1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Welcome in his verdict with Ted Cruz. Weekend Review, Ben 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Ferguson with you, and these are the stories you may 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: have missed that we talked about this week. First up, 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court allowing Donald Trump to ax DEI grants. 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: This is a big move and it can save you 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: a lot of money. I have those details in a moment. Also, 7 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: Cracker Barrel, they reverse course well pretty quickly, but was 8 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: it quick enough to save the brand. We'll talk about that. 9 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: And finally, Centater Cruz is on a codell to Latin America. 10 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: What he's seeing is truly unbelievable, especially in the prison system, 11 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: and some news from the Panama Canal as well. It's 12 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: the weekend Review and it starts right now. I want 13 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 1: to move to another big story as well, and this 14 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: is one that is not going to get a lot 15 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 1: of media attention, So I hope everyone listening will actually 16 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: pay attention to this because it was a big victory 17 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: from the Supreme Court allowing Donald Trump to ax millions 18 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: of dollars center and funding for DEI related grants. This 19 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: is huge. 20 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: It is so it was a five to four vote 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 2: and it allowed the Trump administration to terminate seven hundred 22 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 2: and eighty three million dollars worth of grants, their grants 23 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: from the National Institute of Health, and they were granted 24 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: that they were canceled because because of the administration's policy 25 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 2: positions on diversity, equity and inclusion and gender ideology. And 26 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: the Trump administration quite reasonably said we're not going to 27 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: give away three seven hundred and eighty three million dollars 28 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 2: for DEI for And these were awards that were studying 29 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 2: all sorts of ideological objectives that and in many instances 30 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 2: were These are awards that were granted because of the 31 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 2: researcher's race. 32 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:46,479 Speaker 3: They made that a criterion. 33 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: And listen, I gotta say, there is an important role 34 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 2: for scientific and medical research and IHDS does good work. 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: And you know, early in the Trump administration, I was 36 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 2: flying from DC back to Houston and a woman came 37 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: up to me on the plane and she said she 38 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 2: was a cancer researcher at m d Anderson and she 39 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 2: said she was very worried about funding getting cut and 40 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: she wanted to express that to me. And I said, listen, 41 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 2: thank you for the work you do. MD Anderson is incredible. 42 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 2: They do phenomenal work fighting cancer. And I said, everyone 43 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: or at least everyone with any sense, agrees that we 44 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 2: ought to be doing cancer research. And part of the reason, 45 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 2: a big part of the reason, you want to scrutinize, 46 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 2: and you want to cut out wasteful expenditures, things like 47 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 2: funding you know, transgender education in Guatemala, which was one 48 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: of the was one of the USAID grants that the 49 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 2: administration canceled. Is so that you can spend the money 50 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 2: where it actually should be spent. And so seven hundred 51 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 2: and eighty three million dollars in NIH grants that is 52 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 2: not actually going to disease and curing disease and helping 53 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 2: people who are suffering, but instead are granted based on ideology. 54 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 2: That is an absolute waste and it is wrong. But 55 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 2: I got to tell you, the ruling from the court 56 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: was only five to four. It was very narrow, and 57 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 2: it had a bit of a complicated, bit of a 58 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 2: complicated lineup. So four justices dissented. The four who dissented 59 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: were Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Sotomayor, Justice Kagan, and Justice Jackson. 60 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: So you had the Chief Justice plus the four liberals. 61 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: Now you had four conservatives, Justice Thomas, Justice Ledo, Justice Gorsich, 62 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: and Justice Kavanaugh, who would have granted the Trump administration's 63 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: request entirely. And so what happened was plaintiffs had their 64 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: grants canceled, they went and filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts 65 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 2: because of course in this law fair that they deliberately 66 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: seek out left wing judges at extreme left wing jurisdictions, 67 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: and so Massachusetts and San Francisco have been incredibly popular 68 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 2: places for left wing attorney's jen role in radical groups 69 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 2: to file lawsuits. And the district judge, with a district 70 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 2: judge did is two things. Number one, vacated the guidance 71 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: that