Ukraine Drones Russia, Chinese Nationals Caught for alleged Agri-Terror & the Real Threat of Terrorists in America Week In Review

Summary

Verdict with Ted Cruz: Episode Summary

Episode Title: Ukraine Drones Russia, Chinese Nationals Caught for Alleged Agri-Terror & the Real Threat of Terrorists in America Week In Review
Release Date: June 7, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz and Co-Host Ben Ferguson
Produced by: Premiere Networks

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Overview

In this episode of "Verdict with Ted Cruz," Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson delve into three pressing national and international issues: Ukraine's recent drone strike on Russia, the arrest of two Chinese nationals for alleged agricultural terrorism, and the looming threat of terrorism within the United States, highlighted by a terror attack in Colorado. The discussion provides in-depth analysis, strategic implications, and the broader impact of these events on U.S. security and foreign policy.

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1. Ukraine's Spiderweb Operation: Drone Strike on Russia

Summary:
The episode opens with a detailed examination of Ukraine's recent drone strike operation against Russian military assets, termed "Spiderweb." This audacious attack targeted Russian airbases approximately 3,000 miles from Ukraine, resulting in significant damage to Russian strategic bombers.

Key Points:

• Execution of the Operation: Ukrainian covert teams successfully infiltrated Russian airbases by hiding explosive-laden drones within wooden sheds, which were then covertly deployed to strike Russian aircraft. This innovative tactic mirrors scenarios from espionage novels and illustrates Ukraine's growing military ingenuity.

• Impact and Significance: Preliminary estimates suggest over $2 billion in damages, with 41 Russian warplanes destroyed. This marks a strategic victory for Ukraine, showcasing their capability to challenge Russian military superiority effectively.

• Political Context: Ted Cruz attributes the ongoing conflict and Russia's aggressive actions to perceived weaknesses in presidential leadership, particularly criticizing President Joe Biden's policies towards Russia, including the handling of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Cruz ([04:20]):
  "Russia is the aggressor from the beginning. Ukraine is defending itself... This latest strike... it truly is audacious."

• Ted Cruz ([08:00]):
  "President Trump wants this war to end. I believe this war will end. It will end this year."

• Ted Cruz ([10:44]):
  "The bombers are under attack. That is a major attack. It is an extraordinary attack."

Implications:

• Strategic Shift: The successful strike could compel Russia to reassess its military strategy and operations, potentially leading to increased diplomatic efforts or further military engagements.

• U.S. Involvement: Cruz emphasizes the role of U.S. support in sustaining Ukraine's defense, critiquing the administration's financial assistance policies.

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2. Chinese Nationals Charged with Agro-Terrorism

Summary:
Senator Cruz and Ben Ferguson discuss the alarming case of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling the fungus Fusarium graminarium into the United States. This pathogen poses a significant threat to major U.S. crops, including wheat, barley, and rice, potentially leading to agricultural devastation.

Key Points:

• Details of the Case: The individuals, Yun Quinn Jian and Xunyang Liu, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements, and visa fraud. They intended to conduct research on the pathogen at the University of Michigan.

• National Security Threat: The introduction of such a pathogen could lead to massive economic losses and pose severe risks to food security. Cruz underscores the importance of safeguarding against biological threats orchestrated by foreign adversaries.

• China's Espionage Efforts: Cruz highlights ongoing Chinese infiltration in U.S. educational and research institutions, citing previous examples like the Confucius Institutes, which he successfully legislated against to prevent espionage and propaganda.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Cruz ([18:24]):
  "China is the greatest geopolitical threat we have for the next hundred years."

• Ted Cruz ([21:21]):
  "China bears enormous responsibility for what happened with COVID. I think the evidence is overwhelming that Covid escaped from a Chinese government lab."

• Ted Cruz ([26:18]):
  "This has been an area I've been legislating for a long time... We've shut down most of the Confucius Institutes across the country."

Implications:

• Policy Enforcement: The case underscores the need for stringent vetting processes in academic and research institutions to prevent the infiltration of foreign operatives.

• Legislative Action: Cruz emphasizes the importance of continued legislative efforts to counteract Chinese espionage and protect American interests.

