1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: It is the official two year anniversary A Verdict with 2 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,720 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz. We've just gotten a major win in the 3 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Supreme Court. We've gotten a major win in the United 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: States Senate. There's a new, very important First Amendment case 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: going to the Supreme Court that Senator Ted Cruise is 6 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: actually bringing himself, and we are in the mood to celebrate. 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. This episode A Verdict 8 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: of Ted Cruise is brought to you by American Hartford Gold. 9 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed everything 10 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: is getting expensive. 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That's stamps dot Com promo code Verdict. 63 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Verdict with Ted Cruz. I'm Michael Knowles, Senator. 64 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: Nothing's ever perfect in politics. There are some losses, there 65 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: are some dangers, there are some threats. This has been 66 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: a good week. It has been a damn good week. 67 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: The biggest win before we get into the case that 68 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: you are actually bringing to the Supreme Court, before we 69 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 1: get into that, before we get into the filibuster, which 70 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: lives lives to see another day, the ocean man. Yeah, 71 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was demanding that eighty 72 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: four million Americans take the fauci auchie as some of 73 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: us call it, the COVID vaccine. Employers were enforcing it. 74 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: Some people brought a lawsuit. One of the groups was 75 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: the Daily Wire, a lawsuit, and the Supreme Court strikes 76 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: effectively strikes down the mandate. Yeah. No, it was a 77 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: huge victory for the rule of law. It was a 78 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: very important case. When the OSHA mandate came out. We 79 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: talked about a lot on this podcast. Your employer, the 80 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: Daily Wire, filed a lawsuit, was a party in the suit. 81 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: So so we're actually sitting here, both of us our 82 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: parties in Supreme Court cases this past week. The Osha 83 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: case was huge, and when it came out, we had 84 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: a podcast at the time where we walked through the 85 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: legal standards for OSHA promulgating a rule like that, and 86 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 1: you'll recall we we said on the pod we said, 87 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: number one, we said, the Supreme Court's going to strike 88 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: it down. And in fact, when you and I talked 89 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: about it, but when the case was being argued, I said, 90 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: I think the decision will be six three. I think 91 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: there will be six votes to strike it down as 92 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: beyond OSHA's statutory authority, beyond the authority of the federal government. 93 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: And we also talked about Ron Klain, who was the 94 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: White House is the White House Chief of STA who 95 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: stupidly sent a tweet right when the ocean mandate issued 96 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: where he retweeted that this was a workaround to get 97 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: around the law. And you'll recall I talked about I 98 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: tweeted at the time and said this was really dumb. 99 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 1: And I promise you number one, this edict is going 100 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: to be challenged. Number two, I believe it's going to 101 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: be struck down in court. At number three, this idiotic 102 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: tweet from ron Klain is going to be exhibit A 103 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: in the lawsuit and the Supreme Court's decision six three 104 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 1: striking it down. What did they sit, among other things 105 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 1: ron Klain's tweet, this seems to be a workaround, and 106 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: that's not legit. So I read the opinion of the court, 107 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: I read the concurring opinion of the Court's conservatives three Thomas, Alito, 108 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: and Gorsich, and I read the liberal dissent. This is 109 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: obviously all great news, but it was a little confusing. 110 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: I'm not a lawyer, I have no So they were 111 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: they stay the mandate and then they sent the mandate 112 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: back to the lower Okay, So what they did is 113 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: they upheld the injunction, So the mandate is enjoined. An 114 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: injunction is an order from a court, either to do 115 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 1: something or not to do something. So the injunction means 116 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: the mandate has no legal force. Okay, But they remandered 117 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: it to the lower court to have a trial to 118 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: consider the claims challenging the mandate. But the reason why 119 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: this is really good, one of the grounds for upholding 120 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: the injunction is likelihood of success on the merits. So 121 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: six Justices have said the plaintiffs are likely to succeed. 