the Trump administration had issued saying they were not 72 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 2: going to give funding to DEI. And then secondly, the 73 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 2: district court ordered the Trump administration give the seven hundred 74 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 2: and eighty three million dollars to these grant recipients. That 75 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 2: went up on appeal to the Court of Appeals, and 76 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: the Court of Appeals agreed with the District Court and 77 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 2: again ordered the Trump administration give the money. Now it 78 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 2: went to the US Supreme Court and the Supreme Court 79 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: five to four said no, you do not have to 80 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 2: give the money. So the seven hundred and eighty three 81 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: million dollars the Trump administration is holding on to it. 82 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 2: And the deciding vote on this was was Justice Amy 83 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,720 Speaker 2: Coney Barrett, who voted with the liberals on part of 84 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: the case and the conservatives on part of the case. 85 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 2: So she voted with the conservatives on you don't have 86 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 2: to give the money. And the basis for it, by 87 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 2: the way, is what the five justices said, is the 88 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: lawsuit was filed in the wrong place. That the lawsuit 89 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 2: should have been filed in the Court of Federal Claims, 90 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 2: which is where if you have a breach of contract 91 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,160 Speaker 2: case against the federal government. If you have a contract 92 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: and they broke it under federal law, the place to 93 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 2: bring that case is the Court of Federal Claims. It's 94 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 2: a specialized court that exists to adjudicate breach of contract 95 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 2: cases against the government. They did not bring this in 96 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 2: the Court of Federal Claims. They brought it just in 97 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 2: an ordinary federal district court. So five to four the 98 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 2: court said, wrong court. They don't have jurisdiction to decide this, 99 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,559 Speaker 2: so they don't have to give the money. 100 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 3: Now. 101 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:49,719 Speaker 2: Justice Barris Barrett sided with the liberals in refusing to 102 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: reverse the district courts vacating the guidance on DEI. So 103 00:05:55,160 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 2: the guidance on DEI is currently blocked, although that lawsuit 104 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 2: will continue, so it's not necessarily permanently blocked. And she 105 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 2: declined to have the Supreme Court reverse that decision. And 106 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 2: so this was at the end of the day. This 107 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,119 Speaker 2: really should have been nine to oh, but I'm glad 108 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 2: it was at least five to four the right way 109 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 2: because that means that this money doesn't have to go 110 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: out the door. 111 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's certainly big that didn't have to go out 112 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: the door moving forward, does this also have some sort 113 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: of pressing that the president will be harassed maybe a 114 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: little bit less or do you think Democrats say will 115 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,840 Speaker 1: harass no matter what. We'll argue wherever we can, a 116 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: liberal court we can find and that will at least 117 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: slow him down. 118 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 3: Yeah. 119 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 2: Look, the Democrats are going to keep trying, and the 120 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 2: left wing activist groups are going to keep trying. This 121 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 2: is their next generation of lawfare, just like what before 122 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 2: when they indicted him four times. That was an effort 123 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 2: to use the courts, to use law enforcement to stop 124 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 2: President Trump, but also to stop the voters from re 125 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 2: electing him. They failed in that. This is now their effort, 126 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 2: and it is really relentless. Every day of the Trump presidency, 127 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 2: He's going to be sued. The administration is going to 128 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 2: be sued. I will say the Supreme Court, we talked 129 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: about this in an earlier podcast. It has made important 130 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 2: steps to rein in the abuse of nationwide or so 131 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: called universal injunctions. That was important, and this decision is important, 132 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: and I will say Justice Gorsic, joined by Justice Kavanaugh, 133 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 2: wrote a concurring opinion that was significant. 134 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 3: Here's what Justice Gorsic said. Quote. 