← Verdict with Ted Cruz
Verdict with Ted Cruz
Trump Accounts Launched to Help America's Kids Save & Invest Millions plus Media Lie about Minneapolis Violence
00:34:51
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- [00:00]
Donald Trump
This is an iHeart podcast.
- [00:02]
Podcast Announcer
Guaranteed Human Friday, February 6th kick off the Winter Olympics in style with the opening ceremony from Italy featuring a special performance by Mariah Carey. Celebrate the greatest athletes from around the globe as they come together to go for gold. The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
- [00:27]
Senator Ted Cruz
Ilia Malinin redefining this sport.
- [00:30]
Podcast Announcer
Friday, February 6th NBC and Peacock Support.
- [00:35]
Public Investing Ad Narrator
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 disclosure is available@public.com Disclosures have you.
- [01:36]
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- [02:37]
Ben Ferguson
Welcome at his verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you as well, and it's so nice to have you with us. If you're listening on the radio around the country center, we've got a lot to talk about on today's show, and you had a really fun week, and something that you'd been working on for a long time has become a reality. It's going to fundamentally change the future for so many young people in this country as well.
- [02:59]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, that's right. So this week, I joined President Trump for a big event at the Treasury Department, rolling out the Trump accounts. And as you know, the Trump accounts are a major provision that we passed last year as part of the working families tax cut. I authored the Trump accounts. I wrote the legislation for what became the Trump accounts. And it is the Trump accounts and the school choice provision are, I believe, the two most significant provision in the entire bill. There are lots of other things that matter in the bill. Obviously, the tax cuts are hugely important. Securing the border, rebuilding the military, all of that is enormously important. But I think the two provisions that will still be making a massive difference in this country 10, 20, 30 years from now are the Trump accounts and school choice. On school choice, we're going to see tens of billions of dollars of scholarships for kids all over this country to be able to go to the school of their choice, for kids trapped in failing schools, to be able to get out of those schools and get an excellent education. That is transformative. And for the Trump accounts, starting on July 4th of this year, every kid in America is going to have a private investment account open for them. Newborn kids are going to have it seeded with $1,000. And then parents and family and employers can contribute $5,000 a year in a tax advantage account. And all of that money will be invested in the stock market and the S and P. And so President Trump did a big event celebrating these accounts. It was really powerful. And there's, there's just enormous enthusiasm for the impact these Trump accounts are gonna have.
- [04:39]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, it really is. The president also loves giving you a hard time. It's really fun to watch you guys spend a lot of time together. And you've actually, especially this last year, you guys have done a lot of things together.
- [04:53]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah.
- [04:53]
Ben Ferguson
With legislation, you've been, and there's, there's weeks where I laugh that you would be at the White House three or four days in a row with a different piece of legislation each day that you were a part of. This was a core part of that. You guys worked hard, and he made sure he Mentioned you. And I want people to take a look at this. It was really fun to watch the president talk about you as he was having this signing day.
- [05:16]
Donald Trump
And a senator is a friend of mine, you wouldn't believe that because we went through a rough campaign together. It was nasty. We got along so well, and everybody. We actually did joint rallies. Can you believe it? He wanted to get so many action. So he's smart. He said, would you do a rally with me? But we did joint rallies. And the press used to say, will you ever, you know, start fighting? I said, don't worry, it'll come. He said the same thing, don't worry, it'll come. He's a very tough guy, very brilliant guy. In fact, when I said, you know. Because I had never gone into a debate before officially, my whole life was a debate, but I'd never debated before officially. And I said, let me find out about my competition. Who are these people? Because many of them, you know, they were senators and mostly senators and governors. And I said, well, why don't we start with this guy named Ted Cruz? Let me, you know, give me. Well, he was the best student at Harvard, number one in his class. He was the best student at Princeton or something, and he was the national debate champion for three years. And I said, well, I don't like that. I didn't know that. I don't like that. And he was very good debater, I will tell you that. He's a smart guy, but I'll never forget because he was the first one I looked at, you know, I just joined the ranks of politics. And the first famous was the Rosie o'. Donnell.
