Trump Bringing Peace to the Ukraine War plus DC Crime Plummets

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode: Trump Bringing Peace to the Ukraine War plus DC Crime Plummets
Date: August 20, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson
Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz (Premiere Networks)

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Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson tackle two major stories shaping national headlines:

1. Former President Donald Trump's diplomatic push toward ending the Ukraine war, including analysis of recent summits involving Russia, Ukraine, and European leaders.
2. The dramatic drop in violent crime in Washington D.C. following President Trump’s federalization of the D.C. police force, examining both the results and the uproar among Democrats and the media.

The hosts break down the key developments, interpret their broader significance for American politics, and respond passionately to the media narratives shaping public perception.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Progress Toward Peace in Ukraine

Recent High-Level Meetings

• President Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska and then with President Zelensky plus several European heads of state in Washington.
  • [03:28] Sen. Cruz: “We are making progress towards peace in Ukraine... Real, significant steps.”
• The media reaction was initially dismissive, calling Trump’s diplomatic efforts naïve or even disastrous.
  • [08:42] Ferguson jokes about the media saying “Putin played Trump” and calling it a “disaster,” especially after the Alaska summit.

European Leaders: Public Praise for U.S. Diplomacy

• Finnish President: [11:46]
  • “In the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three and a half years. ... It's Team Europe and Team United States helping Ukraine.”
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer: [12:33]
  • Highlights the potential for “historic” progress, specifically referencing new “security guarantees” for Ukraine styled after NATO’s Article 5.

Nature of Security Guarantees: Not NATO Membership

• Trump pledges U.S. support for NATO-style guarantees but insists America will not bear the primary responsibility nor put “boots on the ground.”
  • [14:51] Sen. Cruz: “Security guarantees should put Europe on the front line. ... I do not think there is any will to war on the part of the United States.”
  • [16:30] Press Sec. Caroline Levitt: “The president has definitively stated U.S. boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine... We can certainly help in coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees.”

Changing Ukrainian Attitude

• Describes Zelensky’s shift from combative to respectful after realizing the limits of U.S. support, noting that previous demands for unconditional support were unsuccessful.
  • [17:50] Cruz: “The last meeting with Zelensky was a disaster... He came in arrogant... This time was night and day.”

Energy as a Central Issue

• Cruz argues for a settlement requiring Ukraine and Europe to buy energy from the U.S. instead of Russia as a way to ensure American interests and weaken Putin's leverage.
  • [20:16] Cruz: “I would like to see Ukraine and the rest of Europe sign an agreement to buy their energy, their oil and gas, from the United States... not return to buying oil and gas from Russia.”

Leverage Over Russia

• Economic collapse in Russia is central to why Putin is engaging; U.S. sanctions threaten Russia’s energy exports to China and India.
  • [22:18] Cruz: “If President Trump cuts off [Putin’s] market in China and India, Putin is in a world of hurt. And so that’s an incentive for Putin to come in and say, ‘alright, let’s reach a resolution.’”
• Quoting Democrat pollster Mark Penn [24:22]:
  • “Trump is pulling off unprecedented diplomatic feats... If Obama had pulled off these meetings, it would be hailed as a tour de force.”

Summit Strategy and Next Steps

• Trump is orchestrating a sequence: urging Zelensky and Putin to meet first, followed by a trilateral summit, with Trump as a negotiator.
  • [25:59] Ferguson: “Apparently, meeting number one would be between him and Zelinsky... then there would be a trilateral meeting... I found that very interesting.”
  • [26:43] Cruz: “He believes he’s got the leverage to try to push through a deal... he’s got enormous leverage over both sides.”

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2. Federalization of D.C. Police and Crime Plummet

Dramatic Crime Reduction

• After Trump federalized the D.C. police (utilizing Constitutional and statutory powers), crime statistics in the city sharply dropped.
  • [34:02] Cruz: “It turns out, when you arrest criminals, you get less crime. I know that’s a shocking outcome. ... In one week: robbery down 46%, carjacking down 83%, car theft down 21%, violent crime down 22%...”
  • Loudly criticizes Democrats and media for previously claiming nothing would change, or that federal intervention was dictatorial.

Local and DOJ Investigations

• Justice Department is investigating allegations D.C. police manipulated crime data to understate crime rates prior to federal intervention.
  • [35:30] Ferguson: “...Justice Department is investigating whether D.C. police purposely, willfully manipulated the crime data to basically fake people out, lie to the citizens of D.C.”

Anecdotes of Rising Crime

• Cruz shares personal stories of violence in D.C. under previous leadership, including staffers and even members of Congress being attacked.
  • [36:18] Cruz: “In the last four years under Joe Biden, the violence in D.C. has gotten much worse...”

Resident and Police Union Response

• D.C. residents and frontline officers reportedly welcome the crackdown.
  • [38:23] “...residents are saying, thank God, we think this is great. Lock these criminals up.”
• D.C. Police Union Chairman Greg Pemberton [39:07]:
  • “The criminal justice system here in the District of Columbia is broken... you can trace every aspect of it back to legislation passed by the council... destroyed policing, prosecutions, and sentencing...”
  • Recognizes only outside federal intervention could undo the damage.

