Trump Calls for the House to RELEASE the Epstein files, plus Republicans WON the Shutdown

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Trump Calls for the House to RELEASE the Epstein files, plus Republicans WON the Shutdown
Date: November 17, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

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Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode focuses on three key topics in current U.S. politics:

1. Former President Donald Trump’s public call for House Republicans to release all Jeffrey Epstein-related files.
2. Analysis of recent polling demonstrating that Republicans, according to the hosts, decisively “won” the government shutdown battle.
3. Michelle Obama’s recent statements regarding her potential presidential run, and what they reveal about Democratic Party dynamics.

The hosts, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson, examine the strategies and narratives driving each issue, focusing on the political repercussions for Democrats and their implications for 2024 and beyond.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump Calls to Release the Epstein Files

• Context: Donald Trump issued a statement via Truth Social urging House Republicans to vote for the release of all Epstein files (03:13–04:07).
• Media’s Agenda:
  • Hosts argue the mainstream media is using the Epstein case to attack Trump, rather than focusing on the victims (04:07–06:24).
  • Ben Ferguson: “The media is like obsessed with it… they didn't give a damn about the victims for literally years … now they think they could hurt Donald Trump somehow with the Epstein files.” (04:07)
• Trump’s Statement:
  • Cruz reads and analyzes Trump’s post, in which Trump frames the Epstein story as a Democrat “hoax” and says Republicans have “nothing to hide.” Trump also lists supposed GOP achievements and pivots attention from Epstein back to economic issues and policy victories (06:24–10:30).
  • Notable quote (from Trump’s Truth Social): “‘I don't care. All I do care about is that the Republicans get back on point, which is the economy, affordability, where we are winning big… Let’s start talking about the Republican Party's record setting achievements and not fall into the Epstein trap, which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. Make America Great Again.’” (paraphrased by Cruz, 06:24–10:30)

2. The Epstein Case as a Political Weapon

• Democratic Connections:
  • Cruz emphasizes that Epstein was a major donor to Democratic figures like Bill Clinton and Chuck Schumer, and suggests Democrats are vulnerable to embarrassment from the files’ release (06:24–13:13).
  • “Jeffrey Epstein was a major Democrat donor … tried to hang this scandal around Donald Trump’s neck.” (09:07)
• Allegation of Texting Democrats:
  • Discussion of media revelations that Epstein was communicating with House Democrats during the Michael Cohen hearings, allegedly providing them advice to hurt Trump (10:30–11:11).
  • Ferguson: “Epstein was texting House Democrats during the Michael Cohen hearing and trying to give advice on how to hurt Donald Trump. That is like completely been admitted by the media. They are not wanting to cover the story...” (10:30)
• On Full Disclosure:
  • Both hosts agree with Trump’s call for releasing all files, saying that “real accountability” matters more than partisan embarrassment (13:13–15:22).
  • Cruz: “If anyone has sexually assaulted an underage girl, prosecute them… The bulk of the evidence is going to be evidence that is a real, real problem for, I suspect, a significant number of Democrats.” (13:13)

3. Congressional Oversight & Judicial Issues

• Potential Follow-Up:
  • What happens if files are released? Cruz suggests Congress will conduct oversight, but there may be limits on what can go public due to judicial orders, remarking that these were issued by judges appointed by Democrat presidents (14:37–15:22).

4. Trump’s Frustration with Epstein Distraction

• Trump’s Perspective:
  • Audio of Trump pushing back against a reporter tying him to Epstein, calling out “fake news” (15:22–16:07).
  • Cruz details Trump’s sense that the media fixates on Epstein as a “deflection from the tremendous success of the Trump administration.” (16:00)

5. Republican Policy Wins – Shutdown Analysis

• Shutdown Polling:
  • Recent CBS poll: 55% of Americans say Trump and Republicans got more of what they wanted from the shutdown, while only 6% say Democrats did (23:46–24:20).
  • Cruz: “55% say Trump and Republicans got more what they wanted. 6% say Democrats did … CBS is hardly this right wing source, [but] the American people clearly see this as a loss for Democrats.” (24:21)
• Democratic Civil War:
  • Tensions highlighted between more moderate Democrats (Tim Kaine) and the progressive wing (AOC, Ro Khanna) over the shutdown’s resolution and party leadership (25:21–29:20).
  • Cruz: “This is Democrat on Democrat political warfare. This is a civil war … the left hand doesn't know what the far left hand is doing other than they are punching each other.” (30:55)
• Elections & Fallout:
  • The shutdown outcome is expected to have lasting effects on intra-party dynamics and upcoming elections, particularly for figures like Senator Mark Warner, who voted against reopening the government (27:05).

