Podcast Summary: "Who We Are – Dems Abandon God & the Declaration of Independence plus Cartels in Every Community in America"

Podcast: Verdict with Ted Cruz
Episode Date: September 5, 2025
Hosts: Senator Ted Cruz & Ben Ferguson

Overview

In this episode, Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Ben Ferguson dive into two major topics affecting the United States:

1. The Democratic Party, as evidenced by Senator Tim Kaine, publicly rejecting the Declaration of Independence's idea that rights come from God rather than government.
2. The escalating threat of Mexican drug cartels, particularly the Sinaloa cartel, infiltrating communities across the US, including places far removed from the border such as New England.

Both topics are discussed through the lens of broader American values and current policy implications. The show is rich with direct quotes, historical context, and commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Roots of American Rights: God vs. Government

Senator Tim Kaine's Comments (06:17–07:53)

• Incident Recap: Senator Kaine, during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, challenged a Trump administration nominee's statement that "our rights come from God, not from government." Kaine likened this view to the theocracy of Iran, suggesting such a belief is "radical and dangerous."
  • Quote (Sen. Kaine): “The notion that rights don’t come from laws and don’t come from government, but come from the creator…that’s what the Iranian government believes…”
  • Quote (Sen. Kaine): “The statement that our rights do not come from our laws or our governments is extremely troubling.” (07:53)

Ted Cruz’s Response & Historical Context (08:13–12:30)

• Cruz expresses shock and asserts that the belief rights come from God is central to America's founding.
  • Quote (Cruz): “That radical and dangerous notion in his words is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created.” (08:13)
  • Cruz directly quotes the Declaration of Independence to support his stance, emphasizing, “They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
• Cruz argues that government’s purpose is safeguarding those rights, not granting or defining them.

Why This Debate Matters (12:30–16:15)

• Cruz details the philosophical difference:
  • If rights come from government, government can take them away ("alienable").
  • Quote (Cruz): “If rights don’t come from God—if they come from government—then government can take them away. The Declaration refers to these rights as unalienable. Unalienable means they can’t be taken away.”
• He connects this view to historical injustices (e.g., slavery), noting that legality does not mean morality; morality comes from these God-given rights.

Faith and the Democratic Party (16:15–17:29)

• Cruz claims that the Democratic Party is increasingly hostile to people of faith:
  • Quote (Cruz): “If you’re a Christian, the Democrats don’t want you. If you’re Jewish, the Democrats don’t want you. If you’re Catholic, the Democrats don’t want you.” (16:46)
• He reminisces on the earlier bipartisan consensus on religious liberty, notably the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

2. Religious Defense: Bishop Robert Barron's Perspective

Bishop Barron's Rebuke of Kaine (22:54–26:16)

• Bishop Robert Barron, a Catholic leader, releases a statement defending the belief that rights come from God and condemns Kaine’s view as “outrageous” and “dangerous to our democracy.”
  • Quote (Barron): “So basic to Jefferson was the fact that rights come first. They’re not invented by the government. Rather, government exists…to secure these rights, it doesn’t invent them, doesn’t ground them, it secures them.” (24:25)
  • Quote (Barron): “If the government creates our rights, it can take them away…but if rights come from God, they’re inalienable.”
• Barron warns of the perils historically associated with the denial of God-given rights, referencing 20th-century totalitarian regimes.

3. Mexican Cartels: "Public Enemy Number One" in America

Cartels in New England (28:31–32:02)

• Ben Ferguson brings attention to underreported news: 171 members of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel were arrested in New England in a single week.
  • Quote (Ferguson): “The Sinaloa Cartel is now in essence in every single major city in America…You may think that you’re far away from the border…you’d be wrong.” (27:30)
  • The DEA reports seizing significant quantities of counterfeit pills, including fentanyl-laced Adderall lookalikes.

DEA’s Statement & Risks (29:19–31:43)

• DEA’s Special Agent emphasizes the infiltration’s scale and the difficulty of distinguishing lethal counterfeit pills from real ones.
  • Quote (Ferguson paraphrasing DEA): “I’m a DEA agent. I cannot tell the difference between a fake one and a real one. So we need to remind parents…have those conversations with your kids.” (30:58)
• Cartels are active on social media, targeting unsuspecting youth.
• Fentanyl poisoning, often from counterfeit pills, is now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18–45.

Cruz: Parental Concerns and the Danger of Fentanyl (32:17–36:53)

• Cruz shares personal parental fears in the era of fentanyl, describing how a single pill can kill, and relates a DEA demonstration using Sweet’N Low packets to illustrate the lethality of fentanyl granules.
  • Quote (Cruz): “With both of our teenage girls, I sat them down in the kitchen, I handed them packets of Sweet’N Low…That is enough fentanyl to kill you." (35:03-36:53)

Resource Strain on Law Enforcement (34:14–35:03)

• Ben Ferguson cites overwhelmed police forces exhausting Narcan supplies due to the epidemic of overdoses.

Federal Crackdown on Cartels (37:14–40:26)

• Cruz discusses recent federal and military actions against drug cartels, including naval operations and deployment of F-35s to the Caribbean.
• He underscores the administration’s commitment to labeling cartels as terrorist organizations and using "the full force of our government" to dismantle them.
  • Quote (Cruz): “We are moving major assets to take on the cartels and to defeat the cartels." (39:58-40:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tim Kaine (paraphrased): “Claiming rights come from God, not government, is ‘radical and dangerous.’” (07:50)
• Ted Cruz: “That radical and dangerous notion…is literally the founding principle upon which the United States of America was created.” (08:13)
• Bishop Barron: “If the government creates our rights, it can take them away. If the government is responsible for our rights, well, then it can change them. You think this never happens? You don’t know much about the history of the 20th century.” (25:10)
• Ben Ferguson on Cartel Threat: “You may think you’re far away from the border…you’d be wrong. 171 Sinaloa cartel members were arrested in New England.” (27:30)
• Ted Cruz (on fentanyl risk): “It is terrifying being the parents of young kids today…One small decision that seems easy…can cost them their entire life.” (32:17–36:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:36–03:39: Show introduction; Democratic Party’s stance on God and American founding principles.
• 06:17–08:13: Ted Cruz sets up the Senate hearing incident with Tim Kaine.
• 08:13–12:30: Cruz’s historical response; quoting the Declaration of Independence.
• 12:30–16:15: Deeper breakdown on the philosophical divide and historical context.
• 16:15–17:29: Discussion on the Democratic Party’s hostility to faith.
• 22:54–26:16: Bishop Barron’s statement on why rights from God, not government, are foundational.
• 28:31–32:02: Cartels’ reach into New England; DEA and local news reports.
• 32:17–36:53: Fentanyl dangers, parental perspective, and the Sweet’N Low analogy.
• 37:14–40:26: Federal efforts to combat drug cartels; military and policy response.

Final Thoughts

This episode underscores the hosts’ concerns about what they see as a drift from America’s founding values among Democrats, particularly regarding the divine origin of rights. The threat from Mexican cartels is presented as a direct consequence of current border policies, with highly personal and local implications for all Americans.

Listeners will find a blend of constitutional discussion, practical warnings about drug dangers, and calls to action to educate children and support stronger national security policies—all delivered in the impassioned, direct style typical of the show.