Political and Social Implications

• Cruz and Ferguson argue Trump’s crime success in D.C. is a template for other “blue cities,” exposing Democratic mayors’ failure to protect citizens.

  • [41:01] Cruz: “If we see violent crime numbers continue to go down and stay down, that demonstrates we can solve crime in other cities, too... The reason residents of your city are being murdered is because the Democrat mayors... care more about the radical leftists who hate the police than [about] your family and children.”

• Media and Democrats allegedly prefer high crime over accepting Republican intervention.

  • [42:45] Cruz: “This is an existential threat to Democrats who want to say, we're helpless, we can't stop crime... gun control doesn’t solve it, but locking up violent criminals does.”

Law Enforcement Data and Focus

• Caroline Levitt provides detailed arrest stats and locations.

  • [43:19] Levitt: “There have been a total of 465 arrests since the start of this operation on Thursday, August 7th. ... 52 arrests last night, including the arrest of an illegal alien, MS-13 gang member... four more homeless encampments were also removed... nearly half of all non-illegal-alien related arrests have occurred in Wards 7 and 8, the two wards with the highest number of violent crimes.”

• Ferguson recaps: The operation is targeting real high-crime areas, despite media claims otherwise [45:06].

Race and Political Narrative

• Cruz asserts federal intervention is protecting black lives in the city, as most violent crime victims in those neighborhoods are African American.
  • [46:09] Cruz: “A very significant percentage of the murder victims from these violent criminals are African Americans. ... Trump and Republicans are stepping in and saving black lives. ... The position of Democrats in the media is those black lives do not matter.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:28] Cruz: “We are making real, significant steps towards peace. We’re going to break down the results... this is yet another week of real meaningful successes for the Trump presidency.”
• [09:47] Cruz: “The disconnect between what actually happened... and what the media reported is night and day, because they are rooting for the president to fail.”
• [17:50] Cruz: “No U.S. President would allow a foreign leader to come into the Oval Office and address him the way Zelenskyy did the last time, and especially not Donald Trump.”
• [20:16] Cruz: “I would like to see Ukraine and the rest of Europe sign an agreement to buy their energy... from the United States... that is a powerful America First outcome.”
• [24:22] (quoting Mark Penn): “Trump is pulling off unprecedented diplomatic feats to advance serious negotiations... If Obama had pulled off these meetings, it would be hailed as a tour de force...”
• [34:02] Cruz: “It turns out when you arrest criminals, you get less crime... In one week: robbery down 46%...”
• [39:07] Pemberton: “The criminal justice system here... is broken. ...The only way to fix this holistically is to go back and undo all of this anti-police legislation.”
• [43:19] Levitt: “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership... dangerous gang members like the one picked up last night will not be allowed on the streets of our nation’s capital.”
• [46:09] Cruz: “Trump and Republicans are stepping in and saving black lives... the position of Democrats in the media is those black lives do not matter.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Episode Theme & Overview: [02:39–04:42]

• Ukraine Peace Efforts:

  • Alaska & D.C. summits: [03:28–14:09]
  • Security guarantees explanation: [14:09–17:50]
  • Changing diplomatic tone: [17:50–21:11]
  • Energy leverage and European dependency: [21:11–25:59]
  • Summit strategy and next steps: [25:59–28:11]

• D.C. Crime & Police Federalization:

  • Crime statistics post-federalization: [34:02–35:30]
  • Data manipulation investigation: [35:30–36:18]
  • Violence anecdotes and local response: [36:18–38:23]
  • Police Union Chairman critique: [39:07–40:14]
  • Broader implications and Democrat opposition: [41:01–46:09]
  • Law enforcement results & targeting: [43:19–45:06]

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Tone and Language

The conversational tone is combative, unapologetically partisan, and laced with sarcasm (especially about media and Democratic responses). Cruz delivers policy analysis with a prosecutorial style, deploying data and anecdotes. Ferguson acts as a populist amplifier, emphasizing the “common sense” outcomes and the contrast with media spin.

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Conclusion

This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz frames recent diplomatic breakthroughs and crime trends as affirmations of conservative priorities and Trump administration effectiveness. Both hosts claim vindication against what they characterize as entrenched media and Democratic resistance, presenting the week’s news as evidence of Republican “America First” strategies working—both on the world stage and the nation’s streets.

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Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Josh Hawley]

Well, listen, I'm cautiously optimistic. Let's not get, get, get, get ahead of ourselves and celebrate. But we are making progress towards peace in Ukraine. We had in the last several days President Trump met with Putin in Alaska, had a positive meeting and then on Monday he had a meeting with President Zelensky, multiple European heads of state, in Washington, in the White House, again, another positive meeting. We are making real significant steps towards peace. We're going to break it down. We're going to tell you where things stand right now. We're going to tell you where each of the players are and we're going to tell you what's likely to happen next. We're also going to talk on Today's podcast about D.C. and when President Trump federalized the police department in D.C. pursuant to his authority under the Constitution, his Authority under the D.C. home Rule Statute, the Democrats freaked out. The media freaked out. The worst thing they could imagine was having a Republican president step in and actually stop violent crime. Well, that has happened. The numbers are stunning. Violent crime has plummeted. We're going to break down the results of that and the attendant freak out from the Democrats. This is yet another week of real meaningful successes for the Trump presidency and its differences that are making a difference for Americans across the country.