6. Michelle Obama’s Statement on Presidential Bid

• Obama on 2028:
  • Michelle Obama in a recent interview suggests America “ain't ready” for a woman president, citing misogyny (31:55–33:30).
  • Quote: “Sadly, we ain’t ready. That's why I'm like, don't even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You're not ready for a woman. You are not.” (Michelle Obama, 33:00)
• Hosts’ Reaction:
  • Cruz and Ferguson mock the idea, accusing Obama of arrogance and Democrats of shifting blame from policy failures to so-called “bigotry” (34:43–39:06).
  • Cruz: “The dripping arrogance of her, you know, you listen to her comments. The American people have a lot of growing up to do. Yeah, like, like the absolute condescension, you people are too immature to elect my magnificence.” (35:51–39:06)
  • They further contrast the Democratic Party’s current post-defeat reaction with how Democrats, after repeated losses to Ronald Reagan, pivoted to the center with Bill Clinton.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Narrative:
  • Ben Ferguson: “They don't care about the victims. They only care about hurting Donald Trump. Orange man bad.” (12:38)
• On Releasing Epstein Files:
  • Ted Cruz: “If anyone has sexually assaulted an underage girl, prosecute them … make it all public, have there be accountability across the board.” (13:13)
• On Democratic Infighting:
  • Ted Cruz: “This is Democrat on Democrat political warfare. This is a civil war.” (30:55)
• On Michelle Obama’s Interview:
  • Michelle Obama: “We ain't ready. That's why I'm like, don't even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You're not ready for a woman. You are not.” (33:00)
  • Ted Cruz: “The dripping arrogance … the absolute condescension, you people are too immature to elect my magnificence.” (35:51)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump's Epstein Files Statement Analyzed: 03:13–10:30
• Epstein’s Alleged Texts to Democrats During Hearings: 10:30–11:11
• On Full Transparency / Releasing Files: 13:13–15:22
• Audio Clip: Trump Rebuffing Epstein Reporter: 15:22–16:07
• Republicans “Win” the Shutdown (CBS Poll): 23:46–24:20
• Democratic Internal Debates (Kaine, Warner, Schumer): 25:21–30:55
• Michelle Obama’s “Not Ready for a Woman President” Interview: 31:55–33:30

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Summary Table: Key Issues

| Issue | Main Arguments/Takeaways | Timestamps | |-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------| | Trump Urges Releasing Epstein Files | Trump and hosts say it's a Democrat problem; push for full transparency | 03:13–10:30 | | Media & Epstein Narrative | Mainstream media allegedly using case to hurt Trump, not protect victims | 04:07–06:24 | | Epstein Texting Democrats | Alleged collusion, media not covering | 10:30–11:11 | | GOP Policy Wins | Shutdown outcome shows Republicans as victors | 23:46–24:20 | | Democratic Infighting / Leadership | Kaine, Warner, Schumer divisions, “civil war” in the party | 25:21–30:55 | | Michelle Obama’s Presidential Musings | “America not ready for a woman president;” hosts see this as deflection and arrogance | 31:55–39:06 |

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Tone & Style

The episode is combative, sarcastic, and highly partisan, with Cruz and Ferguson working in a conversational, occasionally mocking style. They regularly pivot from providing detailed political analysis to criticizing Democratic leaders and correcting perceived false narratives in mainstream media.

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Useful for listeners who want:

• Detailed breakdown of recent Trump statements and the politics surrounding the Epstein scandal
• Conservative perspectives on media bias and Democratic Party divisions
• Insight into polling around the government shutdown
• Reaction to Michelle Obama’s comments about gender and presidential politics

Note: Advertisements and non-content promotional segments have been excluded.

Transcript

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[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you. It's so nice to have you with us. And Senator, we could start with some very interesting news. It seems like Democrats are playing checkers. Donald Trump is playing chess. He got them to go all in on Epstein, everything. Now Trump's like, all right, fine, let's see it. No, by the way, I think we should be investigating a bunch of people that were hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein as well. I don't think Democrats had that on their bingo cards.

