1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:00,920 Speaker 1: Welcome. 2 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 2: It is Verdict with Ted Cruz week in Review, Ben 3 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 2: Ferguson with you, and we've got a lot of major 4 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 2: stories that you may have missed that we talked about 5 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 2: this week. 6 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: First up, Joe Biden. 7 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, he's now been busted line to the American people 8 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 2: along with the intelligence community. They knew when they gave 9 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 2: him that letter to get him through the President of 10 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 2: debate claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation 11 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,159 Speaker 2: the entire time they knew they were lying to the 12 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: American people. Will there be accountability for that? We're going 13 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 2: to talk about it. Also, terrorists are coming across the 14 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 2: southern border and we're catching them and the Biden administration 15 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 2: is letting them go. Now we have multiple terrorists that 16 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 2: are connected with isis K who have been arrested in 17 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: this country. And finally, Donald Trump has closed door meetings 18 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: with House Republicans and the GOP in the Senate, and 19 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: what they have planned next if he wins, is going 20 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: to be huge for this country. We'll break all that 21 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 2: down for you. It's the weekend Review and it starts 22 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: right now. Oh, let's forget this. Let's remind people why 23 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 2: that letter was so important. It was before a president 24 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: of debate and they needed to get out of jail free. 25 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 3: Excuse Yeah, and Biden cited the letter in the debate. 26 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 3: He relied on it. Here, take a listen. 27 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 4: Then we're going. 28 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 5: To have it's true about Russia, Ukraine, China, other countries, Iraq. 29 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 5: If this is true, then he's a corrupt politician. Right, 30 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 5: So don't give me the stuff about how you're this 31 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 5: innocent baby Joe. 32 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 6: They're calling you a corrupt politician. 33 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: Nobody. 34 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 6: I want to stay on the issue of race. 35 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 4: We're talking about from hill, President Trump. 36 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 7: We're talking about race right now, and I do want 37 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 7: to stay on the issue of race. President Trump, you 38 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 7: have to respond to that. 39 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: Please look very cool. 40 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 7: Are fifty former national intelligence folks who said that what 41 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 7: this he's accusing me of is a Russian plant. 42 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: They have said that this has all the care. 43 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 7: Four five former heads of the c i A both 44 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 7: parties say what he's saying is a bunch of garbage. 45 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 7: Nobody believes it except them his and his good friend 46 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 7: Rudy Jolly. 47 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 5: You mean the laptop is now another Russia Russia Russia hoax? 48 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 7: You that's exactly what this is, way exactly what. 49 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: This is where he's going. I want to stay on 50 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: the issue of race. You have to be here we 51 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: go again with the Russia. We're going to I will. 52 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: By the way, how the whole time, the moderator's like, 53 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: we got to move on from this. We gotta, we 54 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: gotta move on as fast as we can. 55 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 3: We don't get about any topic about this. Look, I 56 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 3: mean the moderators that they might as well wear Biden 57 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 3: campaign hats uh and that that that is just where 58 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 3: the press is and they're even worse now. But but 59 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 3: every word Biden said there was a deliberate lie. And 60 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 3: by the way, Hunter Biden knew is an absolute fact. 61 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 3: The laptop was accurate then, which means either Joe Biden 62 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 3: knew as a fact that it was accurate, or if 63 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 3: he didn't know, it's because he didn't want to know 64 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 3: it he didn't ask his son. Those are the two options. 65 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 3: So he was lying, and he was he was lying 66 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 3: because it helped him politically. And and the person who 67 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 3: organized that letter was Tony Blincoln. The reward for doing 68 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 3: that b Lincoln becomes the US Secretary of State. That's 69 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 3: how important it was. 70 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 2: That letter saved him. I mean, let's be queer. I 71 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: don't think he would have been Joe Biden would be 72 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 2: president now if it wasn't for. 73 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 3: That letter, and and it was a flat out lie 74 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 3: and and and you look at the press, all right. 75 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 3: Take a listen to Leslie Stall when she's interviewing Trump 76 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: and and and she's making very much the same point. 