[Rodney Williams]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's certainly going to be very interesting to see what happens with all these others, as you mentioned, all these other cities. And if this is so successful, how do you then say we don't want help to save lives in our cities? We're going to break all that down.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

I promise you. The Democrats will say that they don't want help in New York, they don't want help in Chicago, they don't want help in la. They don't want help in any city in America run by a Democrat mayor because they'd rather crime be high than actually allow the police to arrest the violent criminals. That's spoiler alert. But we're going to get to that in, in the second story today.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Senator Josh Hawley]

Before we do, I gotta. Quick. You mentioned you're on the road. Yeah, so. So where are you? You could see Ben is in front of the most drab drapes in a hotel. I. I'm actually wondering if you're, like, in the red light district, if this is something that you pay, like, by the minute. You put a quarter in the bed. So where are you? And, and, and, and why are the drapes so drab behind you?

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, so it's a very bougie room. I'm not gonna lie. I didn't book it. I think it's called the Conrad. It's very nice. But the. The drapes, they have. Otherwise you'd be seeing the skyline behind me. I hit the close button beforehand, and they're like these tan drapes where they look very. As you mentioned. Yes. I agree with you. It does look like I'm at a Motel 6 outdoor entry hotel right now. So that's.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

I'm in Nashville in. What's in Nashville? All right. All right, so pull the drapes behind.

[Ben Ferguson]

Let's see this guy. Vegas. All right, let's see if that.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Hold on.

[Ben Ferguson]

Let's see if they'll open. There we go. Hold on. They're automatic drapes. I love that you're making me do this. Can you see the skyline? You guys see that? See, it's real nice back there.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Okay. There you go. All right. That's very bougie. You know, it did. There's not actually a crack dealer out your window. So that's good.

[Ben Ferguson]

Look, look. Automatic drapes behind me. Can you see them moving automatically? They just automatically close.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

All right. From now on, will have to address you as Bougie Ben.

[Ben Ferguson]

I love it. I'm just glad you dressed up for me. You know, I was. I'm in my travel gear right now.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

You know, I'm just glad you're wearing trousers.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's. That's very true. So let's talk about this. The implosion of the media.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

Over what we just witnessed. So let's just go back a couple of days ago. They said, like, uniformly, the media, that a guy by the name of Vladimir Putin played Donald Trump, that this was a disaster. The meeting in Alaska, it was going to go Nowhere. They were saying there. There was no movement, no real deal done. You fast forward days, Zelinsky shows up, European leaders show up, and they're all sitting there going, let's get this done, let's move forward. Zelinsky even wore a suit. Some said it looked like a 10 year old after they get their first suit of J.C. penney's, the way he was dressed up. It is kind of funny if you saw that meme going around, because it is exactly what I look like when I was smiling, when I wore my first suit when I was like 10 years old. It was one of the best memes I've ever seen. But he looks suit instead of, you know. I know, I know. Except for instead of the military, you know, Garvey normally wears. And he clearly was there in a very different tone than he was the first meeting when he was very combative with Donald Trump. And now we have a structure that is being laid out publicly.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yeah. So look, we had this weekend the meeting in Alaska between President Trump and Putin. And you're right, the media freaked out. We did a deep dive on that meeting. In Monday's podcast, if you didn't listen to Monday's podcast, you ought to go back and listen to it. But the disconnect between what actually happened between President Trump and Putin and what the media reported is night and day, because they are rooting for the president to fail. They are rooting for America to fail, and the Democrats are rooting for the president to fail and America to fail. And I have to say we're making real and material progress. I believe the war in Ukraine will be over by the end of the year. I think we are on a path to do that. Understand, Donald Trump campaigned on ending this war. The American people elected him. That was part of the mandate, is that I think the American people are done with a blank check, with sending billions of dollars to Ukraine with no limit, just on and on and on for nonstop war. The American people are ready for this to be over. Now, what I've advised the president, what I've encouraged the president is it needs to end. It's going to end in a negotiated settlement, but it needs to end in a way that is a clear and discernible loss for Putin, that is a loss for Russia, because Russia is not our friend. There are. They are our enemy, and we want them weaker and not stronger. Now, the media tried to say the meeting with Putin was a disaster. The world was on fire. Cats and dogs living together. Signs of the end times. Armageddon and then we had the meeting. Yeah, in the White House with Zelensky and with the European heads of state. And even with the dishonest corporate media, they couldn't spin this. I want you to listen to the Finnish president, his assessment of what has happened in the last couple of weeks. Give a listen. And by the way, Alex, I'd like you to say a couple of words, too. You're a young, powerful man.

[Ben Ferguson]

Before I finish up, I want you to say a couple of words.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Go ahead.

[Finnish President]

I'll take the notion of youth back to my wife and try to convince her. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I think in the past two weeks, we've probably had more progress in ending.

[Greg Pemberton]

This war than we have in the.