[Ted Cruz]

No, I don't think they did. Sunday night, President Trump called on the House of Representatives to vote for releasing all the Epstein files. This is a big deal. We're going to break it down, why he did it and what it means. We're also going to talk about the polling numbers that have come down that that show decisively the Democrats lost the shutdown. It did not go well for them. The American people view it as the shutdown, the end of the shutdown as a major victory for President Trump and Republicans. We're gonna break that down as well. And finally, we're gonna talk about Michelle Obama did it, did an amazing interview this week in which she was asked if she would run for president and she basically said, no. The American people are too much of bigots to elect a woman. That apparently is why Kamala Harris lost, is because the voters are all secret misogynists. And Michelle Obama of why she will not grace us with her presence is the same. All of that we're going to get into in detail right now.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it's truly incredible. I want to tell you where the holidays coming and many of you may be looking for charities that you can get involved in, especially to spend time with your kids, your grandkids and talk about how you can give back. There is an organization I want you to know about and it's an amazing one. Compassion International. I want you to just pause what you're doing for the next 60 seconds and I want you to imagine Lucy, a 7 year old. Her stomach often aches with hunger. Her small hands, instead of holding crayons, know only the struggle of survival on dusty streets. School is a distant dream. Medical care a forgotten hope. Lucy's potential is overshadowed. Her future is dim. But what if someone stepped in? What if there was a way to ignite hope for children just like Lucy? Well, there is. And that is with Compassion International Partners and the local churches that provide children Holistic, holistic support. More than just food, they receive critical medical care, life changing education, vital skills training and spiritual development all in Jesus's name. And you can empower a child just like Lucy to break free from poverty. I want you to do what I've done and sponsor a child today. You can visit compassion.com that's compassion.com all right. So Senator, this has been a very interesting couple of weeks with the Epstein files. You probably dealt with it the same way I have. The media is like obsessed with it. All of a sudden, out of nowhere they were, they didn't give a damn about the victims for literally years and years and years. But now they think they could hurt Donald Trump somehow with the Epstein files. So they're obsessed with it. And I said this the other night on cnn. I said I genuinely wish that you guys and I was referring to the liberals on the show and the host cared about the victims of Jeffrey Epstein this much years ago and, and they didn't. But this time it's only about trying to hurt Donald Trump. Now Donald Trump seems to be playing chess in an amazing way, saying, all right, fine, A, I'm in favor of doing it now. Let's vote on it, let's get it done. And not only that, I want to investigate people that were in around Epstein to see what may have been covered up and that includes names like Bill Clinton.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, Sunday night Donald Trump set out a lengthy truth on truth social. Here's what he said. He said, quote, as I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the fake news media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files because we have nothing to hide. And it's time to move on from this Democrat hoax perpetuated by the radical left lunatics in order to deflect from the great success of the Republican Party, including our recent victory on the Democrat shutdown. The Department of Justice has already turned over tens of thousands of pages to the public on Epstein and are looking at various Democrat operatives, Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Larry Summers, et cetera and their relationship to Epstein. And the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legit entitled to. I don't care. I don't care is in all caps. All I do care about is that the Republicans get back on point. Back on point is in all caps, which is the economy affordability where we are winning big. Our victory on reducing inflation from the highest level in history to practically nothing, bringing down prices for the American people, delivering historic tax cuts, gaining trillions of dollars of investment into America, a record in all caps, the rebuilding of our military, securing our border, deporting criminal illegal aliens, ending men and women's sports, stopping transgender for everyone, and so much more. Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive. And if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our landslide election victory. I'm going to come back to that in a minute. Some, quote, members of the Republican Party are being used and we can't let that happen. Let's start talking about the Republican Party's record setting achievements and not fall into the Epstein trap, which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. Make America great again. So that tweet went out Sunday night. I gotta say it's, it's breaking news and I think it's a big deal. I fully expect the House will do exactly what President Trump urged them to do, which is vote to release the files and, and, and, and hopefully the President is right, that that will put the constant obsession about the Epstein files behind us for the media because understand the media is not upset and obsessed over the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. They're not obsessed over protecting the teenage girls who were sexually assaulted. They're obsessed over one thing which is attacking Donald Trump. If it's not attacking Donald Trump, they have zero interest. By the way, the Democrats, if it's not attacking Donald Trump, they have zero interest. And one of the important things to understand, Jeffrey Epstein was a Democrat. Jeffrey Epstein was a major Democrat donor. Jeffrey Epstein was one of the major fobs, friends of Bill's, a very close to Bill Clinton. Jeffrey Epstein was so close to Bill Clinton that in his New York home he had hanging on the wall a painting, a Bill Clinton in Monica Lewinsky's blue dress wearing red pumps. Now that is weird and Freudian and I'm very glad I was not Jeffrey Epstein shrink because I don't want to know what's going on inside of his mind that he's fantasizing about Bill Clinton in a blue dress with red pumps. But at the end of the day, this guy was a massive donor to Democrats including Bill Clinton, including Chuck Schumer, including Nancy Pelosi, and, and the Democrats have engaged it in one of the most incredible political jujitsu that I think has ever happened because they've tried to hang this scandal around Donald Trump's neck and, and, and what he said Sunday night is enough of this already vote to release the files. We're winning, we're winning every day. And, and this is about Democrats. We're not going to pretend it's about anything else.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, there was also another really big story that was connected to this. The media did not want to cover either. It wasn't Republicans that Epstein was texting during apparently hearings on Capitol Hill. Epstein was texting House Democrats during the Michael Cohen hearing and trying to give advice on how to hurt Donald Trump. That is like completely been admitted by the media. They are not wanting to cover the story that Epstein was literally texting, trying to hurt Donald Trump. Texting Democrats in real time. Like you're, if you've ever watched Congressman center during a hearing, they look at their phone, Epstein's texting what you should be saying or doing. That's insane.