- [06:37]
Joe Rogan
Remember that?
- [06:38]
Donald Trump
Only Rosie o' Donnell we take in Ireland. You can keep her. Ireland has done a tremendous. The head of Ireland said, are all your people this way? We don't want that. But Ted Cruz has one thing that I, if I ever have problems because it's hard to get people approved, he's a brilliant legal mind. He's a brilliant man. If I nominate him for the United States Supreme Court, I will get 100% of the vote. The Democrats will vote for him because they want to get him the hell out. And the Republicans will vote for him because they want to get him the hell out, too. Where is Ted? Where are you, Ted? And with all of that being said, he's a great guy, too. He's a great guy. We've become friends. And he's a very effective person, too. Thank you, Ted, very much.
- [07:31]
Compassion International Narrator
Senator.
- [07:31]
Ben Ferguson
That joke, by the way, is going to have like A really big life shelf there. It's been going on since what, like, 2016, 17, 18. And he loves using it. I laugh every time he does it because I just know it's coming and I know where he's going, but it gets bigger and bigger every time.
- [07:49]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah, no, he's been. He's been using that joke a long time. He's used it at rallies, he's used it in the Oval. Look, President Trump is a force of nature. And also, when he's at the microphone, you never know what he's gonna say. I'm not sure. I mean, it's kind of. It's extemporaneous. And he can. Like the Rosie o' Donnell line that, you know, Ireland can keep her. That's just kind of him riffing. But I gotta say, he also, the courage he's shown has been extraordinary. And look, the Supreme Court thing, he's brought up a lot of times, and you know that I've told him that my answer is not just no to that, but hell no, that I don't want to be a judge. I want to be in the political fight. And the right place to be in the political fight is exactly where I am now.
- [08:38]
Ben Ferguson
You know what? You know, it's funny, the other day, I was at the Supreme Court, and I didn't tell you this, but I was watching the case, the West Virginia case. My. My old roommates, the AG from West Virginia, they were fighting that case. And as I was sitting there, because I don't normally go to the oral arguments, but, like, I had an interest in being there for that. It was a big case, and I was looking up there and I was just imagining you being on the court. And in my mind, I was like, it would be really cool if you got it, and I think you'd be bored out of your mind if you were there. Like, I could just see you. I was watching. I think it was Roberts who just kept doing this back and forth, rocking. And I'm like, I wonder what your tick would be as that would be going on. But I laugh because I'm like, I don't see you there at all.
- [09:15]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, look. And a lot of people are surprised when they hear that I don't want to be a judge, because a lot of my life, my whole career before being in the Senate, was a Supreme Court litigator. And so that's what I did for a living, is represented Texas and represented private clients arguing before the U.S. supreme Court. And it's an institution I revere, I care Deeply about having principled constitutionalists on the court. The reason, and people are sometimes really surprised, like, why would you not want that? And the reason is a principled federal judge stays out of politics, stays out of policy. So, for example, we talked about the two huge victories that I authored that are in the working families tax cut, school choice, and the Trump accounts. If I were a judge, I couldn't do either one of them. And I want to be fighting for victories like that. I want to be fighting to secure the border. I want to be fighting to enhance our national defense. I want to be fighting to cut taxes and repeal job killing regulations. And if you want to do that, the place to do it is in the elected branches of government. And so, amen.
- [10:23]
Ben Ferguson
That's exactly where you need to be. And I think most people listening to the show agree with that, especially on the issues you're talking about right now.
- [10:29]
Senator Ted Cruz
And I like being in the battle. I mean, I like, you know, I mean, it is every day the Senate is like the Roman Coliseum where you're battling the barbarians. And it's a heck of a lot of fun.
- [10:41]
Ben Ferguson
All right, Senator, I want to get back to these Trump accounts and let's talk about the nitty gritty of this. When you look at the dollars and the growing of wealth and how this could fundamentally change a country where every child that is in poverty could get out of poverty just by having these accounts and talk about where they could start a small business or be able to pay for college or different things like that, it is truly empowering for an entire generation. What we are now starting with these Trump accounts, I actually think it's gonna be one of the biggest parts of your legacy ever.