135 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 2: Lower court decisions may sometimes disagree with this Court's decision, 136 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 2: but they are never free to defy them. In Department 137 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: of Education versus California, this Court granted a stay because 138 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 2: it found the government likely to prevail in showing that 139 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 2: the district court lacked jurisdiction to order the government to 140 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: pay grant obligations. The California decision explained that quote, suits 141 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 2: based on any express or implied contract with the United 142 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 2: States do not belong in district court under the Administrative 143 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 2: Procedure Act, but in the court of Federal claims under 144 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: the Tucker Act. Rather than follow that direction, the district 145 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 2: Court in this case permitted a suit involving materially identical 146 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 2: grants to proceed to final judgment under the APA. As 147 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 2: support for its course, the District Court invoked thee persuasive 148 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: authority of the dissents in California and an earlier Court 149 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 2: of Appeals decision that California repudiated that was error in 150 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 2: casting California side. The District Court stressed that the court 151 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:50,479 Speaker 2: there granted only interim relief pending appeal and a Ritiscechoran 152 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 2: did not issue a final judgment on the Merits true enough, 153 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 2: but this court often addresses requests for interim relief, sometimes 154 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 2: pending a rit of ccherari, as in calif And either way, 155 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 2: when this Court issues a decision, it constitutes a precedent 156 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,599 Speaker 2: that commands respect in lower courts. 157 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 3: He went on to say, quote, if the District. 158 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 2: Court's failure to abide by California were a one off, 159 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 2: perhaps it would not be worth writing to address it. 160 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:26,439 Speaker 2: But two months ago, another district court tried to quote 161 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 2: compel compliance with a different order that this Court had stayed. Still, 162 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: another district court recently diverged from one of this Court's decisions, 163 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 2: even though the case at hand did not differ in 164 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 2: any pertinent respect from the one this Court had decided. 165 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 2: So now this is the third time in a matter 166 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 2: of weeks this Court has had to intercede in a 167 00:09:55,080 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 2: case squarely controlled by one of its precedents. All these 168 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 2: interventions should have been unnecessary, but together they underscore a 169 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 2: basic tenet of our judicial system. Whatever their own views, 170 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 2: judges are duty bound to respect the hierarchy of the 171 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 2: federal court system created by the Constitution and Congress. Look 172 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 2: that this highlights a pattern we're seeing of lawless district judges. 173 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 2: That is, Justice Gorsic and Kavanaugh lay out three and 174 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 2: just three weeks that have defied the Supreme Court of 175 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 2: the United States said we don't care what the Court said, 176 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 2: and you know it was striking. Look I'm reading from 177 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 2: a Supreme Court opinion, and some of that sounds like 178 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 2: legal ease. But I'll tell you one of the most 179 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 2: amazing things that Justice Gorsich described the district Court did 180 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 2: is it said it found persuasive the descents in the 181 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 2: California decision. Well, a dissent, by definition, means you lost, 182 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 2: you did not get the majority. The majority is the opinion. 183 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 2: A discent is someone who disagrees with the opinion, and 184 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 2: the way precedent works, the way our judicial system works, 185 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 2: is a decision that it issues from the Supreme Court 186 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 2: is a precedent that all of the district courts and 187 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 2: all of the courts of appeals are bound to follow. 188 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 2: So if you are citing a descent, you are saying 189 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 2: right on the front of it, I don't care what 190 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 2: the majority held, I agree with the dissenters. No lower 191 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 2: court judge has the authority to do that. That is 192 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 2: the definition of lawlessness, and it is why these plaintiffs 193 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 2: are seeking out radicals on the bench who they know 194 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 2: will be lawless. 195 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:41,359 Speaker 1: Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, 196 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: you can go back and listen to the full podcast 197 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: from earlier this week. Now onto story number two. 198 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, look, we saw an illustration of this with 199 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 2: Cracker Barrel. Cracker Barrel is a terrific institution, particularly in 200 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 2: the South, and their woke leadership decided that everything the 201 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 2: company was built on they didn't like, and in particular, 202 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 2: they didn't like their customers. You know, their customers they 203 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 2: thought were not nearly as enlightened as they should be. 204 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 2: They were not nearly as woke as they should be. 205 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 2: And the whole thing was very reminiscent of bud Light. 206 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 2: You know, bud Light. You had a marketing executive who said, 207 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 2: you know, the people who buy bud Light. 208 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 3: We don't like them. 209 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 2: We need to have you know, a bunch of woke 210 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 2: transgender activists drinking our beer instead. It was reminiscent of 211 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 2: what happened with Target, where they decided to market, you know, 212 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 2: to market to transgender toddlers and do it prominently pushing, 213 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 2: pushing bathing suits. 