1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:01,639 Speaker 1: Welcome. 2 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 2: It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson with you, Senator, 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 2: We've got a pack show today. 4 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 3: Well, there's a lot happening right now. We've all seen 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 3: the blockbuster verdict that came out against Donald Trump over 6 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 3: three hundred and fifty five million dollars. We're going to 7 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 3: talk about what that means and what's next. We've also 8 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 3: seen the news that Joe Biden and his team believe 9 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 3: they did nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with Afghanistan, that that 10 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 3: disgraceful withdrawal and surrender was a model of success. We'll 11 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 3: talk about that. And then the breaking news that Alexi Navolney, 12 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 3: the dissident in Russia, has died in jail, and we're 13 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 3: going to talk about what caused that, what Joe Biden 14 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 3: could have done to prevent it. And all three of 15 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 3: these stories we're going to explain have a common theme, 16 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 3: a thread intertwined between them all. 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 2: But first I want to tell you about a friends 18 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: over at Patriot Mobile. 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Let's start with Donald Trump. 49 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 2: As you mentioned a moment ago, there are a lot 50 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: of complicated financial issues with this massive Basically, he's on 51 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 2: the hook for nearly half a billion dollars across these 52 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 2: three civil cases combined, but it's even more than that 53 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 2: from the interest payments as he waits to appeal, and 54 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 2: bonds and money that he's gonna have to tie up 55 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 2: just to protect himself. 56 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 1: Break all of this down for us. 57 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 3: Well, that's exactly right. And we've talked a lot in 58 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: this podcast about the lawfair that has directed at Donald Trump, 59 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 3: about the effort to use the courts, to use the 60 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 3: justice system to try to destroy Donald Trump. And understand, 61 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 3: the objective here is fundamentally attack on democracy. The objective 62 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 3: here is to stop the American people from electing Donald 63 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 3: Trump once again as president of the United States. We've 64 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 3: seen in the last nine months three different verdicts against Trump, 65 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 3: all in New York, one for seven figures, one for 66 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 3: eight figures, and now one for nine figures. We saw 67 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 3: initially a five million dollar verdict last year, then we 68 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 3: saw an eighty three point three million dollar verdict against 69 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 3: Trump last year, and then just this past week we 70 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 3: saw a three hundred and fifty four million dollar verdict. Now, 71 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 3: of all of them, this latest one is the most disgraceful. 72 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 3: Why is that because there was no victim in this 73 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 3: entire case. There is literally not a person injured, nobody injured. 74 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 3: Not only was nobody injured, the alleged victims made money, 75 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 3: were happy about it, and wanted to do it again. 76 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 3: So understand what this claim is. So Donald Trump is 77 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 3: a real estate developer. He's developed a lot of real estate. 78 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 3: When he develops real estate, he takes a lot of loans. 79 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 3: Like every other real estate developer on planet Earth, he 80 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 3: takes loans from banks. Now, Letitia James, who is a 81 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 3: left wing partisan Democrat. She ran for office promising to 82 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 3: get Donald Trump. That was her campaign promise, You elect me, 83 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 3: and I'm going after Donald Trump. I'm gonna get him. 84 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 3: So this was not a fair and objective application of 85 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 3: the law. This was a political vendetta from day one. 86 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 2: Let me ask you this, how is that not against 87 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 2: the law to run for office saying that when you 88 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 2: become what is supposed to be a steward of law 89 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 2: and order, that you're actually running to lock up someone 90 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 2: you disagree with politically? How is that legal in America today? 91 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 3: Well, I think that's going to be a very serious 92 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 3: claim on appeal. Uh and and I think there is 93 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 3: a significant chance this gets overturned on appeal, but that's 94 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 3: going to take a long time. The prosecutor, on her 95 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 3: on her face, is not fair, is not impartial, but 96 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 3: is engaged in a partisan political vendetta. She said that 97 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 3: before she knew the facts of anything, she had her target. 98 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 3: Her target was Donald Trump, and because partisan Democrats in 99 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 3: New York hate Donald Trump, that that was a good 100 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 3: election year message that got her elected. But understand, so 101 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 3: this theory is actually not seeking to put him in jail. 102 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 3: It's simply trying to take his money and and and 103 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 3: trying to shut down his business and destroy his business. 