- [11:14]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah, look, I think the Trump accounts will be truly transformational. And I will say it's interesting. I think President Trump initially, when we laid out the idea to him, he liked it. But I think as he's, as he's seen more and more what these are gonna do, I think he's really appreciating that these are gonna be a huge part of his legacy. When all of us are dead and buried, people are still gonna. The impact of the Trump accounts is going to echo forward. And the two massive benefits are, number one, every kid in America is gonna get the benefit of compound growth. You know, half of the people in America don't own a single stock and don't own a single bond. And the impact, well, here give a listen to Fox News talking wealth kids can accumulate through these Trump accounts.
- [12:03]
Compassion International Narrator
You kind of touch on this by age 18, right?
- [12:08]
Senator Ted Cruz
You could have $303,000.
- [12:11]
Compassion International Narrator
By age 28, it's more than a million if you do the maximum contributions. If you give no contributions, you're still.
- [12:19]
Ben Ferguson
Shy of $6,000, which ain't nothing.
- [12:21]
Compassion International Narrator
And then $18,000 by age 28, you know, President Bush 43 pushed this idea about 25 years.
- [12:30]
Ben Ferguson
You look at just the political willpower of getting something like this done. It shouldn't take this much, but this was a major fight center that you had to go to war with to get it to happen. And I don't understand why.
- [12:43]
Senator Ted Cruz
Look, in the tax cut, you were competing with everything else. Everyone else had a priority, and so it was dividing the pie. And it was also. Look, this was something new. It was major. Getting it through the Senate parliamentarian was a real challenge. And we fought hard and got it through. And, you know, you look at that math, you know, you're not talking about just the kids of rich people. You're talking about the kids of a single mom who's waiting tables and the math of that. So a little girl born this year, she gets the thousand dollars automatically put in the account. And that can accumulate and grow. But where the real math is, is if their contributions of 5,000 a year, now, those can come from a parent, those can come from a family member, or those can come from an employer. And there are two big accelerants that we wrote into the bill. Number one is the employer piece of it that the employers think about. To give you a sense of the scope and magnitude, think back to when Congress passed section 401k of ERISA. That was decades ago, and I suspect nobody in Congress knew just how fundamentally they were gonna change how Americans save for retirement. There are right now more than $12 trillion in 401k accounts. It's massive. And there will be, in just a couple of years, trillions of dollars in Trump accounts as well. The volume of it is massive. And one of the things that's a real accelerant is, you know, most big employers match 401k contributions. If you're an employee, they'll. Sometimes employers will contribute directly to 401ks. Other times they'll match if you make a contribution. I think we are going to see the same thing with Trump accounts, that this is going to become a standard, a ubiquitous employee benefit that employers will say, we're going to match your contributions or contribute directly to the Trump accounts that your kids have. A bunch of big employers have already announced they're doing that. Actually, Visa had a very clever thing they announced, they said you can use your reward points, you can convert them into money and deposit them in your kids Trump accounts. That's an accelerant to help more dollars get in. And one of the things about compound growth that, you know is the earlier you invest, the bigger it grows. And that's one of the things that's really powerful is starting. You know, if someone starts saving at age 40 or 50 or 60, you're so far behind. Yeah. They don't have a long enough time horizon for it to really grow into big, big numbers. If you start at age zero, that gives a long time for that growth to compound. That's really powerful. The second accelerant, go back to the.
- [15:35]
Ben Ferguson
Number that you mentioned that Fox had there. If you do the maximum contribution, you have a child five grand a year.
- [15:42]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah.
- [15:42]
Ben Ferguson
All right. Like five grand a year. You think about that. Over, I mean, over 12 years, that's $60,000 that you put in. But if you keep going, and I'm putting that in perspective to realize, like, this is not a crazy amount of money. If you're disciplined, you're talking about a million $91,900 by age 28. That is unbelievable.