214 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:44,079 Speaker 3: For two year old boys to. 215 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 2: Tuck their genitals, to hide them away, to pretend they're 216 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 2: not boys. That was Target thinking, this is really what 217 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 2: America wants, because you know, if you're the parent of 218 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 2: a two year old, clearly you want your son to 219 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 2: believe he's a daughter when he's two. This is a 220 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 2: phenomenon a business leader who buy into an ideology that 221 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 2: is wildly unpopular and ultimately directly antithetical to their customers. 222 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 2: And so Cracker Barrel had had a logo, had a 223 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,079 Speaker 2: logo of you know, an old old guy sitting on 224 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 2: a chair next to a giant barrel. And they decided, okay, 225 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 2: let's get rid of the Cracker. Let's get rid of 226 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 2: the barrel. Let's get rid of it all, and we'll 227 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 2: just have anodyne words because we're really embarrassed that that 228 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:31,959 Speaker 2: that were for anything nostalgic, anything that that that is Americana. 229 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,680 Speaker 2: And the pushback has been phenomenal. There's stock prices tank 230 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 2: just like bud Light, just like Target, and and just 231 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 2: today they announced never mind. Okay, yeah, this has not 232 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 2: worked well. The beatings are really hurting, so we're going 233 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 2: to stop. But it is it is striking that that 234 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 2: it took the reaction of the market for them to 235 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 2: figure it out. I want to say though, it is 236 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 2: a great, great victory for common sense that Cracker Barrel 237 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 2: finally gave in and said, you know what, we're gonna 238 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 2: stop being woke because we'd like to actually have one 239 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: or two customers when this is all said and done. 240 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. The the I think the frustration of conservatives now 241 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: voting with our dollars, and that is what ultimately this 242 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: came down to. A Cracker brought This was a bunch 243 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: of Americans that said, Okay, you despise us, you despise 244 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: the you know who we are as a customer base. 245 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: You're basically telling us you don't want us anymore watch this, 246 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: uh and and that is exactly how they got this 247 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: point very quickly. And look, I also think when you 248 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: have people like you and the President who are willing 249 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: to speak out on this and say you guys are 250 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: being stupid, they realize how quickly others are like yeah, 251 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: us too, like we're gonna you know what, We're gonna 252 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: say that we think this is ridiculous, and we're starting 253 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: to finally, I think see the pendulum swing back the 254 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: other way, which is really really cool. 255 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 2: I was gratified because yesterday President Trump publicly called out 256 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 2: Cracker Barrel and said, look, you need to just go 257 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 2: back to your old logo, like give this up in 258 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 2: the rebranding and accept that you were wrong. And I'll 259 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 2: tell you. I jumped in on Twitter. I retweeted him, 260 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 2: I said this is absolutely right, and the two of 261 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 2: us were very vocal saying go back to where you were, 262 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 2: and twenty four hours later they did. So that was gratifying. 263 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 2: It's not always that people listen they listen to common sense. 264 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 2: In this case, they did, and it's worth noting it 265 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 2: isn't just in the last week that people noticed that 266 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 2: what Cracker Barrel was doing was nuts. Almost a year ago. 267 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 2: November of last year, a big investor in Cracker Barrel 268 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: Guy named Sardar big Laurie. He owns approximately five percent 269 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 2: of the restaurant chainstock. He wrote to his fellow shareholders 270 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 2: that the Cracker Barrel transformation was a quote mistake of 271 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 2: misguided executives falling into a textbook trap of overspending on 272 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 2: cosmetic remodeling. And he continued the day Cracker Barrel opened, 273 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 2: it was already old, its theme derived from the nineteen twenties, 274 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 2: and he wrote, I am concerned that not only will 275 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 2: the remodel not work, but it could actually damage the 276 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: brand further. These decisions are taking us down the same 277 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 2: path I believe as Ruby Tuesday, Red Lobster, Tgi Fridays 278 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 2: and the like. Let me make my position clear. The 279 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 2: company's seven hundred million dollars remodel plan will not work. 280 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: And he called at a letter to the shareholders in 281 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 2: October twenty twenty four, the board's transformation plan quote obvious folly. 