Trump ROCKS State of the Union, while Democrats RAGE in Fury

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: "Trump ROCKS State of the Union, while Democrats RAGE in Fury" – Episode Summary

Release Date: March 5, 2025
Host: Senator Ted Cruz and Co-Host Ben Ferguson
Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz | Premiere Networks

---

1. Introduction to the Joint Podcast Episode

In this special episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," Senator Ted Cruz teams up with co-host Ben Ferguson to provide an in-depth analysis of President Donald Trump's recent State of the Union address. The duo delves into the highlights of Trump's speech, the unprecedented reaction from Democratic lawmakers, and the broader implications for American politics.

---

2. Presidential State of the Union Address: An Overview

Senator Cruz opens the discussion by lauding President Trump's State of the Union as "spectacular" and "the best speech President Trump has ever given" (02:22). He emphasizes the positive and forward-looking nature of the address, highlighting the fulfillment of campaign promises and early victories in Trump's presidency.

Notable Quote:
"I think it was a spectacular State of the Union address from President Trump. It's the fifth one he's given. I think it was triumphant. I think it was positive. I think it was forward-looking." – Ted Cruz (02:22)

---

3. Democrats' Unprecedented Reaction: A Breakdown

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the Democrats' reaction—or lack thereof—to the President's speech. Cruz expresses astonishment and disappointment over the complete absence of applause from Democratic lawmakers when President Trump was introduced. He recalls past instances with Democratic presidents like Joe Biden and Barack Obama, where applause was customary despite policy disagreements.

Notable Quote:
"Not a single Democrat stood. Not a single Democrat applauded." – Ted Cruz (05:40)

Cruz criticizes the Democrats for what he describes as "utterly disgraceful behavior," labeling their actions as "shocking," "disrespectful," "defiant," and "delusional." He contrasts this with the respectful applause historically shown to Presidents, regardless of party affiliation.

---

4. Key Highlights and Emotional Moments from the Speech

The hosts discuss several poignant moments from the address, particularly those honoring American heroes and victims:

• Honorary Secret Service Agent: President Trump admitted a young Texan into West Point, marking an emotional highlight. Cruz notes the powerful reaction when the President made this gesture.

  Notable Quote:
  "Trump made him an honorary Secret Service agent, that was really cool." – Ted Cruz (10:13)

• Capture of a Terrorist: Trump announced the apprehension of a top terrorist responsible for killing American servicemen in Afghanistan. Despite the gravity of the announcement, Cruz points out the lack of support from Democrats.

  Notable Quote:
  "They stood and clapped for giving hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine." – Ted Cruz (11:36)

• Personal Stories: The presentation of stories like that of Peyton McNabb, a young cop aspirant who survived brain cancer, moved the audience deeply. Cruz emphasizes that Democrats did not stand to honor such individuals.

  Notable Quote:
  "You could see it from the floor because they zoomed in. But when they said, 'we're going to make you an agent,' his eyes got so big he clearly didn't know it was gonna happen." – Ted Cruz (09:44)

---

5. Criticism of Democrats' Policy Support

The conversation shifts to specific policies mentioned in the State of the Union and the Democrats' refusal to stand for them:

• Tax Cuts and Border Security: Democrats did not applaud for significant Republican policies like tax reductions and enhanced border security, despite previously professing support during campaigns.

  Notable Quote:
  "They didn't stand for cutting taxes, they didn't stand for no taxes on tips. They didn't stand for automakers building new manufacturing plants in America." – Ted Cruz (08:05)

• Support for Troops and Manufacturing Jobs: Historically, bipartisan applause for supporting troops and job creation is standard, yet Democrats abstained from doing so in this instance.

  Notable Quote:
  "How do you not cheer for supporting the troops? That's a universal moment of our country." – Ted Cruz (09:44)

---

6. The Al Green Incident: Disorder in the Chamber

A standout moment in the episode is the discussion of Congressman Al Green's disruption during the speech. Green vociferously opposed Trump's assertion of having a clear electoral mandate, leading to his removal from the chamber.

Notable Quote:
"He kept on screaming and interrupting the President. The Speaker had to remove him." – Ted Cruz (26:44)

Cruz suggests that such behavior reflects the Democrats' growing intolerance and hostility towards the President and conservative policies.

---

7. Legislative Efforts and Bipartisan Success

Shifting focus, Cruz highlights his legislative achievements, notably the "Take It Down Act," which addresses non-consensual intimate image distribution. He underscores the bipartisan support it received, including unanimous Senate approval and endorsement from First Lady Melania Trump.

Notable Quote:
"We passed 101 different pieces of legislation into law. A number of them were unanimous." – Ted Cruz (33:17)

This success serves as a counterpoint to the Democrats' overall negative behavior, showcasing that cooperation across the aisle is still possible when focusing on impactful legislation.

---

8. Predictions and Political Impact

Concluding the episode, Cruz and Ferguson forecast strong political momentum for President Trump. They anticipate lasting approval ratings and increased political capital stemming from the positive reception of the State of the Union and the tangible policy successes highlighted in the speech.

Notable Quote:
"I think this could catapult him to even greater near term success. That's a lot of political capital that he obviously you want your prediction." – Ben Ferguson (36:36)

Cruz agrees, emphasizing that the American people's approval of clear victories in areas like border security, energy production, and job creation will reinforce support for the President and the Republican Party.

---

9. Closing Thoughts

"Verdict with Ted Cruz" wraps up with a reiteration of the positive outcomes of the State of the Union address and a somber reflection on the Democrats' conduct. The hosts express optimism for the future of American policy and governance under President Trump's leadership while critiquing the Democratic Party's current trajectory.

---

Timestamp Reference

For ease of navigation, key quotes and discussions are referenced with their corresponding timestamps from the transcript:

• 02:22
• 05:40
• 08:05
• 09:44
• 10:13
• 11:36
• 26:44
• 33:17
• 36:36

(Note: In an actual document, timestamps would link to specific sections or timestamps in the audio/video content.)

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the "Verdict with Ted Cruz" episode, providing listeners with an informative overview of the podcast's analysis of President Trump's State of the Union address and the Democratic Party's reaction.

Transcript

[Ted Cruz]

How to have fun anytime, anywhere.

[Ben Ferguson]

Step 1 Go to chumbacasino.com chumbacasino.com Got it. Step 2 Collect your welcome bonus.

[Ted Cruz]

Come to papa. Welcome bonus. Step 3 Play hundreds of casino style games for free. That's a lot of games, all for free.

[Ben Ferguson]

Step 4 Unleash your excitement. Chumba Casino has been delivering thrills for over a decade. So claim your free welcome bonus now.

[Ted Cruz]

And live the chumba life.

[Ben Ferguson]

Visit chumbacasino.com no purchase necessary vgw group.

[Ted Cruz]

Void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply.

[Ben Ferguson]

Ever wondered what it feels like to be a gladiator facing a roaring crowd and potential death in the Colosseum? Find out on the Ancients podcast from History hit twice a week. Join me, Tristan Hughes as I hear exciting new research about people living thousands of years ago, from the Babylonians to the Celts to the Romans. And visit the ancient sites which reveal who and just how amazing our distant ancestors were. That's the Ancients from History hit. Masculinity is back and Maximus is helping Americans like you increase their testosterone to the top percentile. Maximus Tribe.com's testosterone solutions are clinically proven to at least double your testosterone so you can regain your energy, increase lean muscle mass and elevate your mood. Experience the hype today. Visit maximus tribe.com that's maximus tribe.com results may vary and outcomes aren't guaranteed.

[Ted Cruz]

Claims may not have been reviewed by fda and Maximus does not claim to treat, treat or prevent disease. That's maximus tribe.com I love it when.

[Ben Ferguson]

We get to have a joint address to Congress, the State of the Union, and Senator Cruz and I get to do a combined podcast. Welcome. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. And for my audience, you're going to hear the same show on the Ben Ferguson Podcast. So welcome to you guys as well. Senator, you just.

[Ted Cruz]

I'm curious, for a joint address, do you call your show Ben? Ben Ferguson with Ted Cruz.

[Ben Ferguson]

That's right. Ben Ferguson with Ted Cruz. That's a. That's a great audible. I'm digging that right there.

[Ted Cruz]

There you go. I'm just trying to help you out.

[Ben Ferguson]

I like that at Ben Ferguson Podcast with Ted Cruz. It's. It's. It. We'll get a sign made, get a logo done. It's. It's. I. I'm sold. I'm sold. You just left the joint session center and it was one hell of a night. If there's anything you can say, Democrats pretty much stood for nothing, like at.

[Ted Cruz]

All well, look, this is where doing the podcast is fun. It is 12:28 in the morning. I just got home to my DC apartment about 5 minutes ago and just left the State of the Union. And the State of the Union, I gotta say, it was, I think, a spectacular State of the Union address from President Trump. It's the fifth one he's given. I think it was triumphant. I think it was positive. I think it was forward looking. I think it emphasized exactly what you and I predicted in Monday's POD that he was gonna emphasize. It emphasized promises made, promises kept, the victories we've seen in the first month and a half of the presidency. But I gotta say, all of that was overshadowed in many ways by the utterly disgraceful behavior of the Democrats. It was something I've never seen before. It was shocking, it was disrespectful, it was defiant, it was delusional. We're gonna break it all down. We're gonna break down the best parts of the speech, the best things President Trump had to say. And we're gonna talk about what it indicates that today's Democrat Party stands for nothing, applauds for nothing, does not cheer on America. It is something never before seen at a State of the Union address. We're gonna break it down and what it means.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it. It was truly an incredible night. And like you said, I think it's probably the best speech the President's ever given. I want to tell you real quick about our friends over at the ifcj. After more than a year of war, terror and pain in Israel, all of Israel is brokenhearted after learning of the tragic deaths of the Beavis children who were held hostage in Gaza. And so many are still hurting throughout the Holy Land where the need for aid is unfortunately continuing to grow. That is where the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has stepped in. And you have stepped in to help support the families of the hostages and other victims of the October 7th terror attacks. And with your help, IFCJ has provided financial and emotional help to hostages and their families and to those healing and rebuilding their broken homes and broken bodies. But the real work is really just beginning. Now. Your gift will help provide critically needed support to families in Israel whose lives continue to be destroyed by terror and uncertainty as Israel remains surrounded by enemies. You can give a gift to bless Israel inner people, and have a real impact today by visiting supportifcj.org that's one word. Support. IFCJ.org now you can also call them 888488, IFCJ. That's 888-488-IFCJ or online at support ifcj.org Center I, I want to start with what stole the show you mentioned a second ago. And, and you, I know, probably had a mentalist in your, in your head, in there in the room. I was making notes on my phone and putting them out on X. Of all the things that Democratic lawmakers couldn't stand up to honor. It's a long list.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. But look, let's start with the very beginning of the night. The very beginning of the night is when the President walks onto the floor of the Senate and he's introduced the President of the United States. And not a single Democrat stood. Not a single Democrat applauded. Now, Ben, listen, I've been to 13 state of the Union addresses. I've gone to every one since I got elected to the Senate. And I actually love going to the State of the Union. There's a pageantry to it. There's something amazing. It's more fun when your guys in office. It's more fun when you get to cheer on your own party. But I go when the Democrats are in office. And I gotta tell you, every single time Joe Biden walked in, every single time Barack Obama walked in, I stood up and I applauded. Not because I agreed with their agendas, their agendas were disgraceful and disastrous, but because I respect the office of President of the United States and I respect the American people. And I have never once seen the opposing party refuse to applaud for the president. Understand what a break with tradition that is. Even in past years, the Democrats applauded at the outset for the President of the United States. Until tonight and the entire night. I guess I'm actually grumpy with the Democrats because they've stolen my favorite game to play at the State of the Union.

[Ben Ferguson]

So I know, by the way, I know this game, and that's why I'm laughing right now, because it was a great game you created years ago.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And we've talked about it in the POD before. So the State of the Union address. Look, if your party's in power, it's, you know, I joke. It's, it's like I actually was. Yeah. I was sitting with Dave McCormick, the new senator from Pennsylvania who's, you know, an army veteran. And I said, all right, Dave, this is gonna be like PT in the Army. Get ready for Jane Fonda aerobics. You're gonna pop up and down and up and down. And imagine the truck the president's wearing Leg warmers. And you're just gonna be doing nothing but every four words, standing up and applauding. And that's what we did. I gotta say, you know, my thighs are killing me from, from, from, from just doing squats all night.

[Ben Ferguson]

But I want to see the stats, by the way, on your aura ring. I want to know how, what's the calorie burn during a state, the longest State of the Union ever with Donald Trump speaking. Now that's real intel I need.

[Ted Cruz]

So I, so I don't know, I could look at it in a second and I don't know if they count as steps because we're not moving. We're just standing and sitting and standing and sitting and standing and sitting. But what I like doing during a State of the Union is watching the opposing party and picking out like a couple of senators or House members and typically the more moderate ones and watching them agonize over what to applaud or what to stand for. And in the past, you know, I'd look at like a Joe Manchin and you know, he would be, you know, America is great. And you'd see a few Democrats applaud for that, even stand. We support the troops. And they'd kind of agonize, okay, I guess I could support the troops. But then they'd go back and forth. Tonight they stood for nothing. So they stood. They did not stand for Jocelyn Nungaree's mother, the 12 year old beautiful girl raped and murdered in Texas by illegal immigrants. They would not stand for Alexis. They did not stand for Lake and Riley's mother and sister. They did not stand for a 13 year old kid surviving brain cancer. Like, how do you not, like, okay, I'm a crazy partisan who hates trump, but okay, 13 year old kid surviving brain cancer wants to be a cop. Literally every single State of the Union address that has been given from the beginning of time, every person on the floor would have stood for the 13 year old kid or survived brain cancer. Zero Democrats stood. I looked at them, they didn't see that.