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3. The Real Threat of Terrorists in America: Colorado Attack and Open Borders

Summary:
The conversation shifts to domestic security concerns, focusing on a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, carried out by an illegal immigrant on a tourist visa. The incident raises critical questions about the Biden administration's border policies and their impact on national security.

Key Points:

• Incident Details: The attacker, an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa, targeted Jewish protesters in Boulder, resulting in multiple casualties. Investigations revealed premeditated plans and affiliations with radical Islamist groups.

• Border Policy Critique: Cruz and Ferguson critique the Biden administration's open border policies, citing the apprehension and subsequent release of millions of individuals, including those on terrorist watch lists. They argue that such policies have increased the risk of terrorist infiltration.

• Legislative Measures: Cruz discusses ongoing efforts to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in the U.S., a move aimed at curbing extremist influences and enhancing national security.

Notable Quotes:

• Ted Cruz ([32:42]):
  "We have radical zealots who have declared jihad in America, who have demanded of their terrorists murder as many Americans as you can and murder as many Jews and Israelis as you can."

• Ted Cruz ([38:29]):
  "The Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization. It is in countries throughout the Middle East, it is in Egypt, it is in Qatar, it is all across the Middle East."

• Ted Cruz ([40:58]):
  "I pressed the entire first Trump term for the Muslim Brotherhood to be designated. We did not succeed. I think we will succeed this administration."

Implications:

• Policy Reevaluation: The attack highlights the potential consequences of lenient border policies, prompting calls for stricter immigration control to prevent future threats.

• Legislative Progress: Successfully designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization could empower law enforcement agencies to take more decisive actions against extremist groups.

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Concluding Remarks

Throughout the episode, Senator Ted Cruz provides a critical analysis of current U.S. policies, emphasizing the need for stronger leadership and more effective strategies to address both international and domestic security threats. Ben Ferguson complements Cruz’s insights by highlighting the interconnectedness of these issues and the broader implications for American society.

Overall Themes:

• National Security: A consistent focus on safeguarding the United States from both foreign and domestic threats.

• Policy Accountability: Critique of existing policies and calls for legislative actions to enhance security measures.

• Global Geopolitics: Understanding the impact of international relations, particularly concerning China and Russia, on U.S. security dynamics.

This episode serves as a comprehensive analysis of significant events shaping national and international landscapes, offering listeners a deeper understanding of the challenges and proposed solutions from a conservative perspective.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Ben Ferguson]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Hey, Ben Ferguson here. And if you want your kids to grow up valuing freedom, Angel Studios Tuttle Twins is here. This animated series streaming on the angel streaming app teaches kids about liberty and family. And it's even inspiring Argentina's president to educate a new generation in his country. So sign up as a premium Angel Guild member right now and at angel.com/verdict to stream Tuttle Twins instantly and get two free tickets to every Angel Theater release. Join over 1 million people shaping entertainment with values you trust. Stream Tuttle twins Now that's angel.com/verdict.

[Rodney Williams]

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

[Ryan Seacrest]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

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

[Lisa Booth]

What happens when it doesn't go right?

[Ted Cruz]

How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

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.

[Unknown]

The medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Ben Ferguson]

This Medal is for the man who went down that day.

[Unknown]