- [16:03]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah. And look, look, 5,000 a year is, is about a hundred bucks a week. And so that can come from a parent, come from another family member. But, but the other accelerant that's really powerful is we wrote this so that it could accept charitable gifts. So. So, as you know, Michael and Susan dell are giving six and a quarter billion dollars. They're giving $250 to every child under 10 who lives in a zip code where the median income is 150,000 or less. That is a massive contribution. Brad Gerstner, who came up with the idea for the Trump accounts and who was my partner in getting this done, and we worked hand in hand. Brad has announced he's doing the same thing for the state of Indiana. So cool. 250 bucks for every kid under five. But it's going to be about $250 million that he's giving. And same thing targeted for kids in zip codes where the median income is 150,000 or less. I think you're going to see lots of people doing charitable contributions. That is really, really powerful. And it's something President Trump is encouraging. It's something I'm encouraging every employer to do this. I'm encouraging philanthropists. And by the way, Michael Dell has said he's not done at six and a quarter billion. He's talked about giving a lot more money than that. One of the cool things about this is it's infinitely scalable. So Michael Dell has more than $100 billion. If you're thinking about where to give your money away in philanthropy, there are not a lot of charities that can take amounts that big. This is infinitely scalable and so it has a potential really to accelerate the wealth creation for kids.
- [17:42]
Compassion International Narrator
In communities around the world, millions of children like Lucy face the crushing weight of poverty, hunger, illness and a lack of opportunity dim their bright futures.
- [17:54]
Ben Ferguson
But through Compassion International and local churches, everything is changing.
- [18:00]
Compassion International Narrator
Lucy receives nourishing food, vital medical care and the chance to go to school. She learns life skills, develops God given.
- [18:10]
Ben Ferguson
Talents and builds a loving relationship with Jesus.
- [18:13]
Compassion International Narrator
It's a journey from vulnerability to empowerment and it's sparked literally by your love. This transformation echoes far beyond Lucy impacting her family, the community in shaping the.
- [18:26]
Ben Ferguson
Future of her nation. And you can make this profound difference right now.
- [18:31]
Compassion International Narrator
So join me in sponsoring a child. Visit compassion.com today. You'll empower life and change the world. That's compassion.com to learn more.
- [18:42]
Podcast Announcer
Friday, February 6th kick off the Winter Olympics in style with the opening ceremony from Italy featuring a special performance by Mariah Carey. Celebrate the greatest athletes from around the globe as they come together to go for gold.
- [19:00]
Ben Ferguson
Sensational.
- [19:01]
Podcast Announcer
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Ilya Malinin redefining The Sport Friday, February 6th on NBC and Peacock.
- [19:12]
Public Investing Ad Narrator
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 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 want to score when your favorite player does well, you can't unless you download Better Picks. Who's giving away a free $10?
- [20:18]
Senator Ted Cruz
Download the Better app, pick more or.
- [20:19]
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- [20:22]
Senator Ted Cruz
It's that simple.
- [20:23]
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- [20:29]
Ben Ferguson
You know, it's amazing to see that these incredibly wealthy individuals doing this amazing work with, with philanthropy, giving money to these accounts for kids, it's going to change lives. They're going to be amazing stories that come out of this. But it's not just the super uber multi billionaires that are getting involved and inspiring. Nicki Minaj is a great example of that. She was there. She loves the present. And not only is she a powerful voice by giving, but really by letting younger people pay attention to the advocacy for, hey, it's never too early to start investing.