282 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 2: And yet the corporate leadership ignored the shareholder own five 283 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 2: percent of the company, and they charged down that road anyway, 284 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 2: and they vaporized roughly fifteen percent of the market cap 285 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 2: of the company because that they were more interested in 286 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 2: listening to woke marketing executives. And by the way, the 287 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 2: entire marketing world, much of that is a scam of 288 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:18,439 Speaker 2: left wing, woke people who despise their customers. And let 289 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 2: me say, if you're in corporate America, don't listen to 290 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 2: marketing executives that don't understand and don't like your customers. 291 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 2: But in this instance, Cracker Barrel should have listened to 292 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 2: its investor and not these marketing execs, and it paid 293 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 2: the price. But the good news is they finally, finally, 294 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,479 Speaker 2: finally listened and reversed and said, you know what, the 295 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 2: principles we were founded on, the principles America was founded on. 296 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 2: Those principles are pretty good. We're going to get back 297 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: to them. 298 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's incredible. All right, final question for you, you've 299 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: got day one in the book to the Codell. You're 300 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: going to be down there and also doing more. We're 301 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:54,959 Speaker 1: going to be able to talk about that coming up 302 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: on the next episode of Verdict. 303 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 3: That's right. 304 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 2: That this is a multi day trip and traveling to 305 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 2: two other countries throughout Latin America and the focus is 306 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 2: really on meeting with heads of state, meeting with leaders 307 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 2: in each of these countries where the issues directly impact 308 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 2: the United States, directly impact Texas, they impact our national security, 309 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 2: they impact our economy. By the way, I had dinner 310 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 2: tonight with the Economy minister here in El Salvador. They're 311 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 2: very focused on American investment on energy, on technology, on pharmaceuticals, 312 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 2: on creating jobs. And by the way, to give a 313 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 2: sense of how much these changes matter, I'm going to 314 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 2: give you two stats to wrap up with. The Justice 315 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 2: Minister told me they've had over ten thousand applications for 316 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 2: people who want to be police officers. Suddenly, people are 317 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 2: eager to be police officers because it's making a difference 318 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 2: because as they're making their community safe. Previously, when the 319 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 2: gangs were running the country, they had in one year 320 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 2: over three hundred police officers murdered. Being a police officer 321 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 2: was literally taking your life and your faith, family's life 322 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 2: in danger. Now people are lining up to be police 323 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:05,399 Speaker 2: officers because they see the difference. But here's something else. 324 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 2: It used to be that the people of El Salvador 325 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 2: were fleeing this country because look, you were risking being murdered, 326 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 2: your kids were risking being murdered. You wanted to get out. 327 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 2: Now we are seeing reverse migration. They're roughly six million 328 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 2: Salvadorans and El Salvador. There are about three million Salvadorans 329 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 2: in the United States. President Beccauley told me roughly half 330 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 2: of those Salvadorans in America, about one and a half million, 331 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 2: have said they want to come back to El Salvador. 332 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 2: They're seeing reverse migration because suddenly people are saying, wait, 333 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 2: I've fled my country because I was terrified for my 334 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 2: safety and my family. Now the country's safe, I want 335 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 2: to come back. I love love the beach and the mountains, 336 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 2: and the people and the culture that is changing this country. 337 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 2: And it ought to be an encouragement to any other leader, 338 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 2: to any mayor, to anyone facing crime and challenges. When 339 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 2: you fix these problems, it doesn't just keep people safe, 340 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 2: which it does, but it has economic benefits. It literally 341 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:11,199 Speaker 2: transforms your community. That's inspirational. And as I said, this 342 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 2: is the beginning of a multi day trip throughout Latin America. 343 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,440 Speaker 2: So in two days we'll report on the rest of 344 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 2: the trip. 345 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: As before. If you want to hear the rest of 346 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: this conversation on this topic. You can go back and 347 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 1: down the podcast from earlier this week to hear the 348 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: entire thing. I want to get back to the big 349 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:29,360 Speaker 1: story number three of the week. 350 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:30,159 Speaker 3: You may have missed. 