122 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: They haven't conclusively said their claims are valid, but they've 123 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 1: said they're likely to succeed on the merits that that 124 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: the Ocean mandate, for all intents and purposes, it is dead. Unfortunately, 125 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: there was a second decision that came out the same day, 126 00:06:55,040 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: and that second decision was five four upholding a different 127 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: vaccine mandate, the vaccine mandate that the Biden administration put 128 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: on healthcare workers, and it put on healthcare workers in 129 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: facilities that are receiving federal funds either through Medicare or Medicaid. 130 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: And that was five to four. It consisted of the 131 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: three Liberals plus Chief Justice Roberts plus Brett Cavanaugh were 132 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: the five. And you know, we talked about before the 133 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: Supreme Court's decision coming out of New York with healthcare workers, 134 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: where they had refused to stay the decision out of 135 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: New York. I think that was a mistake. I think 136 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: this was a mistake. But look, the three Libs, they 137 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: like all these mandates. Apparently the Biden can mandate us 138 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: to do whatever we want to dance on one leg 139 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: in a pink two two while singing Yankee Doodle Dante. 140 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: The Libs more or less say that in the descent, 141 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: they say there's basically no limit to what the government 142 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: can do in this regard Roberts and Kavanaugh on healthcare workers, 143 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: they're pretty comfortable with the federal government or the state government. 144 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: The New York case was a state government issue. Here 145 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: it's the federal government. But they're pretty comfortable with the 146 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: federal government forcing state workers, state healthcare workers, or just 147 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 1: healthcare workers generally who were receiving government money to have 148 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: to have to get vaccinated. I think that was a 149 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:24,119 Speaker 1: serious mistake. I think they're undervaluing the liberty interest of 150 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: these healthcare workers because I had this question when I 151 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: saw Kavanaugh squish and flipped to the other side, I thought, well, 152 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: do healthcare workers not have the same rights as every 153 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: other employee. So you remember we talked about that. There 154 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 1: are four different mandates that came out. There's a mandate 155 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: for military service men and women. There's a mandate for 156 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: civilian employees. There's a mandate for federal contractors. There's a 157 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: mandate for private employers with a hundred and more employees 158 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: under OSHA, and I said, they're all in descending likelihood 159 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: of surviving. Yeah, so the OSHA order was always the 160 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: most vulnerable legally because the Oceans Statute doesn't allow this. 161 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: That this is really a far stretch from what Congress 162 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: intended on in OSHA, which is why Ron Klaine called 163 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: it a workaround. To be fair the healthcare workers, there's 164 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: a stronger statutory argument there. The statutory language is different, 165 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: and so there is a stronger argument. I still think 166 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: that mandate should have been struck down as well, but 167 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: there is a meaningful difference in terms of with OSHA, 168 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: they had zero legs to stand on. With the healthcare workers, 169 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: they didn't even have a leg, but maybe they had 170 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: a toe. Fair enough, fair enough, and still still basically 171 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: a win. Even if it was unfortunate that the court 172 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: wouldn't go all the way on this second case, still 173 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: a major win. Eighty four million Americans don't need to 174 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: be vaccinated against their will. Well, and I gotta say 175 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 1: I take particular pride because not only did we predict 176 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: at every stage would happen in this case on the podcast, 177 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: but the lawyer argued the case was my former chief Council. 178 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: So it's a fellow named Scott Keller's a great guy. 179 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: Scott was actually a student of mine. So I met 180 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 1: Scott when I was teaching at University of Texas Law 181 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: School and he was a law student there. I taught 182 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: a seminar on US Supreme Court litigation and he took 183 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: the class. He was excellent in the class, did extraordinary. 184 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: I gave him an A plus, and then I didn't 185 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: give very many a pluses. He graduated number one in 186 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: his class at University of Texas Law School. He went 187 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: and clerked on the Court of Appeals. He clerked for 188 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: Justice Kennedy on the Supreme Court, and I recommended him 189 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: for that. And then when I several years later, when 190 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: I was elected to the Senate, I hired Scott as 191 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 1: my first chief council. So when I showed up a 192 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: decade ago in the Senate, Scott we were down in 193 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: the basement. I just got in here. When you first 194 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: get here, you don't have a real office. You're sort 195 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: of intemporary space, and you're just trying to figure out everything. 