- [21:05]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah. And look on the philanthropy side, you know, if you don't have billions of dollars like Michael Dell does to give away, you know, Nicki Minaj was there. She was at the event with the president. She's announced she's gonna give between 150,000 and $300,000 to the Trump accounts of her fans to their kids. And, you know, she's obviously a big rap star. It's funny. Trump asked her, come on up on the stage. Come join me. And she spoke to everyone. And then it was funny. He actually kind of dissed Scott Bessant, the Treasury secretary, who's a great guy and doing a phenomenal job. But Trump says, you know, Nicki Minaj is better to listen to than Scott Besant, which got a pretty big laugh. And I told, I told Scott backstage, I said, okay, tell me, Scott, did you have on your bucket list being compared to Nicki Minaj and by the way, just favorably compared to Nicki Minaj? And he just laughed and said, no, I, I did not predict that one. And so it's the bingo card. But, but it shows the breadth of appeal. And by the way, the philanthropy can really get turbocharged if lots of people are giving smaller amounts, whatever's in their means and in their communities. You know, Ray Dalio, who runs a big hedge fund, decided to give to the kids of the state of Connecticut. And people can do it in smaller. They can give it to their city or their neighborhood, but it's able to be Targeted, that philanthropy is really gonna accelerate it. But I'll tell you what makes me the most excited about this is the long term change it's gonna have for our country, because we are literally creating an entire new generation of capitalists. This is what got me excited about this idea. You know, there had been ideas like Cory Booker, a Democrat, had proposed previously baby bonds, basically putting money in a savings account for kids. And look, that has some value, but it's not nearly as exciting as this because what really makes this potent is that this money is invested in the stock market. And the impact of that is that every kid in America is going to be an owner of the largest employers in America. And when you're an owner, it changes your whole perspective. Look, we've all seen the lousy statistics about young people who say they're losing faith in capitalism. They don't believe in capitalism. They think socialism might be a better idea.
- [23:32]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah.
- [23:32]
Senator Ted Cruz
You know the effect of this in, you know, 10 years, a kid's gonna pull out his cell phone and look at his Trump account. You're gonna have an app and it's gonna break down not just what's in your Trump account, but all of the 500 companies that are part of the S&P 500. And that kid's gonna see, gosh, I own 100 bucks of Apple or 75 bucks of Boeing or McDonald's. And that kid now has a stake in the economy, in those companies, in their employers, in seeing economic growth. So instead of being an angry teenager going, all corporations are evil. Which, unfortunately, some of these knuckleheads hear that propaganda from their college professors. They're gonna be like, no, no, no, I want these companies to do better, because when they do better, I do better. And that is fundamentally an ownership society. And I'll tell you, Ben, this, this is actually the culmination of what I set out to do when I got elected to the Senate.
- [24:34]
Ben Ferguson
I mean, this is. This was your dream. That's now reality.
- [24:37]
Senator Ted Cruz
So when I was first elected, the very first op ed I ever wrote in the Senate in January of 2023, not 2020, in January of 2013, was called the Rise of Opportunity Conservatism. And what it said is that every policy, every economic policy we look at should focus on easing the means of ascent up the economic ladder. Focus on opportunity. And the basic philosophical difference between the left and right on economic policy is they both look at the socioeconomic ladder. The left sees people on the bottom and they want to physically grab them and move them up and look, that's a, that's a noble instinct. It just doesn't work. It's a train wreckage. It fails. And look, think about it in simple terms. Let's say you have a five year old daughter who is struggling with her math homework. None of us as a parent would do the homework for that kid. That's not helping your child to do her homework for her. What you want to do is teach her and help her master the skills. And the only way anyone has ever climbed the economic ladder, and this is what conservatives and free market conservatives get, is to pull yourself up one rung after the other. But they're economic policies that can accelerate that ascent. And actually the two policies that I talked about the most in that very first op ed as a senator I wrote were number one, school choice and number two, Social Security personal accounts, the ability to accumulate assets in the stock market. And what is amazing is we accomplished both of those last year. And it is transformational. And so I think economic policy should focus on ownership and savings and investment. And that's exactly what we've done that impact in terms of just changing the philosophy of kids. By the way, financial literacy is another issue. Look, a lot of kids don't know basic financial literacy. A lot of schools don't teach it. You'll now have a vehicle where you won't be discussing it in the abstract, where a teacher in third grade will be able to tell the kids, you know, okay, look at your Trump account. Look at the growth and how much do the numbers change if you invest early? And I think you're gonna see kids saying, you know, Aunt Susie, instead of getting me, you know, this, this toy for Christmas, you know, maybe you could give me 50 bucks or 100 bucks in my Trump account. And not every kid will say that, but some when they see the math and the power of wow. If we invest, this can grow and expand. Getting children to think like investors and to think like owners changes their whole worldview.
- [27:20]
Ben Ferguson
I started my kids young on that and I told them I made the same deal with them that my dad made with me. Whatever your first car you want to be, I will match what you save. If you save a thousand bucks, you're going to get a hooptie for 2000. Like, that's just, it's on you and I'm going to do it. But my kids now, even at a young age of 6 and 9, they're now making different decisions. Like, my son has invested some of his money in Ford and Lockheed Martin, and every day he Asked me, how did my stock do today? Are we up or down? And so he's learning from that because now he understands where he'll go to the store and he won't buy something. Hey dad, can you buy more stock for me? Can you put more money in this? And we look at companies and we decide what he wants to invest in. He invested in a golf company, for example, that's on the S P because he understands golf being a golf. And he's like, how's my stock doing today? Even my six year olds now, they, this is, their birthday's coming up on the 13th and you can either at school get a birthday shirt and something else. And they both ask, or can we have the money? It's six years old. That's the connect. And I'm grinning from ear to ear because I'm like, you're saying I don't care about the birthday T shirt at school that day. Can I have the $30 to then invest? This is exactly what the Trump accounts are gonna do to so many young kids. It makes an idea a reality.
- [28:38]
Senator Ted Cruz
Look, there are life habits. If you look at kids that learn delayed gratification, you know, there's a famous social science experiment where kids had a plate with a marshmallow on it and they were told, if you don't eat the marshmallow now, you'll get two marshmallows. And the difference between the kids who could actually refrain, some kids would just grab the one marshmallow and stick with it, but others could delay gratification. And it is a much more successful long term strategy. A kid learning. You know, there's a related principle which, which is a portion of what you make is yours to keep. And, and look, a lot of people are stretched, but, but, but getting into the discipline of, of, of no matter what you're making, saving a portion of it, investing a portion of it is how you accumulate real wealth. And teaching kids that from an early age makes a big difference. Now this is the public service announcement component of the podcast. Everyone who is listening or watching. If you have kids, there's a website you need to go to. It's TrumpAccounts.gov TrumpAccounts.gov Go to the website and sign your kids up. I mean, I mean we're expecting, you know, I, this is designed for every kid in America. And so if you got, if you got kids, go to TrumpAccounts.gov and sign them up so, so that their accounts can be opened as well.
- [29:57]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, it's awesome. Trumpaccounts.gov and we'll remind people of that, I'm sure, throughout the, this show in the, in the future as well. But again, trumpaccounts.gov and get in the game early. You'll regret it if you don't. That's the bottom line here. It's really incredible. It's exciting. Congratulations. It's fun to see something like this that also is bipartisan just become a reality. And there, and that was, I think, one of the fun things about watching this take place. It was just enjoyable to watch the president have a success that is going to help so many kids in this country.
- [30:29]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah.
- [30:30]
Ben Ferguson
And, and I would even argue it's going to help disproportionately poor kids more than, than kids that are wealthier. I'm okay with that.
- [30:37]
Compassion International Narrator
Get them in the game.
- [30:38]
Senator Ted Cruz
That's the whole point. That's what makes it transformational.
- [30:42]
Compassion International Narrator
Right now, somewhere in the world, a kid you've never met is writing you a letter. They're telling you about their day, their dreams, the goal they scored, the test they passed, the new friend they made at school. Maybe they're drawing you even a picture. Maybe they've asked you about your family, your favorite color, what makes you laugh. They're wondering who you are, this person who cares enough to be part of their story. And you, you're not just sending money. You're writing back. You're showing up month after month, letter after letter, you're celebrating their victories, encouraging them through challenges and reminding them that they truly matter. Now, this isn't a transaction. It's an incredible relationship that spans continents and changes everything for both of you. That is where Compassion International connects you directly with one child. Real letters, real relationships and real change. Because poverty isn't solved with donations alone. It's solved by showing up. Impact the world one child at a time and learn how@compassion.com that's compassion.com all right.