104 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 3: And and the argument is that when he was getting 105 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 3: loans from giant global banks, that he overstated the value 106 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 3: of his real estate. And look, I don't know if 107 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 3: he did or not. If he did, he's probably like 108 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 3: every other real estate developer on planet Earth, and in 109 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 3: my experience, real est state developers pretty much all think 110 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 3: their development is worth a ton of money, and reasonable 111 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 3: minds can differ. That's part of the real estate business. 112 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 3: Now to whom did he allegedly overstate the value of 113 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 3: his properties? Well, it is to these global banks who 114 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 3: mind you didn't take his word for it. It's not 115 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 3: like they said, oh, okay, he says it's worth this, 116 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 3: let's just give him the money. No, they have appraisers. 117 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 3: They're sophisticated. They go in and say, yeah, yeah, be quiet, 118 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 3: we're gonna look at the property, we're gonna figure out 119 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 3: what we think it's worth, and we're going to value it. 120 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 3: That's exactly what they did. The testimony at trial was 121 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 3: that the loans he took out, he paid every penny 122 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 3: of it with interests. The banks made money. They were 123 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 3: very happy about it. They made their own independent assessment 124 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 3: of the values of the property, and in fact, internally 125 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 3: they considered him a quote will. That was their term, 126 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 3: and they wanted to do more loans because they were 127 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 3: very profitable loans for these banks. And yet Letitius James's 128 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 3: theory as well, we think the values were overstated, and 129 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 3: so therefore we're going to make him pay three hundred 130 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 3: and fifty four million dollars. Now we also know the 131 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 3: trial was conducted in front of a partisan Democrat trial 132 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 3: judge who was smirking and condescending and self righteous and 133 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 3: clearly loathes Donald Trump and loved every minute of being 134 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 3: in the limelight that he and Letitia James are getting 135 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 3: to go after and hammer Donald Trump. And what we 136 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 3: saw was a travesty. It was an abuse of justice. 137 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 3: It was using the legal system to attack your political enemies. 138 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 3: It was not a fair and neutral application of the law. 139 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 2: Well, let's talk also about there's a big X factor here. 140 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: And there's so many that asked me this question on 141 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 2: my show, which is where does this three hundred plus 142 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: million go if there's no one that says that they 143 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 2: were defrauded by Donald J. Trump or his sons or 144 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 2: his businesses. There was no one. There's no one to 145 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 2: make coal here. There's no one claiming that they are 146 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: deserving of those dollars. So how do they say that 147 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 2: Donald Trump defrauded somebody when no one claims they're being defrauded. 148 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 2: And the people that in theory would have been defrauded 149 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: were actually in court defending Donald Trump saying we were 150 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 2: not defrauded. 151 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 3: Well, it goes to the State of New York, and 152 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,839 Speaker 3: so Letitia James is just trying to take the money 153 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 3: for the State of New York. And understand that even 154 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 3: if even if this is overturned on appeal, the impact 155 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 3: on Trump is very significant. Why is that because in 156 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:49,680 Speaker 3: order to appeal it, you have one of two options. 157 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 3: Either you have to put the money up. So you're 158 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 3: looking at, with interest, over four hundred million dollars that 159 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 3: he's got to write a check into escrow for. He's 160 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 3: got to put up a bond. Now, a bond you 161 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 3: go to a bonding company and typically you put up 162 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 3: twenty percent of the amount of the bond, and then 163 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 3: you put up collateral to back up the bond. And 164 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 3: either way it is a very expensive proposition. Now, Trump 165 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 3: testified that his cash on hand right now is about 166 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 3: four hundred million dollars. So assuming that testimony is accurate, 167 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 3: and he had to here was the quote he said, quote, 168 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 3: we have I believe four hundred plus and going up 169 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 3: very substantially every month. My biggest expense is probably legal fees. Unfortunately, 170 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 3: so if you assume he has roughly four hundred million dollars, 171 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 3: this verdict would take all of his liquid cash, and 172 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 3: that is a big blow for anyone, even for someone 173 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 3: with the resources Trump has. And that's what it's intended 174 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 3: to do. And not only that, this judge went after 175 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 3: and penal find Donald Trump Junior, find Eric Trump, and 176 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 3: barred all three of them from doing business in New 177 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 3: York from serving on the board of their own company 178 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 3: for three years. This is a punitive result born out 179 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:20,439 Speaker 3: of spite, and it is yet another example of the 180 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 3: weaponization of our legal system and the willingness of partisan democrats. 