196 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: So Scott spent a couple of years with me as 197 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: my chief counsel and then actually came and quit. And 198 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: here's why I quit, because he'd been appointed to be 199 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: the Solicitor General of Texas. Not a bad gig, and 200 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: it's my old job. It's a job I loved. I 201 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: did five and a half years. And when Scott gave 202 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: his notice, I was really sad, like I didn't want 203 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 1: to lose him because he's a really talented lawyer. But 204 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:29,160 Speaker 1: I couldn't complain because SG of Texas is an amazing job, 205 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:32,160 Speaker 1: and you get to argue cases. You get to argue cases. 206 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: So Scott has now argued more cases than I did. 207 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: I argued nine cases. When he argued his tenth case, 208 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 1: I called in that morning and said, all right, screw you. 209 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: I just had to say that as former boss, I 210 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: had to like throw that marker down. So now I 211 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: have to ask you, Obviously you're not going to be 212 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: arguing a case before the Supreme Court right now, but 213 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: are you bringing this case before the Supreme Court just 214 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 1: to beat your old general counsel? Well? No, but but 215 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: there was a separate case. So we're sitting here, we're 216 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: recording this. On Wednesday. This morning, the Supreme Court heard 217 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: oral argument. The very first case was Federal Election Commission 218 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: versus Ted Cruz, and I am the plain iff. I 219 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: have sued the Federal Election Commission seeking to strike down 220 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: a provision of McCain Finegold. The Big campaign finance legislation's 221 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: terrible piece of legislation has all sorts of problems, but 222 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: at the heart of it, McCain Finegold was all about 223 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: incumbent politicians wanting to make it harder for anyone to 224 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: run against them and challenge them. It was about the 225 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: one thing Republicans and Democrats could agree on is nobody 226 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: should beat us in an election. Mcain Finegold is throwing 227 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: barriers in the way of challenge. This doesn't make sense though, 228 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: because I was reading a lot of left wing news 229 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: sources today. They was telling me. They were all telling 230 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: me about the case, and they say that Ted Cruz 231 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,120 Speaker 1: is bringing a lawsuit before the Supreme Court to make 232 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: it easier to bribe and corrupt politicians and to make 233 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: this swamp land even swampier. Are you telling me that 234 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: the left wing media got it wrong? You're right, that's 235 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: every headline as Cruise wants more bribery, and even for 236 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 1: the media that's a little dishonest. So there were two 237 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: provisions of McCain fine Gold that were called the Millionaire's 238 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 1: Amendment so incumbent politicians hate anyone that can challenge them. 239 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: They particularly hate people who have money. So if you 240 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: get a really rich person that runs against you, that's 241 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: really problematic because then they can run ads and communicate, 242 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: and you get a problem. So the Millionaire's Amendment half 243 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 1: of it said that if someone self finances and puts 244 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of money into his own campaign, that 245 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: the federal limits for the other guy are tripled. So 246 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 1: instead of twenty nine hundred a person, it's nearly nine 247 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: grand a person, And that's entirely designed to benefit incumbents 248 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: and to discourage rich people from running against them. Well, 249 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court a few years ago struck that half 250 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: of the Millionaire's Amendment down. Said, look, if someone decides 251 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: to run for office, if they want to invest their 252 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: own resources and speak, you have a right to speech. 253 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,760 Speaker 1: And that means spending your own money to speak. If 254 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,200 Speaker 1: you want to put a billboard on the freeway, if 255 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 1: you want to run a radio add or a TV ad, 256 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: all of that is political speech. So that was half 257 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: of the Millionaire's Amendment that was struck down several years ago. 258 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: The other half of the Millionaire's Amendment is what this 259 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: case is all about, and it's a provision that limits 260 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: the ability of a candidate who's running for office to 261 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: loan money to his own campaign. So the way it works, 262 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: let's say Michael Knowles wakes up and says I'm going 263 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: to run for Congress, and you'd say, get this man 264 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: to a psychiatrist who's lost his mind. But you're incurable, 265 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: and you say, I'm gonna run. I'm taken on AOC, 266 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: I'm moving to New York, my old district. We're going 267 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna win. Now, if you're starting, you know, 268 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: you may not have a lot of supporters. You're not 269 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: an incumbent politician. You don't have lobbyists probably supporting you, 270 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: you don't have the infrastructure that an incumbent has. So 271 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: what a lot of people do if they launch a 272 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: campaign is they loan themselves some money. So they have 273 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: some money, some savings, and they put some money in 274 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: to start the campaign. What McCain Feingold said is if 275 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: you loan your if you loan your own money to 276 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: your campaign after the election, you can only pay yourself 277 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: back up to two hundred and fifty thousand of it. Okay, 278 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 1: anything above two hundred and fifty thousand with money that 279 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: is raised after the campaign, you can't pay back and 280 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: you're just stuck. By the way, when when you talk 281 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: especially about competitive districts, these campaigns can cost millions and 282 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: millions of dollars. So two hundred and fifty thousand is 283 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: not as much as it sounds like. So, and what 284 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: this is designed to do is it's designed to disincentivelenge challengers. 285 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: So look, if you're a gazillionaire, and by the way, 286 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: we're seeing more and more billionaires running for off as 287 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: if you're a billionaire, you don't care. You can put five, ten, 288 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: twenty million dollars into your campaign. You don't matter. You're 289 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: so rich it doesn't make a difference. You never need 290 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: it back. So this is not a disincentive to the 291 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: super rich. And we're actually seeing more and more billionaires 292 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: who are running for office because they have the massive money. 293 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: What this is an incentive too, is the small business owner. 294 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: But this is an incentive too, is the doctor. This 295 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: is the somewhat rich. It's not the super rich. It's 296 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: the someone who has enough money that you could invest 297 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: a substantial amount of money. You could invest five hundred thousand. 298 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: You can invest a million dollars you've saved. You put 299 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: your money in the bank, you've saved, and you can 300 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: invest the money in a congressional race. If you could 301 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: put five hundred thousand or a million, that gives you 302 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: a real shot at communicating. Yea, this is designed to 303 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: punish that guy and say, well, you know what. Let's 304 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,600 Speaker 1: let's say you worked hard, you're a physician, You've got 305 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: a million dollars in the bank, you loan it to 306 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: the campaign, you spend every penny of it on the campaign. 307 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: You can pay back two hundred and fifty thousand and 308 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty thousand of it. Tough luck, Michael. 309 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: You have given it to the United States of America. 310 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 1: You don't get it back. And so that's what the 311 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: existing law is. And so what I did in twenty 312 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: eighteen is I loaned my campaign two hundred and sixty 313 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. Now that's a specific number, Senator, it is 314 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: it's it's ten thousand more than the limit. So I 315 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: loaned my campaign to two hundred and sixty thousand right 316 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: before the election, and then twenty days after the election, 317 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: a little bit later than that, I repaid myself to 318 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:15,679 Speaker 1: a hundred fifty thousand, which what you're allowed to do. 319 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: So there's ten thousand that under the law, it's illegal 320 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: for me to pay myself back, and I did that 321 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 1: in order to file this lawsuit. As I was just 322 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: reading it, obviously you can tell it better because you 323 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: were there. The lawyer for the government is saying that 324 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: this case should be dismissed, it should be thrown out 325 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,439 Speaker 1: because you obviously were doing something that you knew was 326 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 1: against law. You were just trying to trigger this court case. Yeah, 327 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 1: that was an argument that the Biden Justice Department made 328 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: that that's a really weak argument. So if you look 329 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,880 Speaker 1: at there are lots of cases that are test cases 330 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: that if there's any legal or unconstitutional law, you're allowed 331 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: to challenge it, and you're allowed to violate that law 332 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: to challenge it. You're allowed to create the facts. And 333 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: there are literally hundreds of test cases where people you know, 334 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 1: if if the government makes it illegal for Michael Knowles 335 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: to defend the right to life, you know, the government said, well, 336 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: you chose to say it, you chose to violate it. 337 