On Medal of Honor Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome. It is Verdict with center Ted Cruz. Week in Review. Ben Ferguson with you. And here are the major stories that we talked about this that you may have missed. First up, Ukraine drone strike on Russia, how it was done. It was truly incredible. And what does it mean moving forward? Also, two Chinese nationals with biopathogens snuck them into the US and we're going to do research at the University of Michigan. How many more could there be in this country just like them? And what does this mean for China and America? That explained as well. And finally, the real threat of other terrorists being here in the U. S after the Colorado attack. So how big of a threat was Biden's open borders? And how many terrorists could be lying in wait? It's the Weekend Review and it starts right now. I want to move to the other big story, and that is Ukraine claims a massive drone strike on Russia. And all across, literally the country, from one side, the other, they were hitting sites of Russian bombers and what was called a spider web operation. I want to make sure, though, that people understand this was a response to an attack that took place at the hands of Russia and Putin, that Donald Trump referred him as a crazy man afterwards. So let's give the background before we explain what happened.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, the war has been ongoing for more than two years now. There's been massive casualties on both sides. Russia is the aggressor. Russia. Russia is the wrongdoer. Putin invaded Ukraine or another sovereign nation. Putin did so because Joe Biden was so incredibly weak, because he was an ineffective commander in chief. Putin did so because Joe Biden waived the sanctions on Nord Stream 2, the pipeline that was designed to move natural gas directly from Russia to Germany. I authored those sanctions. I passed them into law. And President Trump signed my sanctions legislation into law. Putin shut down Nord Stream 2 literally the day Trump signed my sanctions legislation into law. Biden waived those sanctions and Putin completed the pipeline and almost immediately invaded Ukraine. So the war has been ongoing and it is the cause. The cause of it is Biden's weakness. Well, what happened today, Ukraine? You know, I'll tell you. At the start of the war, I remember sitting in a classified briefing, and it was a classified briefing with all 100 senators. And we had in that briefing with the Secretary of State. We had the Secretary of Defense, we had the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, we had the head of the CIA, the Director of National Intelligence. We had multiple players throughout the national security apparatus. This is all during the Biden administration. Every single one of them briefed all of the senators. They said, this war will be over within a week. Russia will sweep in, they'll conquer the whole country. Ukraine will fall, and within a week, Kyiv will be a Russian city. Now, that intel, that national security assessment, Ben, it wasn't slightly wrong. It wasn't a teeny bit wrong. It was totally, catastrophically, 180 degrees false. We're sitting here, more than two years later, the war is ongoing. And the Ukrainians keep shocking both the Russians and the American analysts who insist that they must lose. They must lose. This latest strike, it truly is audacious. So. So the Ukrainians hit more than 40 Russian bombers inside Russian territory. And. And it was a total of 41 strategic Russian aircraft. The name of the operation was Spiderweb. And. And you can see online there's a video showing a drone attack at the Belaya Air base in Russia's Irkuts region, which is In Siberia, nearly 3,000 miles away from Ukraine. So understand, this happened not by Ukraine, but 3,000 miles away. And the bombers, they're under attack. Their explosions, smoke is rising from the scene. And one source said, quote, preliminary estimates indicate that enemy aviation has suffered over $2 billion in damage. Enemy strategic bombers are burning en masse in Russia. That is a major attack. It is an extraordinary attack. Now, that follows the night before Russia launched 472 drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Earlier on Sunday, Ukraine's army said a Russian missile strike killed at least 12 Ukrainian service members and injured 60. So Russia has been very much the aggressor. But this attack taking out major aircraft resources from Russia is a big victory for Ukraine.

[Ben Ferguson]

It is a big, big victory. There are obviously worried individuals, especially in that part of the world, that Russia will then now retaliate in some massive way and then therefore blaming Ukraine, saying, you should not have done this attack. That took them a long time to plan strategically. I want to get your response to that, because there does seem to be quite often that when Ukraine does something, the narrative becomes, well, they're the ones that are bringing us to the brink of World War Three, because now Russia is going to respond, and it's actually their fault that they went over the top on this one.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, Russia has been the aggressor from the beginning. Ukraine is defending itself. I want to break down how they carry this out because it's actually, this is the stuff of spy novels. You know, we talked about when Israel struck back against Hezbollah with first the pagers and then with the walkie talkies. That was an extraordinary story. This has similar aspects. It's like something out of Mission Impossible of the Bourne Identity. And let me read from. It's a story in Reuters the specific facts. Here's what Reuters reported. To attack Russian air bases, Ukrainian spies hid drones in wooden sheds. Ukrainian secret services were able to attack strategic bomber aircraft at Russian air bases on Sunday by hiding explosive laden drones inside the roofs of wooden sheds. According to a Ukrainian security official. Ukraine's domestic security agency, the sbu, acknowledged that it carried out the operation codenamed Spider's Web, and said it had caused considerable damage. The sheds were loaded onto trucks that were driven to the perimeter of the air bases. The roof panels of the sheds were lifted off by a remotely activated mechanism, allowing the drones to fly out and begin their attack, the official said. The security official has spoken. Conditions of anonymity said the strikes conducted on Sunday were on four air bases and that 41 Russian warplanes were hit. An SBU statement posted on the Telegram messaging app estimated the damages caused by the assault at $7 billion. And here's a quote. 34% of strategic cruise missile carriers at the main airfields of the Russian Federation were hit. Wow, that is remarkable. And it is the fact that they could carry it out in wooden sheds that they could smuggle right next to the Russian airfields. That's a significant tactical and strategic victory.

[Ben Ferguson]

So when you look at this, what is the best case scenario for this attack? Does it make Russia realize, A, they're vulnerable and B, maybe we need to go back to the table because as you heard President Trump say, he said Putin was, was crazy last week, a crazy man and refusing to actually stop this war. Instead, he went on this big attack in Ukraine. Ukraine responds.

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I think President Trump is deeply frustrated with Vladimir Putin right now. President Trump wants this war to end. I believe this war will end. It will end this year. And one of the reasons it's going to end is I think the United States Congress is done sending money to Ukraine that at this point we have sent over $100 billion. Enough is enough. This war needs to end. So the blank checkbook that Joe Biden, the Democrats gave, that blank checkbook is done. Now what I believe is it needs to end in a negotiated settlement and it should end in a way, that is a clear and objectively discernible loss for Russia. Putin is our enemy. Russia is our enemy. And we want. We want our enemies to be weaker and not stronger. How this ends exactly, it's going to depend on Zelinsky and Putin. Zelensky right now doesn't want to negotiate a peace. He's looking to fight and defend his country. I understand that. He just doesn't have an entitlement for us to pay for it. Putin, Putin, right now. Trump believed that if he leaned in, Putin would agree to come to the table and seek terms of peace, at least so far he hasn't. It is possible this devastating strike on Russia will change Russia's calculus. That being said, look, one of the dangerous things about fighting a dictatorship is that Putin can, can inflict enormous pain and misery on the Russian citizenry and still stay in power. So I don't know how this resolves. I believe it will resolve at the end of the day. But. But right now, Putin and Zelensky both seem like they want to keep fighting.

[Ben Ferguson]

Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, you can go back and listen to the full podcast from earlier this week.

You know what's great about your investment account with the big guys? It's actually a time machine. Log in and zoom. Welcome back to 1999. It's time for an upgrade. At public.com you can invest in almost everything. Stocks, bonds, options and more. You can even put your cash to work at an industry leading 4.1% APY. Leave your clunky, outdated platform behind. @Public.com Go to Public.com and fund your account in five minutes or less. Pay for by Public Investing, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Full [e-mail] disclosures.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know, in the book of Genesis, God makes a promise to your offspring. I promise this land. Now, that promise is the foundation of Israel. A land the Jewish people have returned to after centuries of exile and bondage and even the horrors of the Holocaust. But that promise is still under threat, especially after October 7th. Now, Israel's safety today depends on the very brave men and women of the idf, the Israeli Defense Forces. Every citizen is required to serve. Now, your gift of $45 will help provide aid to soldiers and their families by helping to provide food and other bare necessities for these families and emergency supplies for soldiers. Now, you can help secure their future. Honor those who are defending the holy land. Call now 888-488 IFCJ. That's 888488 IFCJ or just go to their website, it's ifcj.org and you can give Today they are in desperate need of help.

[Unknown]

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[Ben Ferguson]