[Ted Cruz]

House Democrats, while they're cross examining witnesses trying to attack Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein was like, okay, ask this now ask this. And the Democrat congresswoman was doing that. And this is, that broke this week. And, and of course the corporate media doesn't want to cover it because their narrative is Epstein equals Donald Trump. At the end of the day, Epstein was a major Democrat donor. And, and I gotta say the most important sentence in, in what Trump tweeted is, is, is is the following. Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive. And if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our landslide election victory. So understand all the Epstein files were in the possession of the Biden Department of Justice. Yep. They were in the possession of the Biden FBI. Now I know that the corporate media, their hearts are going pitter path. They want some incredibly damning evidence of Donald Trump committing a crime. They want video of Donald Trump committing a crime. They've been dreaming about that forever and ever and ever. And I just want to ask you, I want to ask you what Trump said. If there were evidence of that and the Biden Justice Department, the most politicized, politically weaponized Department of Justice in the history of this country, had it, what are the chances that they would not have released it before election day last year?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, zero percent chance. I mean, of course they would have used it. They would have leaked it. They're masters at leaking. If there was anything they could come up with to hurt Trump, they will use it. Hell, they'll even make up stuff like the Steele dossier to try to hurt Trump. I mean, there's nothing they won't do to try to bring him down, including trying to connect the Epstein files now to Donald Trump. Which there again, this goes back their obsession. They don't care about the victims. They only care about hurting Donald Trump. Orange man bad.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And look, I assume somewhere in the vast Files. There is something that is embarrassing to some Republicans somewhere. I assume that.

[Ben Ferguson]

Sure.

[Ted Cruz]

Because there was clearly some hesitancy to release this information. They haven't done so. But everything we know about it is the overwhelming weight of the evidence is a bunch of corrupt Democrats who were on Jeffrey Epstein's plane on the Lolita Express, who went to his island, and who presumably participated in sexually assaulting underage girls. And I've said for a long time, release that all, make it public. If anyone has sexually assaulted an underage girl, prosecute them. And so I think Donald Trump and the Trump White House said, all right, fine. If some Republican is embarrassed by some glancing reference, and I have no idea what it is, I haven't seen these files, so be it. But the bulk of the evidence, from everything we know, is going to be evidence that is a real, real problem for, I suspect, a significant number of Democrats. I'm glad the President did this. I'm hopeful the House can vote, we can put this behind it, and then we can have some real accountability to people who committed criminal acts and hurt underage girls.

[Ben Ferguson]

When all this comes out, and if it does go the way that we believe it is, we're just going to. It's all going to be there. What is the obligation then? And what can people expect will happen afterwards from a congressional oversight perspective?