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: You could have just obeyed. Why didn't you. Yeah, So 338 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: dismiss the case, and so that argument is not going 339 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 1: to go anywhere. I'll say, the argument I think went well, 340 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: I hope. So the lawyer who argued it is a 341 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 1: guy named Chuck Cooper who is a very close friend 342 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: of mine. He was my first boss when I came 343 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: out of my clerkship, and so I clerked for Chief 344 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: Justice William Rehnquist on the Supreme Court. I came out 345 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 1: of the clerkship in nineteen ninety seven and I joined 346 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,400 Speaker 1: Chuck at what was then a tiny little law firm 347 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 1: that was called Cooper and Carvin and it was Chuck 348 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: Cooper's Mike Carvin law firm had six lawyers in it. 349 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: It was all of nine months old. And Chuck had 350 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: been also a clerk for rink Quists, so he was 351 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: a former renk Whist clerk. He's one of the top 352 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: Supreme Court litigators in the country, and he was my 353 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:08,680 Speaker 1: first boss, and so I went to work for him 354 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: to learn how to be a lawyer. He really taught 355 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: me how to be a lawyer. And so he's representing 356 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,479 Speaker 1: me in this case, and he's a dear, dear friend. 357 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 1: He did a terrific job. And I will say, look, 358 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 1: it's it's it's never absolutely clear how a case is 359 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: going to come out. I think on the merits, there 360 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: are clearly a majority of justices who agree that this 361 00:19:33,359 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: provisions on constitution. Okay, the Department of Justice is trying 362 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: to raise lots of procedural issues that basically are saying, 363 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: don't get to the merits, don't address whether the laws constitutional, 364 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 1: and and and so they're throwing a lot of muck 365 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,399 Speaker 1: in the air, trying to say, avoid the actual question 366 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 1: to the lawsuit. I hope the Court doesn't do that. 367 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: I hope they actually answer the question, because this provision 368 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: really is designed. And by the way, if you look 369 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: at the proponents of it, if you look at Harry Reid, 370 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: you look actually at Kay Bailey Hutchinson, my predecessor in 371 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 1: the Senate. They got up and said, this is to 372 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:09,960 Speaker 1: make it harder for people to challenge us. This is 373 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: all about protecting incumbents and protecting the super wealthy, the billionaires, 374 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: and it's about hurting the small business owner, the doctor, 375 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,719 Speaker 1: the entrepreneur, the person who wants to run for Congress 376 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: because they want to be mister Smith going to Washington. 377 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: They want to challenge the swamp. So what's the swamp 378 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,959 Speaker 1: want to do make it a lot harder to challenge 379 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: the swamp. Now, speaking of incumbent senators who are desperately 380 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: trying to hold onto power, there has been a major 381 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: push from the Biden administration and the Democrats senators and 382 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: Chuck Schumer to get rid of the filibuster before they 383 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: lose their elections, which increasingly it looks like is going 384 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: to happen in November. They are trying to get through 385 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:53,880 Speaker 1: any legislation and they can't do that right now because 386 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: they don't have enough votes to get through the sixty 387 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: vote threshold. And I think you know it more closely 388 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: than I do. I think that the attempt to kill 389 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 1: the filibuster is just as dead as the ocean mandate? 390 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: Am I right? Hopefully? Yes? And I think you are okay. 391 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 1: So you and I were recording this Wednesday late afternoon. 392 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 1: As soon as we finish recording this, I'm going to 393 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: get up literally in a half hour, I'm going to 394 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: be in the Senate floor and we're having the filibuster 395 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:25,479 Speaker 1: fight tonight. So I have not yet had that battle, 396 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:28,880 Speaker 1: but at about half hour we will. What is going 397 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: to happen is that Chuck Schumer is going to file 398 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: cloture on their federal election takeover legislation. Cloture takes sixty votes, 399 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: It's going to fail. He will probably get all the Democrats. 400 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: It'll probably be fifty fifty, but it will fail because 401 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 1: fifty is not sixty. They then, i think, will yabber, awhile, 402 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: because they want to make us listen to them. Yabber. 403 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: And then what he's going to do likely is file 404 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: a motion to re consider, and he will challenge the 405 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: He will inquire of the Chair whether it takes fifty 406 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 1: or sixty votes to proceed to culture. The Chair will 407 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: reject his claim. We'll say it takes sixty, assuming the 408 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: Chair follows the law right, in which case Schumer will 409 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: move to appeal. He will appeal the ruling of the chair. 