181 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 3: We talk a lot on this podcast about what the 182 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: radical left accuses their opponents of doing is in fact 183 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:38,119 Speaker 3: what they are doing themselves, and this instance, their favorite 184 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 3: line is we must defend democracy. This is an assault 185 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 3: on democracy. It is intended to be an assault on democracy. 186 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 3: They are going after him for the same reason that 187 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,079 Speaker 3: Colorado and Maine are trying to pull him off the ballot, 188 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 3: because they're terrified that the American people in November are 189 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 3: going to pull the lever for Donald J. Trump and 190 00:10:58,720 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 3: reelect him as president. 191 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,440 Speaker 2: How significant center will it be on appeal that New 192 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 2: York's Democratic governor came out over the weekend and assured 193 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 2: quote real estate developers that they won't be targeted for 194 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 2: real estate valuations like Trump. 195 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:18,359 Speaker 1: That the governors told. 196 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 2: New York businesses not to fear about Trump verdict nothing 197 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 2: to worry about, meaning we're just doing it to him, 198 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 2: but don't worry, we won't do it to you. 199 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 3: So number one, I'm not sure businesses are going to 200 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 3: trust that, because what the governor is really saying is 201 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 3: so long as you stay on our good side, so 202 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 3: long as you contribute to Democrats, so long as you 203 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 3: don't piss us off, we won't go after you and 204 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 3: try to bankrupt you too. But let's be clear, if 205 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 3: this verdict is upheld, every real estate development in New 206 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 3: York City, the Attorney General can go after and hit 207 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 3: with a similar verdict. I mean, this is a power. 208 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 3: The only thing that keeps them, keeps them from this 209 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 3: happening to them, is the leniency, is the kindness of 210 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:07,600 Speaker 3: the Attorney General. That's not very comforting to anyone. But 211 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 3: I got to say beyond that, you know the governor, 212 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 3: you know I really do think the governor needs to 213 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:17,719 Speaker 3: send a letter to the Federal Election Commission acknowledging an 214 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 3: inkind contribution to the Donald J. Trump campaign, and in 215 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 3: particular her statements, I guarantee you are going to feature 216 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 3: prominently in Trump's appeal, because on the face of it, 217 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 3: what she's saying is no, no, no, don't worry. This is 218 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 3: a selective prosecution. We only do this to people we hate. 219 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 3: This is not applying the law fairly. This is because 220 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 3: he's Donald Trump. As long as you're not Donald Trump, 221 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 3: you'll be safe. Well that that might be good politics 222 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 3: in New York, bare knuckle politics, but that is not 223 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,839 Speaker 3: the due process of law or the equal protection of laws. Instead, 224 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 3: that is deliberately abusing power and then the governor brazenly 225 00:12:59,480 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 3: admitting it. 226 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:02,079 Speaker 2: I want to talk to you about how you start 227 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 2: your morning off. 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Blackoutcoffee dot com 250 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 2: slash vertict, be awake, not woke. That's Blackoutcoffee dot com 251 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 2: slash vertict. Promo code vertict for twenty percent off your 252 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 2: first order. Senator, I want to move to the other 253 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 2: big story we mentioned earlier, and that is Joe Biden 254 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 2: and Afghanistan. I know Joe Biden's got a lot of gaffs. 255 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:40,000 Speaker 1: He's gone pro in that. 256 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 2: But we're now finding out about the inside of the 257 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 2: Biden administrations, not just Afghanistan policy, but specifically they're in 258 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 2: difference towards rescuing American citizens that we're in Afghanistan when 259 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 2: the pullout happened, which we know was a disaster. 260 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: How frustrated are. 261 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 2: You now to find out that this administration pretty much like, 262 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 2: oh yeah, all right, there's some Americans there. 263 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: We might figure that out later. 264 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 3: Well, look, it is consistent with a pattern with the law, 265 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 3: fair with the abuse of power we see against Trump. 266 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 3: What is happening is Democrats are putting their own partisan 267 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 3: interest above the rule of law. They are putting politics 268 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 3: above doing what's right. The same thing is happening with Afghanistan. 269 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 3: We've talked a long time about how when it comes 270 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 3: to foreign policy, this White House views everything as a 271 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 3: domestic political issue. They view everything through a partisan political lens. 272 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 3: So why was Afghanistan such a train wreck? Well, a 273 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 3: lot of reasons, but one of the biggest is Joe 274 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 3: Biden decided he wanted to have a press release of 275 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 3: a complete and total withdrawal by the anniversary of September eleventh, 276 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 3: so he set an arbitrary deadline, we must be out 277 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 3: by September eleventh. And once he set that political deadline 278 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 3: that was not driven by military realities on the ground, 279 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 3: it was driven by a political objective to make the 280 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 3: left in the Democrat Party happy. He then disregarded military advice, 281 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 3: and in particular military advice that told him that it 282 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 3: would require a significant number of troops to secure and 283 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 3: keep secure Bogram Airfield, and Bogram Airfield was necessary to 284 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 3: have safe evacuations of Americans. Now, the problem is Biden 285 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 3: apparently really didn't care. He had a political objective and 286 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 3: national security was not going to get in the way 287 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 3: of that political objective. And so he dictated that the 288 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 3: troop draw drown must be significant. And the military was 289 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 3: faced with a choice the number of troops they were 290 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 3: allowed to keep. They could either keep Bogram or they 291 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 3: could have troops to go at Kabble International Airport, and 292 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 3: they chose the airport in Kabble. They gave up Bogram. Now, 293 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 3: Bogram was a multi billion dollar secure military airfield the 294 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 3: United States had built. If we had done the evacuation 295 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 3: from Bogram, we would not have seen thirteen servicemen and 296 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 3: women killed because Bogram was built to be secure where 297 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 3: terrorists could not murder our American servicemen and women, But 298 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 3: because the Biden White House puts politics above national security, 299 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 3: they didn't care. Now what happened here. What happened here 300 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 3: is that Biden believed they'd done nothing wrong. And in fact, 301 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 3: Politico reported after Afghanistan, quote no one offered to resign, 302 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 3: in large part because the President didn't believe anyone had 303 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,199 Speaker 3: made a mistake, ending the war was always going to 304 00:17:43,320 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 3: be messy. And in fact, they continue and say quote 305 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 3: Biden told his top aides that he stood by them 306 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 3: and that they had done their best during a tough situation. Quote. 307 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 3: There wasn't even a real possibility of a shakeup, a 308 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 3: White House official told the reporter. Now understand that this 309 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 3: was universally acknowledged by everyone as a complete, massive screw up. 310 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:18,200 Speaker 3: We saw planes taking off in Afghanistan with people clinging 311 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 3: to the wheels, running in desperation. We saw terrorists murdering 312 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 3: not just thirteen servicemen and women, but murdering Afghans who 313 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 3: had helped America, torturing Afghans who had helped America. Every 314 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,000 Speaker 3: fair and neutral observer watching this recognized it was an 315 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 3: absolute debacle, and yet Biden's view was nothing to see here, Hey, 316 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 3: this was all great. 317 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 2: I get frustrated because people's lives were changed because these decisions, 318 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:51,360 Speaker 2: Their family trees were changed. There are people that never 319 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 2: got to see their kids, their boyfriends, their wives or 320 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 2: husbands ever again because of what happened, and they're used 321 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,479 Speaker 2: to be We've talked about this before in the show 322 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 2: that if you were an American there was almost like 323 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 2: an invisible bubble around you when you're around the world 324 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 2: because you don't mess with Americans because if you did, 325 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:16,760 Speaker 2: there was going to be major consequences. We are seeing 326 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 2: that center that imaginary bubble has basically disappeared. The terrorists 327 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 2: aren't afraid of messing with us, They're not afraid of 328 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 2: going after American troops in the Middle East. We've seen 329 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 2: these one hundred and fifty plus one hundred and sixty 330 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 2: hundred and seventy attacks whatever the newest number is since 331 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 2: the attacks on Israel against Americans, and we have a 332 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 2: president now that they know you can mess with us 333 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 2: and we will not respond. How do you gauge the 334 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 2: national security threat of just that mindset change, and how 335 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 2: do you hold this administration responsible for that? 336 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 3: Well. This story gives more details, and in particular, it 337 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:58,159 Speaker 3: says that the Pentagon pushed hard to keep troops in Afghanistan, 338 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 3: and Biden gave a withdrawal order in April of twenty 339 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 3: twenty one, and the sides fought about what to do. 340 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 3: On May eighth, twenty twenty one, they were doing a 341 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 3: rehearsal for the evacuation offer operation with Jake Sullivan, who's 342 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 3: Biden's National Security advisor, with Lloyd Austin, who's the Defense Secretary, 343 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 3: and with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 344 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 3: at the time, General Mark Milly, and the Defense Department 345 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 3: argued that it would be too dangerous to have the 346 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 3: embassy to continue to try to do business as usual, 347 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 3: and Brian McKeon, who was the Deputy Secretary of State, 348 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 3: jumped in. He said the diplomats would be just fine, 349 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 3: and his quote was, quote we at the State Department 350 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 3: have a