Verdict with Ted Cruz: “The Birthday Show”

Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Episode Date: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special, lighthearted episode entitled “The Birthday Show,” Senator Ted Cruz celebrates his 55th birthday alongside co-host Ben Ferguson. The two banter about age, sports (especially college football), family traditions, and memorable hunting adventures, peppered with jokes, nostalgia, and some behind-the-scenes stories from politics. Although the episode is geared more to fun and personal anecdotes, there are reflections on the nature of service in the Senate, the culture around birthdays and gift-giving, and the camaraderie between the hosts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Birthday Banter and Aging

• Senator Cruz’s 55th Birthday
  • Ben teases Ted about turning 55, joking about senior perks (“I did not know I was gonna have a 55-year-old elder friend.” – Ben, 02:42).
  • Ted retorts he’s “in his 40s,” emphasizing the playful rivalry.
• Milestone Reflections
  • Ted notes being “closer to 110 than to birth” now (04:16).
  • Shares family pranks, including sending his older sister “Happy 40th” balloons for her 30th birthday (04:40).
  • “You may think 40 is really young, but I gotta say, our viewers…they’re saying, okay, boomer—just be clear, you are fully on the geriatric side of things.” – Ted Cruz (05:23).

Football, Rivalry, and Personal Stories

• College Football Fandom
  • Good-natured teasing about Ben’s Ole Miss team and Ted’s support for Texas A&M.
  • Discussion about recent Aggie and Ole Miss games, including Ted’s visit to the Notre Dame stadium (“Just a bucket list event…Touchdown Jesus looking over the end zone is pretty spectacular” – Ted Cruz, 07:41).
  • Ted describes almost making a faux pas by giving the wrong hand signal at Notre Dame.
  • Debrief on a defensive Aggie game (“If you can’t score a single touchdown, it’s really damn hard to win.” – Ted Cruz, 10:34).
• Football Community & Bible Study
  • Ben shares about his competitive Bible study group, which includes a “10 year NFL Titan who went to Ole Miss” (13:00).
  • Ted jokes about pride in Bible study, adding, “There’s nothing in the Bible about pride…” (14:00).

Life in the Senate & Political Trivia

• Senate Age Facts
  • Ted discusses how being 55 is comparatively “young” in Senate years.
  • Trivia: Youngest serving senator—Jon Ossoff at 38; Biden was elected at 29, just meeting the minimum age after the election (16:44–17:43).
  • Notes on font sizes used by senators: “You could see the gradation of age by just how big your font is.” – Ted Cruz (18:40)

Family, Gift-Giving, & Traditions

• Birthday and Christmas Gifts
  • Ted says he doesn't buy his own birthday gifts: “If there’s something I really want…I just go buy it” (18:59).
  • Ted’s daughters give extensive gift lists—including PowerPoint presentations outlining what they want for Christmas, sometimes up to “30 or 40 options” (19:56–20:25).
  • Heidi, Ted’s wife, sometimes buys her own gifts, wraps them, and writes, “to Heidi, love Ted” (21:08).
  • Ben shares stories about his kids’ direct requests to Santa, including “I want this dog. My friend has this dog. This is what this dog looks like. Santa…” (22:13).
  • Hunting is a family tradition, with Ben describing his son receiving his first shotgun.
  • Ted reminisces about his own hunting background, being credited with more birds than he shot as a senator in South Dakota (27:07), and telling a classic Dick Cheney hunting joke (25:38–26:10).

Political Campaign Anecdotes

• Campaigning with Glenn Youngkin
  • Ted recounts campaigning for Glenn Youngkin's Virginia gubernatorial run, doing large rallies together (28:46–30:25).
  • Story about playing the shotgun game “Annie Oakley” on Glenn's Texas ranch: Ted wins a round against Youngkin and (then-Speaker) Paul Ryan, turning to Ryan and cracking, “Welcome to Texas” (32:23).
  • “Paul does not like to lose.” – Ben Ferguson (33:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Turning 55:

  • “I am now officially eligible for AARP…as terrifying as this is, I am closer to the age 110 than I am to birth.” – Ted Cruz (04:16)

• On Family Gift Lists:

  • “One of your daughters does a legit PowerPoint presentation for her Christmas…with 30 or 40 options…If you got them all, it’d be like 50 grand.” – Ben Ferguson & Ted Cruz (19:56–20:31)

• On College Football:

  • “If we could take that Notre Dame offense and the defense against Miami and actually put them in the same game, they could go the whole way.” – Ted Cruz (10:41)

• On Life in the Senate:

  • “If you ever want to feel young, just get yourself elected to the US Senate, like, holy cow.” – Ted Cruz (15:28)
  • “You could see the gradation of age by just how big your font is.” – Ted Cruz (18:40)

• On Hunting with Politicians:

  • “I'm there with Glenn [Youngkin]…and Paul Ryan. The clay gets thrown out…Glenn shoots and misses…Paul Ryan shoots and misses…I get a lucky as hell shot and I hit it…Welcome to Texas.” – Ted Cruz (32:23)
  • “Paul does not like to lose.” – Ben Ferguson (33:36)

• On the Podcast Community:

  • “This is like having each of you into our living room three days a week and having a conversation…thank you, I appreciate you, you guys are amazing.” – Ted Cruz (35:16–36:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Topic/Segment | |----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 02:38 | Show kicks off, birthday jokes begin | | 03:19 | Ted Cruz “in my 40s” rebuttal, birthday banter | | 04:16 | Turning 55—being closer to 110 than birth | | 07:41 | Notre Dame game and “Touchdown Jesus” | | 09:15 | Recap of Aggie-Miami game and missed field goals | | 13:00 | Ben’s Bible study story and sports camaraderie | | 16:44 | Youngest senator trivia (Jon Ossoff, Joe Biden) | | 18:40 | Senate font size pecking order | | 19:56 | PowerPoint Christmas lists from Ted’s daughters | | 21:08 | Heidi buying, wrapping, and labeling her own gifts | | 22:13 | Ben’s son asks Santa for a dog and another for a shotgun | | 25:38 | Dick Cheney hunting joke | | 27:07 | Ted hunting story: outshoots colleagues in South Dakota | | 28:46 | Campaigning in Virginia with Glenn Youngkin | | 32:23 | “Welcome to Texas” – Ted bests Paul Ryan and Youngkin | | 35:16 | Thank you message to listeners | | 36:30 | Birthday send-off, closing banter |

Episode Tone & Style

The episode is defined by its informal, comedic, and personal style. Ted and Ben trade affectionate jabs, tell family and insider stories, and keep the pace lively with anecdotes from sports, hunting, politics, and their daily lives. The warmth and long-standing rapport between the hosts are evident, making the episode feel more like a festive reunion than a formal political podcast.

For Listeners: Why Listen to This Episode?

• For regular “Verdict” listeners, it’s a rare, intimate glimpse at Senator Cruz and Ben Ferguson’s lives outside D.C.—full of wit, self-deprecating humor, and relatable stories.
• Politicos will appreciate the trivia, Senate anecdotes, and campaign tales.
• Sports fans get plenty of football talk and playful trash talk.
• Anyone curious about the personal side of a US Senator will find fun, candor, and camaraderie here.

Happy birthday, Senator Cruz!