[Finnish President]

Past three and a half years. And I think the fact that we're around this table today is very much symbolic in the sense that it's Team Europe and Team United States helping Ukraine.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, wow.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Well, Ben, that's exactly what you and I said on Monday's pod, which is that we made more progress towards peace in Ukraine in the last couple of weeks than we have in three and a half years. But when you and I were saying it, the media dismisses it. You've now got the President of Finland saying that. And by the way, not just Finland. I want you to listen now to Keir Starmer from the United Kingdom. Give a listen.

[Finnish President]

Thanks. It's such an important meeting. As a group, I think we've had a discussion on the phone a number of times, Mr. President, but be able to now to be around the table to take it forward. And I really feel that we can, I think, with the right approach this afternoon, make real progress, particularly on the security guarantees. And your indication of security guarantees of some sort of Article 5 style guarantees fits with what we've been doing with the coalition of the willing, which we started some months ago, bringing countries together and showing that we were prepared to step up to the plate when it came to security. With you coming alongside the US alongside what we've already developed, I think we could take a really important step forward today. A historic step actually could come out of this meeting in terms of security for Ukraine and security in Europe. I also feel that we can make real progress towards a just and lasting outcome. Obviously, that has to involve Ukraine, and a trilateral meeting seems the sensible next step. So thank you for being prepared to take that forward, because I think if we can ensure that that is the progress out of this meeting, both security guarantees and some sort of progress on trilateral meeting of some sort to bring some of the difficult issues to a head. Then I think today will be seen as a very important day in recent years in relation to a conflict which has gone on for three and a bit years and so far nobody, nobody's been able to bring it to this point. So I thank you for that.

[Ben Ferguson]

No one's been able to bring it to this point. I think that is a very big accolade from the leaders at the table. He also, and I want to get your explanation for people so they understand this, because if you don't understand it, it's complicated. Trump is pledged U.S. quote, support for NATO style security guarantees. You heard it mentioned there in that quote, for Ukraine. While emphasizing that Europe would serve, quote, as the first line of defense, European NATO officials also urged that this would be vitally important to getting a deal done and even a ceasefire. So explain NATO style security guarantees. What does that mean for people that don't understand that?

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Well, listen, one of the things that we covered in Monday's pod is that Putin, in the meeting in Alaska, he conceded explicitly that there needed to be some security guarantees for Ukraine, that when this war comes to an end, which I believe will happen this year, that Ukraine has some confidence that they're not going to wake up in January, February or March and see Russian tanks once again crossing their borders. I think the negotiated settlement will include some modicum of security guarantees. Now, what it will not include is Ukraine joining NATO. And I oppose Ukraine joining NATO. I've been vocal for a long time. Ukraine should not join NATO. Why is that? Because under NATO, under Article 5 of NATO, the member states of NATO take on an obligation to defend any one of the members if they are invaded. And I am not interested in a treaty obligation to put U.S. troops in harm's way. I don't believe President Trump is going to enter into any agreement that puts U.S. troops in harm's way. And so the emphasis, and you put it exactly right, Ben, is that security guarantees should put Europe on the front line. If the Brits, if the French, if the Germans want to, want to commit, if Russia violates the borders, they'll come in and defend Ukraine. Knock yourself out. You guys believe in it, that's fine. We will facilitate the resolution. But I do not think there is any will to war on the part of the United states to put U.S. troops on the ground. And it's not just me saying this. So I want you to listen to, to Caroline Levitt, the White House press secretary, when she was asked about this Here, give a listen to what Caroline had to say.

[Caroline Levitt]

The president has definitively stated US Boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but we can certainly help in the coordination and perhaps provide other means of security guarantees to our European allies. The president understands security guarantees are crucially important to ensure a lasting peace. And he has directed his national security team to coordinate with our friends in Europe and also to continue to cooperate and discuss these matters with Ukraine and Russia as well.

[Ben Ferguson]

You listen to Caroline Levitt there. And there's a theme that we continue to get from the Trump foreign policy doctrine. It cannot always be America does everything. He is holding other countries accountable, saying, you need to step up.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yes, you need to lead.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, you need to do this. President clarified three times, and that was my counting, it may even be more. But I heard him three times clearly say he had continued and saying it for a long time, just like you mentioned opposition to Ukrainian NATO membership and noted even that there may have to be territorial concessions for a deal to get done. So again, he's saying to Europe and all these other leaders, you guys need to step up. America's not going to fund all this. We're not going to get in these wars. We're not going to do everything on the backs of American taxpayers. I think that's very popular in this country right now.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