much higher risk tolerance than you guys. And 351 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 3: the writer at Politico rights that quote Milly, that would 352 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 3: be General Mark Milly, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs 353 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 3: of Staff. Quote Milly nearly jumped out of his chair, 354 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,719 Speaker 3: but restrained himself from shouting. Now he and many serving 355 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:06,200 Speaker 3: in the armed forces had lost friends in war. Austin, 356 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 3: the Defense Secretary, showed no signs of anger, but later 357 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 3: told colleagues that he was offended by McKeon's remark. That 358 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 3: was the attitude of this administration. And in fact it 359 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 3: wasn't just just the attitude. There is simultaneously a story 360 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 3: that is in the Spectator that says, and this is 361 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 3: by Matthew Foldy quote. At the time of the Afghanistan withdrawal, 362 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 3: Biden administration officials said behind closed doors that the Secretary 363 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:50,120 Speaker 3: of State Anthony Blincoln and the National Security Advisor Jake 364 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 3: Sullivan quote don't give a F and F was not abbreviated. 365 00:21:56,359 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 3: It was spelled out fully about rescuing a Americans from 366 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 3: the clutches of the Taliban. The admission came on a 367 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 3: late August twenty twenty one phone call held between the 368 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 3: Department Offense and Congressional Democrats. Based on The Spectator's review 369 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 3: of contemporaneous text messages. During the conversation, a Pentagon official acknowledged, 370 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 3: in response to frustration from Democrats that the two of 371 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 3: the senior most officials working on the evacuation, Blincoln and 372 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 3: Sullivan were indifferent to the plight of their fellow Americans. 373 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 3: Think about that for a second. That is reporting that 374 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 3: the Biden White House didn't give I'm going to sanitize 375 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 3: it and say a damn about rescuing Americans from the Taliban. 376 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 3: That is this partisan political white house. 377 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,479 Speaker 2: You know. This also goes to the next topic we 378 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:03,719 Speaker 2: were going to talk about, and that deals obviously with 379 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 2: Russia and Vladimir Putin killing his in essence top political 380 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,919 Speaker 2: adversary this past week. But before I get that, I 381 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 2: want to go back to does this also explain when 382 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 2: we were getting out a WNBA player because it was 383 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 2: high profile, we left another American behind there in Russia. 384 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:27,360 Speaker 2: Why would you be afraid of Joe Biden if this 385 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 2: is your mentality in Afghanistan with Americans, does an American 386 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 2: life in a jail in prison really matter? 387 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,919 Speaker 3: Well, unfortunately for Biden, it's all politics. And so the 388 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,440 Speaker 3: Biden administration focused on a WNBA player because that was 389 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 3: high profile and that was consistent with their political objectives. 390 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 3: But we're more than happy to leave other Americans, including 391 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 3: servicemen and women behind because that was not their priority. 392 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:58,439 Speaker 3: There's a consistent theme about it. It's an elevation of 393 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 3: partisan politics. And look at the time of the Afghanistan withdrawal, 394 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 3: I said then that the weakness and the incompetence displayed 395 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 3: by the Biden White House has made the world much 396 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 3: much more dangerous. That every enemy of America is looking 397 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 3: to the Oval Office and it's taking the measure of 398 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 3: the commander in chief. And I believe that all of 399 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 3: them concluded that the commander in chief was weak and 400 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 3: feckless and ineffective. In other words, they concluded what the 401 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 3: Biden Department of Justice just argued in writing that he 402 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 3: was a feeble old man with a limited memory. And 403 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 3: what I said at the time of the Afghanistan debacle 404 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:45,440 Speaker 3: is the chances of Russia invading Ukraine just increased tenfold, 405 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:51,360 Speaker 3: and the chances of China invading Taiwan just increased tenfold. 406 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 3: Bad guys do not fear weakness. Weakness encourages them to 407 00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 3: be worse. And that's what Biden has done to every 408 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 3: enemy of America. 409 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 2: Let's talk about what's happening also with this adversary to 410 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:09,439 Speaker 2: Vladimir Putin and give a little context here so people 411 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 2: understand the Russian regime has been trying to murder Alexi 412 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 2: for now years. You go back to Joe Biden, and 413 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 2: he even went on the record in Geneva, Switzerland, back 414 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 2: on June the sixteenth of twenty twenty one, saying that 415 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 2: there would be major consequences if he died in captivity 416 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:35,880 Speaker 2: by the Russians by Putin. I want to play this 417 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:39,160 Speaker 2: from June sixteen, twenty twenty one, mister. 418 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: Presidents a quick following the same theme of consequences you 419 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 1: said just now, do you spoke to him a lot 420 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: about human rights? What do you say would happen if 421 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 1: opposition later Alexi Navanni dies. 422 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 4: I made it clear to him that I believe the 423 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 4: consequences of that would be devastating for Russia. I'll go 424 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 4: back to the same point. What do you think happens 425 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,919 Speaker 4: when he's saying and it's not about hurting navale all 426 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 4: the stuff he says to rationalize the treatment of Navalny, 427 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:12,159 Speaker 4: and then he dies in prison. I pointed out to 428 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 4: him that it matters a great deal. 429 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 1: I mean, Senator, that was twenty twenty one. 430 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 3: What changed, Well, actually nothing changed, And I'm going to 431 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:27,439 Speaker 3: explain in a minute that he didn't believe what he 432 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 3: was saying then. But before I explain that, let's play 433 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 3: what Biden is saying now, because even he is admitting 434 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 3: today that what he said then was full of crap. 435 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 3: Listen to what he's saying right now. 436 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 4: Now's the time for even greater unity among our NATO 437 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,120 Speaker 4: allies to stand up to the threat that Putin's rush 438 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 4: of poses. You know, I sent my deepest condolence as 439 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 4: Alexi staff and supporters are going to continue his work 440 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 4: despite this loss, despite all of Putin's desperate attempts to 441 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 4: stamp out the opposition, and most of all, to his family, 442 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 4: especially to his wife, his daughter, and his son. We've 443 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:05,679 Speaker 4: already sacrificed so much for their family and a shared 444 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,880 Speaker 4: dream for a better future for Russia. 445 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,919 Speaker 2: Now, that was him making his first statement at the 446 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: White House. But then the media asked him that question, Hey, 447 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,359 Speaker 2: what happened to what you said three years ago? First? 448 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: Was this assassination? 449 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 4: The answer is that we don't know exactly what happened, 450 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 4: but there is no doubt that the death of the 451 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 4: Volny was the consequence of something that Putin and his 452 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:34,920 Speaker 4: thugs did. 453 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 3: And to be clear, you warned Vladimir Putin when you 454 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 3: were in Geneva, of devastating consequences. 455 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:42,919 Speaker 1: If Navali died. 456 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 3: In Russian custody, what consequences should he and Russia face? 457 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: That was three years ago. 458 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 4: In the meantime, they faced a hell of a lot 459 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 4: of consequences. They've lost and or had wounded over three 460 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 4: hundred and fifty thousand Russian soldiers. 461 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 2: I mean sinator. He doesn't answer the questions. He says, 462 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,200 Speaker 2: that was three years ago, and now because of the 463 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 2: war with Ukraine. Well, they've had some somehow some consequences 464 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 2: that have. 465 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: Nothing to do with killing this individual. 466 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 3: Well he did answer the question, actually, and his answer 467 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 3: is nothing. That he's so weak, that he's so ineffective, 468 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,120 Speaker 3: that he's not going to do anything. And Putin knows 469 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 3: that everybody else knows that Navalney knew that. So last week, 470 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 3: when the news of Navalney's death broke, here's the statement 471 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 3: that I put out. Quote. The Russian regime has been 472 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:32,280 Speaker 3: trying to murder Alexi Navalny for years to stop his 473 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 3: criticism of Vladimir Putin's corruption and ontocracy and to intimidate 474 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 3: the Russian people from similar criticism. Tragically, they appear to 475 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 3: have finally succeeded in murdering him. We must ensure that 476 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 3: they will never succeed in silencing him. The regime interprets 477 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:56,480 Speaker 3: weakness from the United States as appeasement and has only 478 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 3: escalated its oppression in recent years. Russian people are entitled 479 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 3: to express their views peacefully without fear of retribution, and 480 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,480 Speaker 3: I will work with my colleagues to hold accountable those 481 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 3: in the Russian regime responsible for this atrocity. So that's 482 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 3: what I put out. But I want to go back 483 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 3: because I said that Biden didn't mean the tough consequences 484 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 3: when he said that. How do I know that, Because 485 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 3: if you go back to twenty twenty one, you go 486 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 3: back to the beginning of the Biden administration where Vladimir 487 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 3: Putin poisoned Alexi Nevaldi actually poisoned him in August of 488 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 3: twenty twenty, and he was poisoned with a Novachok class 489 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 3: nerve agent, which is the same class that was used 490 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 3: by Russia in the twenty eighteen Assassin assassination attempt against 491 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 3: a former British intelligence agency. It's a strategy of murder 492 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 3: that the Russians are fond of. Poisoning, and at the 493 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 3: time time Biden announced really mild sanctions on Russia, said okay, 494 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 3: we're going to slap your hand. And what I called 495 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:14,479 Speaker 3: for at the time was sanctioning and shutting down the 496 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 3: nord Stream two pipeline. Now remember nord Stream two pipeline 497 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 3: was a pipeline that Putin was building that went straight 498 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 3: from Russia to Germany. It circumvented Ukraine. The entire point 499 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 3: of the nord Stream two pipeline was to enable Russia 500 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 3: to get its natural gas to Europe without needing to 501 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 3: go through the pipelines in Ukraine. Why did Putin want 502 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 3: the nord Stream two pipeline so he could invade Ukraine. 503 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 3: I authored the sanctions that shut nord Stream two down. 504 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 3: I passed them into law in December of twenty nineteen, 505 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 3: got overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, got overwhelming bipartisan 506 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 3: support in the House. Donald Trump signed my sanctions legislation 507 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 3: into law and listened to this. Putin stopped building the 508 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 3: nord Stream two pipeline literally the day, the very same 509 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 3: day that Donald Trump signed my sanctions legislation, the pipeline 510 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 3: was done. That was December of twenty nineteen December of 511 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 3: twenty twenty, I passed another set of sanctions legislation on 512 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 3: nord Stream two, again with overwhelming bipartisan support. Again, Donald 513 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 3: Trump signed it to law. The pipeline remained dead. Now 514 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 3: fast forward to January twenty twenty one. On January twentieth, 515 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 3: Joe Biden takes the oath of office. He becomes president. 516 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 3: Four days later, four January twenty fourth, twenty twenty one, 517 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 3: Putin resumes deep sea construction of the nord Stream two pipeline, 518 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 3: literally four days into the Biden presidency. 519 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: Why. 520 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:55,160 Speaker 3: Because Biden was already showing weakness. Putin understood Biden was weak, 521 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 3: and by the way, that foreshadowing of weakness was true, 522 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 3: it was accurate. Why do we know that, because several 523 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:06,200 Speaker 3: months later Biden formally waived the sanctions on nord Stream two. 524 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 3: He gave Vladimir Putin a multi billion dollar gift. He 525 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:14,840 Speaker 3: let him complete that pipeline. And that pipeline waving those 526 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 3: sanctions is why Putin invaded Ukraine. It is Biden's fault. 527 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 3: But when Navalney, when Putin went after Navalney, I called 528 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 3: on Biden. I said, all right, you gave Biden this 529 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 3: gift of Nordstream two. How about now, when Navalney's in jail, 530 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 3: how about now impose the sanctions on Nordstream two. How 531 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 3: about now grow a backbone and stand up to Putin? 532 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 3: And Biden refused to do so. Instead put little slap 533 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 3: of the wrist sanctions on it. And so when he 534 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 3: said severe consequences, he didn't meet it in twenty twenty one, 535 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 3: and he's admitted it now. The consequences he has in 536 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 3: mind are nothing. And you know what. Putin will continue 537 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 3: to behave worse, will continue to be more oppressive, will 538 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 3: continue to be more of a threat China. She will 539 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 3: continue to behave worse, to be more oppressive, to be 540 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 3: more of a threat North Korea. Will Thanezuela, will Iran, 541 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 3: will every enemy of America Hamas, will Hesbalow, will all 542 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,560 Speaker 3: of them. When we have a weak commander in chief, 543 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 3: America is at greater peril, and every one of our 544 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 3: allies is at greater peril. 545 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 2: I want to ask you one question about sanctions real quickly. 546 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 2: Before I do that, let me remind you right now, 547 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 2: if you want to get the best cup of coffee 548 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 2: in your life, take advantage of blackout coffee and the 549 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 2: twenty percent off your first order right now by going 550 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 2: to Blackoutcoffee dot com slash verdict. 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And that is why I love 562 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 2: Blackout Coffee and I want you to try it. The 563 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 2: coffee is one hundred percent of America, zero percent woke. 564 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 2: Blackout Coffee committed to conservative values from the source of 565 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 2: the beans, the roasting process, customer support and shipping. They 566 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 2: embody true American values and accept no compromise on taste 567 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:24,799 Speaker 2: or quality. Go to Blackoutcoffee dot com slash vertict use 568 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 2: the promo code vertict. 569 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 1: You'll get twenty percent off your first order. You're going 570 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:30,239 Speaker 1: to love it. I promise you. 571 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 2: Check them out Blackoutcoffee dot com slash vertict be awake, 572 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,719 Speaker 2: not woke, with your dollars and your. 573 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:37,360 Speaker 1: Cup of coffee. 574 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 2: That's Blackoutcoffee dot com slash vertict twenty percent off your 575 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,400 Speaker 2: first order promo code vertict cend. Our final question for 576 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,280 Speaker 2: you on sanctions, what is the point of having sanctions? 577 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 2: And you mentioned multiple countries there that we have sanctions 578 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 2: on that we're not doing anything. We're not enforcing the sanctions. 579 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,720 Speaker 2: And if the president and his administration will not enforce 580 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,239 Speaker 2: the sanctions, is is there any checks and balances that 581 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:06,320 Speaker 2: can come into play on the House, the Senate, congressional oversight, 582 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 2: Because if you've got the sanctions and they're worthless because 583 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 2: you don't enforce them, who does that fall on And 584 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:13,800 Speaker 2: can it change? 585 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 3: Well, it certainly can't change, and Congress can force the 586 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:19,960 Speaker 3: president to do it. And the best example of that, 587 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:22,880 Speaker 3: Let's go back to Nordstream two and I'll finish the 588 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 3: story when Biden waived the sanctions. My response as I 589 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,600 Speaker 3: put a hold on every single nominee at the State Department. 590 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 3: I block them in the Senate and it caused the 591 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:34,560 Speaker 3: Biden administration to go nuts. It caused Senate Democrats to 592 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:39,719 Speaker 3: go nuts, and I said, listen, Joe Biden is handing 593 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:42,839 Speaker 3: a massive gift of Vladimir Putin. He is causing war 594 00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 3: in Europe. He is causing Russia to prepare to invade Ukraine. 595 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 3: This makes no sense, and it is endangering Europe, our allies, 596 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:54,239 Speaker 3: and it's endangering America. For all of twenty twenty one, 597 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 3: I had those holes in place. In December of twenty 598 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 3: twenty one, I cut a deal with Chuck Schumer. I 599 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,320 Speaker 3: let I think it was thirty four of those holds 600 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:09,080 Speaker 3: go in exchange four scheduling a vote on new sanctions 601 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 3: on Nordstream two in January of twenty twenty two. Schumer agreed, 602 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 3: so I forced the vote on the Senate floor. Now 603 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 3: when the vote came up in January of twenty twenty two. 604 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:24,959 Speaker 3: The week before the vote, President Zelensky and Ukraine publicly 605 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 3: begged the United States Senate please please please pass cruises 606 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 3: sanctions legislation. This legislation is the last best hope to 607 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 3: stop Russia from invading Ukraine to avoid war. That same week, 608 00:36:42,719 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 3: the government of Poland put out a formal statement pleading 609 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,840 Speaker 3: with the United States Senate to pass my sanctions legislation. 610 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:54,959 Speaker 3: Poland said, if you do not do so, Russia will 611 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 3: invade Ukraine. Now, Ben That is highly unusual. Foreign countries 612 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 3: generally do not out statements on particular votes in the 613 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 3: Senate asking the Senate to do something. In this case, 614 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 3: both Ukraine and Poland put out those statements. The day 615 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 3: of the vote, Joe Biden came sixteen blocks from the 616 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 3: White House down to Capitol Hill and he went to 617 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:22,880 Speaker 3: the Democratic Senate lunch and he personally lobbied the Democrats senators. 618 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:28,800 Speaker 3: This was the first time he had done so since 619 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 3: he became president, and he came there to lobby them. 620 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 3: His request was, please, please, please vote against Cruz's sanctions legislation. 621 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:46,920 Speaker 3: Please vote for Russia and Putin. So twice, when I 622 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:50,399 Speaker 3: had introduced my legislation and passed it to law, all 623 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 3: the Democrats had come together and supported it. So they 624 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 3: were on record twice supporting my sanctions. In January twenty 625 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:04,160 Speaker 3: twenty two, because Biden's personal lobbying, forty four Democrat senators 626 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:08,400 Speaker 3: flipped their votes. They voted against sanctions, they voted in 627 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:12,440 Speaker 3: favor of Russia, they voted in favor of Putin, and 628 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 3: as a result, a month later, Russia invaded Ukraine, and 629 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:22,160 Speaker 3: we have still today the biggest war in Europe since 630 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 3: World War II. Look, I'm someone who hates war. I 631 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 3: am very reluctant to go to war. But I agree 632 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 3: with Ronald Reagan. I agree with Winston Churchill. I agree 633 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:38,760 Speaker 3: with Donald Trump in the philosophy of peace through strength 634 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 3: that the best way you avoid war is being strong 635 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:43,640 Speaker 3: enough your enemies don't want to mess with you, and 636 00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 3: sanctions can be a very powerful tool for avoiding war. 637 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 3: What the Biden White House is all about when it 638 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:54,880 Speaker 3: comes to our enemies is weakness and appeasement, and waiving 639 00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 3: these sanctions directly cause the war. Once the pipeline was complete, 640 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,920 Speaker 3: Putin's view was he could invade because he could still 641 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:09,719 Speaker 3: get his guests to Europe even if the pipelines in 642 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:10,399 Speaker 3: Ukraine were. 643 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 2: Destroyed, no doubt. Don't forget this week. It's gonna be 644 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:15,439 Speaker 2: a big week with breaking news. We're going to keep 645 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 2: you updated on all of it. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We 646 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 2: need this show and don't forget. You can listen to 647 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 2: my podcast as well, the Ben Ferguson podcasts and those 648 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 2: in between days. I'll keep you updated on the latest 649 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,920 Speaker 2: breaking news. So makes you subscribe to that The Ben 650 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:30,800 Speaker 2: Ferguson podcasts as well, and we will see you back 651 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:32,320 Speaker 2: here on Wednesday morning.