[Ted Cruz]

I don't know. I think you will see Congress engage in some oversight. You know, I've talked on this podcast before about how Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, told me there were significant videos that they were in the process of reviewing to make sure they're protecting the victims. Obviously, that's important. You want to protect the victims. There are also, as I understand it, limitations in terms of what can be released publicly based on orders from federal judges. My understanding, again, is those judges are all judges appointed by Democrat presidents. And so DOJ feels some constraints because of those judicial orders in terms of what they can release. I'd like it all to be public, make it all public, have there be accountability across the board. And I think the president's tweet Sunday night is a big step in that direction.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want to play what Donald Trump had to say before he got on the plane to return back to Washington, before this tweet was put out, and he got in the face of a reporter who asked him a question, trying to again make this into some sort of Epstein Trump connection. Take a listen to what he said.

[Ted Cruz]

Fake news like you, you're a terrible reporter.

[Senator Ro Khanna]

And fake news like you, they just.

[Ted Cruz]

Keep bringing that up to deflect from the tremendous success of the Trump administration. So a guy like Massie, his poll numbers are showing he's at 6% approval rating right now.

[Senator Ro Khanna]

And we call him Rand Paul Jr. Because he never, he never votes for the Republican Party.

[Ted Cruz]

So they're Jeffrey Epstein as a deflection from the tremendous success that we're having as a party.

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, I do think there's politics here. President Trump's figured that out, and he's like, they just bring this crap up whenever they want to start hitting me on something because they don't want to talk about something else. And that's why I think he's so irritated. And it's also, I think, the reason why on the plane decided, all right, forget it. I'm all in on this one. Let's go.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and listen, the substantive point about his tweet is exactly right, that we have seen major, historic victories the past year. You look at illegal immigration, we went from the worst, worst invasion of this country in history, 12 million illegals, by far the highest rate ever, to illegal border crossings, dropping more than 99%. When's the last time the corporate media covered that? They don't cover that. The fact that this crisis that was endangering Americans across this country, President Trump has solved that. You look at the one big, beautiful bill you and I have talked about before. There are more conservative victories in that one big, beautiful bill than any legislation that has ever passed into law, including more than $4 trillion in tax cuts, including no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no taxes on Social Security, including the provision I authored, the largest federal school choice provision in history that is going to help millions of kids across America get access to an excellent education, including the Trump accounts that is going to make every child in America an owner of the biggest companies in America. These are landmark victories. And I think the president is frustrated that not enough Republicans are talking about that. The media is not talking about that. And I think this is his efforts to say, look, let's focus on our real successes. The president, as a result of his leadership, we're seeing trillions of dollars of new investments in the US economy, opening new factories. I'm talking to CEOs every week who are talking about making massive new investments in America, creating jobs. Then I think the president quite rightly says that's what we should be talking about, how we're making a difference in the lives of Americans, not the Democrats political game, trying to blame this Democrat donor who was a pedophile, trying to blame him on Republicans. I think that's exactly right.

[Ben Ferguson]

I want you to just pause what you're doing for the next 60 seconds and I want you to imagine Lucy, a 7 year old. Her stomach often aches with hunger. Her small hands, instead of holding crayons, know only the struggle of survival on dusty streets. School is a distant dream, medical care a forgotten hope. Lucy's potential is overshadowed. Her future is dim. But what if someone stepped in? What if there was a way to ignite hope for children just like Lucy? Well, there is. And that is with Compassion International Partners and the local churches that provide children holistic support. More than just food, they receive critical medical care, life changing education, vital skills training and spiritual development all in Jesus's name. And you can empower a child just like Lucy to break free from poverty. I want you to do what I've done and sponsor a child today. You can visit compassion.com that's compassion.com Time.

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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're hearing 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 Wealthbreak podcast on the iHeartRadio app.

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[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, you go back to what the Republicans have done compared to what the Democrats have done. It's a great segue into some data that we now have and it may explain why the Democrats, eight of them, decide to go along with the Republicans after the longest shutdown in American history. It also, in theory, if There is sanity in the Democratic Party could tell you a lot about what may or may not happen come January with another government shutdown. And that is the Democrats. This isn't because I'm saying it. The polling is now saying it. Democrats lost on the issue of the government shutdown. Let's break those numbers down for everybody.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. So CBS News conducted a poll. Here's what CBS News tweeted, quote, by a wide margin, Americans say it was Republicans and President Trump who succeeded in getting more of what they wanted from negotiations to end the shutdown. This survey recontacted Americans first interviewed in our early November poll while the shutdown was in effect. And here's what CBS concluded, ending the shutdown. Who got more of what they wanted? Trump and Republicans. What percent do you think it is, Ben?