77 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 6: It's I think it's one of the biggest scandals I've 78 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 6: ever seen. And you don't cover him. You want to 79 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 6: talk about it because it can't You want to talk 80 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 6: about insignificant things. I'm telling you. Of course, it can 81 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 6: be verified. They found the laptop, Leslie, listen. Verify can't 82 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 6: be verified the laptop. Well, you said it. Even the 83 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 6: family hasn't the family on the LEFTO. He's gone into 84 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 6: hiding for five days. He's gone and die and he's 85 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 6: prepared for your debate mods taking them five days to prepare. 86 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 6: I doubt it. 87 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 8: I did. 88 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 2: Okay, So let's get back to the name I will. 89 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: So let's let's just get back to the name calling. 90 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 4: Here. 91 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: We're gonna move on. We can't talk about it because 92 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 2: I've got an agenda. 93 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 3: I've got an agenda, and and facts can't get in 94 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 3: the way. Look, Leslie Stall pretends she's a journalist. That's 95 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 3: sixty minutes. That's CBS, and what she's saying it can't 96 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 3: be verified as a flat out live of course it 97 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 3: could be verified. It's called journalism. But CBS had no 98 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 3: interest in doing journalism, nor do they now. You know, 99 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 3: if Leslie. 100 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: Stall excuse she said there, well he's been. 101 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 3: Well, they're busy, they're preparing for the debate. So so 102 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 3: you can't expect them to respond to the overwhelming evidence 103 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 3: of corruption because you know, let's get back to the 104 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 3: name calling. I'm busy attacking you, Donald Trump. So so 105 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 3: so don't you bring up anything that that that that 106 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,239 Speaker 3: Biden is doing. And you know, look, if Leslie Stall, 107 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 3: if any journalist had a shred of integrity, they would 108 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 3: stand up and say I was totally wrong. What I 109 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 3: said was false. I didn't do my job, and I apologize. 110 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 3: She's not going to do that. None of them are. 111 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 3: And by the way, the people who have signed this letter, 112 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 3: they're not coming back and admitting, Okay, I was completely 113 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 3: full of crap and I lied to the American people 114 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 3: right before an election, and it influenced the election profoundly. 115 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 2: Not just that James Clapper, Tod Fox it is and 116 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,919 Speaker 2: he stands by the letter of the laptop. 117 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 3: You know, the Biden intelligence and the Obama intelligence hardcore partisans. 118 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 3: Facts have no bearing for them. They are so partisan 119 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: they will stick to their lie no matter what. 120 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: Senator. 121 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 2: One other question I want to ask you about your 122 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 2: trip before we wrap things up is met with a 123 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: guy by the names Zelenski. Now, what matters the most 124 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 2: to me was was he wearing a suit or was 125 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 2: he still wearing the military fatigues. 126 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: I just I got to know. 127 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, No, he was in the military fatigues. That's what 128 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 3: he wears every day. 129 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 1: Oh man. 130 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 2: I mean back in the good old days when he 131 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 2: was meeting with Trump and you guys, he was wearing 132 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 2: a suit when he came to ask for money. 133 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 6: Yeah. 134 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 3: Ever since the war started, he's in the fatigues every day, 135 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 3: and so he was in kind of an olive green sweatshirt. 136 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: So you meet with him and he's got a bunch 137 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: more money, a couple, you know, a couple of hundred 138 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 2: million dollars more two hundred and something I think is 139 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: is what Biden said during this trip that he was 140 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 2: going to give to them again. You guys met with him, 141 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 2: What was it like this time and what did he 142 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 2: have to say? 143 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 3: So, well, there was a group of senators that went 144 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 3: to D Day for the eightieth anniversary of D Day, 145 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 3: went to Normandy and there were nineteen senators. It was 146 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,679 Speaker 3: a big, big trip, and there were I think fifty 147 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 3: three House members. So it was a signific get percentage 148 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 3: of the United States Congress. And so Zelensky sat down 149 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 3: had a meeting with all the senators and then after 150 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 3: that he had a meeting with the House members. So 151 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 3: both sides sat down and met with him. We met 152 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 3: in in the historic Talleyrand Hotel, which is this beautiful 153 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 3: hotel in Paris that actually the US government now owns. 154 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 3: It's no longer a hotel, and it is where the 155 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,239 Speaker 3: Marshall Plan was signed. And so there's a big room 156 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 3: that has gold, you know, gold on the ceiling. It's 157 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 3: very elaborate and and it it's a historic, historic meeting space. 158 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 3: So that's where we met and it was a good discussion. Look, 159 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 3: Zelensky was there with several of his aides and he 160 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 3: was describing what is happening, and he was you know, 161 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 3: he is a a wartime leader and listen there that 162 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 3: there are some there are some who are big critics 163 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 3: of Zelensky. I don't put myself in that camp. I 164 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 3: think he is trying to defend his nation from an invasion, 165 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 3: and an invasion from Russian Vladimir Putin is a bad guy. 166 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 3: And so Zelensky is doing what what you would hope 167 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 3: any leader when his country is at war is doing, 168 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 3: which is trying to defend his country and trying to 169 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 3: get help wherever you can get it. And so he's 170 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 3: coming in and he's asking for American help. Uh and 171 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 3: and he's laying out his goals in the war. And 172 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: so he laid them out, and then then each of 173 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 3: us had the opportunity to ask ask questions. My principal 174 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 3: question I asked him, I said, how would you define victory? 175 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 3: What does victory mean? And what is the path to 176 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 3: getting there? Look, I want Russia to lose the difficulty, 177 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 3: and I got to say that question that I asked. 178 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 3: He didn't really answer me on how he would define victory. 179 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 3: He has another context, define victory as as Ukraine winning 180 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 3: back essentially every square inch of territory that Russia has taken. 181 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 3: I understand why Zelensky would say that's victory. If if 182 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 3: you were Zelenski, you'd probably say the same thing. But 183 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 3: but that doesn't mean it is in the United States's 184 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 3: interest to demand every square inch of territory be taken back. 185 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 3: The reason we have an interest in this war is 186 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 3: that we want we do not want our enemy Russia 187 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:22,679 Speaker 3: to win and get stronger, uh and and instead we 188 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 3: want Russia to be weaker so that they're less able 189 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 3: to pose a threat to America. They're also, by the way, 190 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 3: very very significant resources, in particular rare earth minerals in 191 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 3: Ukraine that are critical for the economy going forward. One 192 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 3: of the reasons Russia's invading Ukraine is is to get 193 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 3: a stranglehold on those rare earth minerals. We don't want 194 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 3: putin to have those those those that would not be 195 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 3: good for America. Uh and and and so. But but 196 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 3: you know what was really striking Ben is in the 197 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 3: meeting with Zelensky and we all so had a classified 198 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:05,439 Speaker 3: meeting with senior leaders of the Pentagon talking about details 199 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 3: of what exactly is happening in the war, where the 200 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 3: battles are, where the victories are, where the losses are. 201 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 3: And it was a very interesting and worthwhile briefing, but 202 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 3: the question of what does victory mean? This administration is 203 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 3: not asking that question. No Democrat in that room is 204 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 3: asking that question. What is victory? And I got to 205 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 3: say it really, you know, when it struck me is 206 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 3: we went out to lunch two days ago at a 207 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 3: little Paris cafe in between meetings, and we're sitting there 208 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 3: at lunch talking and I was most of the senators 209 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 3: there at the lunch table were Democrats, and they were 210 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 3: all talking about Vietnam. And it struck me looking around 211 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 3: the table that they're all baby boomers, They're all children 212 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 3: of Vietnam. They all kind of got their start in 213 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 3: politics protesting against Vietnam. And look for you and me, 214 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 3: I mean, neither of us were alive when Vietnam was 215 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 3: a thing. You weren't alive at all. And I was 216 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 3: like two when the Vietnam War ended, so I have 217 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 3: no memories. Vietnam did not impact my awareness of the world. 218 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 3: It was done by the time I was learning about 219 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 3: the world. And so I got to say a lot 220 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 3: of the boomers, particularly the Democrat boomers, they took the 221 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 3: wrong lesson from Vietnam. And I think there are lots 222 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 3: of lessons to take from Vietnam. But one of the 223 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 3: central ones is that you should have a clear, defined 224 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 3: objective that you know what it is that is directly 225 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:44,439 Speaker 3: related to your national security that is achievable. You should 226 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 3: have a plan to achieve it, and then you should 227 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 3: get the hell out. And Vietnam, we just let it 228 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 3: go on and on and on and be a quagmire 229 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 3: and just kept pouring money and American soldiers and lives 230 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 3: into it without a clear objective that we were willing 231 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 3: to use overwhelming force to accomplish. This administration has no objective. 232 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 3: They can't articulate one. They're not even asking that question. 233 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 3: That is infuriating. 234 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 2: Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, 235 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,599 Speaker 2: you can go back and listen to the full podcast 236 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 2: from earlier this week. Now onto story number two center. 237 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 2: As I said at the beginning, shocking how crazy the 238 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 2: news cycle is in the last twenty four hours. Hunter 239 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 2: Biden trials a big story, yes, being found guilty, but 240 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 2: there is an even bigger story that we have been 241 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 2: warning about for months on this show, and that is 242 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 2: perspective terrorists. Those that are on the terrorists watch list, 243 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 2: hundreds that have been caught a lot of gotaways that 244 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 2: have not been caught, and even when terrorists are getting caught, 245 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 2: we're letting them go. This is the second story of 246 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 2: this happening, and now we have multiple arrests of isis 247 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 2: K coming across our southern border. Here is how CBS 248 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 2: News broke the story. 249 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 8: Last night, eight individuals, all from the Central Asian country 250 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 8: of Tajikistan, were arrested in Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia. 251 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 8: They entered the United States this year and in twenty 252 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 8: twenty three, crossing the Mexican border. They were vetted and 253 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 8: allowed to remain in the country. CBS News has learned 254 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 8: further investigation uncovered the men had possible ties to isis K, 255 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 8: the terror group which claimed responsibility for an attack at 256 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 8: a Moscow concert hall that killed more than one hundred 257 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 8: and forty people earlier this year. 258 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 2: Center that's eight across the entire country, from the extreme 259 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 2: west coast to the east coast in Philadelphia, and these 260 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 2: are just the ones that we've caught that had been arrested. 261 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 2: You've been warning about this open border, and we've had 262 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 2: the numbers to back it up. Of those on the 263 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 2: terrorists watch lists and the administration is saying we're willing 264 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 2: to roll the dice and taste that rip to bring 265 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 2: in illegal immigrants. 266 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 3: Well, sadly, that's exactly right. This story is a big 267 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 3: damn deal. We have eight suspected terrorists with isis K 268 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 3: who've been arrested. They've been arrested in Los Angeles, in 269 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 3: New York, and in Philadelphia. Now they came into this 270 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 3: country illegally at our southern border. The Biden administration apprehended 271 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 3: them and then they let them go. They let terrorists go. 272 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 3: And I've been saying for a long time we are 273 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 3: at a greater risk of a major terrorist attack in 274 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 3: the United States right now than we have been any 275 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 3: time since September eleventh, and let's go. So the first 276 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 3: outlet to break this story was the New York Post, 277 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 3: and the New York Post announced that these people had 278 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 3: been arrested, and they were arrested in the coordinated sting 279 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 3: operation that occurred in three cities, Los Angeles, New York, 280 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 3: and Philadelphia. Two ICE sources confirmed to the Posts that 281 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 3: they arrested six people from Tajikistan over the last week 282 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 3: after the FBI contacted the agency to warn them. Two 283 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 3: others who were part of the same group, were also 284 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 3: arrested after being under surveillance for several months by the 285 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 3: multi agency Joint Terrorism Task Force. Part of the investigation 286 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 3: featured a wire tap which revealed one of the now 287 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 3: arrested individuals was talking about bombs. And here's a quote 288 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 3: quote remember the Boston marathon bombing. I'm afraid something like 289 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 3: that might happen again or worse, one of the sources 290 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 3: told the Post. The subject the target was the subject 291 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 3: to the wire tap was previously released by federal authorities 292 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 3: at the southern border with a court date next year, 293 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 3: but it has since emerged that he has potential ties 294 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 3: to ISIS. And by the way, it is worth noting 295 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 3: who is isis K. So isis K IS is a 296 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 3: splinter group, but it is the group that carried out 297 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 3: the terror attack that that we just saw, the terror 298 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 3: attack that that happened in the concert hall in Moscow, 299 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 3: and that was carried out by terrorists from Czech Tajikistan. 300 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 3: So the same country these folks are from the same 301 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 3: terror group isis K. And remember what they did. They 302 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 3: killed one hundred and forty five people in that Moscow 303 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 3: terror terror attack, And so the Biden administration has an 304 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 3: open border. It is effectively a red carpet. If you're 305 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 3: a terrorist, come to America and we, the idiot Democrats, 306 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 3: will let you in if we catch you. And by 307 00:16:47,080 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 3: the way, they catch all these guys because and what 308 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 3: happens they turn around and let them go. How many 309 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 3: terrorists are Joe Biden the Democrats gonna let go? And 310 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 3: by the way, is anyone in the news covering this, 311 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 3: is anyone asking Joe by this? Is anyone asking any 312 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 3: other Democrat? You know, I've got fifty one Democrat colleagues. 313 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 3: How many of them in Capitol Hill are being asked? 314 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 3: Why does your party keep releasing terrorists into America? And 315 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 3: why are you endangering the lives of American families across 316 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 3: this country? 317 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 2: And this goes back to another story that happened in April, 318 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 2: and we talked about it here. There was a man 319 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,400 Speaker 2: on the terror watch list that was released also by 320 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 2: border patrol. With security funding blocked in Congress, this became 321 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 2: an issue and they said, quote, the case illustrates the 322 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 2: challenges US officials face and identifying migrants who posed national 323 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:41,879 Speaker 2: security threats because we're being overrun at the border. NBC 324 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 2: News at the time, and we played this, and I 325 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 2: just think it's important to remind them it's not just 326 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 2: these eight isis K But go back just to April eleventh, NBC. 327 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 3: Is happening over and over and again. 328 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, listen to what they said back in April. 329 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 4: An alarming development and the border crisis. Among the record 330 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 4: number of migrants crossing the southern border was a member 331 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,919 Speaker 4: of an Afghan terror organization who was released into the 332 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,880 Speaker 4: US by border agents. According to US officials, forty eight 333 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 4: year old Mohammed Harwin illegally crossed into California in March 334 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 4: of last year. His name is on a US terror 335 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 4: watch list identifying him as a member of HIG, a 336 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 4: terror group that's killed Americans in Afghanistan. 337 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 2: I mean center, This is another story that is completely unrelated. 338 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 2: A month before that, we found out that another man 339 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:31,919 Speaker 2: on a terrorist watch list was released and they had 340 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 2: to go grab him up and upstate I think it 341 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 2: was upstate New York. 342 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: So you have these. 343 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 2: Headlines that keep happening. We are catching some of these 344 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 2: people and we're releasing them because we're overrun. 345 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,440 Speaker 3: So and it's worth remembering that the FBI Director Chris 346 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 3: Ray has repeatedly testified before Congress about possible ISIS terror 347 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 3: plots being carried out on US soil and the groups 348 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 3: potential for using the southern border to get into this 349 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 3: country illegally. And Chris Ray has warned about a possible 350 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 3: quote coordinated attack that could take place of the United 351 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 3: States from ISIS case, so they know this risk is there. 352 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 3: And I want to point out also, you know, we 353 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 3: had a couple of months ago, we had the impeachment 354 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 3: of Alejandro Mayorcis, and it came over to the Senate, 355 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 3: and I and many others on the Republican side wanted 356 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 3: to lay out the facts that this administration that may 357 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 3: Orcus's lawless refusal to follow federal federal immigration law, on 358 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 3: his his releasing of millions and millions and millions, over 359 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 3: eleven million illegal immigrants that have come into this country, 360 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 3: and are Joe Biden that a major threat from that 361 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 3: are the terrorists that they keep releasing over and over 362 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 3: and over again. And it's worth noting Ben every single 363 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 3: Democrat voted not to hear the case, to throw it out, 364 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 3: to dismiss it at the outset. They didn't want to 365 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 3: hear the evidence of terrorists being released in the country. 366 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 3: They didn't want to allow the house house managers to 367 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 3: present that evidence. They didn't want the American people to 368 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 3: hear that evidence, and we are on borrowed time. It 369 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 3: is not complicated that if you continue to invite terrorists 370 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 3: from all over the world, whether Hamas or Hesbel or 371 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,920 Speaker 3: Palestinian Islamic Jahad or isis K or anybody else. If 372 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 3: you invite terrorists from all over the world come into 373 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 3: this country, if when you catch them you release them 374 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 3: and allow them to continue planning terror attacks, it is 375 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 3: only a matter of time before tragically Americans are going 376 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 3: to die. 377 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:38,080 Speaker 2: March the eleventh, Christopher Ray, in his own words before Congress. 378 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 9: From an FBI perspective, we are seeing a wide array 379 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 9: of very dangerous threats that emanate from the border. There 380 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:49,479 Speaker 9: is a particular network that has where some of the 381 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 9: overseas facilitators of the smuggling network have ISIS ties that 382 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 9: we're very concerned about. And then we've been spending an 383 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 9: enormous amount of effort with our partners investigating. 384 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 2: That's at least his second, if not third warning to Congress. 385 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 2: I think in the last six to seven month, Senator, 386 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,160 Speaker 2: does this give you guys leverage to now say we've 387 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 2: got these eight isis k isis k is the same 388 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 2: group that had the spinoff that had the attack in Russia. 389 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 2: The FBI director has now warned us a couple of times, 390 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 2: why are you guys not changing the policy at the 391 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 2: southern border as president? And clearly you should know now 392 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 2: from all of these warnings that this policy is a 393 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 2: disaster and there are multiple terrorists that are already in 394 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 2: this country that we don't know where they are. 395 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 3: So frankly, the only leverage we have is what I'm 396 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 3: doing right now is shining a light and informing the 397 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 3: American people. Why is that because not a single Democrat 398 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 3: in the United States Congress cares. Look the Mayorcis impeachment. 399 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 3: Every single Democrat, all fifty one of them, they voted. 400 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 3: Note we don't want to hear the evidence. We don't care. 401 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 3: I sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In three and 402 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 3: a half years of Biden's presidency, we have had zero 403 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 3: hearings on the risk of terrorism from illegal immigrants coming 404 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 3: into this country that Joe Biden and the Democrats they 405 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 3: don't want to hear it, Which means as long as 406 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 3: Chuck Schumer is the majority leader, and the Democrats have 407 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 3: control over the Senate. The Senate is not going to 408 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 3: do anything, and they're forty nine of us. We can 409 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 3: jump up and down and yell, but forty nine cannot 410 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 3: out vote fifty one and so fundamentally, the Senate will 411 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 3: do nothing as a matter of law to hold Joe 412 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 3: Biden to the Democrats accountable, and the media will do nothing. 413 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 3: It's why you and I do this podcast because the 414 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 3: only solution is the ballot box is throwing Joe Biden 415 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,199 Speaker 3: the Democrats out of office. And then listen in January 416 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 3: in a Trump administration that we're going to secure the 417 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 3: damn border. But you've got to have a president willing 418 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 3: to follow the law, and Joe Biden refuses to follow 419 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 3: the law as before. 420 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 2: If you want to hear the rest of this conversation 421 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 2: on this topic, you can go back and dow the 422 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 2: podcasts from Earthly this week to hear the entire thing. 423 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 2: I want to get back to the big story number 424 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 2: three of the week. You may have missed, Senator, this 425 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 2: was a very interesting moment on Capitol Hill. Donald Trump 426 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 2: came and met with a lot of the Republican leadership 427 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,639 Speaker 2: a lot of your colleagues were there, and the initial 428 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 2: reports that came out were saying it was a lot 429 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,679 Speaker 2: of enthusiasm and a lot of excitement from the Republican 430 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 2: leaders that were there. 431 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:30,760 Speaker 1: You were in the room, tell us what was happening. 432 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 3: So I was. So. Trump began the day by meeting 433 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 3: with the House Republicans. I was not in that meeting. 434 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 3: Some of the reports of that as that was a 435 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 3: little bit wild and wooly. That got into all sorts 436 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 3: of topics. But Trump came by the Senate to have 437 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,919 Speaker 3: lunch with us, and so we met at the National 438 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 3: Republican Senatorial Committee, which is like three blocks away from 439 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 3: the Capitol, and Trump joined us for the lunch and 440 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: it started. We're all sitting sitting in a room. It 441 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,959 Speaker 3: started with him talking for about twenty twenty five minutes, 442 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 3: and then we did a whole series of Q and 443 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 3: A where probably about a dozen of us asked him 444 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 3: questions and he commented on those. And then we went 445 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 3: out and we did a press conference where we stood 446 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 3: we all stood behind him, and he stood up and 447 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 3: gave the press conference and listen, I gotta say the 448 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 3: biggest thing about the lunch that struck me was the 449 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 3: unity in the room. Look, the media likes to talk 450 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 3: about divisions and the Republican Party, and there are certainly some, 451 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 3: but today I didn't see any of that. Today. Everyone 452 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 3: in the room was focused on winning in November and 453 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 3: turning the country around. And Trump was in great spirits. 454 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 3: You know. One of the things I asked him after 455 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 3: the meeting. I came up and spent a couple of 456 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:45,360 Speaker 3: minutes talking with him. I just asked, how are you doing. 457 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 3: I mean, it's been this bs you're dealing with with 458 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 3: these New York convictions, their utter garbage. But listen, it's 459 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:57,360 Speaker 3: not fun to be convicted of felonies. I mean it's 460 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 3: been He's been through hell. And so just as a 461 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 3: personal level, I was asking him how he was doing, 462 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 3: and he said he was doing fine, and it seemed 463 00:25:05,080 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 3: real and genuine. I mean, he was not down in 464 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:11,200 Speaker 3: the dumps, He was not discouraged. In fact, was he 465 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,239 Speaker 3: was really in good spirits. He was optimistic, and his 466 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 3: message to everyone is listen, let's stand together. And he 467 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 3: emphasized several things. Number one, he emphasized the border, that 468 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 3: we've got to secure the border, that it is insane 469 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 3: that we have open borders, that it's an invitation to terrorists, 470 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,879 Speaker 3: and he's exactly right. If and when Trump wins, we 471 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 3: will secure the border in the first month or two 472 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,680 Speaker 3: of the next Trump administration. And I can say that 473 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 3: because we know how to do it. We did it before, 474 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 3: and we'll do it again. He also talked a lot 475 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 3: about inflation and energy in particular, and he pointed out 476 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 3: quite rightly that energy is foundational to inflation. One of 477 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 3: the reasons that prices have gone up on just about 478 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 3: everything is that energy prices of skyrocketed because the Biden 479 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 3: administration has been waging war on American energy and we 480 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,919 Speaker 3: are an energy powerhouse where the number one producer of 481 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 3: oil in the world, where the number one producer of 482 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 3: natural gas in the world, and the Biden administration is 483 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 3: doing everything they can to stifle that. And Trump was 484 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 3: very clear that we're going to reverse that. We will 485 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 3: reverse that fast early next year, and that's going to 486 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 3: have a real impact on energy prices and inflation across 487 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 3: the board. We also talked about national security and in 488 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 3: particular how insane it is that the Biden administration has 489 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 3: flowed one hundred billion dollars to Iran and if and 490 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 3: when Trump wins, that's going to end as well. 491 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 2: You mentioned a moment ago that there seemed to be 492 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 2: unity in the room. That's incredibly important for getting legislation passed. Yes, 493 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 2: and you need that, and we didn't have that type 494 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:52,680 Speaker 2: of unity. I would argue last time in twenty sixteen, 495 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 2: early on, there was some splinters. There was somede divisiveness 496 00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 2: in the House. That's in its side. What you seem 497 00:26:59,960 --> 00:27:02,679 Speaker 2: to be describing this time is if Donald Trump is 498 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 2: elected and Republicans have control of the House the Senate, 499 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 2: it's game on from the from January tewod there's not 500 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,880 Speaker 2: going to be you know, let's get to know each 501 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 2: other time and have some meetings and maybe come over 502 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 2: the White House like there's an agenda and it's ready 503 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 2: to go for the American people. 504 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:20,719 Speaker 3: Yeah. I think that's exactly right. And let me put 505 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 3: it in broader context, which is yesterday the Speaker of 506 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 3: the House, Mike Johnson, came and had lunch with all 507 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:30,880 Speaker 3: the Republican senators. And by the way, that almost never happens. 508 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 3: When Paul Ryan was speaker, he didn't do that. When 509 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 3: John Bayner was speaker, he didn't do that. When Kevin 510 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 3: McCarthy was speaker. He didn't do that. Mike Johnson has 511 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 3: done that this multiple times. This is either the third 512 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 3: or fourth time he's come and had lunch with all 513 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 3: the Senate Republicans. I think that's great. He was talking 514 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 3: at lunch yesterday. He said, you know, it's amazing that 515 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 3: the media treats it as a news story that the 516 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 3: House and Senator talking to each other. And the reason 517 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 3: he came over and talked to us is is he said, 518 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 3: he's focused on his end, very much on developing the 519 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 3: agenda and the plans to hit the ground running if 520 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 3: and when we win in November, if we come in 521 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 3: to January of next year with a Republican president, a 522 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 3: Republican Senate, Republican House, we got an enormous amount to accomplish, 523 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 3: and the Speaker, to his credit, is very focused on 524 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,040 Speaker 3: the first one hundred days. What can we accomplish, what 525 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 3: can we do to change the path of the country. 526 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 3: I encouraged him to dig in on that. In fact, 527 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 3: I shared with a speaker and with everyone else in 528 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 3: the room. You know a lot of the senators that 529 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 3: are there now were not there back in twenty seventeen 530 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 3: when Trump first became president. 531 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:40,480 Speaker 8: You know. 532 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 3: The Speaker said, look, when Trump first became president, he 533 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 3: was a freshman, he was brand new in the Congress, 534 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 3: and he was amazed that the Congress was not prepared 535 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 3: with the legislative agenda from day one. And he pointed 536 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 3: out that he thought a lot of Republicans were surprised 537 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 3: that Trump won. They were expecting Hillary to win, and 538 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 3: so when the administration came in, they weren't ready for primetime. 539 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 3: They didn't know what to do. In this instance, I'm 540 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 3: very glad the Speaker is trying to think proactively. And 541 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 3: I described I described something that I did back in 542 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 3: the summer of twenty eighteen. So summer of twenty eighteen, 543 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:21,479 Speaker 3: we did a lunch with all the Senate Republicans and 544 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 3: I prepared a PowerPoint. It was about fifty pages long, 545 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 3: and I spoke to my colleagues probably the better part 546 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,960 Speaker 3: of an hour, and the title of the PowerPoint was 547 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 3: carpe dim And what I did in the PowerPoint is 548 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 3: I looked in the past, in previous instances when one 549 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 3: party controlled the White House, the House, and the Senate. 550 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 3: It happens pretty rarely. When the Democrats do it, they 551 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 3: fundamentally transformed the country. So in the last century, the 552 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 3: first time they did it, they passed the New Deal. 553 00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:00,120 Speaker 3: The second time they did it, they passed the Great Society. 554 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 3: The third time they did it, they passed Obamacare and 555 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 3: Dodd Frank And now for the last two years we've 556 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 3: seen they've spent us into an absolute inflation and recession home. 557 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 3: And on the other hand, Republicans, when we have unified control, 558 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 3: we tend to do small and piddling things. So what 559 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 3: I argued in the PowerPoint is at the time I 560 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 3: presented it was August of twenty eighteen, I said, listen, 561 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 3: any rational political observer recognizes that there's a very real 562 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 3: chance that we will lose at least one House of 563 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 3: Congress in November. And I said to my colleagues, particularly 564 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 3: the guys who were the sophomores, who were the people 565 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 3: who had been elected two years earlier, And I said, 566 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 3: look for you, guys, we have one hundred and eighty 567 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 3: three days till the next Congress. For many of you, 568 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 3: if we do not pass things now, you will never 569 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 3: again have another chance to pass anything into law. And 570 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 3: so I put together a spreadsheet. It was about fifty 571 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 3: different bills all of the bills had been written by 572 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 3: different Republican senators. Some I had written, but most of 573 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 3: them were my colleagues. And all of the bills were 574 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 3: bills that had a reasonable prospect of garnering fifty one votes. 575 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 3: They weren't fringe things that would get ten or twelve votes. 576 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 3: They were all things that would easily get forty five 577 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 3: Republicans and that had a real shot at getting fifty. 578 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 3: And what I argued is, I said, listen, this is 579 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 3: going to sound radical to you, Ben, we should do something, 580 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 3: we should not do nothing. Amazingly enough, that argument proved unpersuasive. 581 00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 3: Mitch McConnell said, well, so the principal avenue that if 582 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 3: you look, the biggest legislative victory of the Trump years 583 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 3: was the twenty seventeen tax cuts. We pass that using 584 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 3: what's called budget reconciliation. Budget reconciliation is a process under 585 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 3: a bill called the Budget Act in nineteen seventy five. 586 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 3: The budget piece is not terribly consequential. What's consequential is, 587 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 3: under the terms of the statute, you have an up 588 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 3: down vote at fifty votes and it can't be filibustered. 589 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,760 Speaker 3: So it's one of the most important exceptions to the 590 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 3: filibuster we could have. If you look at the Democrats, 591 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:39,959 Speaker 3: they did three budget reconciliations. It's how they passed almost 592 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 3: all of their agenda that put us in this hole. 593 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 3: When the Republicans had the majority, we did only one 594 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,560 Speaker 3: budget reconciliation. We did not do a single one in 595 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 3: twenty eighteen, which, frankly, Ben is indefensible, and so I 596 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 3: made the case of the Speaker and my colleagues. Let's 597 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 3: not make that mistake again. Let's hit the ground running 598 00:32:58,600 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 3: as always. 599 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to Verdict with Sentner, Ted Cruz, 600 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 2: Ben Ferguson with you don't forget to deal with my podcast, 601 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,239 Speaker 2: and you can listen to my podcast every other day 602 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 2: you're not listening to Verdict or each day when you 603 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,720 Speaker 2: listen to Verdict. Afterwards, I'd love to have you as 604 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 2: a listener to again the Ben Ferguson podcasts, and we 605 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 2: will see you back here on Monday morning.