351 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: All right, Senator, you're on this codelln Latin America. One 352 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: of the other parts of your trip involved going to 353 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 1: the Panama Canal and seeing some different things, including a 354 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: lot that deals with China. Now it's been a big 355 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:45,000 Speaker 1: concern talk about that. 356 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, So I spent a day and a half in Panama. 357 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 4: I flew from El Salvador to Panama and met with 358 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:58,920 Speaker 4: multiple cabinet members, the Finance Minister, the Defense Minister, the 359 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 4: Public Safety minister, uh, and the head of the Panama 360 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 4: Canal and and and I will say number one, Panama 361 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 4: is a beautiful country. Uh. It is. It is a 362 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 4: gorgeous place. And and the people of Panama have a 363 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 4: deep affinity for America. I was struck by that. You 364 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 4: know that they repeatedly, the government officials, the Panamanians that 365 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 4: I visited with, there's a long history in a close, 366 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 4: close affinity for the United States. The Panama Canal is amazing. 367 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 4: So so I went out on a boat and and 368 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 4: and went to to the outer parts of the Panama Canal. 369 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 4: And then I went to one of the locks and 370 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 4: I saw I saw one of the Panamas, like the 371 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 4: super tankers coming through, and and then also saw a 372 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 4: little sailboat coming through, and then a kind of medium 373 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 4: sized container ship coming through. It is amazing, it is 374 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 4: very like, it is very cool. Number one, just how 375 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 4: the Panama Canal operates. Like you see the Panamax, the supertanker. 376 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:12,880 Speaker 4: The container ship is the largest size possible to fit 377 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,439 Speaker 4: through the Panama Canal, and it's built for that size. 378 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,639 Speaker 4: I mean, it is literally this massive ship that is 379 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,440 Speaker 4: going through these locks. And these locks have concrete on 380 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 4: the side, and it's built so the sides of the 381 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 4: ship are within two feet of the concrete walls on 382 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 4: both sides, Like it's that big. And what happens. So 383 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 4: we were on the Pacific end of the canal and 384 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 4: a ship comes in and each of the locks has 385 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 4: to lower the ship twenty seven feet, so it comes 386 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 4: in into the locks. And it's interesting for the big 387 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,679 Speaker 4: tanker that connect steel cables to the tanker and they 388 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 4: have locomotives on both sides to help keep the ship 389 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 4: right in the center. You've got only two feet of 390 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 4: clearance on both sides, so it'd be really easy for 391 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 4: it to smack into the side of the canal. And 392 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 4: it is in the lock, and then it takes about 393 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 4: eight to ten minutes for the water to drain and 394 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 4: for it to lower twenty seven feet. And it's lowering 395 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 4: twenty seven feet, and it goes to the next lock 396 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 4: and it lowers another I believe it's twenty seven feet. 397 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 4: All told, it's about eight I think it's eighty one feet. 398 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 4: That it has to rise to get to the height 399 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 4: of the lake in the interior, and that it has 400 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,720 Speaker 4: to lower it to get to the Atlantic Ocean of 401 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:28,919 Speaker 4: the Pacific Ocean, and both the Atlantic and Pacific are 402 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 4: about the same distance. To lower the water twenty seven 403 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 4: feet takes eight to ten minutes, and so the water 404 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,600 Speaker 4: goes down and then the giant gates open. It was 405 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 4: amazing to watch the technology. I saw the old control room. 406 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 4: I saw the control room where the lock is being operated, 407 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 4: the old control room. So the Panama Canal was built 408 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 4: in nineteen fourteen. The United States built it, and we 409 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 4: lost thousands and thousands of lives building it. It's an 410 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 4: incredible engineer Marble. So the old control room had these 411 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 4: brass ge equipment. You saw the old ge General Electric 412 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,879 Speaker 4: and Electric that they built one of the first early 413 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 4: computers to help operate the locks. It's amazing now now 414 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 4: it's all computerized in high tech. So the old brass 415 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 4: controls of each lock that gives you the water height. 416 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 4: And it was literally it almost looked like something Captain 417 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 4: Nemo would have in terms of the nineteen fourteen levers 418 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 4: and switches to operate the canal. That's still preserved there. 