[Ben Ferguson]

What is it?

[Ted Cruz]

55%.

[Ben Ferguson]

There you go.

[Ted Cruz]

How about Democrats? You think it's close?

[Ben Ferguson]

I'm going to go probably not.

[Ted Cruz]

6%. 55% say Trump and Republicans got more what they wanted. 6% say Democrats did. 15% say both equally and 24% say neither. So that's what CBS. CBS is hardly this. This right wing source CBS is concluding the American people clearly see this as a loss for Democrats. And I want you to listen to Tim Kaine. So Tim Kaine is, as you know, a Democrat senator from Virginia. Virginia has an awful lot of federal employees who went 43 days without being paid, without getting a paycheck, many of whom were frustrated. And Tim Kaine, by the way, voted for reopening the government. And so I want you to listen to Tim Kaine when he's being asked about AOC attacking Senate Democrats for being willing to open the government at all. Give a listen.

[Podcast Host]

The lesson that they're learning is that Democrats are weak and that next time we just need to hurt working people and working Americans more to get them to hold.

[Commercial Announcer]

And I don't want them to learn that lesson.

[Podcast Host]

Senator, what do you say to that argument that Democrats projected weakness here so twofold?

[Senator Ro Khanna]

I have 320,000 federal employees in Virginia and together with their families, that's probably 700,000 dependents, getting them all back to work with two paychecks that they've missed restored with protections against future firings. You know, some folks like AOC may think that's nothing. Virginians think it's an awful lot. And second, if the goal was to try to get health care front and center, she was not at the table with the Republicans in the Senate. And so maybe she thinks that the Republicans would have caved Would it have been another week of SNAP recipients losing their SNAP benefits? Another month of air traffic or air travelers enduring chaos and even danger? Another two months of federal employees losing their paychecks? I was at the table with the Republican senators, and I knew if we wanted to get to the health care discussion, we had to open up government.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, this is a little bit of a civil war I think you're witnessing on live tv. If you're watching Meet the Press, Tim Kaine is exactly like the most, like, conservative guy in the world in the Democratic Party. He's pretty progressively liberal AOC there. And look, I think this is going to be the fight they're going to have come January. Right. Are the. Are they going to be held hostage again by the AOCs of the party? Or will the sane look at the poll numbers and say, we can't do that again? It didn't work out for us?

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And by the way, the Civil War is playing out. You know, Tim Kaine voted for reopening the government. The other Virginia senator, Mark Warner, did not. Mark Warner voted to keep the government shut down. And by the way, you know which one of them is on the ballot in 2026?

[Ben Ferguson]

Which one is that?

[Ted Cruz]

Mark Warner.

[Ben Ferguson]

There you go.

[Ted Cruz]

So every one of the federal government employees who didn't get paid, Mark Warner voted, Even on day 43, no, we're not gonna pay you. And now. Now, look, the Virginia gubernatorial election, you had Democrat turnout because their hardcore partisans were mad. But the Virginia gubernatorial election was not a terribly high turnout election. Um, it. It's an interesting decision. Usually when you have two senators from the same party from the same state, they vote as a pair because they don't like to have a distinction Mark Warner is not going to enjoy for the next year. Being asked, why didn't you vote with Tim Kaine to reopen the government? That. That is a problem for Mark Warner. And, and ultimately, I. I assume. Look, Mark Warner styles himself. He calls himself a moderate Democrat now. He votes with Chuck Schumer virtually every single time. But Schumer himself has a fundamental problem. I mean, when you said Democrat civil war, that's not hyperbole. And it is the reason we had the Schumer shutdown. The largest, longest government shutdown in American history is because Schumer has a political crisis. His left wing wants to take him out and fire him, end his job. By the way, the second longest government shutdown in history was the first Schumer shutdown under the first Trump term. So Chuck Schumer has spots one and two in the record books. But even though Chuck Schumer threw this temper tantrum, shut the government down, didn't pay, federal government employees inflicted enormous pain on the American people. Even though he did all of that to show his crazies, he hates Trump as much as they did. Even though on day 43 of the shutdown, Chuck Schumer still voted no. Don't reopen the government. You know what? The radicals still want to throw him out of office. It wasn't enough. Take a listen to Tim Kaine being asked about whether Schumer should be fired. Democratic Party.