I think that's right. And listen, the contrast between this meeting and the last meeting with President Zelensky in the Oval Office is night and day. The last meeting, and we covered that extensively on this podcast, the last meeting with Zelensky was a disaster. It was a train wreck. It will go down in history as the worst, as the least successful Oval Office meeting in history. Why? Because President Zelensky came in looking to pick a fight with President Trump. He came in arrogant and belligerent and demanding. He was like a petulant child. You need to defend me. You owe it to me. And I think Zelensky had spent too much time with the New York Times and with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer and believed their talking points. And I gotta tell you, look in this, no US President would allow a foreign leader to come into the Oval Office and address him the way Zelenskyy did the last time, and especially not Donald Trump. So it went very badly. This time was night and day, as you noted. He put on a suit. He demonstrated some respect. And listen, I understand why Zelensky's position has been they don't want to give up one inch of their territory. If you were the President of Ukraine, you'd probably say the same thing. Ben, I understand why he's saying that, but that is not America's national security interest. What is our national security interest is that Russia and Putin not get significantly stronger because they are an enemy to America. And I'll tell you, I want. I want to throw down a marker that I think is really important in terms of the negotiated settlement that occurs here. I think energy is front and center. We've talked a lot on this podcast about how Joe Biden caused the war in Ukraine, that his weakness, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and emboldened Putin and all of our enemies, and also how Biden's waiving the sanctions on Nord Stream 2 caused this war. I authored those sanctions. I wrote that legislation. Donald Trump signed those sanctions into law. And as Putin said in Alaska just a couple of days ago, if Trump had still been in the Oval Office, there would be no war in Ukraine. Russia would not have invaded in this settlement. What I think is very important, I would like to see Ukraine and the rest of Europe sign an agreement to buy their energy, buy their oil and gas from the United States, and let's be clear, from Texas. Texas, we have the resources that's good for America, but they should not return to buying oil and gas from Russia. When I meet with European heads of state and foreign ministers, this is the number one question I ask them. When this war is over, are you going to go back to buying Russian oil and gas? Are you going to go back to sending billions of dollars to fuel the Russian war machine? Or are you going to use this as an opportunity to pivot towards a friend and ally? And I think leaving resolving this war with a major energy agreement for Ukraine and Europe to buy their energy from America, I think that is a powerful America first outcome. And it's also an outcome where Putin will not have scored a major victory. If that is the resolution, I hope very much that's the direction the President takes this.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, let's go down this path because this is a very interesting point. And I want to ask you, because I look at Russia right now, Russia's economy is teetering. A lot of people don't realize this. They really cannot afford for this war to go on much longer. Part of the reason why, I'm guessing you're saying you believe this timeline, that we're going to end this war by the end of this year, is the financial impact this is having on Russia. And Vladimir Putin does not want to get the point where there's a revolt in his country, because they're so gone economically. There's also. He needs to start selling oil, because that is what gives life to his, you know, being in charge of this country. It gives him his power. It makes the people kind of sit back down and just go along to get along, in essence, which is the way of life, unfortunately, under Vladimir Putin and Russia. But if he doesn't get this done soon, he's in trouble economically. You mentioned this agreement with the U.S. these other countries. How does that work? Does it say, we're not buying Russian oil, and then Russia says, fine, we'll just keep lowering our price so eventually you'll buy it again. Explain to me how that would work.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Look, I think you negotiate an agreement. Ukraine wants to buy American oil and American natural gas. And this is a little bit like predatory pricing in the antitrust context. I think many European countries realize that Russia uses energy for economic blackmail, that they offer low prices to get Europe hooked. It's kind of like a drug dealer going to a junior high saying, here, try a free sample. Just enjoy it. And they're trying to get you hooked. And Russia, and Putin in particular, has a long history then of jacking up prices when he wants to extort Europe or cutting off energy supplies when he wants to get concessions from them. Look, if you're in Europe and it's the dead of winter and you're relying on gas to heat your houses and Russia can shut you off, that gives them enormous leverage. And Putin has demonstrated he will use that leverage to engage in economic blackmail. So it's not in Europe's interest to be dependent on Russia for energy. Now, right now, Russia is selling the bulk of their oil and gas to China and to India. And this is one of the lever points President Trump has, is that he has threatened or imposed sanctions against both India and China if they continue buying Russian oil and gas. And that's one of the things I believe that's bringing Putin to the table, is that if President Trump cuts off his market in China and India, Putin is in a world of hurt. And so that's an incentive for Putin to come in and say, all right, let's reach a resolution. And I think we're going to. And it's gonna be a resolution. Is Ukraine gonna get everything they want? No, but Russia's not gonna get everything they want either. And I'll point out, you know, one really important point, I wanna read a tweet from Mark Penn. Now, Mark Penn is a pollster for the Clintons, for Bill Clinton, for Hillary Clinton, he is a Democrat. Here's what Mark Penn tweeted out, and I think it's really important. He said, quote, from what I can see, nearly a million people have died in the Ukraine war, and Biden was unable to attend G7 meetings without embarrassing the country. In contrast, Trump is pulling off unprecedented diplomatic feats to advance serious negotiations that has a reasonable chance of being successful. And the press coverage of it has been ludicrous. If Obama had pulled off these meetings, it would be hailed as a tour de force rather than downplaying and naysaying every move we see in the press. He may or may not be successful, but it is an incredible effort that should be respected, applauded, and for the people involved, a new hope for designing a lasting peace with real enforcement, unlike previous empty security guarantees. That is a big deal for Mark Penn to say that. And listen, I retweeted him today. I said, bravo, Bravo for saying that. He's a Democrat. I feel confident that Mark Penn is not a fan of Donald Trump, but he is acknowledging reality. And I don't know of an elected Democrat who is. I don't know of a Democrat governor. I don't know of a Democrat senator who is saying this. And the media, I don't want us to get overconfident. You know, Reagan famously said about the Soviet Union, trust but verify. This could go off the rails a thousand different ways. But I believe President Trump is doing everything humanly possible to resolve this and achieve peace. And that is unequivocally good.