410 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: That's what's called the nuclear option. So the rules of 411 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 1: the Senate, they're written down, they're in a book. We 412 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 1: all have that book in our desks. You have you 413 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: have the rules of the Senate. The rules of the 414 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: Senate say culture takes sixty votes. That's literally black and 415 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: white typed in the type than the rules. Now, you 416 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 1: can change the rules of the Senate. To change the 417 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 1: rules of the Senate takes sixty seven senators, so it's 418 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: a higher threshold. Sixty seven senators can agree to change 419 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: the rules of the Senate. They don't have sixty seven senators. 420 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 1: There is one other way to do it, and it's 421 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:56,159 Speaker 1: what's called the nuclear option. So Schumer will appeal the 422 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: ruling of the chair. Any ruling of the chair can 423 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 1: be a to overturn the ruling of the chair just 424 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: takes fifty votes, takes a majority, doesn't take sixty, and 425 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: then the Senate is weird. If the ruling of the 426 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 1: Chair is overturned, that becomes a precedent, and they actually 427 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: keep a book of all the precedents of the Senate, 428 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: and that precedent has the same force as the rules 429 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: written on paper. So, in other words, if Schumer succeeds, 430 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 1: he will break the rules of the Senate in order 431 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: to change the rules of the Senate. So now you'll 432 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 1: have these two rules written down on the paper, and 433 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: the new one beats the old one, right, and the 434 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: new one is just a precedent. It's just a majority 435 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: of the Senate voted that this is now the rules. 436 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: So the old ones written on the paper don't matter anymright, Now, 437 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: the good news is, I think the odds are extremely likely, 438 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: hopefully certain, that Schumer is going to fail. And the 439 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:58,639 Speaker 1: reason for that is that they're two senators, two Democrats 440 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: who have been explicit saying they're not going to participate 441 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: in nuking the filibuster. Joe Mansion Kirsen Cinema, Kirson Cinema, 442 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 1: last week gave a speech on the Senate floor. I 443 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: was sitting on the floor. I heard her speech where 444 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: she drew a line and said, I will not do this. 445 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: This will destroy the Senate. It will destroy bipartisanship. Mind you, 446 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: one of the illustrations of just how nasty and partisan 447 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: ending the filibuster would make the Senate. That same week, 448 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 1: Joe Biden was down in Georgia giving this right racist, nasty, 449 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: divisive speech, partisan speech. He called half the country bull 450 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: Connor racists. He called every Republican in America a bull 451 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: Connor racist. He called Joe Mary by the way, he 452 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 1: literally said, you are like bull Connor, you are like 453 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: George Wallace. It was hateful. Now, set aside the irony 454 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 1: that bull Connor and George Wallace were Democrats. Set aside 455 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:58,160 Speaker 1: the irony that Joe Biden literally gave a eulogy at 456 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: Robert Bird's funeral, a'd exalted cyclops the ku klux Klan. 457 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: So if anyone has no standing to be on his 458 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:13,120 Speaker 1: high horse on racial grounds, it's Joseph Biden. But that 459 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 1: kind of speech is just not only do they not 460 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: want any Republicans. Susan Collins is too conservative for the 461 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: mitt Romney is too conservative for them. Now they don't 462 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: even want Democrats Mansion and Cinema. Today you've got Bernie 463 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: Sanders talking about he's going to support primary challengers to 464 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: Mansion and Cinema, and Chuck Schumer said he didn't know 465 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 1: if he would support his own caucus. It is ugly 466 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: assuming Cinema on Mansion don't blink, and I don't think 467 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: they will at this point. If it was just one 468 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: of them, the risks, I would be more nervous. With 469 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: the two of them, I'm hoping each bucks the other up. 470 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,439 Speaker 1: And just as a matter of practical politics, person to 471 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: person politics, the Democrats seem to be doing everything they 472 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 1: can to irritate Mansion and Cinema, chasing them into bathrooms 473 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: and filming them. And I'm gonna say, with Mansion, you 474 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: know come on in the water's warm. As I told 475 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 1: Joe several weeks ago, you know, one of the two 476 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:17,119 Speaker 1: parties actually likes you right right now. You want it so, 477 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: but the odds are very very high that tonight Schumer 478 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: will fail to be honest, this is performance theater for 479 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: Schumer's primary in New York that he doesn't want AOC 480 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: to primary him, so he's trying to appease the radical 481 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: left by failing tonight. So he's setting it up to 482 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: fail tonight. It'll be interesting to see if Kamala Harris 483 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:39,359 Speaker 1: is in the seat as the presiding officer. My bet 484 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: issue will be because you know, if you're gonna have 485 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: a big failure, you do need Kamala to presider over it. 486 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,720 Speaker 1: And that literally fitting. It's the way they think that 487 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: it is all about appease the crazy left. This is 488 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:55,720 Speaker 1: going to fail tonight. But you want to hear something 489 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: really ironic. Okay, So we were supposed to be on 490 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: recess this week. Schumer is a terrible majority leader. He 491 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: doesn't actually know how to run the Senate and so 492 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: he had to like cancel the recess and come back 493 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: to do this performance theater and failed night. Um, I 494 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: actually on my flight out here today. Rand Paul was 495 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: on the flight because he was called back and I 496 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: had to vote him. And we're all here. Every Republican 497 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:21,080 Speaker 1: has to be here. Um. You know, if if they 498 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: could knock one of us off, they could win this 499 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: filibuster fight. So so we're like, you know, you know, 500 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 1: we've got taste to look. Um, it's for two weeks 501 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: they've given speeches about how the filibuster is a Jim 502 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:48,159 Speaker 1: Crow relic from racist times, The filibuster is evil. Do 503 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: you know what the very last thing the Democrats did 504 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 1: was for today? No, No, I have no idea Senator, 505 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: let me the last thing the Democrats did last week 506 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 1: was filibuster my bill sanctioning Russia, sanctioning Nordstream too. No, 507 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 1: we've talked a lot about Nordstream too. You know, if 508 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: they didn't have double standards, they would have no standards 509 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: at all. Literally, as they're giving speeches the filibuster is racist, 510 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 1: let's filibuster this like simultaneously. And I got to say 511 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: it was amazing. So this vote, the vote we had 512 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: last week was a big, big deal on nord Stream too. 513 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,920 Speaker 1: So this is about this pipeline, and it's really about 514 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: the future of Ukraine, Visavi Russia and Visavi the West. Yeah, 515 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: so the history of it. We've talked a lot about 516 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: Ukraine on this show. We started off two years ago 517 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: with impeachment in Ukraine and Bearisma, and we talked about 518 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 1: how Ukraine used to be part of the Soviet Union 519 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: and when the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine became an independent nation. 520 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: Ukrainians don't like the Russians. The Russians want to control 521 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: and dominate Ukraine and many of their neighbors, most of 522 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 1: their neighbors and Putin. Look, Putin is a KGB thug. 523 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: He has said. One of the most candid things he's 524 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: ever said is he said that he thinks the greatest 525 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: geopolitical disaster of the twentieth century was the dissolution of 526 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: the Soviet Union. And so Putin longs to reassemble the 527 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: Soviet Union and have Russia. He wants Soviet greatness again. 528 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 1: And if you're reassembling the Soviet Union, there's nothing you 529 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: want more than Ukraine. Ukraine is the bread basket. Now 530 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: Putin has invaded Ukraine before he did it in twenty fourteen. 531 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: You remember Crimea, that's part of Ukraine. Putin marched in 532 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: and invaded it and took it over and kept it 533 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: and kept it. But he stopped. He didn't continue invading Ukraine. 534 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: He stopped short. Why did he stop short? Well, the 535 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: reason is that right now, Russia's major export is natural 536 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: gas and oil. That's Putin is basically a petro tyrant. 537 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 1: And to get his natural gas to Europe, who's the 538 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,720 Speaker 1: major consumer of it, it goes through pipelines that go 539 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: right through Ukraine. So Putin's sitting there going, well, if 540 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: I march into Ukraine, they could damage or destroy those pipelines. 