- [31:56]
Ben Ferguson
Center. I want to get into this other story that is the media and the bias in the media and the narrative they've been pushing in Minnesota, specifically with this ICU nurse, they, they turn him into a do Gooder. We then get a video that comes out showing him attacking ICE agents days before the fatal confrontation with ice. And that part seems to be just disappearing from the media's coverage.
- [32:24]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, yeah, look, we have seen with the protests and the riots that are unfolding in Minneapolis, we have seen the corporate media just turn into shameless propagandists. And they have a narrative and that narrative is disconnected from facts and reality and they're trying to mislead people. And so we've seen that, We've seen that with the headlines everywhere saying ICE arrested a five year old boy. And you know, people read that and are like, okay, that's crazy. Why are you arresting a five year old? Well, turns out they didn't. It's false. It was a lie. What actually happened is they were there arresting his father who was an illegal immigrant, and the father ran away and abandoned the five year old. And so the five year old is left alone in the cold on the streets of Minneapolis. Of course, ICE didn't just leave the kid there to wander outside. They had to take care of him. And in fact they tried to return him to his mother. His mother said no, wouldn't let him in the house. And so that's an example. Look, another example, the man who was shot in Minneapolis, Mr. Prady, you're right. The media portrayed him as this peaceful protester, this ICU nurse. And just you saw Democrats saying that ICE are cold blooded murderers. And that's a flat out lie and it's a slander and it is something.
- [33:42]
Ben Ferguson
You even had one of your colleagues put up a AI picture on the floor of the Senate. For goodness sakes. That was not a real picture.
- [33:51]
Senator Ted Cruz
Look, it is designed to be manipulative and dishonest. And then a couple of days after the shooting, we had a video that the BBC put out that they had gotten Mr. Preddy a couple of weeks earlier. And let's look at the video for those who are watching this online. Let's look at the video real quickly.
- [34:09]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, and by the way, for those listening right now on the radio, we'll put this up on social media, but this shows the man spitting in the face of ICE agents kicking the tail out of their car in a full on confrontation. Take a listen and watch. If you're watching online, this is a.
- [34:25]
Public Investing Ad Narrator
Moment the news movement filmed on January 13th in Minneapolis showing a man who appears to be Alex Preddy interacting with Federal immigration agents 11 days before border patrol shot and killed him. Our footage was analyzed by the BBC whose facial recognition technology confirmed his identity to a 97 degree of accuracy.
- [34:46]
Ben Ferguson
Now the video goes longer than that and you can watch it online. But, but I think the point that so many people understand is they were talking about the accuracy of this video. And hey, it's almost, we're almost positive attempt. Well, the family is now confirmed that this is actually him doing this. Kicking out the tail light, screaming f You at the ICE agents, spitting at the ICE agents, like, this is a man that wanted a confrontation with law enforcement. He was there for that reason that day and in the day that unfortunately cost him his life.
- [35:15]
Senator Ted Cruz
Well, that's right. And this was not peaceful protest. In the video, as you said, he was spitting at ICE agents, but he also is repeatedly kicking the taillight. He kicks the tail bite out of an suv. I mean, it's a hard kick that he knocks it out. And that was clearly a violent assault, by the way. He has his gun strapped on his waistband while he is attacking law enforcement officers. And the media wanted to convey it as just, you know, he's this peaceful soul. Listen, if you engage in acts of violence directed at law enforcement, there is a very real risk that the response to an act of violence will be the use of force. And in some instances can be the use of deadly force. At any time an American is killed in an interaction with law enforcement, it is trapped. Tragic, yes, but the media was being deliberately deceptive in falsely portraying him as this peaceful protester, almost like a nun holding a candle by the side of the road. And that's not. He was clearly. And captured on video engaged in violent attacks on law enforcement. And then in terms of propaganda, I gotta say, MSNBC went even further. And rather than me tell you what happened, listen to Joe Rogan. Because Joe Rogan comments on just how shameful, shamelessly, MSNBC was, was acting as a political propagandist.