[Podcast Host]

More than a dozen House members are.

[Commercial Announcer]

Calling for Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

[Podcast Host]

To step down, including my next guest, Congressman Ro Khanna. Senator, given this, given that so many Democrats are calling for Leader Schumer to step aside, can he be an effective leader?

[Senator Ro Khanna]

Yes, Chuck has been an effective leader. Remember when Chuck was majority leader during the Biden administration, He produced a string of legislative wins with a bare majority nearly unparalleled in recent history. Infrastructure, the American Rescue plan, the inflation Reduction act, fixing the Electoral College, first gun safety bill in 25 years, an important veterans legislation. Being the minority leader is tough in the Senate. We have some tools in minority, but not many. We don't control what's on the floor. And you know, if you're dealing with senators and Kristen, you do, it's not exactly like senators just get in line and follow the leader. So I don't tell Ro Khanna or AOC or anybody else who you should pick as your House leader. Because I got a full time job being a senator, I, I don't need to freelance opinions about House leadership. They should focus on their own leadership and let senators do what we need to do to keep this country moving forward.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, Senator, this is just a straight up problem for Democrats now, right? Like they don't know who their leaders are. They don't know who they're standing behind. They don't know who they want to be in charge. And yet they just were able to shut down the government and claim they were successful. And now that's even a backfire.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, this is Democrat on Democrat political warfare. This is a civil war. You know, it reminds me of the old quip that Ronald Reagan used to say, which is the problem with Republicans is the right hand doesn't know what the far right hand is doing. This is an instance where for Democrats, the left hand doesn't know what the far left hand is doing other than they are punching each other they are fighting like crazy. And so it really is striking to see Tim Kaine going on a Sunday show and getting asked. AOC says you guys suck. And Ro Khanna says, Chuck Schumer should be fired. What say you? And he's like, they should butt out and let us be Senate Democrats because we're screwing things up so badly that we're really good at it.

[Rodney Williams]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

And if you think that, by the way, they're the only ones that are discontent right now, you would be wrong. Let's move to Michelle Obama. She has come out and basically said, I will not grace you with my presence as a President of the United States of America. You don't deserve me because there's too many misogynists out there, and I'm not gonna give you my candidacy.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. She was asked whether or not she would run for president. Her response was, as we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain't ready. That's why I'm like, don't even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You're not ready for a woman. You are not. And she says, you know, we've got a lot of growing up to do, and there's still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it. What utter and complete nonsense. By the way, Joe Biden was getting his ass kicked. Now, I understand the Democrats can't tell the difference between a man and a woman. So maybe Michelle Obama is right, thinks that Joe Biden is a woman. But. But Trump was winning when Biden was the nominee. Trump was winning when Michelle Obama was the nominee. Trump was winning. A, because the Biden, Harris Democrat agenda was a train wreck that hurt the American people, and B, because the American people wanted President Trump back in the Oval Office. Here, I want you to give a listen to exactly what Michelle Obama said. Give a listen.

[Podcast Host]

Do you think that that impacts the room that we've made for a woman to be president?

[iHeartRadio Representative]

Well, as we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain't ready. That's why I'm like, don't even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You're not ready for a woman. You are not. So don't waste my time. You know, we got a lot of growing up to do, and there's still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman. And we saw it. What was the question?

[Podcast Host]

I just said, Mm. We don't need to ask it again.

[Ben Ferguson]

You answered It, I mean, you listen to that. And the room goes wild with women. It was clearly a female audience that she's talking with there.

[Ted Cruz]

It was also. It was also effeminate, man. Don't, don't, don't forget.

[Ben Ferguson]

Oh, that's true. I apologize. We can't.

[Ted Cruz]

I mean, this is, this is the Democrat party.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes. We can't assume from the high pitchedness of the screams in the room that it was actually when it could. Women, it could be people that identify as a woman. That's true. Valid point. I apologize.

[Ted Cruz]

When you have a male who's taking estrogen and, and like wearing a tight strap to, like tuck in, they have pretty high squeals.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, you know, they shop. Hey. During the holidays and shove at Target. Get those tucking swimsuits for them.