Hey, Ben Ferguson here and are you ready to inspire your kids with stories that teach freedom and family values? Well, Angel Studios delivers. You can discover the Tuttle Twins, the animated series that's empowering kids with lessons on liberty, responsibility and free markets. It's such a game changer that Argentina's president is sharing it to spark a freedom movement among young people in his country. Join the Angel Guild as a premier member and dive into Tunnel Twins on the angel streaming app. Along with exclusive hits like Homestead and the Shift, you'll also score two free tickets to every angel studio movie that is in theaters. With over 1 million members, the Angel Guild is transforming entertainment by giving you a voice in which stories get told and protecting your kids from Hollywood. So don't wait. Visit angel.com verdict to join the guild and stream Tuttle twins. Now that's angel.com verdict. Angel Studios where families find stories that inspire. Now on to story number two. Senator, let's move to this really, I would say very shocking and scary news that not one, but two Chinese nationals have been charged by US Federal authorities for allegedly smuggling a dangerous agricultural pathogen into the United States of America. It is basically, in layman's terms, a fungus that poses a significant threat to crops such as wheat, barley and rice. It could cause massive disease and, in essence, famine on our agriculture in this country. And this was brought in this country. And it just screams of another example of why you don't trust China and why we have to watch them and protect ourselves. It reminds, I think a lot of people of COVID 19, but this could literally wreak havoc on our entire national security from a basic we need food to live strategy if it was weaponized against us.

[Ted Cruz]

Well, this is a story unfortunately you're not going to watch on the corporate media. Abc, NBC, cbs, they're not going to cover it. But China is our enemy.

[Unknown]

And China is, I think, the greatest.

[Ted Cruz]

Geopolitical threat we have for the next hundred years. We saw with COVID the incredible threats of a pathogen, of a virus that can do enormous damage, can destroy trillions of dollars, can take massive toll in human life. Well, this story, and I just want to read to you a tweet from the director of the FBI, Kash Patel. Here's what the FBI director said. Quote, new I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country. The individual, Yun Quinn Gian, is alleged to have smuggled a dangerous fungus called Fusarium graminarium, which is an agroterrorism agent, into the US to research at the University of Michigan, where she works. This fungus can cause a disease called head blight, a disease of wheat, barley, maize and rice, causing significant health issues in both humans and livestock. It is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Evidence also indicates Jian had expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and had received funding from the Chinese government for similar work on this pathogen in China. Jian's boyfriend, Xunyang Liu, also charged in the complaint, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen. Liu is alleged to have first lied that admitted to also smuggling Fusarium Grand Grandinarium into America through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport so that he too could conduct research at the University of Michigan. Both individuals have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud. This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences, putting American lives and our economy at serious risk. Your FBI will continue working tirelessly to be on guard against it.

[Ben Ferguson]

You go through this and let's unpack it and just go back a little bit to paint, I think, the broader picture. We've seen China financially infiltrate. Our colleges are our best colleges. We have seen them by influence. We saw this hell with the Biden Institute, for goodness sakes. We have witnessed the number of Chinese students that we allow to come into this country, be trained here, have access to R D here. And then we've witnessed what our government did under Fauci with the amount of money we were sending to China that was doing a lot of this type of research and other things. And we shouldn't be surprised that this is happening now. But this again goes back to the vulnerability. If China is sending you money and sending billions of dollars to American universities and then we see this type of research and the access at these research institutes like the University of Michigan, et cetera, why isn't there a massive red flag on every dollar now coming in from China after seeing yet again the Chinese are our enemy and they cannot be trusted.

[Unknown]

There's no doubt there should be.

[Ted Cruz]

And listen, when I was first elected to the Senate 13 years ago, I was saying then that China is the greatest threat we have for the next hundred years. I got to tell you, Ben, at the time, that was a very lonely view in the United States Senate. Every Democrat disagreed with me and most of the Republicans did too. They all looked to China and they saw nothing but dollar signs as far as the eye could see. Now, Covid changed that for a lot of people. They realized the mendacity, the duplicity, the damage China causes. China engages in widespread murder of its citizens, torture of its citizens. It has over a million Uyghurs in concentration camps, modern day human slavery, organ harvesting. But they also engage in massive propaganda, massive espionage against the United States, massive theft of intellectual property. They are engaged in A global battle for world domination. Their objective, which they've told us, they're very explicit. Their objective is to be the dominant world power and to displace America. And we need to combat them on the global stage. China is engaged in Africa, in Latin America, and the Middle east in Asia. Every part of the world, China is trying to become the dominant world power. They are waging a thousand year war. And when it comes to the danger of pathogens, look, you look at Covid. Covid. It was clear within the first couple of months of this pandemic that the evidence strongly suggested that the virus escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. We now know that the corporate media suppressed that story, that Facebook suppressed that story at the explicit request of Dr. Fauci. I will tell you this podcast verdict with Ted Cruz. In March and in April of 2020, when, when, when Covid was first starting, we laid out the evidence that this came from China, from the Wuhan Institute of Virology before you could get it practically anywhere else. China bears enormous responsibility for what happened with COVID I think the evidence is overwhelming that Covid escaped from a Chinese government lab. I think the evidence is significant that Covid was actually invented in a Chinese government lab, that they took natural viruses and they altered them using gain of function research. That that's not as compelling as the fact that it escaped from a government lab, but I think there's a lot of evidence of that. By the way, there are multiple federal agencies that have now explicitly concluded that Covid likely escaped from a Chinese government lab. When Covid escaped, the Chinese government covered it up. They suppressed the evidence, they destroyed the samples. They did everything they could to prevent others from understanding the source of this virus and also to frustrate efforts to stop the spread of this pandemic. Now, put that in the context of this story. A dangerous agroterrorism fungus that could do massive damage to crops, to livestock, to human beings in the United States being smuggled in by not one, but two Chinese nationals being paid by the Chinese Communist Party. Look, it is not difficult to imagine a pathogen like that being released in the United States and doing enormous damage. And that's the sort of threat our government we need to be vigilant against when it comes to communist China.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, and it goes back to again, some of this evidence that apparently they've been discussing the plan to smuggle these biological materials since at least 2022. The electronic devices contain documents expressing loyalty, Chinese Communist Party, the ccp, and detailing research funded by the Chinese government. So the story just keeps repeating itself. It is over and over again when we see these things happen. It's directly tied to the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese Communist government, and we should not be surprised this is happening. Will there be any reaction or anything that Congress can do on this very quickly?

[Ted Cruz]

Well, listen, this has been an area I've been legislating for a long time. So for example, one of the very first bills I passed into law dealt with Confucius Institutes. Confucius Institutes were formed on US Universities all across the country, hundreds of them, and they were funded by the Chinese Communist Party. They conducted espionage and propaganda. I introduced legislation to cut off federal funding to universities that have Confucius Institutes, passed it into law and as a result, we've shut down most of the Confucius Institutes across the country. So we can fight this, but we need to be vigilant and we need.

[Ben Ferguson]

To fight as before. If you want to hear the rest of this conversation on this topic, you can go back and download the podcast from earlier this week to hear that. The entire thing.

You know what's great about your investment account with the big guys, it's actually a time machine. Log in and zoom. Welcome back to 1999. It's time for an upgrade. At public.com you can invest in almost everything. Stocks, bonds, options and more. You could even put your cash to work at an industry leading 4.1% APY. Leave your clunky outdated platform behind. @Public.com Go to Public.com and fund your account in five minutes or less. Pay for by Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Full [e-mail] disclosures.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know in the book of Genesis, God makes a promise to your offspring. I promise this land. Now that promise is the foundation of Israel. A land the Jewish people have returned to after centuries of exile and bondage and even the horrors of the Holocaust. But that promise is still under threat. Especially after October 7th. Now, Israel's safety today depends on the very brave men and women of the idf, the Israeli Defense Forces. Every citizen is required to serve. Your gift of $45 will help provide aid to soldiers and their families. By helping to provide food and other bare necessities for these families and emergency supplies for soldiers, you can help secure their future. Honor those who are defending the holy land. Call now 888-488 IFCJ. That's 888488 IFCJ. Just go to their website, it's IFC and you can give Today they are in desperate need of help.

[Unknown]

Looking for a smarter way to teach your child to ride a bike and support American jobs at the same time? Most kids bikes are cheap imports, heavy, clunky and hard for kids to control. Guardian Bikes is changing that. Assembling bikes right here in the USA with plans for full US manufacturing in the next few months. It's a commitment to higher quality and American craftsmanship you can trust. Each bike is lightweight, low to the ground and built to help kids learn to ride faster, many in just one day. No training wheels needed. Guardian's patented sure Stop braking system. One lever stops both wheels, giving your child more control, faster stops and prevents those scary head over handlebar accidents. It's so easy even a 2 year old can do it. If you're ready to support American jobs and keep your kids Safe, head to guardianbikes.com today. You'll save hundreds compared to the competition. Join their newsletter. You'll get a free bike lock and pump, a $50 value. Guardian bikes built the USA made specifically for kids.

[Lisa Booth]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Unknown]

I want to also get to this other big issue and that is out in Colorado and the terror attack there. We've got a significant update on this individual and, and also real concerns and, and honesty now coming from the administration about the real threat of other terrorists that may be in this country that were led into this country by the Biden and Harris administration.

Well, it turns out that four years of open borders, allowing over 12 million people to come into this country illegally, that was a really bad policy. And even worse, look, there were 10 million people who were apprehended by the Biden administration. They let them go. That, that is problematic on many, many fronts. But the most disturbing number is 2 million. There are roughly 2 million got aways. Those are people that cross the border, we know cross the border, but yet they escaped detection. And those gotaways are much, much more likely to be criminals. They're much more likely to be murderers, rapists, child molesters, terrorists, gang members. And if you look at this radical who attacked and firebombed the peaceful Jewish protesters in Boulder, Colorado. This was a guy who never should have been in this country to begin with. He came in on a tourist visa. He overstayed it. And this was a radical Islamist. And I want to read to you a tweet from Bill Millusian. Now, regular listeners of this podcast know Bill Malusian is the best reporter in America. He reports for Fox News and he's been detailing what's going on at the border. Here's what Bill Malujian tweeted. Breaking new details on Colorado terror attack suspect as feds charge him with federal hate crimes. According to federal court filings obtained by Fox News, Egyptian illegal alien Muhammad Salman admitted in an interview that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and he had been planning the attack for a year and that he would conduct the attack again if he could. He allegedly told investigators that he waited to carry out the attack until his daughter graduated high school and that he specifically targeted the, quote, Zionist group in Boulder after learning about them from an online search. It was premeditated, as he allegedly admitted he knew they would gather on Sunday. At 1pm he arrived and waited for them. Additionally, investigators found a black container with 14 more Molotov cocktails near the spot he was arrested in. Inside his vehicle, investigators found paperwork with the words Israel, Palestine and usaid. This man was admitted into the country via a tourist visa during the Biden administration. He overstayed, filed an asylum request and was granted work authorization by the Biden administration, which expired at the end of March of this year. So understand, this guy came into this country, he overstayed his visa, and yet the Biden administration said, hey, look, a radical Islamic terrorist. We want you to stay. It was not hard to figure out from his social media who this guy was. But the Biden administration, they were not focused on defending this nation. They were not focused on stopping terrorists from coming in this country. Instead, they made a political decision. I get asked all the time, Ben, why would Democrats open up the borders? It clearly hurt them in the last election. Why would they do this? And I believe it was entirely about power. They viewed 12 million illegal immigrants. They said, listen, every one of these we think are going to vote for Democrats. We want them in here. Some portion of them will vote illegally. The rest of them, they believed if they stayed in power, they grant, grant amnesty and make them all voters. And if they have to bring in Muslim Brotherhood terrorists who are murdering people, sadly, the Democrats were willing to do that.

Yeah, this is the part that I really think we do need to make it clear, not just now, but in the future. The Democratic Party, and you alluded to this in your comments there, their plan, they knew, was going to have disastrous consequences from a national security standpoint. They were willing to play Russian roulette with that open border. And they were warned. And they saw the people that were on the terrorist watch list, Senator, and they didn't care because it was their overall plan to flood the country with illegal immigrants and fundamentally change this country. They knew this plan would allow for people that are terrorists, some of them on the terrorist watch list at the time, to get into this country. And they still continued to have the open border policy because they basically said, hey, it's part of the our bigger plan and there's going to be collateral damage from this, so be it.

And listen, when I say this, this sounds harsh and you sort of think of a listener who's not terribly political and they're like, wait, the Democrats couldn't really want more terrorists in this country. But at the end of the day, that was the inevitable consequence of the policies they put in place when you allow 12 million people to cross the border illegally. And by the way, the Biden border control, the border patrol, they instructed their agents be on the lookout for Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian, Islamic Jihad terrorists coming across this border. Look, we have radical zealots who have declared jihad in America, who have demanded of their terrorists murder as many Americans as you can and murder as many.

[Ted Cruz]

Jews and Israelis as you can.

[Unknown]

And in the face of those very real and clear national security threats, the fact that the Biden administration and the Democrats, it wasn't just Joe Biden, it wasn't just Kamala Harris, it was every single Democrat in the Senate, it was every single Democrat in the House because they voted in favor of open borders over and over and over again. They knew that some of the people coming were just like this radical. And listen, I've reintroduced this week legislation to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The Muslim Brotherhood, and by the something.

You'Ve been sounding the alarm on for quite some time, I want to be very clear about that.

So I've been fighting for this legislation for more than a decade. The Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization. It is in countries throughout the Middle east, it is in Egypt, it is in Qatar, it is all across the Middle East. And the Muslim Brotherhood, openly, aggressively, they support Hamas, they support Hezbollah. They are a terrorist organization. And by the way, to be clear, in Egypt, they are an actual political party. Look, we had Mohamed Morsi, who was the leader of Egypt, who was a Muslim Brotherhood radical. Now, thankfully, Mohamed Morsi was defeated and.

[Ted Cruz]

He was defeated by El Sisi, who.

[Unknown]

Is fighting against the Muslim Brotherhood.

[Ted Cruz]

Look, if you look at the Arabs.

[Unknown]

Who are dealing with this, the Muslim Brotherhood and the jihadists, they believe in using violence, using murder to force people to embrace their radical Islamist view. And yet.

[Ted Cruz]

These are the radicals that.

[Unknown]

Are fighting, that are murdering Israelis and that are murdering Americans. And this is exactly the radicals that this lunatic in Boulder, Colorado was embracing and that Joe Biden and the Democrats were letting into this country.

Final question on the designate of Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Is this finally going to be the moment where you think there's a decent chance that this can become reality or there's still going to be Democrats at all costs that say we are going to defend this?

So I hope so. So right now, today, the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a terrorist organization in Saudi Arabia. They're designated in the United Arab Emirates. They're designated in Egypt, in Syria and Bahrain. But the United States has yet to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. When you have a group that actively encourages the waging of jihad, the murdering of innocents, they are a terrorist organization. And so I pressed, I pressed the entire first Trump term for the Muslim Brotherhood to be designated. We did not succeed. I think we will succeed this administration. I think President Trump is going to do this.

[Ted Cruz]

And I'm going to keep pressing, designate.

[Unknown]

The Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

[Ted Cruz]

Because that is who they are.

[Unknown]

And we saw the horrific and potentially deadly consequences this week in Boulder, Colorado.

[Ben Ferguson]

As always, thank you for listening to Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you. Don't forget to download my podcast and you can listen to my podcast every other day. You're not listening to Verdict or each day when you listen to Verdict afterwards.

[Unknown]

I'd love to have you as a.

[Ben Ferguson]

Listener to again, the Ben Ferguson Podcast. And we will see you back here on Monday morning.

[Ted Cruz]

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[Ben Ferguson]

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[Rodney Williams]

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

[Ryan Seacrest]

I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.

[Rodney Williams]

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

[Lisa Booth]

What happens when it doesn't go right?

[Ted Cruz]

How do you cope with it?

[Rodney Williams]

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.

[Unknown]

The medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves.

[Ryan Seacrest]

This medal is for the men who.

[Unknown]

Went down that day on Medal of Honor. Stories of Courage. You'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Why should you listen to Armstrong and Getty on demand?

[Ted Cruz]

We're not boring. A lot of news is boring and tedious and depressing and makes you angry. You don't want to live your life like that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, I'm Jack Armstrong.

[Unknown]

He's Joe Getty.

[Ted Cruz]

We're Armstrong. We try to bring you the truth.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And help you figure out this crazy modern world.

[Ben Ferguson]

How about something about a comedic tone?

[Ted Cruz]

We have a winner.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yes.

[Ted Cruz]

Listen to Armstrong. You get it on Demand on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is an iHeart podcast.