Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: Terror Comes to America from Biden Afghan Terrorists
Date: December 1, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson
Theme:
A deep dive into recent national security concerns following a deadly attack in Washington, D.C. by an Afghan national admitted under the Biden administration’s resettlement policies. The episode explores the repercussions of unvetted Afghan refugee resettlement, government accountability, ideological failures, and broader patterns in border security and political rhetoric.

Episode Overview

Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson analyze the deadly consequences of what they describe as a failed and ideologically driven policy of admitting inadequately vetted Afghan refugees under the Biden administration. The discussion centers on a recent shooting by an Afghan national and policy choices that, according to the hosts, have allowed similar threats to fester across America.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Attack on National Guard Members

• Incident Details ([03:07])
  • Two National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolf, were shot in Washington, D.C. by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. under Biden’s policies. Sarah died on Thanksgiving Day; Andrew remains in critical condition.
• Senator Cruz’s Response ([03:07])
  • “The shooter, as we all know, was an Afghan national who Joe Biden brought to the United States, who had very limited vetting, who was released, who was living in Washington state, who got in a car and drove from Washington state to Washington, D.C. pulled out a gun and shot these two National Guard members.”
• Cruz underscores that this attack was not only predictable but specifically predicted on Verdict for over four years.

2. Policy Failures During the Afghan Withdrawal

• Failures in Planning and Execution ([04:49])
  • The withdrawal from Afghanistan is described as a “disastrous exit,” with inadequate troop support and loss of Bagram Air Base.
• Political and Ideological Blindness ([05:00])
  • “This is an administration that refused to recognize radical Islamic terrorism exists.”
  • “They didn’t vet them. They just said, hey, the more people we bring into this country who hate America, the more people are gonna vote Democrat.”
• Resulting Humanitarian Crisis
  • Mention of Somali and Afghan communities in the U.S. experiencing radicalization and violence.

3. Early and Ignored Warnings

• Cruz’s Public Warnings ([10:00])
  • Cruz references a tweet from August 27, 2021, criticizing the relocation of unvetted Afghans to the U.S.:
    • “We should rescue Afghans who’ve assisted the US Military, but they should go to a neutral and safe third country. They should not come to the US Without a full security vetting.”
• Lack of Adequate Vetting ([10:44])
  • Describes large tent cities at Fort Bliss with minimal security; potential terrorists could simply leave.

4. Congressional Inquiries and Official Denials

• Blinken Testimony (Extended segment, [13:22]–[16:59])
  • Cruz plays audio from his questioning of Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding lists of Afghans given to the Taliban and cases of child brides among those resettled.
  • Notable exchange:
    • Cruz: “Did the State Department give the Taliban a list or multiple lists of Americans and or Afghans that we wanted out?”
    • Blinken: “In limited instances...we gave a manifest...to get a group of people through a checkpoint…”
    • Cruz: “So not only did you fail to evacuate Americans, but you also brought in tens of thousands of Afghans who had wholly inadequate vetting.”
  • Discussion of the prevalence of child marriage, sexual abuse, and domestic abuse among Afghans admitted to the U.S.

5. Broader Patterns and Predictable Outcomes

• Historical and Ideological Patterns ([17:20])
  • Cruz draws parallels to patterns of abuse in UK Pakistani communities and claims a deliberate erasure of “radical Islam” from security discourse during the Obama and Biden administrations.
  • “Democrats claim they care about women’s rights. Well, it turns out that is not true when it’s dealing with women or girls being raped by radical Islamists.”
• Previous Verdict Predictions ([19:15])
  • Replay of past podcast clips warning about the risk of incoming jihadis and inadequate supervision in refugee camps.