[Ben Ferguson]

Final two questions on this. And it deals with the next steps for people that don't know. What we're looking at is, by the way, Donald Trump apparently walked out of these meetings by himself, went to the Oval by himself, made a phone call to Vladimir Putin and said, let's. Let's get a meeting. Apparently, meeting number one would be between him and Zelinsky. They're working on that. And then there would be a trilateral meeting where he would, in essence, be the negotiator in the room between Zelensky and Putin. I found that very interesting that he said, you guys meet first, I'll meet the next meeting, instead of the other way around. What did you think about that strategy, and why do you think he decided to do it that way?

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Look, I think he believes he's got the leverage to try to push through a deal, and there's no doubt he's got enormous leverage over Ukraine because the United States has been the major funder of this war, and he's got enormous leverage over Russia because the ability to impose sanctions, to shut down their ability to sell oil and gas anywhere in the world that is powerful. And those two together. And listen, I just think force of personality. I gotta say some of my favorite things watching the last couple of days have been the memes and everything that has come out when Trump and Putin were walking together and the B2s fly over and you see Putin do a double take as he like literally buzzes Putin with American military might. I think Trump is trying to use every tool he has to resolve this. You know, it was striking. Bill Maher this week he went on tv and to be clear, Bill Maher is, is, is no friend of Donald Trump. But Bill Maher said, I'll tell you this, Trump wants peace. He hates war. That is a really positive thing. And, and Hillary Clinton may well regret her tongue in cheek comment that she would no nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if he resolved this. Now she put wiggle words in there. So no matter what happened, she's going to claim nope, nope, no, he didn't resolve it to my satisfaction. But she's going to see that quote played back at her a hundred times.

[Ben Ferguson]

The reviews and ratings are in and Ice Cube's Big Three is the surprise hit of the summer. And to cap off the season, I hart presents the Big 3 basketball championship and 8th annual Big 3 all star game this coming Sunday, August 24th. Live from Orlando. The remaining two teams fight it out for the Big 3 championship Dr. Jake trophy in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. Don't miss the wild conclusion of Big Three's eighth and most historic season ever. This is the game no one wants to lose and there's no crying in the Big three. The action starts with the Big Three eighth Annual All Star Game. Don't miss All Stars Dwight Howard, Montrez Harrell, MVP Michael Beasley, Lance will make you Dan Stevenson, Jordan Crawford, Greg Monroe, Earl Clark, Nazir Kor and more show you why they are the best three on three basketball players in the world. Big Three's exciting all star game plus the crowning of a new Big Three champion. The no holds part action starts Sunday at 2pm Eastern, 11 Pacific only on.

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[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the Wealth Break. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. It's not just about saving. It's about investing. It's about navigating systems that weren't built for you, embracing your hustle and relying on your community to create something bigger. And that's exactly why we created the wealthbreak. We made something different, something more human. It's not just another financial podcast. It's a conversation about real life, real struggles and real wins. We're here to talk about the journey. You'll hear from people who've broken barriers, found creative ways to succeed, and learn to build wealth on their terms. Whether it's the first time homeowner, a gig worker, or someone turning a side hustle into a six figure business, we're bringing you their stories. And we're not stopping at success stories. We're breaking down the realities. Like what it means to take risk, how to navigate failure, and why resilience matters. Because wealth isn't about money. It's about creating a life where you can thrive and help others to do the same. So if you're ready for a podcast. As much as about people as it is about money. You're in the right place. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

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[Ben Ferguson]

You talk about the President having leverage. Let's move to Washington D.C. and everyone that said the President was like being a dictator and a tyrant by sitting in the National Guard actually trying to fight crime. They said this was just him being a bully. He was obsessed with the media. This is what tyrants and dictators do. He's gonna roll the National Guard and militarize every city in America that he doesn't like. That was the narrative. Well, guess what? They got it wrong again. DC crime since the announcement of the federal control versus the seven day prior to that. We have that data now. Senator, please, for everyone that's listening, go through every category of a shock, right? I say that sarcastically. More law enforcement on the street, Law and order. What happens? Less crime.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yeah, it turns out when you arrest criminals, you get less crime. I know that's a shocking outcome. It's one Democrats don't understand and the media doesn't understand. But. But everyone whose head is not fully inserted up their Rear end gets that point. Here is a Tweet from the D.C. police union. D.C. crime since the announcement of federal control versus the seven days prior. Robbery down 46%. Carjacking down 83%. Car theft down 21%. Violent crime down 22%. Property crime down 6%, and all crimes down 8%. That is in one week, in seven days. And if you hear a wailing in the distance, that is the collective wail of pain and unhappiness of Democrats in the media. Because, understood, this is not hyperbole. They are rooting for the criminals. They do not want crime to go down. Because if crime goes down, it vindicates President Trump exercising his constitutional authority to concerning DC and exercising his authority as explicit statutory authority under the D.C. home Rule Act. The Democrats do not want that.