[Ben Ferguson]

Was, was it emotional in there? Because I was watching it and I got choked up watching it and there was a lot of people that were texting me like, dude, I'm crying right now because when you see a little kid and how big his eyes got, you may not have been able to see it from the floor because they zoomed in. But when they said, we're going to make you an agent, his eyes got so big he clearly didn't know it was gonna happen. His dad didn't know either. And it was just one of those get a lump in your throat, choke up moments.

[Ted Cruz]

So I will say it was emotional, but it was true. When you were in the chamber, we couldn't see the kids facial expressions. It was just too far away that you couldn't see it. So I saw his facial expressions for the first time about a half hour ago when I did Hannity and Sean played the close up so I could see, you know, I mean, I saw the kid and it was beautiful and we were cheering and like when, you know, Trump made him an honorary Secret Service agent, that was really cool. But you're right, the close up of his facial expressions was really powerful. And he's a Texan. DJ Daniel is a Texan. You had Alexis Nungri, who was a Texan, but it was amazing. Look, the Democrats did not stand. They didn't stand for cutting taxes, they didn't stand for no taxes on tips. They didn't stand for automakers building new manufacturing plants in America. They didn't stand for steel workers, they didn't stand for border patrol agents. It was, they didn't stand for a kid going to West Point whose father was a police officer killed in the line of duty. And the President admitted him to West Point in the middle of the speech. Which was a pretty amazing moment too. Like I, it was, but, but I will say this is actually a. There was one thing. The entire night they stood and clapped for. Do you know what it was?

[Ben Ferguson]

What was that?

[Ted Cruz]

They stood and clapped for giving hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine.

[Ben Ferguson]

There you go. I knew there was a moment there and I. But the, the pan, the, the feet I saw, you could hear the room get louder but I wasn't sure if they were standing for it. And so that was the moment.

[Ted Cruz]

So not everyone stood, but a number of them stood. A number of them pulled out Ukrainian flags. None of them had American flags, but a number of them pulled out Ukrainian flags. And I gotta say, look, you could have disagreements about the war on Ukraine, but what the hell does it say about Democrats that they will cheer for Ukraine but not for America? How to have fun anytime, anywhere.

[Ben Ferguson]

Step one, go to chumbacasino.com chumbacasino.com Got it. Step two, collect your welcome bonus.

[Ted Cruz]

Come to papa. Welcome bonus. Step three, play hundreds of casino style games for free. That's a lot of games, all for free.

[Ben Ferguson]

Step four, unleash your excitement. Woo hoo. Chumba Casino has been delivering thrills for over a decade. So claim your free welcome bonus.

[Ted Cruz]

Now and live the chumba life.

[Ben Ferguson]

Visit chumbacasino.com no purchase necessary.

[Ted Cruz]

VGW Group void where prohibited by law 21 plus terms and conditions apply.

[Ben Ferguson]

Mom, I need to lay low for a few days.

[Ted Cruz]

Lay low. What's going on?

[Ben Ferguson]

I only paid for this Hyundai Tucson Christopher Allen lynch deal so right it almost feels wrong. Get the car or SUV you want at the Hyundai Getaway Sales event right now. Get 2.99 APR for 72 months on the Hyundai Santa Fe, Tucson or Elantra. Visit your local Hyundai dealer today. Offers end March 31. Call 562-314-4603 for details. After more than a year of war, terror and pain in Israel, all of Israel is brokenhearted after learning of the tragic deaths of the Bebas children who were hostage in Gaza. And so many are still hurting throughout the Holy Land, where the need for aid continues to grow. The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has supported and continues to support the families of hostages and other victims of the October 7 terror attacks. With your help, IFCJ has provided financial and emotional help to hostages and their families and to those healing and rebuilding their broken homes and broken bodies. But the real work is just beginning. Your gift will help provide critically needed support to families in Israel whose lives continue to be destroyed by terror and uncertainty as Israel remains surrounded by enemies. So give a gift to bless Israel and her people today by visiting supportifcj.org that's one word. Support ifcj.org or call 888-488ifcj. That's 888-488ifcj or supportifcj.org you go back to what you said about those emotional moments. There was also moments in there that were good for the American people.

[Ted Cruz]

Yes.

[Ben Ferguson]

And just policies. I mean, you can't clap for tax cuts. You can't clap for a secure border. Which was something, by the way, they said that they were in favor of. Remember when they were like, well, it's us that we're in favor of it us still workers. They couldn't clap for. They couldn't clap for. I go back to the West Point for a moment. That was another emotional moment where you've got a young man that's getting into West Point who had a tragedy in his family life and they wouldn't stand for that. And then the capture of terrorists, by the way, that one actually made it.

[Ted Cruz]

Responsible for murdering service. 13 servicemen and women in Afghanistan capturing the terrorists. And they're not happy to capture the terrorists.

[Ben Ferguson]

People that kill can we play that clip because it's an important one. Just this is what the President said. It's not hard to clap for this or stand for this. It should be like a universal everyone stand moment of our country.

[C]

Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity. And he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, that. That was, by the way, breaking news to 99.9% of the people I'm assuming, in the room.

[Ted Cruz]

Certainly to me, I didn't know that to you.

[Ben Ferguson]

Okay. So I was wondering if you guys knew that, because it seemed like that people, everybody was kind of caught off guard. Like, that was new to everyone. And yet the President says it. You can hear half the room erupt, the other half like, nope, nope, nope. Terrorists. That kills Americans that we're bringing back to America. Nope, that's under Donald Trump. Can't speaker one.

[Ted Cruz]

And listen, I was looking over at the Democrats and repeatedly turning to the folks around me, just saying, what the hell is wrong with these people? Like, it is. How do you not cheer for that? And I think the answer is they're so filled with hate. This is now the party of hate and rage. And they hate Donald Trump, they hate Elon Musk, and they're just. And they hate the voters that elected Donald Trump. And so there always were points. Listen, in Democrat State of the Union addresses, there have been a number of things that I applauded for. If they say something that I agree with, I happily applaud for. If they, you know, anytime they talk about supporting the troops, by the way, at a State of the Union. So the Supreme Court never, never applauds other than they applaud at the beginning. So the Supreme Court applauds traditionally at the President of the United States when he's introduced. And that's typically the only thing they applaud for. The Joint Chiefs, they usually do the same thing. They'll applaud at the introduction of the President of the United States. But I'll tell you, the Joint Chiefs, they applauded at the kid when he was admitted to West Point. And it was, I noticed the generals applauding, and yet not a Democrat would. And I gotta say, Ben, there was a lot in this speech to applaud for. As I said, I think this is the best speech President Trump has ever given. And so I was happy and enthusiastically applauding. Now, if you did not have two hours to listen to the speech tonight, if you didn't actually watch it. We've tried to help you out on this podcast. So we have a montage where we've selected some of the key moments of the speech. And it's a little over three minutes, so it's not very long. So if you didn't have two hours, here's three minutes that sums up the best moments from President Trump's State of the Union address tonight.

[C]

I return to this chamber tonight to report that America's momentum is back, our spirit is back, our pride is back, our confidence is back. And the American dream is surging, bigger and better than ever before. And we've ended weaponized government, where as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent like me. How did that work out? Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border. And I deployed the U.S. military and Border patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they've done as a result. Illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded ever. To unshackle our economy, I have directed that for every one new regulation, 10 old regulations must be eliminated, just like I did in my very successful first day. And I have stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's back.

[C]

We've ended the tyranny of so called diversity, equity and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and indeed the private sector and our military and our country will be woke no longer. I also signed an executive order to ban men from playing in women's sports. And in the near future, I want to do what has not been done in 24, balance the federal budget. We're going to balance that 1.3 million people from ages 150 to 159. And over 130,000 people, according to the Social Security databases, are age over 160 years old. We have a healthier country than I thought, Bobby. Including to finish 1039 people between the ages of 220 and 229. One person between the age of 240 and 249 and one person is listed at 360 years of age, more than 100 years, more than 100 years older than our country. But we're going to find out where that money's going and it's not going to be pretty.

[Ben Ferguson]

I, I mean, this speech, to go back to what you said at the beginning, number one, it did not feel long. And there's an art when you're Speech writing that you want to be done before people are ready for you to be done.

[Ted Cruz]

Y.

[Ben Ferguson]

This speech did not seem long. I. I want to know what it felt like when you were in, in the chamber, number one, but two, like the President came in and just brought the heat. And I think the American people are going to respond to this.

[Ted Cruz]

So look, I thought it was a terrific speech. As I said, it was optimistic, it was positive. It was focused on results. The results that the President has been producing and Republicans have been producing in just over 40 days. I mean, I mean, it really is incredible. It was also a funny speech. Like that whole litany going through the people on Social Security over 120 and over 200 years and over 300 years old. Every line of it was funny. He had a whole litany. He went through Doge and the wasteful spending. That was just hysterical. And by the way, we're cracking up laughing. All the Republicans, no Democrat laughed like even on the funny lines as he goes through, they support every bit of waste possible. And just across the board now in terms of the length. So this was the longest State of the Union in history. And I'll tell you. So I was sitting with Tommy Tuberville from Alabama, I was sitting with Josh Hawley from Missouri, and I was sitting with Dave McCormick from Pennsylvania.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, how does that work? How do you decide who you sit with? Does it just happen organically or you guys text each other before and you're like, hey, let's hang out.

