Podcast Summary: Verdict with Ted Cruz

Episode Title: When the Shutdown Ends, Why the FAA is Cancelling 5000 Flights per Day & Inside the Numbers behind Mamdani's Election
Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Overview

This episode dives into three urgent topics:

1. The Ongoing Government Shutdown: Its politics, party blame games, and the real impacts on government workers and the public.
2. FAA Flight Cancellations: Why the shutdown is causing chaos at airports and unprecedented flight disruptions.
3. Election Analysis: A data-driven deep dive into New York City’s election of “Comrade Mamdani,” voter demographics, and what these results say about the direction of progressive politics in America.

Government Shutdown: Where Things Stand

[02:09-09:46]

Key Points:

• The shutdown is the longest ever, causing severe hardship for federal workers (TSA, ICE, Border Patrol, FBI, air traffic controllers).
• Senate negotiations: A new vote is looming on three appropriations bills (including agriculture/food stamps, military construction, VA, legislative branch) and a continuing resolution.
• Democratic Party infighting: Some Democrats want to end the shutdown; others, particularly those energized by radical left wins in recent elections, push to keep it going.
• Cruz’s assertion: Republicans have tried 14 times to reopen the government; Democrats have filibustered every effort.
• Media bias claim: Mainstream media blames Republicans for the shutdown, ignoring Senate rules that require 60 votes and Democratic obstruction.

Notable Quote:

“In order to pass a government funding bill under the Senate rules, you need 60 votes. ... We have 53 Republicans. That means we need at least seven Democrats to open the government. ... The Democrats have voted to keep it shut down. They are filibustering right now.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [07:41]

FAA Chaos: Flight Delays and Cancellations

[09:46-17:21]

Key Points:

• Real-time impact: 50,000 TSA agents and 14,000 air traffic controllers not paid; leading to absenteeism and low morale.
• FAA action: 10% mandatory reduction in air traffic at the 40 largest US airports; rolling reductions from 4% to 10%.
• Flight cancellations: Approximately 5,000 daily flight cancellations—potentially affecting 500,000 travelers per day.
• Safety risks: FAA administrator reported 500+ voluntary safety incident reports from pilots.
• Political calculus: Cruz and Ferguson argue Democrats allow/encourage public pain to force Republicans to cave.
• Republicans tried to pay essential workers: Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would pay air traffic controllers during the shutdown.

Notable Quotes:

“Nearly 80% of the air traffic controllers in New York City called out. In other words, they didn’t show up to work. This is Chuck Schumer's home jurisdiction.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [12:47]

“5,000 flights a day, that’s going to impact—if you assume 100 people on each flight—500,000 people a day who are going to have their flights canceled because Chuck Schumer and the Democrats refused to pay the salaries of the air traffic controllers.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [15:17]

“A senior Democrat aide told Politico that Democrats will keep the government shut down until ‘planes start falling from the sky.’ This shutdown is dangerous. ... They are gambling with people’s lives and we need to pay the damn air traffic controllers.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [15:34]

Deep Dive: Mandani’s New York Election & the Numbers Behind It

[20:48-38:21]

Key Points:

• Comrade Mamdani’s win: Framed as a victory for self-proclaimed communism—“the red apple truly is the red apple of communism.”
• Left-wing turnout: Especially among young women—the single most “overwhelming” demographic for Mandani.
• Historic turnout trends: Ferguson & Cruz compare this to Republican and Democratic wave years post-Obama and post-Trump, warning that complacency among the right might lead to repeat Democrat surges.
• Gender gap: In NYC, 81% of young women (18-29) voted for Mandani, compared to 64% of young men. Similar gender gaps are seen in New Jersey and Virginia.
• Voter tenure: Recent NYC arrivals (<5 years) voted 83% for Mandani; native New Yorkers only 45% for him.
• Educational breakdown: Mandani dominated among voters with Bachelor's or advanced degrees (57%); trailed among those with less education.
• Income: Mandani lost among the poorest (<$30K) and richest (>$300K) but won every group in between.
• Religion: Mandani netted majorities among “other” (primarily Muslim?) and non-religious voters (76%), but lost among Catholics and Protestants.
• LGBTQ+ breakdown: 81% of gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender voters chose Mandani, though hosts point out contradictions with his Islamist affiliations.
• Takeaway: The “smart, rich, recently-arrived, young, female, and LGBTQ+” vote propelled Mandani. Working class and long-time residents were less supportive.

Notable Quotes:

“Who elected Comrade Mandani? It is the smarty-pants, college educated, advanced degrees. It is the rich who elected Mandani.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [29:44]

“Young women and gays, lesbians, and transgender—that’s what the exit polling shows, which is amazing given that as an Islamist, he believes in very limited rights for women.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [36:23]

“I think ignorance drove a lot of this election.”
— Senator Ted Cruz, [36:53]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:09]: Show starts, shutdown update — description of pending votes in Senate
• [05:04]: Government worker impacts; who’s not being paid
• [07:41]: Cruz explains Senate rules and Democratic filibuster
• [09:46]: Airlines and airports: the worsening chaos, firsthand account
• [11:40]: FAA data, air traffic control shortages, 10% cut at top airports
• [14:13]: 5,000 flights canceled per day
• [15:34]: Politico source: “until planes start falling from the sky”
• [16:39]: GOP tries to pay essential workers; Democrats block
• [20:48]: Election breakdown intro—focus on Mandani
• [23:58]: Youth and gender breakdown: young women turnout
• [26:54]: Breakdown by years in NYC
• [28:41]: Breakdown by education
• [31:12]: Breakdown by religion
• [33:08]: Income bracket breakdown
• [35:26]: LGBTQ+ breakdown

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Cruz on Democratic strategy:
  “The Democrats will keep the government shut down until ‘planes start falling from the sky.’ This shutdown is dangerous. ... They are gambling with people’s lives.” [15:34]
• On Mandani’s base:
  “It is the rich New Yorkers who—look, I’m not an armchair psychologist—but that is who elected [him].” [29:44]
• On media silence:
  “Why is no one in the media asking Mandani, ‘Are you running for president right now?’ Because if this is the Democratic Party, he has to be on your short list.” [37:51]

Tone and Style

The conversation is urgent, combative, and occasionally sarcastic, with both hosts expressing frustration with the political left, the media, and what they see as the self-destructive nature of current Democratic strategy. The style is unambiguous, sometimes mocking, and full of specific data to back up broader arguments.

For listeners seeking insight into how the shutdown is unfolding in Congress, why flight disruptions may hit them directly, and what the latest New York elections signal about American politics, this episode provides an unfiltered, deeply data-driven conservative perspective.