims. The shoe bomber, Muslim. Orlando attack, Muslim. The Beltway snipers, Muslim. The Fort Hood shooter, Muslim. The underwear bomber, Muslim. The Westminster attack, Muslim. The 05 Bali bombings, Muslim.

[Ben Ferguson]

The murder of Lee Ben and Ben. Let me jump in. Look, you are right, but I want to draw a distinction because there are more than a billion Muslims across the globe, and there are hundreds of millions of Muslims who are, in fact, peaceful. And in fact, if you look at different regions of the world, if you look at a country like India, India has millions and millions of Muslims, and it has very little problem with radical Islamic terrorism. It's not something that plagues India, even though it has a huge population. There is a distinction between being Muslim and being an Islamist. An Islamist is a particular ideology. There's a great book called the Looming Tower. It was written by a journalist, a Texas journalist called Lawrence Wright, that traces the history of Islamism. And Islamism is a political ideology that says we will use force, we will use violence, we will use terrorism to forcibly attack the infidels and to force them to either convert to Islam or to die. And Islamists that they have killed vast numbers of Muslims. By the way, the Islamists target their fellow Muslims with, with great frequency. They target Christians, they target Jews, Islamism, which is where we get radical Islamic terrorism. That's where on 9 11, Osama bin Laden was an Islamist. That is a particular ideology. And one of the real problems is leftists refuse to acknowledge it. In fact, I'll tell you, during the Obama administration, I chaired a hearing on the purge of radical Islamic terrorism from the Department of Homeland Security. And the Obama White House sent an email to DHS instructing it to purge. And by the way, purge was. That was the word used by the Obama White House political operative. Purge from the DHS records. Any reference to Jihad, any reference to Muslim Brotherhood, any reference to radical Islamic terrorism and DHS under Obama either deleted or modified over 800 different records. And then when you'd have another radical Islamic terror attack, they'd be like, we have no idea where this came from. That same ideology is playing out in CNN's coverage, like, Gosh, we can't figure out what's going on here. And by the way, it played on in their open borders when they allowed people to come in who are coming from countries that, that, that are filled with terrorists, filled with jihadists. They didn't do vetting to be clear. Look, you look, you look at the Afghan immigrants that Joe Biden brought into this country. They did a terrible job vetting it. We saw one of those Afghan immigrants murder one National Guardsman and severely wound another in D.C. if you cannot acknowledge what it is you're fighting, if you can't even say the words, and sadly CNN has a really hard time saying the words radical Islamic terrorism, then you know what? You don't hold anyone to account for doing nothing to stop it and doing nothing to keep Americans safe.

[Senator 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, 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.

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Ben Ferguson]

flag football is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record Holder. Iflag hosts premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it? Join the movement, find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's iflag.org Come on. No, it's just a golf lesson, champ.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Loosen up.

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

You finish up on your own.

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

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