419 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:41,919 Speaker 4: When I went out on the boat. One of the 420 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 4: things I saw ben is right at the entrance, the 421 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 4: Pacific entrance of the canal, there is a gigantic port 422 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 4: that is owned and controlled by Communist China, and it's 423 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 4: right there and they have cranes. They're right there in 424 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 4: a position. There is also China is building a bridge, 425 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,679 Speaker 4: a bridge across the canal. It is a bridge for cars. 426 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 4: They were awarded the contract to build the bridge. China 427 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 4: is also there's a Chinese company that is digging a 428 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 4: tunnel under the canal for a metro trade. And so 429 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 4: I saw, I saw where the metro was going to go. 430 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 4: I saw the bridge being built, and it's all right 431 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 4: there at the mouth of the canal, and I went. 432 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 4: The purpose of my visit was to meet with the 433 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:39,320 Speaker 4: Panamanian government and say, look, China cannot have control. 434 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 3: Of this canal. 435 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:44,439 Speaker 4: It is too important to the United States, to our 436 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,360 Speaker 4: national security, to our economic security. As you know, I'm 437 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 4: the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. The Commerce Committee 438 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 4: has jurisdiction over the Panama Canal, and so earlier this 439 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,439 Speaker 4: year I chaired a hearing on the Panama Canal in 440 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 4: the Commerce Committee, and we laid out the concerns, in 441 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 4: particular the concerns of China. And when I laid out 442 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:11,199 Speaker 4: to the Panamanian officials, I said, look, if God forbid, 443 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 4: we find ourselves in a military conflict with China. Let's 444 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 4: say next year China invades Taiwan, and President she has 445 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 4: repeatedly said he wants to invade Taiwan. If he does so, 446 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 4: there's a very real possibility that escalates into a military 447 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 4: conflict with the United States. If China is in an 448 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 4: active military conflict with the United States, I think the 449 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:42,719 Speaker 4: risk is unacceptable that China would try to shut down 450 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 4: the Panama Canal, because if they shut down the Panama Canal. 451 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 4: It massively delays our ability to move military ships from 452 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 4: the Atlantic to the Pacific to engage with the Chinese 453 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 4: in Taiwan, because it forces our military ships instead to 454 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 4: go around the southern tip of South America rather than 455 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 4: cut through the canal. And so if you're president, she look, 456 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:08,879 Speaker 4: you wouldn't do it at a time of peace. But 457 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 4: if they're at war, it becomes a really compelling situation 458 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 4: to say, let's impose massive economic harm on the United 459 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 4: States and we get enormous benefits. They're billions of dollars 460 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 4: of revenue that comes from shipping. Shipping, whether it is 461 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 4: is oil and gas through the Panama Canal or goods 462 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 4: and containers, and shutting down the Panama Canal would be 463 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 4: a real blow to the United States economy. But it 464 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 4: would also be a real blow to our military because 465 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 4: it would limit our ability to move naval ships from 466 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 4: the Atlantic to Pacific. It would massively delay moving that 467 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 4: those ships. And so what I'm pressing Panama, I will 468 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 4: say when I shared the hearing on the Panama Canal. 469 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 4: Within a week they announced the deal to those two 470 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 4: Chinese ports to an American business consortium that deal has 471 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 4: not gone through yet. The Chinese are slow walking in 472 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 4: and part of the purpose of my trip was to 473 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 4: press the Panamanian government and say, look, you need to 474 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 4: get the Chinese the hell out of here. Do not 475 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,360 Speaker 4: leave them in a position where they can shut down 476 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:25,199 Speaker 4: this canal, because shutting down this canal would be an 477 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 4: enormous economic and national security blow to the United States, 478 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 4: but it would also be an enormous blow to Panama. 479 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,359 Speaker 4: And so part of the case I was making them 480 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 4: is their interests in our interest are aligned. They don't 481 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 4: want China to be in a position to shut down 482 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 4: the canal. 483 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,240 Speaker 1: As always, thank you for listening to Verdict with center 484 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson with you don't forget to deal 485 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 1: with my podcast, and you can listen to my podcast 486 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: every other day you're not listening to Verdict or each 487 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: day when you listen to Verdict. Afterwards, I'd love to 488 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: have you as a listener to again the Ben Ferguson podcasts, 489 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: and we will see you back here on Monday morning.