[Ben Ferguson]

No, they don't. And there's also another aspect of the story, and that is we now have the Justice Department that's investigating whether Washington, D.C. police manipulated their crime data. Remember, I, I was. Shoot, I was on CNN a week and a half, two weeks ago, and they're like, your stats are wrong. Crime is way down. The present doesn't need to do this. Everything's moving the right direction. Well, it may have looked like crime was down, but now the Justice Department is investigating whether D.C. police purposely willfully manipulate the crime data to basically fake people out. Lie to the citizens of D.C. and they say, oh, no, no, everything's getting better from last year when it's really, really, really bad. Now it's not as bad. And apparently they may have manipulated the numbers, including a whistleblower that they've settled with.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yeah, look, I can tell you from someone who works in D.C. so most weeks I am in D.C. in the Senate, when the Senate's in session. And, and in the last four years under Joe Biden, the violence in D.C. has gotten much worse. We've seen Rand Paul had a staffer who was stabbed on a public street at like 4 in the afternoon, stabbed in the gut. Uh, there, there. There was a guy who served in the first Trump administration who was shot in the head at. Killed at about 5pm sitting in his car on a street in D.C. this is not 2 in the morning in a rough neighborhood. This is in a major metropolitan street. We had, you know, not long ago, we had two Israelis murdered by a radical, pro Hamas, pro Palestinian, leftist zealot From Chicago and D.C. as someone who works there, you know, it used to be when I started in the Senate, you know, I would. As you know, I love movies. We've done a couple of podcasts where we talk about movies. When I started in the Senate, I used to sometimes if there was a night that I was done, let's say I was done at 8 or 9 o' clock at night. There's a movie theater about five blocks from my house. I used to routinely walk up to the movie theater and just go see a movie. I don't do that now. I mean, frankly, at 9:00 o' clock.

[Ben Ferguson]

At night, I know it's movie theater you're talking about. Yeah, no way you do that now.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

At nine o' clock at night. You don't walk five blocks in D.C. i'll tell you. I've got a guy on my security detail in Washington who's a tough guy. He's been in some pretty rough combat situations, you bet him. And he was walking back to the Capitol at 10pm and he had two guys, two teenagers jump him and try to rob him. Now Mark's a pretty tough guy. So he picked up one of them and body slammed them into the back of a car and the two of them ran off. But, but the violence in D.C. has gotten really significantly worse. And you know, it's been interesting the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Reporters chairman, what he said about it.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yeah, the reporters that are honest who are interviewing D.C. residents, many of whom, most of whom are African American, the residents are saying, thank God, we think this is great. Lock these criminals up. Look, the D.C. residents don't like living with the risk of drive by sittings. Henry Cuellar, who is a Democrat congressman, was carjacked again in the early evening. He was coming home with dinner to his apartment was apartment building apparently five other congressmen lived in, carjacked right out in the front of it. And, and, and here's what Greg Pemberton, I want you to listen to Greg Pemberton, who was the D.C. police union chairman, what he said about the security of D.C. under Democrats. Give a listen.

[Greg Pemberton]

The criminal justice system here in the District of Columbia is broken. Every aspect of it is broken, whether that's policing, prosecution, judges and trials, sentencing and supervision, all of it is broken. And you can trace every aspect of it back to a piece of legislation that was passed by the council. They have destroyed policing, they have destroyed prosecutions, they have destroyed the way that the courts are allowed to operate. And they've destroyed our ability to sentence criminals to sentences that are commensurate with the crimes they've committed. And so the only way to fix this holistically is to go back and look at all of this Legislation that the council passed back in 2020 when there was all of this anti police rhetoric and work to undo that. I know from my experiences the D.C. council will never do that on their own. And so what we're hoping over the course of the next 30 days is that whether that's the White House, whether that's these federal law enforcement agencies, whether that's Congress, that people get an insight into exactly how the system got so broken. And because the only way to fix it is if we can get rid of that legislation. And my main concern is that 30 days are going to go by, all of these folks are going to go up about their merry way and we're still going to be stuck with all this bad law.

[Ben Ferguson]

Like he's like, we know what's wrong, we know what's wrong, we know exactly what's wrong. And if they don't fix it, we're going to be back here. Thank goodness the President stepped in here. And the citizens, I go back to the media narrative here, center. The citizens overwhelmingly trust Donald Trump to fight crime more than they trusted Joe Biden. And the citizens in Washington, D.C. overwhelmingly are trusting the strategy of Donald Trump, then their own city council members and their mayor. And that is a threat, I think, to all these other high crime cities, Memphis, Baltimore, Detroit, New Orleans, San Francisco, Louisiana, because, yeah, if this works, how do you then say no when the president offers you help or National Guard?