- [36:42]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah. It was wanting you to root for this nurse. Like, wanted to change who he was so that everyone would root for him. Here it is. Joe Rogan and Joe Rogan also talking about his own experience when. When he was attacked by the media and they changed the color of his skin during COVID Did you see what.
- [36:59]
Joe Rogan
MSNBC did to his image?
- [37:01]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, they were. They where they gussied it up.
- [37:03]
Joe Rogan
The opposite of what CNN did to me. You know, CNN during the COVID times turned me green and they made me ugly and look like I was dying. And they made him handsome.
- [37:12]
Public Investing Ad Narrator
Yeah.
- [37:13]
Joe Rogan
So people would be more sympathetic to him getting shot, which is kind of wild. Like, are ugly people less valuable to msnbc, less marketable? That is crazy to me. Like, look at the difference. Yeah, look at the difference. They shortened up his face. They gave him a little bit of a tan. They widened his face a little bit. It seems like they just made him a little handsomer. Yeah.
- [37:36]
Senator Ted Cruz
A little hotter. They gave him. Gave him a bit of that chad jaw, didn't they?
- [37:39]
Joe Rogan
They shrunk his nose a little too, didn't they?
- [37:40]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah, they did.
- [37:41]
Joe Rogan
They shrunk his nose, gave him a little bit of a handsome jaw. So he looks like even made him.
- [37:47]
Senator Ted Cruz
If you look at the shoulders, it even looks like they, they may have plumped up the shoulders there a bit.
- [37:51]
Joe Rogan
A little bit. Yeah. The one on the right looks like, like, looks like he's a little plumper. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They, they changed the tone of the color. Wild. I mean, they. Look at, they, they change his teeth, man.
- [38:04]
Senator Ted Cruz
Communist news look, they gave him veneers.
- [38:06]
Joe Rogan
Yeah. Look at the difference in his teeth. He's a much more handsome guy like that one on the right is like the handsome brother.
- [38:13]
Ben Ferguson
I, I mean, Senator, you want to talk about just straight up propaganda, this dude, they literally made him jacked. They gave him muscles. They changed the color of his scrubs from the picture. They gave him veneers. They even made his beard look a little bit darker and more full. Changed his nose. Like it was like you went to AI and you said, hey, make this guy the most attractive you can. And then we're gonna put that up on the, on, on TV so that somehow people will be rooting for him a little bit more. It's, it's truly amazing that MSNBC did this and they haven't actually technically apologized for it yet. They've got put a statement out there, but that's about it.
- [38:48]
Senator Ted Cruz
Yeah. Understand there is zero dispute that MSNBC did this. In fact, MSNBC put out a, a statement. They said, editor's not Ms. Now swapped out the original thumbnail, thumbnail image for this video. The previous thumbnail image was an AI enhanced image of Alex Predding. So, so they've acknowledged they used AI to significantly change his appearance and to make him markedly better, better looking. And look, I looked online. As far as I can tell, MSNBC has not apologized. Nobody has been fired. If they are in fact a news organization, they pretend they are, you fire somebody.
- [39:24]
Ben Ferguson
I mean, I.
- [39:25]
Senator Ted Cruz
Their job is to report the news and report facts. Not only were they not reporting facts, they were lying to their viewers. They were creating a fabricated and false image to change the facts to fit their political narrative. And any, any journalistic outfit with any integrity would fire whoever was responsible, would go on air and apologize and say we violated our integrity. The fact that MSNBC doesn't think they need to shows just how much the corporate media they are political liars. They are not even attempting or pretending to be journalists.
- [40:01]
Ben Ferguson
Yeah, no doubt about it. Don't forget, we do this show three days a week. So make sure you download Verdict with Ted Cruz wherever you get your podcasts. And we'll see you back here on this radio station as well next week. Have a great one and be safe.
- [40:13]
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- [40:45]
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- [41:14]
Senator Ted Cruz
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.