6. The Media's and Democrats’ Response

• Blame-Shifting to Trump ([21:40])
  • Ben Ferguson and Cruz criticize media narratives allegedly attempting to blame Trump for the crisis instead of acknowledging Biden’s responsibility.
• Congressional Reluctance to Condemn Extremism ([31:52])
  • Segment highlighting Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s refusal to condemn “Death to America” chants at a rally in her district:
    • Reporter: “At a rally in your district, people were chanting death to America. Do you condemn that?”
    • Tlaib: “I don’t talk to Fox News... You guys know exactly what you do. ...You’re not going to use me.”
  • Cruz’s Reaction ([33:15])
    • “If you are a member of the United States Congress...it ought to be easy to say, yeah, of course, Death to America is wrong. I’m against that.”

7. The Southern Border and Terror Threat Vectors

• Open Border Concerns ([25:03])
  • Ferguson claims the administration prioritized open borders over national security, with known terrorists crossing and the government allegedly enabling it.
    • “Basically they said, look, we know people are going to die, but we want an open border....There will be human carnage of American citizens, abuse of children, the rape of children, the sex trafficking of children.”
• Compounded Risks ([27:24])
  • Cruz argues both Afghan resettlement and the southern border crisis are parallel, ideologically driven policies with lethal risks.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the attack and lack of vetting:

  • Cruz ([03:07]): “If that is not infuriating, then I don’t know what is...this was sadly the predictable and the predicted outcome.”

• On the rationale for mass resettlement:

  • Cruz ([05:17]): “They just said, hey, the more people we bring into this country who hate America, the more people are gonna vote Democrat.”

• On Democrat ideological blind spots:

  • Cruz ([18:44]): “It’s a fundamental misunderstanding. ...Women’s rights go out the window in the leftist hierarchy. ...Being Taliban is much more oppressed than being women.”

• On government accountability:

  • Cruz ([32:10]): “If you are a member of the United States Congress...it ought to be easy to say, yeah, of course, Death to America is wrong. ...That shows just how dangerous the ideological rot is.”

• On the consequences:

  • Cruz ([21:40]): “Unfortunately, because of the catastrophic mistakes the Biden administration made in Afghanistan, we are much more at risk for deadly attacks by the Taliban or Al Qaeda.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:07 | Details about the D.C. National Guard shooting, background of the Afghan attacker | | 04:49 | Analysis of the Afghan withdrawal and why “ideology, not security” drove policy | | 10:00 | Cruz reads August 2021 warning tweet about unvetted Afghan refugees | | 13:22-16:59| Cruz’s interrogation of Blinken about lists provided to the Taliban and child abuse cases | | 17:20 | Data and discussion on child brides, abuse, historical whitewashing of “radical Islam” | | 19:15 | Playback of September 2021 Verdict warnings about terrorism risks from Afghan refugees | | 21:40 | Media/party narrative shifting and Cruz op-ed quote about foreseeability of attacks | | 25:03 | Open border policies allegedly enabling terrorist entry | | 27:24 | Multiplied risks: border, resettlement, lack of vetting | | 31:52 | Rashida Tlaib’s refusal to condemn “Death to America” chants; Cruz’s response | | 33:15 | Cruz on why condemnation of anti-American ideology should be nonpartisan and automatic |

Flow and Tone

• Urgency and Frustration: Throughout, the tone is urgent, incredulous, and at times angry—especially regarding policies perceived as naïve or ideologically blinded.
• Indictment of Political Opponents: Cruz and Ferguson frequently attribute malevolence or fecklessness to their Democratic opponents.
• Underlying Sorrow: There is recurring sadness and anger over loss of American lives, especially those killed in uniform.
• Emphasis on Predictability: They repeatedly stress that these events were foreseen and preventable.

Conclusion

The episode frames recent terrorist violence as a direct, foreseeable consequence of lax and ideologically motivated policies by the Biden administration, particularly regarding the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal and subsequent refugee resettlement. Cruz and Ferguson urge listeners to recognize both security failures and ideological distortions, warning these patterns will invite further tragedies unless reversed. The episode concludes by vowing continued scrutiny and urging viewers to stay informed through the podcast’s ongoing coverage.