[Senator Josh Hawley]

So understand this is the same principle with securing the border. So a year ago at the State of the Union address, Joe Biden said he could not secure the border. He needed new legislation from Congress in order to secure the border. We had at the time, the highest rate of illegal immigration in our nation's history. We had criminals and murderers and gang members and rapists and child molesters and terrorists streaming across the border. And he said he was helpless to fix it. Donald Trump came in and the rate of illegal border crossings dropped over 99%. As President Trump said in the most recent State of the Union address, it turns out we didn't need new legislation, we just needed a new president. The same is true in D.C. if we see violent crime numbers continue to go down and stay down, that demonstrates we can solve crime in other cities, too. And the reason residents of your city are being murdered is because the Democrat mayors and the Democrat city councils care more about the radical leftists who hate the police, who want to defund the police, who want to abolish the police, than they care about your family and your children. Look, it spoke volumes When China's President Xi came to visit San Francisco a few years ago and Gavin Newsom came in and cleaned up San Francisco and took out the homeless people and took out the drug addicts and the streets were sparkling. And I gotta say, even if you are a left wing Bolshevik in San Francisco, a tiny voice in the back of your head must have said, wait a second, if they could clean up the streets today, why didn't they clean up the streets last week? Why do my kids matter less.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Than the President of China. And so this is an existential threat to Democrats who want to say, we're helpless, we can't stop crime. And by the way, part of their message is the only way to stop crime is to disarm law abiding citizens. That, that, that, that gun control doesn't solve it, but locking up violent criminals does. And, and spoiler alert, that is what works in stopping violent crime, then the Democrats have a massive challenge. And I want you to listen to Caroline Levitt talking about some of the results we've seen in just one week in D.C. give a listen.

[Caroline Levitt]

President Trump's efforts to make D.C. safe again are working. There have been a total of 465 arrests since the start of this operation on Thursday, August 7th. Last night, there were a total of 52 arrests, including the arrest of an illegal alien, Ms. 13, gang member with convictions for DWI and drug possession. Thanks to President Trump's leadership in the outstanding work of both federal and local law enforcement, dangerous gang members like the one picked up last night will not be allowed on the streets of our nation's capital. Other arrests last night included assault with a deadly weapon for stabbing, parole violation for robbery, murder, outstanding warrant for attempted murder, assault on federal law enforcement officer and felony assault. Four more homeless encampments were also removed during yesterday's reporting period. To date, A total of 48 homeless encampments have been cleared in Washington D.C. by multi agency teams. MPD patrol units are actively working with city officials to locate and clear additional encampments and remove homeless residents off of Washington's streets. And despite fake narratives from the media, again, a significant number of the arrests have been in high crime areas of data dc in fact, nearly half of all of the non illegal alien related arrests have occurred in Wards 7 and 8, the two wards that have the highest number of violent crime as well as homicides and assaults with dangerous weapons last year. So while Democrats continue to coddle violent criminals, President Trump and this administration are focused on putting them behind bars and unapologetically Standing up for the safety of law abiding American citizens. And the White House will continue to provide all of you with the results of this operation in the days ahead.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, this goes back to the narrative when this was announced. The president was going to do this. That night I was doing Abby Phillips show on CNN and all of the panelists were losing their minds saying Donald Trump this was going to do nothing. They said he's putting them on the National Mall where there's no crime. He's a dictator. They're not going to put the law enforcement where the real crime is. That's why this is a waste of resources. This is just him showing and flexing his muscles that he can do this because the president, this is what a dictator does. Yet you're the crime stats there. Where are they fighting crime? Where the criminals are. And I said it, then I'll say it again. It's amazing how much the left and the media hates Donald Trump. Hate so much they don't even care if they're able to save lives through this. They just hate the fact that Donald Trump wants to fight crime. So whatever he says he wants to do, we're going to fight it and lie and slander him. And regardless of how many people lose their lives in D.C. or any other city when this comes out.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

Yeah, look, that is exactly right. And I will point out those very high crime neighborhoods in D.C. are overwhelmingly African American. And the woke left white wing Democrat mayor painted the words black lives matter on the street in a giant mural. They've removed that now. But when it comes to actually protecting black lives, understand that a very significant percentage of the murder victims from these violent criminals are African Americans. And so Donald Trump and Republicans are stepping in and saving black lives. And the position of Democrats in the media is those black lives do not matter. They'd rather they be victims of murder than actually have law enforcement put violent criminals in jail. And Ben, when I say that that sounds unbelievably harsh. But, but, but I want to ask you seriously, give me an alternative explanation. If the explanation is not sure that the Democrats do not give a damn about whether black lives matter and whether, whether they're saving African Americans from being victims of homicide, then why are they so adamantly opposed to supporting law enforcement putting violent criminals in jail?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, no, this is the Democratic Party now. They'd rather see Donald Trump fail than actually save American lives. Don't forget we do the show Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Also, this episode is up on YouTube. So if you want to watch it. We put it up there on YouTube as well. Hit that subscriber auto download button. We're going to keep giving you the stats out of DC because I promise you the media is not going to do it. We cover these stories, give you the facts. Please share it wherever you can on social media and the Senator and I will see you back here on Friday morning.

[Rodney Williams]

Iheart presents the Big three Playoffs this Sunday. The remaining four teams battle to make the championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the big three monster energy celebrity game, then 20 quite Howard and his LA riot take on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power who will make it to the big three championship. The no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3pm Eastern, 12 Pacific only on.

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[Rodney Williams]

I'm Rodney Williams. And I'm Travis Holloway. Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest, building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone.

[Senator Josh Hawley]

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To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.

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Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others. Do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

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