[Ted Cruz]

Right.

[Ben Ferguson]

And half them used to work at the White House anyway, so there's always that as well. When I heard that. When I heard that, I laughed because I thought it was so funny. One, I don't think there's a bunch of people that are wanting her to run right now for president. Her best shot at it would have been a coronation like we had with, with, with Kamala Harris. That obviously didn't happen. But she's like, you basically don't deserve me. That is the weirdest Jedi mind trick political thing I've ever seen.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, look, it's just arrogance. And, and, and you're right. Had she wanted to do it, they would have handed it to her instead of Kamala Harris. And you and I talked about this a lot on this podcast, by the way. This podcast predicted more than a year before the Democrat party pulled the rug out from under Joe Biden. We predicted on Verdict. Regular listens of Verdict. No, we regularly make predictions. We make predictions that, frankly, are risky, that are out there. And the overwhelming majority of the predictions we make on this podcast have come true. When you and I said a year before Joe Biden was yanked unceremoniously off the ticket, that Biden would be pulled off the ticket, you and I. And by that I mainly mean me. I was mocked mercilessly.

[Ben Ferguson]

Hold on. I agreed with you at the time. Give me a little bit there. Come on.

[Ted Cruz]

No, no, you did agree with me, but they didn't make fun of you. The press went after me and says Cruz is a moon bat numbskull. I think they kind of bake into the cake that you're a moon bat numbskull.

[Ben Ferguson]

I do host the show with you, so there's that.

[Ted Cruz]

Right?

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Ted Cruz]

It's guilt by Association, Sorry about that. But like, literally, the corporate media went crazy. They had episodes mocking me. What a crazy thing for Cruz to say. Biden's not going to be the nominee. Obviously anyone with any sense at all knows he's going to be the nominee. Well, we were right. And if Michelle Obama had wanted it, she would have been the nominee. Last time we predicted that as well. She didn't want it, but I. The dripping arrogance of her, you know, you listen to her comments. The American people have a lot of growing up to do. Yeah, like, like the absolute condescension, you people are too immature to elect my magnificence. Why? Not because my ideas are terrible. Not because the Democrat ideas are horrible and have resulted in open borders, have resulted in people being murdered and women being raped and children being assaulted. Not because we had rampant inflation. Not because Joe Biden, the Democrats caused war all over the earth, turned peace and prosperity into a war in Ukraine and October 7 at a war in Gaza, you know, not because every single thing we touch, touched, turned to absolute garbage. No, no, no, no. That's not the reason Kamala Harris lost resoundingly. The reason, according to the leftist ideology, is you all are bigots and you're racist and you're sexist and that's the only possible reason. And, and I gotta say that contemptuous condescension is one of the worst characteristics of the Democrat party today. But it also does indicate this is not a party that is reassessing. You know, normally when you lose an election and you lose an election badly, at least some people with sense in the party go, huh, Wonder why the voters rejected what we said. Maybe we should change. You know, you think Back to In 1980, Reagan was elected. In 84, Reagan was reelected, won 49 out of 50 states, came within a few thousand votes of winning every single state in the union. Reagan won California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, every state but Minnesota. 1988, George Herbert Walker Bush was elected. And after losing three consecutive presidential races, Democrats said, huh, maybe nominating Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis was a bad idea. Maybe crazy left wing loons do not command a majority in America. And what did they do? They pivoted. They moved dramatically towards the center and they nominated what was then a moderate to conservative Democrat, the governor of Arkansas named Bill Clinton. And Bill Clinton won two consecutive elections because they shifted. You know what? I don't see any Democrats doing that right now. I don't see them looking and saying, why did we get clobbered? Why did did Trump win all seven of the swing states? I don't see Democrats saying that at all and Michelle Obama saying, you people are a bunch of bigots and sexists and you just need to grow up. You know what I'm saying? Whoever the Democrat nominee is in 28, please make Michelle Obama your spokesperson because we really need her lecturing the American people how much the voters suck. Because you know that historically has proved such an effective way to campaign.

[Ben Ferguson]

Amen to that. Don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscribe auto download button so you do not miss an episode. And make sure you share it, please, on social media, wherever you are. That would be greatly appreciated and we will see you back here on Wednesday morning.

[Podcast Host]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast.