1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:01,720 Speaker 1: Welcome. 2 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 2: It is verdic with centered Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson with you. 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 2: We've got a lot to discuss on today's show, including 4 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 2: what is happening in Iran right now. It is like 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 2: a total blackout in that country as the leadership is 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 2: trying to hold onto control by shutting the rest of 7 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 2: the world out to what they're doing on the ground, 8 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 2: and that is killing their own citizens. 9 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 3: We are living in times of extraordinary consequence right now. 10 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 3: As you noted, there are over a million people rising 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 3: up on the streets of Iran. The Iranian regime is teetering. 12 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 3: It is a very real possibility we will see the 13 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 3: Iranian Ayatola, the Mullahs, see that regime fall, see them collapse. 14 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 3: That could happen this month, It could happen this week, 15 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 3: It could happen in the next twenty four hours. It 16 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 3: is that potentially imminent. If that occurs, it would be 17 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 3: utterly transformational for the people of Iran, utterly transformational for 18 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 3: the Middle East, and utterly transformational for US national security interest. 19 00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 3: We're going to break it all down what to expect. 20 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 3: Of course, this is happening in the broader context where 21 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 3: the United States just less than two weeks ago, has 22 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: arrested Nicholas Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela. That is having 23 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 3: a profound and I think very positive effect in the 24 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 3: Western hemisphere. These are historic times, these are times of consequence, 25 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 3: and we're going to help you think through what the 26 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 3: United States response to all of this should be. What 27 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 3: it means for you, what it means for America, what 28 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 3: it means for your kids. 29 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, we've got a lot to talk about with that 30 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 2: as well. I want to take a moment though, and 31 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: talk to you about our friends at Compassion International. Right now, 32 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 2: somewhere in the world, a kid you've never met is 33 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 2: writing you a letter. They're telling you about their day, 34 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: their dreams, the goal they scored, the test they passed, 35 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: the new friend they made at school. Maybe they're drawing 36 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: you even a picture. Maybe they've asked you about your family, 37 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 2: your favorite color, what makes you laugh. They're wondering who 38 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: you are, this person who cares enough to be part 39 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: of their story, and you, you're not just sending money. 40 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: You're writing back. You're showing up month after month, letter 41 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 2: after letter. You're celebrating their victories, encouraging them through challenges, 42 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: and reminding them that they truly matter. Now this isn't 43 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: a transaction, it's an incredible relationship that spans continence and 44 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 2: changes everything for both of you. That is where Compassion 45 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: International connects you directly with one child, real letters, real relationships, 46 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: and real change, because poverty isn't solved with donations alone. 47 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: It's solved by showing up impact the world, one child 48 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: at a time and learn how at Compassion dot com. 49 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: That's Compassion dot com. So let's paint the picture. As 50 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 2: we're recording this now, the leadership in Iran has made 51 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 2: it clear center they feel like they're losing control. They've 52 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 2: shut off the internet, shut off phones, they've shut down 53 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: much of the of the TV and the outside world 54 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 2: that's been in that country, and they're trying to black 55 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: out what they're doing, which is now they're killing their 56 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 2: own citizens. 57 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 3: Well they are, and this often happens at the end 58 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 3: of tyrannical regimes, which which is they stay in force 59 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 3: by military force, and in their gasping breasts, they use 60 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 3: that military force to try to try to snuff out 61 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 3: the opposition. You know, I got to say, if you 62 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 3: go back to nineteen seventy nine, nineteen seventy nine is 63 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 3: when the Islamic Revolution happened in Iran. So Jimmy Carter 64 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 3: was president. Jimmy Carter was a weak and ineffectual president. 65 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: He really if you look at Jimmy Carter's foreign policy, 66 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 3: he set the model for what Barack Obama imitated and 67 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 3: then what Joe Biden imitated. Jimmy Carter showed what happens 68 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: to the world when the American president will not stand 69 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 3: up for America, when the American president will not stand 70 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: up for our allies, when the American president is weak 71 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 3: and dithering, And to cut to the chase, what happens 72 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 3: is the bad guys get more aggressive and they end 73 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 3: up becoming stronger and American lives are lost. During the 74 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 3: Islamic Revolution, the Islamists took over the nation. They toppled 75 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 3: the Shaw of Iran. The Shaw of Iran was a 76 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 3: ruler who had been cruel, who had been despotic, but 77 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 3: also was allied with the United States. When the Islamists 78 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 3: took over Iran, they toppled the Shaw. They also captured 79 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 3: the American embassy there. They captured the American embassy, and 80 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:40,239 Speaker 3: they took the American staff in the Embassy hostage. Those 81 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 3: hostages that happened in nineteen seventy nine, those hostages would 82 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: remain hostages for four hundred and forty four days. 83 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 4: And it was. 84 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 3: During that time Jimmy Carter did order a rescue mission, 85 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 3: and tragically that rescue mission, the two helicopters crashed into 86 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 3: each other in the desert. There was no opposing fire, 87 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 3: and it became I actually think that the incident that 88 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 3: most encapsulated the weakness of the Jimmy Carter presidency. It 89 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 3: played a major part in Ronald Reagan's being elected in 90 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty and then I do not think this was 91 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 3: an accident at all. Iran released the American hostages. Do 92 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 3: you know what day they released him? 93 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: The day that Ronald Reagan was sworn in. 94 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 3: It was literally moments after Reagan put his hand on 95 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 3: the Bible, raised his hand and took the oath of office, 96 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 3: Iran released the hostages. And I'll tell you, I believe 97 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 3: the reason they did is they understood that with Reagan, 98 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 3: a new sheriff was in town, and we were not 99 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 3: going to have a president who would allow them to 100 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 3: keep American hostages. They were going to face the full 101 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 3: wrath of the United States if they did not release 102 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 3: those hostages. Fast forward, I think there's a very similar 103 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 3: dynamic playing when we went from Joe Biden to Donald Trump. 104 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 3: Under Joe Biden, American foreign policy, like Jimmy Carter, was weak, 105 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 3: it was inept, and it encouraged the bad guys. But 106 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 3: one of the things to understand Ben between nineteen seventy 107 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 3: nine and today, Iran's influence has grown dramatically Iran. The 108 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 3: leaders of Iran, the so called Supreme Leader, I don't 109 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 3: call him that, he's an Iahtola. He calls himself the 110 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 3: Supreme Leader. But we're seeing just how ineffective and weak 111 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 3: he is. 112 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 5: Right now. The Iatola and. 113 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 3: The Mullahs, the religious clerics who run Iran, they have 114 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 3: grown in power immensely, and understand they hate America. The 115 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 3: Iyatola routinely will lead mobs enchanting death to Israel and 116 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 3: death to America. And by the way, for all the 117 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 3: folks online who say, oh, Iran is all about Israel, 118 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 3: understand this also. The Iyatola calls Israel the little Satan. 119 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 3: He calls America the great Satan. And at the end 120 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 3: of the day, the targets of the Ayatola's murder and 121 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 3: hate are us. It is the United States of America. 122 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: The reason the Ayahtola had a nuclear program is they 123 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 3: wanted to develop nuclear weapons to be able to use 124 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 3: them against the Great Satan. What has Iran done for 125 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 3: the last several decades. They have funded radical Islamic terrorism 126 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 3: all over the world, Hamas, which carried out October seventh. 127 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,119 Speaker 3: Do you know what percent of Hamas's budget comes from Iran? 128 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: I would assume eighty plus percent. 129 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 3: More than ninety percent. How about Hesbela hesbela different terrorist 130 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 3: group and in the North, you know what percentage of 131 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 3: Hesbela's budget comes from Iran. 132 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: I'm going to say it's even more than ninety based 133 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: on what you just told me. 134 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 3: It is north of ninety as well. Iran in a 135 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 3: very real sense funded October seventh. By the way, Joe Biden, 136 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 3: the Democrats flowed over one hundred million dollars to the 137 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 3: Ayatola and Iran. So the Democrat Weekly in a very 138 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 3: real sense funded October seventh. By the way, the Ayatola 139 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 3: also has hired hitmen trying to murder President Trump. 140 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 5: They're not our friends now. 141 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 2: Way, that's not like I far that's not like some 142 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 2: random thing on the Internet. 143 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: That is a fact. 144 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 5: It is an undisputed fact. 145 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 3: And by the way, we are prosecuting hitmen that have 146 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 3: been arrested in connection with that plot, and. 147 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 5: Iran bragged about it. 148 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 3: The IRGC actually put out an animated video detailing they're 149 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 3: using a drone to go to mar A Lago and 150 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 3: murder Donald Trump on the golf course. Like they're not 151 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 3: hiding from this, they openly embrace it. 152 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 2: By the way, can we just remind people of one 153 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 2: other thing about Iran, just so you understand how much 154 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: they hit America. They are responsible for a significant number 155 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 2: of American casualties. Yes, in Iraq and Afghanistan, they gave 156 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 2: safe haven to the terrorists when they would come in 157 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 2: and out to attack American soldiers. They'd gave them what 158 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,839 Speaker 2: they need for those roadside bombs. Actually a lot of 159 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 2: them were made in Iran, and they allowed them save 160 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 2: passage even coming through Syria Iran back and forth like 161 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 2: that is all well documented. If you think Iran wasn't 162 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 2: at war with the United States of America when we were 163 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 2: in Iraq and Afghanistan, you'd have to live under Iraq. 164 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 2: And I think that's an important point that you need 165 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 2: to realize how much they're willing to do to kill 166 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 2: American soldiers. And they did a lot, and they killed 167 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 2: a lot of Americans. 168 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, Iran is responsible. The IRGC is responsible for a 169 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 3: minimum of five hundred and ninety three murders of American 170 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 3: servicemen and women. The IEDs they manufactured, many of the 171 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 3: IEDs that in Iraq were used against our servicemen and women. 172 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 3: If you have friends that served in combat and Iraq, 173 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 3: if you know people that lost limbs to IEDs, that 174 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 3: lost legs, that lost arms, that lost eyes, the odds 175 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 3: are overwhelming that the ied they encountered was manufactured in Iran. 176 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 3: Iran was providing much of that material. Many of the 177 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 3: drone many of the drones used against American forces are 178 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 3: manufactured in Iran. Many of the drones being used by 179 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 3: the way, also by Russia against the Ukrainian forces in 180 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 3: Ukraine are manufactured in Iran. It's one of the crazy things. 181 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 3: The Biden administration claimed that their number one priority was 182 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 3: for Ukraine to win the Ukraine War, and yet they 183 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 3: were flooding billions of dollars to Iran, and Iran was 184 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 3: using that money to build drones, and the drones were 185 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 3: being used by the Russian army to murder Ukrainian soldiers. 186 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 5: It was asinine. But what is happening right now? 187 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,319 Speaker 3: Right now as we speak, more than one million Iranians 188 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 3: are rising up in every major city across Iran. They 189 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 3: are fighting against the regime. They have had it. We 190 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 3: are seeing protests, We're seeing images of government buildings burning. 191 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 3: We saw in London an incredible protester scaled the outside 192 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 3: of the Iranian embassy, climb up the outside. 193 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 5: He looked like Spider Man. 194 00:10:55,840 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 2: So cool by the way. He cried, I want you 195 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 2: to understand. If you didn't see this, watch the video, 196 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 2: tweet this out. Wat It looked like a spider monkey 197 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 2: climbing the side of the Iranian embassy and people were 198 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 2: running after me. Climbed up, got up there, yanked pull 199 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 2: back the Iranian flag and put up what they're saying 200 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 2: is a new freedom flag of Iran. It was unbelievable 201 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 2: to see people doing that, saying you would have never 202 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 2: imagined even weeks ago. 203 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:22,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, it was incredible. He easily could have been shot. 204 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 5: He was not. 205 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 3: It's those acts of bravery that can inspire others, and 206 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 3: I want to take an opportunity right now. I want 207 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 3: to speak directly to the people of Iran, and I 208 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 3: want to say, now is your moment. If you are 209 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 3: standing up right now, if you're going out in the street, 210 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 3: if you are standing against the Iotola, if you're standing 211 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 3: with the Malas, know that America is with you. Know 212 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 3: that the American people are with you. Know that you 213 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 3: are in my prayers. And know that Joe Biden is 214 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 3: not in the White House anymore. Barack Obama is not 215 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 3: in the White House anymore. Donald J. Trump is in 216 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 3: the White House. And if you topple this cruel, vicious, theocratic, homicidal, 217 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 3: genocidal regime, you will bring freedom to Iran, and you 218 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 3: will make major steps to bringing peace to the Middle East. 219 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,319 Speaker 3: And listen, the Iranian people and the American people have 220 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,959 Speaker 3: decades of history of being friends of her, engaging in 221 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 3: peaceful commerce, and understand that America's foreign policy dispute is 222 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 3: not with the people of Iran. It is instead with 223 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:33,720 Speaker 3: the tyrants who are torturing and murdering and oppressing Iran, 224 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 3: and who are exporting terror across the globe. And they 225 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 3: want to murder Americans just like they want to murder Iranians. 226 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 3: And so President Trump has publicly called called on you 227 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 3: to stand up for freedom. And you know, I want 228 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 3: to say something amazing, which is to everyone in the 229 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 3: United States who's listening to this podcast, who's watching this podcast, 230 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 3: you may think, well, why is Ted talking directly to 231 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,600 Speaker 3: the people of Iran. And one of the reasons we 232 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 3: do this podcast is it's an opportunity to communicate. And 233 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 3: so the Verdict podcast, we have roughly a million unique 234 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 3: listeners to the podcast all across the country. We have 235 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,839 Speaker 3: several million more who listen on radio. We're on now 236 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 3: two hundred and forty two radio stations all over the country, 237 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 3: so we're reaching several million people each and every week. 238 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 3: But here's an amazing thing. The people we reach, the 239 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 3: vast majority, of course, are Americans. But what is amazing 240 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 3: is we have people all over the world listening to 241 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 3: this podcast. And yesterday, Ben, you were looking at the 242 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 3: downloads and Iran, the people in Iran had surged to 243 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:44,679 Speaker 3: they were in the top twenty countries downloading the Verdict podcast. 244 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 3: And that is in the face of having internet shut down, 245 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 3: in the face of having the Iranian regime try to 246 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,760 Speaker 3: black out. Elon Link has put Starlink up for free 247 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 3: for the people of Iran, and so this podcast. There 248 00:13:57,640 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 3: are people who we are right now protesting. And by 249 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 3: the way, okay, protesting is not like your sum leftist 250 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 3: protesting at Columbia University. Protesting is taking your life in 251 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 3: your own hands, because the regime is murdering protesters as 252 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 3: we speak. And so when I take the opportunity to 253 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 3: speak to the people of Iran, I'm doing so because 254 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 3: this is a voice that is being heard. And there 255 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 3: are very few things on planet Earth that could move 256 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 3: the entire world security situation in a positive direction more 257 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 3: consequential than seeing the Ayatola in this regime fall. 258 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 2: You know, intending to see that. The emotion and there's 259 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 2: two stories that connect here. I have actually a good 260 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 2: friend who family fled after the Chavarenne in the fall 261 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 2: in nineteen seventy nine. They've never gone back to go 262 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 2: see some of their family members. They have limited communication 263 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 2: depending on you know, what's going on and the blackouts 264 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: and things that happen. 265 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: But I did. 266 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 2: I was able to talk to them over the weekend 267 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: and us the excitement at the possibility of two things. 268 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 2: One getting to actually see their family members again who 269 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 2: they've not been able to see is a lot kind 270 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 2: of like you here in Venezuela, the same kind of 271 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 2: thing that we saw with Cuba after the cast regime there, 272 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 2: and there seems to be this real moment where they 273 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 2: believe this could be an opportunity for them to be 274 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 2: able to go back and to see their family members 275 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 2: and to watch this fall happen. And the bravery too, 276 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 2: like the women today in the videos that were coming 277 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 2: out were incredible that were showing the women pulling off 278 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 2: their coverings and burning them in the streets and multiple 279 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 2: cities that are considered strongholds for the religious leadership that 280 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 2: has had a grip on that country since nineteen seventy nine, 281 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 2: and they're doing it in the face now. If this 282 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 2: hasn't happened, these videos will come back to haunt them. 283 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 2: They will go and find them. They know they're risking 284 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 2: their lives. The people that are out there in the streets, 285 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 2: they know that this is being recorded and if it 286 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 2: doesn't go well, they are risking their lives being put 287 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 2: into jail or being one of the disappeared ones they 288 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 2: are described. That is something for me that is just 289 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 2: incredible to see that the risk that people are willing 290 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: to take. 291 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 5: Look. 292 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 3: Look, there's one image that is online of a young 293 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 3: Iranian woman who is lighting her cigarette and she's lighting 294 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 3: her cigarette by lighting on fire a picture of the 295 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 3: Iatola and using the burning picture of the Iatola to 296 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 3: light her cigarette. And I got to say, that image, 297 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 3: it reminds me of the image of the man standing 298 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 3: in front of the tank in Tenement Square. Idiots that 299 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 3: kind of bold courage and life risking courage. 300 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 5: That image. 301 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 3: You're right, If the Iatola stays in power, the odds 302 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 3: are overwhelming, the Mullahs will track her down and torture, 303 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 3: end or kill her. She knows that, she knows exactly 304 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 3: what she's doing. And but it is women and men 305 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 3: across Iran are watching that and being inspired by it. 306 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 3: And look, I gotta say, I have a lot of 307 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 3: friends in Theian American community in the United States, A 308 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 3: lot of the Persian community that fled, many of them 309 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 3: fled starting in nineteen seventy nine when the Islamic Revolution happened. 310 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 3: You know, prior to nineteen seventy nine, Iran was not 311 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 3: a theocratic state. It was a secular state. It had 312 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:22,719 Speaker 3: a booming commercial sector, it has vast oil reserves. It 313 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 3: had had a very very educated population, and it was 314 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:33,360 Speaker 3: very successful. And the Islamists their ludites, they're going back 315 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 3: to the fifth century, and their approach is to stay 316 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 3: in power number one by stifling women throughout the country, 317 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 3: but number two by just brutal repression. And I will say, 318 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 3: when I meet with with Persian Americans and I hear 319 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,880 Speaker 3: their stories, one of the reasons that their stories moved 320 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 3: me so much is, as you know, my family was imprisoned. 321 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:57,680 Speaker 5: And tortured in Cuba. 322 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 3: My father was in prison and torture by Battista, my 323 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 3: Tasna Uh, my hit. My father's younger sister was in 324 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 3: prisoned and tortured by Castro. And And so when when 325 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 3: I I've sat down and and and looked at at 326 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 3: at books that are compiled of of Iranians who were tortured, 327 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 3: who had horrific torture, had you know, nails driven through 328 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 3: their eyes, had had had clothes irons just burned them 329 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 3: horrifically elect I mean, just horrible, horrible tortures. And and 330 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 3: and there's something powerful. It's one of the things in 331 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 3: the wake of communism there is a value to cataloging 332 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 3: the horrors. You look at Sultanichin's Gulag archipelago, just just 333 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 3: cataloging the oppression of a tyrannical regime is part of 334 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:49,440 Speaker 3: how you tear it down. And and what is happening 335 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 3: in Iran. Look to understand why this is so transformational. 336 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 3: I actually think the seeds for what's happening now were 337 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 3: laid several months ago, and then they were laid during 338 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 3: the Twelve Day War. And this is something you and 339 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 3: I talked about on Verdict at the time, which is 340 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 3: there are real world consequences to losing a war. You know, 341 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,959 Speaker 3: not everything in life is a communications endeavor, not everything 342 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 3: is political. There are just real consequences. And what happened 343 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:22,639 Speaker 3: in the Twelve Day War is number one. Iran completely 344 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 3: and totally lost. There was no ambiguity. They were just defeated. 345 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 3: They fought a war. They lost a war. Now even 346 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 3: worse if you're an Islamist dictator. If there's anything on 347 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 3: earth worse than losing a war, it is losing a 348 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 3: war to Israel. And Israel systematically decapitated the Iranian military. 349 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 3: They took out all their air defenses, they took out 350 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 3: all their senior military leaders. They took out the senior 351 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 3: leaders of the IRGC, they took out their nuclear scientists. 352 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 3: If you remember the IRGC, day after day they would 353 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,640 Speaker 3: appoint someone new to lead it, and within. 354 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:01,360 Speaker 1: Twenty four kep getting taken out. 355 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,959 Speaker 3: Within twenty four hours, they'd be taken out. I've joked 356 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 3: by the fifth or sixth day, if the Iatola comes 357 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 3: to you and says, hey, Ben, you want to be 358 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 3: head of the IRGC, you're looking around going no, no, no, 359 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 3: I think Bob would be much better. 360 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 5: Go with Bob. Go with Bob. 361 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, Go and Bob over there. He's a great guy. 362 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 3: And why is that so consequential? Because tyrannies, whether you're 363 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 3: the Soviet Union, or whether you're Communist China, or whether 364 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 3: you're North Korea of Venezuela, or whether you're Iran, tyrannies 365 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 3: exist in large part by conveying the impression that they 366 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 3: are unbeatable, that resistance is feudal, that it is hopeless. 367 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:40,520 Speaker 5: You know, you. 368 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 3: Look at Paradise lost, and what are the words above 369 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 3: the gates of hell? Abandon hope all ye who enter here. 370 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 3: That is, if there were a motto a slogan of 371 00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:58,479 Speaker 3: tyrannical regimes. That's what it would be. Abandon hope all 372 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 3: ye who enter here. They stay in power because look, look, 373 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 3: they're always vastly outnumbered by the people. But they stay 374 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 3: in power because the people say, it's hopeless. We can't 375 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 3: defeat them. And after losing unambiguously, decisively, crushingly to Israel 376 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 3: in a way that you couldn't spin, you couldn't say, no, no, no, 377 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 3: it was a victory for us, like they lost in 378 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 3: every respect, the people say, wait a second, these guys 379 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 3: aren't nearly as powerful as they. 380 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 5: Said they were. 381 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 3: And then the coup de gras was President Trump ordering 382 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 3: B two's to fly from the middle of the United 383 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:38,360 Speaker 3: States all the way around the world to drop bunker 384 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 3: buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities. We dropped the equivalent 385 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 3: of one third of a nuclear weapon on those three 386 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 3: nuclear facilities, utterly destroyed them, and flew all the way 387 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 3: around the world and came back home with zero American casualties. 388 00:21:56,080 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 3: It was a flawlessly executed military attack. And again it 389 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,959 Speaker 3: made clear that if you're looking at a contest between 390 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,520 Speaker 3: Iran and what he calls the Great Satan, what the 391 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,359 Speaker 3: Iatola calls the Great Satan. It is not a close contest. 392 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 3: And I'll tell you that is a major reason I 393 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,120 Speaker 3: think the people of Iran are rising up. 394 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 2: Senator you talk about inspiring. I was actually speaking with 395 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 2: some people this weekend. You and I were both at 396 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 2: conservative events. This was a topic of conversation and I 397 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 2: had someone walk up there like, this is a hard 398 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 2: subject to explain to our kids or grandkids. What's your message? 399 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 2: And I said, you're gonna laugh. But I'm a movie guy. 400 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 2: You love movies. 401 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 1: I said, show your kids that they're a little bit older. Argo. 402 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:42,159 Speaker 2: It will get you to where this all happened, and 403 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 2: the fall and the Chavarenne, all of it, and go 404 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 2: back and watch that movie. 405 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: It's a great movie, and it'll catch you come up. 406 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 2: To data of where we were then and where how 407 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 2: we got to where we are now in a sense. 408 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 2: And it's a very easy way to do that. So 409 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 2: if you're listening right now you've never watched Argo, or 410 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,640 Speaker 2: maybe watched a long time ago, it's been affleck movie. 411 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 2: It's a great movie based on true story of us 412 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 2: getting people out that were in the Canada's embassy there. 413 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 2: It's just it's an awesome victory story for me as 414 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 2: I describe it, but make sure you do it. 415 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: But they were also talking. 416 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 2: I was talking to a couple of guys that good 417 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 2: friends of mine, they're still in the military, and they said, 418 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 2: I wish President Trump got more credit for what he 419 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 2: did over the last couple of days, going after Isis 420 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 2: right next to Iran, and it was clearly sending a 421 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 2: message to the people of Iran that when we said 422 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 2: we have your back if they start coming in and 423 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,680 Speaker 2: killing you, we mean it, and we are here. 424 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: And that is when they said. 425 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 2: Within hours you saw the explosion of people going to 426 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 2: the streets because it was obviously the president doing two 427 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 2: things at once. 428 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: Once. 429 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 2: We were holding Isis accountable for killing American soldiers and 430 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 2: that happened recently. But also I think he was sending 431 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 2: a clear mental message to the Iranian. 432 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 1: People that we are here, we are right next to you. 433 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,160 Speaker 2: I mean it when I say we are standing with you, 434 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 2: and if they come to kill you, we will help 435 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 2: protect and defend you. That was a very important moment 436 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:08,360 Speaker 2: I think as well, and that again that was coming 437 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 2: from you when the military saying that should be something 438 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:12,719 Speaker 2: that should be talked about the media is not covering it. 439 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 3: Look, that is absolutely right, and it is peace through 440 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 3: strength that when you have a strong American president, our 441 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 3: enemies are weaker. I'll tell you President Trump put out 442 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:27,959 Speaker 3: the following truth social Iran is looking at freedom, freedom 443 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 3: at all caps. Perhaps like never before, the USA stands 444 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,199 Speaker 3: ready to help, signed President Donald J. 445 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 5: Trump. 446 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 3: And you're and my friend Klay Travis. He tweeted on 447 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 3: top of that and said, Iran is the biggest story 448 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 3: in the world right now. Nothing else is close. This 449 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 3: could be the modern day fall of the Berlin Wall. Moment, 450 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 3: the Ayatola is on the ropes. And I'll tell you, look, 451 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,679 Speaker 3: Argo's great to get some history. But the analogy I 452 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 3: would use as the collapse of the Soviet Union because 453 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 3: Iran following the the Union had a broader reach than Iran. 454 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 3: But Iran is so toxic. They literally fund every enemy 455 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 3: who hates America, and their body count of Americans they 456 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 3: have killed has been massive that they are like a poison. 457 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 5: And I have to say. 458 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,719 Speaker 3: In the midst of that, when we're looking at a 459 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: moment to see to see American national security shift dramatically 460 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 3: in our favor, it is striking right now. The Iranian regime, 461 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 3: it shut down the Internet, it has a TV black 462 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,160 Speaker 3: add it's doing everything they can to keep their citizenry 463 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 3: in silence. But do you know what they're airing statewide 464 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 3: on Iranian TV. 465 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's sad, but it's Tucker Carlson. 466 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 3: They are literally airing Tucker Carlson's podcast in Persian, so 467 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,680 Speaker 3: dubbed and translated so that you can listen here. I 468 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,640 Speaker 3: want you to listen to this one story reporting on this. 469 00:25:55,400 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 4: So the Islamic regime right now is literally broadcast sink 470 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 4: Tucker Carlson interviews in Persian on their twenty four hour 471 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 4: news channel. The country is in a state of chaos, 472 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 4: and yet for some reason he's on the regime is 473 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:15,399 Speaker 4: choosing to play Tucker Carlson interviews because this is like 474 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,479 Speaker 4: you know, it's it's from its propaganda. I'm just filming 475 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 4: this right now because if I didn't do this, no 476 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 4: one would believe this is literally what's going on in 477 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 4: occupied Ron right now. 478 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 3: Ben I want to make I want to say something 479 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 3: very serious, yeah, which is listen, Tucker and I have 480 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 3: had a serious dispute for quite some time. I went 481 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 3: on his podcast he went after me. 482 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 5: He attacked me. 483 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 3: He has publicly said things like there is no one 484 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 3: he hates more than Christian Zionists, and he singled out 485 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 3: me and Mike Huckabee as the two people he hates worse. 486 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 3: I get the most in Plant Planet Earth. We just 487 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 3: had the Turning Points America fest where Ben Shapiro stood 488 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 3: up and called out many of the voices who have 489 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 3: been spreading anti Semitism on the right, including Tucker Carlson, 490 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 3: and then the rest of the Turning Point event was 491 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 3: a whole series of people standing up and blasting Ben Shapiro. 492 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 3: And it's easy to say there are lots of people saying, 493 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 3: no a division on the right, Let's stop fighting. Listen, 494 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:21,880 Speaker 3: this is not an episode of celebrity family feud. This 495 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 3: is not one influencer getting all upset and yelling at 496 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:26,239 Speaker 3: the other influencer. 497 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 5: And back and forth. Who cares? Yeah, I want to 498 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:29,960 Speaker 5: speak for a minute. Listen. 499 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 3: I don't know why Tucker has gone down the road 500 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:35,400 Speaker 3: he has. I wish he had not, But Tucker has 501 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 3: spent most of his life I think, being someone who 502 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 3: loves America and at least saying he loves America. And 503 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 3: I just want to say, in all serious, list Tucker, 504 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 3: what does it say to you that the Ayatola KAMENI, 505 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 3: someone who unequivocally hates America, who has murdered Americans, who 506 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 3: tortures and murders people, views what you're saying as the 507 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 3: propaganda he wants to use to suppress his people and 508 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 3: to silence a revolution. I got to tell you, if 509 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 3: it were me, I would be sick to my stomach 510 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 3: and and and the fact that that the Iranian people 511 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 3: are downloading Verdict and listening to what we're saying. Well, 512 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 3: the Iatola is pumping out Tucker's show. Look, here's what 513 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:18,919 Speaker 3: I actually hope will happen. 514 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 5: Listen. 515 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 3: I think what Tucker has been spreading has been really harmful. 516 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 3: But I'm I am hoping and praying there'll be a 517 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 3: moment where he says, you know, dear God, whatever I 518 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:33,640 Speaker 3: did wrong. If the Iotola views what I'm saying as 519 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 3: his message, clearly we made a mistake here. Let's change course. 520 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 3: I can't imagine anything more. 521 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 5: More. 522 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 2: I want to say this because I've known Tucker for 523 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 2: a long time, we've done TV together, and I know 524 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:48,479 Speaker 2: you've seen me too. 525 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 3: As about I've no Tucker twenty twenty five. 526 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: Years Yeah, at Charlie's funeral. 527 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: I just I The part that sickens me the most 528 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 2: is when you when you go down a road because 529 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:01,240 Speaker 2: you're so hellbent on being right, and then the proof 530 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 2: that you're wrong is that as they're clinging to power, 531 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 2: they're like, let's use the American Tucker Carlson on TV 532 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 2: to maybe stop this. 533 00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: Yearning for freedom in this country. 534 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 2: It was like when I watched Tucker in the grocery 535 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 2: stores and after he interviewed Vladimir Putin, and I was like, 536 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 2: what is happening when he was saying it's amazing over here, 537 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 2: and I'm like, go outside the city of Moscow, It's 538 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 2: not amazing, and you'll see people that are suffering. Like, 539 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:29,240 Speaker 2: you should know better than to put out this type 540 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:29,959 Speaker 2: of propaganda. 541 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:30,719 Speaker 1: I agree with you. 542 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 2: I hope this is a wake up call and he 543 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 2: comes back to sanity because he has a huge microphone 544 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 2: in a huge voice, and he genuinely influencing a younger 545 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 2: generation of conservatives who are now anti Israel and don't 546 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:51,040 Speaker 2: understand that the shaw or the fall of the Aetola 547 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 2: is a good thing in Iran. 548 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I want to talk about that for a minute, 549 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 3: because there are a lot of people if you read 550 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 3: X and social media, that you just get little slogans 551 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 3: that are tossed and we're kind of tribal. We're like 552 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 3: on one team or the other. And so you're either 553 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 3: a neo Khon warmonger or you're an isolationist like Tucker 554 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 3: and his followers. And I actually think most Americans don't 555 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:19,320 Speaker 3: fall into either category. Most Americans, I think, agree with 556 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 3: President Donald Trump and agreed with President Ronald Reagan. Neither 557 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:27,720 Speaker 3: one of them were to use the insult of the 558 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 3: day neocon warmongers. You know, in eight years the biggest 559 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 3: country Reagan ever invaded Grenada. Yeah, he was not interested 560 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 3: in invading foreign countries and sending our soldiers to die abroad. 561 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 3: But he understood peace through strength. He rebuilt our military, 562 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,560 Speaker 3: he developed SDI Strategic Defense initiative what was called star 563 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 3: Wars laser missile defense from space, and he bankrupted the 564 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 3: Soviet Union and won the Cold War without firing a shot. 565 00:30:56,120 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 3: Donald Trump, likewise, has had incredible foreign powers victories, but 566 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 3: he's not sending our soldiers to be boots on the 567 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 3: ground and to die for years on end. And I 568 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 3: want to take a related term that on social media 569 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 3: gets thrown around as an epithet, which is regime change, 570 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 3: and you'll have people I'm not for regime change. 571 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 5: Well, let me be clear. 572 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 3: Should you be for regime change when the Soviet Union 573 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 3: fell in the Berlin Wall fell to the ground? I 574 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 3: will submit the answer is unambiguously yes. The world is 575 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 3: better off when a cruel, tyrannical communist regime falls. Should 576 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 3: you be for regime change today? In communist China? I 577 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 3: think unambiguously yes. The world would be better off if 578 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 3: China we're no longer a communist country. Should you be 579 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 3: for regime change in Iran? I would suggest unambiguously yes. 580 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 3: The world would be a better place if Iran was 581 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 3: not governed by a theocratic, murderous religious zealot who has 582 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 3: killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans. Now, what is 583 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 3: the consequence of saying you're for regime change? If it 584 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 3: is that you're going to send hundreds of thousands of 585 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 3: American troops to invade the country and be on the 586 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,719 Speaker 3: ground for years on end and die in IEDs and 587 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 3: be killed. 588 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:17,480 Speaker 5: Then I don't support that. 589 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 3: That is wrong and part of the reason regime change 590 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 3: has become an insult is people hear it and they 591 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 3: immediately think the Iraq War. Remember I've opposed the Iraq 592 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 3: War for decades. By the way, when Tucker Carlson was 593 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 3: an interventionist cheerleader with palm palms cheering on the Iraq War, 594 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 3: which he did for years with his bow tie, I've 595 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 3: said for years the Iraq War was clearly a mistake. 596 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 3: Why because it did not advance US national security interest. 597 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 3: Saddam Hussein was a cruel and oppressive dictator. He was 598 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:54,959 Speaker 3: killing terrorists who hated America. We came in, we toppled 599 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 3: Saddam Hussein, and the terrorists who hated America took over 600 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 3: and began killing Americans. By the way, we did the 601 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 3: same thing in Libya with Kadafi. Kadafia was cruel and oppressive, 602 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 3: but he was killing terrorists to hate Americans. We toppled 603 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 3: Kadafi and the terrorists to hate Americans took over. I 604 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 3: believe we should be America first, which means we should 605 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 3: put America's national security interest first. But just because you 606 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 3: don't want to commit boots on the ground and have 607 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 3: hundreds or thousands of Americans die and protracted ground combat 608 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 3: does not mean that you should support every tyrannical enemy 609 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 3: of America. We should want regime change in Iran, and 610 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 3: are there ways to promote regime change other than boots 611 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 3: on the ground. And yes, And I would say one 612 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 3: of them is what Donald J. Trump said. I want 613 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 3: to read his tweet again. Iran is looking at freedom, 614 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 3: perhaps like never before, the USA stands ready to help 615 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 3: President Donald J. 616 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 5: Trump. 617 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 3: I agree with President Trump and Tucker and everyone else 618 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 3: who is blasting that we should have nothing to do 619 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 3: with Iran, and they're disagreeing with the President, and they 620 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,239 Speaker 3: are wrong. We should use our voice. That's why this 621 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:10,080 Speaker 3: podcast is a message to the people of Iran. Freedom matters. 622 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,320 Speaker 3: You're the ones in charge of fighting for your revolution, 623 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 3: but know that that America stands with you, and a 624 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 3: free and peaceful Iran is better for Iran and it's 625 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 3: better for America. 626 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is. It's an important show. I hope 627 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 2: that people in Iran, especially using Starlink, get this podcast, 628 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:30,360 Speaker 2: they're able to listen to it that we're standing with you, 629 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 2: we're supporting you, we're advocating for you, and we want 630 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 2: you guys to succeed in what you're doing right now. 631 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:37,279 Speaker 2: It's going to be very interesting to see because so 632 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:39,920 Speaker 2: things are changing so quickly. There was a video that 633 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 2: was put out and it was also just one of 634 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 2: those moments when I love the Internet, and it shows 635 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 2: a Russian jet and a Russian support plane from their 636 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,400 Speaker 2: military on the tarmac on the military side at the 637 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:54,200 Speaker 2: Tehran airport. It's interesting because people are speculating that plane 638 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 2: is sitting there ready to take out the leaders that 639 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 2: they need to. 640 00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,000 Speaker 3: Ben I got to say, what was there in the 641 00:34:59,040 --> 00:35:00,800 Speaker 3: windshield uber logo? 642 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:01,800 Speaker 5: I'm just curious. 643 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:04,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, it said it said Russian Lift. It was Russia. 644 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's ever Russian lift. Did they at least bring 645 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 3: some like, you know, Domino's pizza or something. 646 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's the same plane I think that they 647 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 2: got when they grabbed a side right, you know, it's like, oh, 648 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 2: come on down, we'll let you be an eye doctor. 649 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:17,400 Speaker 1: It's fine, you're one of our bad. 650 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,800 Speaker 5: Guess it's the Dictator extraction plane. 651 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly, it's those two. And who knows, Baby Tucker 652 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 2: will be on it one day. You can go hang 653 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 2: out there. He's already bought a house and katars so 654 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 2: you never know, but you see it, and it's just 655 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 2: one of those moments where I love the Internet. It's like, 656 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 2: that's how close we are to seeing genuine freedom back 657 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 2: there that they haven't seen since nineteen seventy nine. That 658 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,279 Speaker 2: is amazing and inspiring. I hope for the best, and 659 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 2: I hope that very few lives or any lives are 660 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 2: are lost in this world. 661 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 3: Let me say something also, Ben, You're right, let me 662 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:54,239 Speaker 3: also acknowledge I'm not pollyannish about what comes next. So 663 00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:58,240 Speaker 3: if there's a revolution in Iran, if the iotola is toppled, 664 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 3: it doesn't mean that tomorrow it's suddenly utopia and peace 665 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 3: and harmony. There could be real conflict that there could 666 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 3: be warring sides. Anytime you have a revolution, there is 667 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 3: uncertainty and the outcome can be good or bad. 668 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:17,240 Speaker 5: I don't have a stake. 669 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,720 Speaker 3: I don't have a preferred favorite for who the next 670 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 3: leader of Iran is. I don't think that's my place. 671 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:27,920 Speaker 3: I'm not a voter in Iran. I'mlike Tucker, I'm not 672 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 3: buying a home in the Middle East. 673 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:33,959 Speaker 2: To be quar you're not buying real estate there. Okay, 674 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 2: I thought you guys were gonna be neighbors. But okay, look, if. 675 00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:40,800 Speaker 3: The people of Iran toppled the Iyatola and the Malas, 676 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 3: my hope is that we see free and democratic elections 677 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,799 Speaker 3: and they elect a leader who's a good leader, who 678 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 3: treats his people well, and who wants to be friends 679 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 3: with America instead of enemies. By the way, that's the 680 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,399 Speaker 3: exact same outcome I want in Venezuela. I want them 681 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,320 Speaker 3: not to have a communist dictator. Now Donald Trump is 682 00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:59,319 Speaker 3: taking care of that, but I arrested him and resting 683 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:01,959 Speaker 3: him and prosecute him. But I want to see free 684 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 3: and fair elections in Venezuela where they elect somewhat I 685 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 3: hope who embraces freedom and free enterprise and wants to 686 00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 3: be friends with America. The lens I look through all 687 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 3: of this is how does it impact America. It's America first, 688 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:18,600 Speaker 3: But I'm not diminishing. Could there be bad outcomes? Could 689 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,239 Speaker 3: there be a civil war? Yes, that's a possibility when 690 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:22,480 Speaker 3: you have revolutions. 691 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 2: A country like we saw in Iraq as well. I mean, 692 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,200 Speaker 2: you see this where there's different there's many different religious 693 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 2: thoughts and backgrounds in different towns that leave different. 694 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,680 Speaker 3: Things and let me draw a distinction on this also, 695 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 3: which is there's a real difference between Saddam Hussein and 696 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,279 Speaker 3: Iran in that Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator, but 697 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 3: he wasn't actively waging war on America. The Ayatola is 698 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 3: actively waging war on America. He's spending money to day 699 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 3: funding terrorists that are trying to kill Americans. And there's 700 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 3: a real difference. There are regimes across this country, across 701 00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:59,919 Speaker 3: the world rather that are cruel and oppressive, but they're 702 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:01,640 Speaker 3: not trying to kill us. 703 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 5: The Iyatola is. 704 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:07,719 Speaker 3: And so look, obviously, if the regime falls, you could 705 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,239 Speaker 3: end up with a bad outcome. But in my view, 706 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 3: there are very few outcomes that could be worse than 707 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 3: the Iyatola. At this point, they are unmitigatedly our enemies, 708 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 3: and I am hopeful. I think we should be a 709 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:23,920 Speaker 3: voice of encouragement towards better leadership. But I want to 710 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 3: I want to close with this story. So, about a 711 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,000 Speaker 3: decade ago, I was in Jerusalem and I had the 712 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:34,399 Speaker 3: opportunity to meet Natan Sharansky. And Natan Sharanski is the 713 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:38,800 Speaker 3: famed Soviet dissident. He was in the Soviet Gulag, and 714 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 3: he told me the story about how when they were 715 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 3: in the Gulag and Reagan was president, that the prisoners 716 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:50,120 Speaker 3: would pass from sell to sell notes and they would 717 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:53,720 Speaker 3: be notes saying did you hear what Reagan said? Reagan 718 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,959 Speaker 3: called the Soviet Union an evil empire. They passed notes. 719 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 3: Evil empire, evil empire, evil empire. 720 00:38:59,400 --> 00:38:59,880 Speaker 1: Uh. 721 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 3: Reagan was asked what is your strategy on the Cold War? 722 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 3: He said, very simple, we win, they lose. 723 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 1: Yeah. 724 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:09,920 Speaker 3: Before that everyone said, oh, we're gonna have Dayton, We're 725 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:11,359 Speaker 3: just going to do nothing, and he's like, we win, 726 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:11,839 Speaker 3: they lose. 727 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 5: That's the strategy. 728 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:16,240 Speaker 3: Well, when he talked about Marxism Leninism, he said, Marxism 729 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 3: Leninism will end up. 730 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,240 Speaker 5: On the ash heap of history. 731 00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:23,719 Speaker 3: And then the most significant words any leader has uttered 732 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:25,880 Speaker 3: in modern times. He stood in front of the Brandenburg 733 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 3: Gate in Germany and said, mister Gorbachev, tear down this. 734 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 2: Wall, which, by the way, I love that part of 735 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:34,760 Speaker 2: the story. And if you haven't looked at it, please 736 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,680 Speaker 2: go and look at it. He was told by his staff, yes, 737 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:41,120 Speaker 2: speech writers, to not say it. 738 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 6: And he's the State depart back in at free times. 739 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:46,319 Speaker 6: State Department had taken it out three times. The State 740 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 6: Department deleted that three times. Reagan wrote it back in. 741 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 6: And by the way, the State Department argued at the 742 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:53,799 Speaker 6: time of his speech, he said, you cannot say this. 743 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,480 Speaker 6: It is too aggressive, it's too bellicos And here was 744 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:57,239 Speaker 6: their killer. 745 00:39:57,040 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 5: Argument, it's too unrealistic. It will ever ever ever happened. 746 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:04,879 Speaker 3: And Reagan laughed and said, this is the whole point 747 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 3: of the speech. And it was less than three years 748 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,959 Speaker 3: from giving that speech that the Berlin Wall was torn 749 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:13,080 Speaker 3: to the ground. And by the way, Berlin Wall did 750 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:16,080 Speaker 3: not come down because Reagan ordered in the Marines, we 751 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,239 Speaker 3: sent in tanks to knock down the wall. It was 752 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:22,319 Speaker 3: the power of the bully pulpit, of the voice for 753 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 3: freedom of the president. And one of the things Ben 754 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:25,719 Speaker 3: you've seen that. 755 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 5: Is in my office. It's actually in one of the 756 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:29,280 Speaker 5: offices of my staff. 757 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:30,759 Speaker 1: I love it is. 758 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:33,000 Speaker 3: My first couple of years that I was the Senate, 759 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 3: someone came to the office and gave me something, and 760 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:40,720 Speaker 3: it's a silk painting of myself, which I don't generally 761 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:43,920 Speaker 3: hang paintings of myself on the wall. Yeah, but the 762 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:47,440 Speaker 3: reason that I kept this one is the story behind it. 763 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:52,719 Speaker 3: This was apparently made by a dissident, a prisoner in 764 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:56,399 Speaker 3: North Korea. And I've been from the very first days 765 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,680 Speaker 3: I arrived in the Senate, I've been speaking out against 766 00:40:59,040 --> 00:41:04,080 Speaker 3: tyrants and communist depression, whether in China or North Korea, 767 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 3: or Venezuela or Cuba or Iran. And much like Natan Sharansky, 768 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 3: apparently the words that I had said here in the 769 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:17,240 Speaker 3: United States had somehow made their way into a dark 770 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:19,520 Speaker 3: prison cell in North Korea. And I don't know the 771 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:22,959 Speaker 3: name of this North Korean who made this. I don't 772 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 3: know his story. I just know that it was smuggled 773 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,440 Speaker 3: out and they delivered it to my office. And I 774 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 3: periodically look at that and say, Okay, like, there's a 775 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:39,160 Speaker 3: responsibility this podcast. There may be someone who is risking 776 00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:42,440 Speaker 3: their life or even god forbid, loses their life because 777 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:46,120 Speaker 3: they hear our words are inspired to fight against tyranny. 778 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:50,800 Speaker 3: And so I think we have a responsibility to speak truth, 779 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:54,399 Speaker 3: to speak for justice. And that's what I hope this 780 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:57,000 Speaker 3: podcast is doing every week, but especially today. 781 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. Don't forget We 782 00:41:59,760 --> 00:42:02,799 Speaker 2: do the show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Hit that subscriber auto 783 00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 2: download button. You can also watch this podcast if you 784 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 2: want to watch on video on YouTube. We also put 785 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:10,520 Speaker 2: it up on Facebook as well, so you can watch 786 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 2: it there if you're on Facebook, so make sure you 787 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 2: do that as well, and please share it, like I said, 788 00:42:14,719 --> 00:42:16,480 Speaker 2: with your family and friends. That's how we get new 789 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:18,239 Speaker 2: people to hear the show. It's the whole reason why 790 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:19,839 Speaker 2: we do this show is to reach as many people 791 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 2: as possible. 792 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:22,279 Speaker 1: Without you, guys. 793 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:24,960 Speaker 2: Sharing it on social media or texting it to your friends, 794 00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:26,040 Speaker 2: that doesn't happen. 795 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:26,759 Speaker 1: So thank you for 796 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:28,879 Speaker 2: Doing it and continuing to do it, and the Senate 797 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:30,439 Speaker 2: and I will see you back here in a couple 798 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:30,880 Speaker 2: of days.