[Ted Cruz]

No, no, no. You just kind of. We all, all the senators gather on the Senate floor and then we walk from the Senate floor over to the House floor across the Capitol and we walk in together and the House saves the front seats for the Senate. And so they actually give the best seats to the Senate, which is nice of the House to do. And so there are a whole bunch of seats, I presume, 100 seats that are kept in the front. And they have little placards on the seats that say reserved for a Senator. But other than leadership, like John Thune and the elected leadership, they have seats that are reserved specifically for them. But for everyone else it's just senator and you can sit wherever you want. And so just as you walk in, you take the open seat. So it's a little bit happenstance, but as we were preparing, we actually had a friendly wager on how long the speech was going to go. So. So I bet that it was going to go 93 minutes. So an hour and 33 minutes. Josh Hawley who was sitting next to me bet it was going to go an hour and 37 minutes.

[Ben Ferguson]

Ah, okay. Playing a little bit of prices, right?

[Ted Cruz]

Little prices, right. Tommy Tuberville and, and Dave McCormick both bet an hour and 40 minutes. So we were all in the same neighborhood. And actually the one who won was Holly. So, so it was in fact an hour and 38 minutes. So I was five minutes off, but Josh was only one minute off. And if he'd got another minute, McCormick and, and Tuberville would have won. But, but, but it was so it was interesting that, that those were the four of our, our highways.

[Ben Ferguson]

How did you guys pick that number by the way? Did it. Was it. Did you hear. See enough beforehand or excerpts or themes, you know, or just your gut.

[Ted Cruz]

We had not seen a text of it at all. It's just knowing Donald Trump and having been to State of the Union addresses before, look, I mean we knew it was gonna be about an hour and a half, maybe a little bit more. And so that we knew he had a lot to say. It was not gonna be a short speech, but it didn't feel long. You're right. I mean there was storytelling in it. It was funny. It was relating powerful moments. And then as I said, the antics of the Democrats really look, including sadly, Al Green, congressman from your in my hometown Houston, who stood up and just made a complete ass of himself.

[Ben Ferguson]

I was gonna ask you on that one because it played on TV like it was very clearly preplanned. And for people that don't know him, this the guy that he's now called for trying to be impeached the third time he led impeachment the first second, that's like his thing. And so as soon as the president's elected, it's like, oh yeah, yeah, we gotta impeach this guy and we're gonna call for impeachment. It played on TV like it was 100% pre planned by him to do that or maybe even the Democratic Party. I don't know if they were involved with this. Just his own brainchild. What was it like being there though?

[Ted Cruz]

So look, I think everyone was shocked. Shocked and not shocked. We expected the Democrats to misbehave and engage in antics. I didn't expect that they would refuse to applaud for anything. And I've never seen. There've been a couple of instances where House members have called out like, have Joe Wilson famously said, when Obamacare. Said. When Obama said. I think it was on Obamacare, if you want your health in church, you can keep It. And Joe Wilson famously called out, you lie. And that was a big deal. That one congressman called out two words was a big deal that people still talk about a decade later.

[Ben Ferguson]

And by the way, the media totally freaked out the entire night afterwards. Like, I can't believe they do this. He shouldn't be in Congress, should resign. I mean, and then tonight, nothing from the mainstream media on this one.

[Ted Cruz]

And look, he stood up, he interrupted the speech. And by the way, I don't know, could you hear what he was saying?

[Ben Ferguson]

No, we could not. I thought it very interesting. Did it look like Speaker Johnson was ready in cases happened because he looked down to read the words. He was reading about the rules.

[Ted Cruz]

Yes. So what he was saying, it's interesting what he got mad at. He got mad when Trump said, I've got a mandate from the election. And Al Green stood up and he was yelling, saying, you don't have a mandate, you do not have a mandate. And it was. The Democrats are in absolute denial. They're in denial that the election happened. Look, the facts are straightforward. Trump, of the seven swing states, he won all seven. He won the popular vote in this country, something that Republicans haven't done for 20 years. He won a Republican House and a Republican Senate. Any way you look at it, that's a mandate. And yet that's what Al Green was screaming about. And he kept on screaming and interrupting the President. The President finally had to stop. I mean, he was standing right in the middle and just screaming and trying to yell over the President. And the speaker gaveled him down and said, listen, if you don't maintain decorum, the sergeant at arms will remove you. And Al Green kept on yelling. And so the Sergeant at arms removed him. And by the way, the speaker said tonight on Hannity that Al Green is likely going to be censured by the House of Representatives, which I think is unsurprising, because if you, if you disturb an official proceeding like that, that's the natural remedy.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's incredible. Let me tell you about Patriot Mobile. While we may have won this election, the fight to restore a great nation is only beginning. And now is the time for you to take a stand with companies that stand with our conservative values. Stop giving your money to liberal companies and woke companies that are actually fighting against what you believe in. And that is where Patriot Mobile is leading the charge now. They are America's only Christian conservative wireless provider. Patriot Mobile. I use them, I travel. I was in five cities in the last six days and I had unbelievable coverage. Everywhere I went, Patriot Mobile offers a way to vote with your wallet without compromising on quality or convenience. And Patriot Mobile isn't just about providing exceptional cell phone service. They are actually a company that says, hey, we're going to take a part of your bill every month and we're going to defend our rights and our freedoms. So with Patriot Mobile, not only do you get outstanding nationwide coverage because they operate on all three major networks. Now if you've got cell phone service that you love, make the switch. Patriot Mobile you're going to get the exact same coverage you have with a coverage guarantee. Now here's the difference. Every dollar you spend, you are supporting the first and the second Amendment, the sanctity of life. Our veterans are first responders, are wounded warriors. And switching in 2025 has never been easier. You keep your same cell phone number you have right now if you want to keep your same phone you have right now or upgrade to a new one, whatever you want to do. Their 100 US based customer service team is going to help you find the perfect plan that will also many times save you real money. And then you get sent up at the same time for what you believe in. So go to patriotmobile.com verdict patriotmobile.com verdict or 972-patriot to get a free month of service with the promo code verdict. Switch to Patriot Mobile today and defend freedom with every call or text you make. Patriotmobile.com verdict or 972-patriot center I want to go back to one other point that we mentioned earlier, but I think it's important to kind of expand on it. And it was a shocking moment of just either completely out of touch or this Democratic Party, I guess you could just say is in a sense just completely lost. You had not a single Democrat applaud Peyton McNabb who suffered brain damage after a volleyball spiked by a trans person, a man that acting like a woman ended her hopes of a college career. That's how significant the injury was. And it made her retire and also potentially like a scout, changed her life forever. And they couldn't even clap for her.

[Ted Cruz]

No, not a Democrat clapped for, not, not one. And by the way, just this past week, every single Democrat in the Senate voted against protecting girls from boys competing in sports. Every one of them. And you know, in the campaign, look, listen, in my reelection campaign, Colin Allred claims I don't support boys playing in girls sports. Well, every Senate and except the fact that he voted for it over and over and over again, every single Senate Democrat, when they're on reelection campaigns, they tell the voters, I don't support boys and girls sports, and yet every single one of them just voted for it and not a one of them applauded. I mean, it's the simple reality of how extreme their party is. Now I will tell you one thing that was particularly meaningful to me was all the Texans whom President Trump honored tonight, including Alexis Nungaree, the mom of Jocelyn. Now, Alexis was going to be my guest tonight. Every senator gets one guest. And I had invited Alexis, she was coming up as my guest and then the President invited her. So she went and she was sitting with Melania Trump. I was really grateful for the, for her being invited by the President to come there. And then right next to Melania Trump was Elliston Berry. And Elliston Berry is someone also another Texan who was the inspiration for the Take It Down Act. So Ellison berry is a 15 year old girl from North Texas, from Alito, who, when she was 14 and a freshman in high school, a boy, a classmate of hers, took an innocent social media picture of her and used artificial intelligence to create a deep fake naked image of her that appeared to be real, but it was fake, and then sent it to her classmates. And she was the inspiration for my legislation, the Take It down act, which passed the Senate unanimously.

[Ben Ferguson]

And by the way, how many times have you been involved in legislation that was passed unanimously in your career in the Senate?

[Ted Cruz]

A lot of times I've passed 101 different pieces of legislation into law. A number of them were unanimous. The Senate often if you do the work, you can bring people together and pass something. And actually just yesterday, the First Lady, Melania Trump came to the Capitol first time she has as first lady the second term, supporting the Take It Down Act. And we did a roundtable which we're gonna talk about significantly more on Friday's pod, but we did a roundtable where Melania Trump heard from Elliston Berry, heard from other victims of non consensual intimate images, and called on the House to pass the Take It Down Act. And President Trump tonight called on the House to pass the Take It Down Act. So I was really glad. The two people directly next to Melania Trump to her left were two Texans, Elliston Berry and Alexis Nungaree. And that made me very happy.

[Ben Ferguson]

That may have been one of the best parts of the night. Let's talk about what this looks like moving forward. Forward. I think the President's speech is going to play very well with the American people. I think it's going to help with momentum moving forward. I also do think that the American people in the way they were watching this on tv, saw the shocking moments when they wouldn't stand for children that were murdered by illegal immigrants. Their families, police officers died in live duty is on the list. I mean, you look at all of this, bringing an American hostage home from Russia, by the way, they wouldn't stand for that. That was another moment we left out earlier that. Were you shocked by that as well?

[Ted Cruz]

Well, and you and I covered Mark Fogel coming back. We covered that on the podcast when it happened. That was one of the multiple times I turned to the folks around me and I'm like, what the hell is wrong with these people? Like, like, how do you not. This is not partisan. This is not. I get that they don't cheer for, you know, conservative ideas because they're all wacko lefties, but how do you not cheer for things that are just unambiguously good? And it's today's Democrat Party, it's a combination. They become the party of hate and rage and they're in denial. They don't know how to respond to this election other than to fume and glare. And I gotta say, if you're an elected Democrat, how do you think this is a good message to the American people? We hate everyone and everything. That's the Democrats. Like, I don't get that.

[Ben Ferguson]

No, I don't either. So what happens now? This is my prediction. I think the president's approval rating is gonna stay solid. And in certain categories, support on certain issues will actually rise coming out of this state of the Union. I think this is gonna continue the momentum on, on things like Doge and even in some of the issues that we're talking about that are in tough ones, whether it's dealing with Mexico and cartels or tariffs or Canada and Fentanyl, the list goes on and on. I think same thing on Ukraine funding. I think this could catapult him to even greater near term success. That's a lot of political capital that he that obviously you want your prediction.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, I agree with you. I think the American people are going to be happy with this speech. They're gonna be happy with the results. The American people are happy with successes for America. And we're getting on the border. Seeing illegal immigrations and illegal border crossings drop over 90%, that's an unambiguous victory. On energy, seeing energy production going up, seeing regulations being repealed, seeing wasteful spending being eliminated, those are unambiguous victories. In terms of jobs he went through, the investments, the investments on new investments, whether from Oracle or Apple or car companies bringing new factories here. Those are big wins. Those are the sorts of things. Those are the sorts of things, frankly, when Joe Biden talked about if he, you know, he had Democrats in their speeches would talk about a new factory and you know what? The Republicans would all stand and cheer because, hey, a new factory in America is a good thing. And we, even if we don't support many, if not most of Biden and Obama's policies, we cheer for the American people. I think the president's message was really strong, but I also think the contrast with the Democrats made it even stronger. And so I think this was a good night for America, but not a good night for today's Democrat party.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, great point. It's always fun to get to do a joint pod. So wherever you're listening right now, make sure you hit that subscriber auto download button. Whether it's Verdict with Ted Cruz or the Ben Ferguson podcast with Ted Cruz. We got to get a logo made for that one. It's always a pleasure. I love these nights. It's when I love doing the show the most, especially when we get to watching like this and react. So hit that subscribe auto download button as well. And the center and I will see you back here. Center and I will see you on Friday on Verdict and I'll see you on my show tomorrow. So make sure you download that on the in between days and we'll see you back there tomorrow and Friday. Hello, it is Ryan. And we could all use an extra bright spot in our day, couldn't we?

[Ted Cruz]

Just to make up for things like.

[Ben Ferguson]

Sitting in traffic, doing the dishes, counting your steps, you know, all the mundane stuff. That is why I'm such a big fan of Chumba Casino. Chamba Casino has all your favorite social casino style games that you can play for free, anytime, anywhere with daily bonuses. So sign up [e-mail] that's chumbacasino.com no.

[Ted Cruz]

Purchase necessary VGW Group void. We're prohibited by law 21/ terms and conditions apply. Hey, I'm Don Wildman. And on American History hit my expert.

[Ben Ferguson]

Guests and I journey across the nation and through the years to uncover the stories that have made the United States.

[Ted Cruz]

From first flight to first ladies, from stitching the Star Spangled Banner to striking.

[Ben Ferguson]

Gold in California to shooting for the moon with Apollo, we've got you covered.

[Ted Cruz]

Catch new episodes of American History. Hit a podcast by History. Hit every Monday and Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Ferguson]

Masculinity is back, and Maximus is helping Americans like you increase their testosterone to the top percentile. MaximaStribe.com's testosterone solutions are clinically proven to at least double your testosterone so you can regain your energy, increase lean muscle mass, and elevate your mood. Experience the hype today. Visit maximustribe. Com. That's maximustribe. Com.

[Ted Cruz]

Results may vary and outcomes aren't guaranteed. Claims may not have been reviewed by fda and Maximus does not claim to treat or prevent disease. That's maximustribe.com.