541 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 1: And if they damage or destroy those pipelines, suddenly Russia 542 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 1: can't get the gas to Europe and we're screwed. So 543 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: Putin was mad because he's like, I want to invade them, 544 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: but they've got a stranglehold on our ability to get 545 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:34,479 Speaker 1: gas to Europe, so suddenly I can't invade them. So 546 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: what did he do? The next year Putin launched a 547 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: project called Dordstream two, and it was let's build an 548 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: undersea pipeline that skips Ukraine altogether, goes under the ocean 549 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: and goes straight from Russia to Germany. And that pipeline 550 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: wants it's complete. We don't have to worry about Ukraine 551 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: and the energy infrastructure. We can march in and take 552 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: it over because we can get our gas to Europe well. 553 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: Two years ago, I introduced bipartisan legislation to stop it, 554 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: pass it through Congress, Trump signed it to law, and 555 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: we stopped the pipeline. We won. The pipeline was dead, buried, 556 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: stopped put for over a year. Then Joe Biden came 557 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: into US and Biden surrendered. He capitulated to Putin. Putin 558 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: began rebuilding the pipeline literally on January twenty fourth, twenty one. 559 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: I'm glad he took a nice long weekend, you know, 560 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: a few days, and then starts up again four days 561 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,640 Speaker 1: after he Biden's worn in. So the pipeline right now 562 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: is completed. So Putin has finished it because Biden formally 563 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: waived the sanctions, but it's still awaiting certification in Europe, 564 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: so they can't turn it on till the regulatory agents 565 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: have certified it. And so I introduced legislation to reimpose 566 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: the sanctions to overturn Biden's surrender to Putin. Now twice, 567 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: I've introduced legislation like this before. And twice it's passed 568 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: essentially unanimous. Every Democrat has supported it twice. We had 569 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 1: a big battle in December. I was holding dozens of 570 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 1: State Department nominees. Were there till one in the morning. 571 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 1: I'm negotiating with Chuck Schumer. I said, all right, I'm 572 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: going to lift thirty two holes. Let these nominees go 573 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: through in exchange for scheduling the vote on nord Stream 574 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 1: two that we had just last week. Schumer gave in 575 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: scheduled the vote. They did not want that vote. They 576 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 1: were the Biden White House was lobbying against it like crazy, 577 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: because even if the Democrats win the vote, then they're 578 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,240 Speaker 1: all on the record of saying Ukraine see you later. 579 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: That's exactly right. And they for two years had been 580 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: sent had been squarely against Nordstream two. This is a vote. 581 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: When Trump was a president, every Democrat was for these sanctions. 582 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: The only thing that there's two things that are different. 583 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 1: Number One, instead of a Republican with an R behind 584 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: his name, a president with an ARM behind his name, 585 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: there's a president with a D behind his name. Now 586 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: that it's a Democrat, suddenly the Democrats support Russia. And 587 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: number two, they're over one hundred thousand troops on the 588 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: border of Ukraine. Any day now we could see the 589 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: Ukrainian invasion by Russia. And they have to do it 590 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,959 Speaker 1: in about the next month or so, because as we 591 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,080 Speaker 1: get into the spring, the land starts to thaw and 592 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: the Russian tanks get stuck in the mundy, so their 593 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 1: window to invade is narrow. But we voted on it. 594 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: It was amazing we ended up. So I won the vote, 595 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: won a substantial bipartisan majority of the Senate. The vote 596 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: was fifty five to forty four. So every Republican voted 597 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 1: yes except Ran Paul, and Ran Paul pretty much opposes 598 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 1: all sanctions, so I got all Republicans but Rand and 599 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: on the Democratic side, six Democrats voted with So it 600 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: was fifty five to forty fours, a big bipartisan majority. 601 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: We're not living in a particularly bipartisan era, so that 602 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: it's impressive. Now, fifty five is not sixty, and so 603 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 1: the Democrats fellowbustered and said, you don't have sixty, you 604 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: don't get the passage. Now here's another interesting thing. There 605 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 1: are a number of Democrats who are in vulnerable elections, 606 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:21,600 Speaker 1: who are the ballot in November. Every single Democrat in 607 00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: a vulnerable election in November voted with me. So Mark 608 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 1: Kelly and Arizona voted for my sanctions on Russia. Catherine 609 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: Cortez Masto Nevada voted for my sanctions in Nevada on Russia. 610 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire voted for my sanctions against Russia. 611 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: Even Raphael Warnock, one of the most liberal senators in 612 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: the Senate, voted for my sanctions against Russia because he 613 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 1: didn't want to tell the voters of Georgia November. Yeah, 614 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:57,320 Speaker 1: I voted to support Putin because I'm a Democrat. We 615 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 1: got six Democrats you know who he didn't get Mansion 616 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:06,960 Speaker 1: or Cinema. Huh, they're doing enough. So what was amazing 617 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: the day of the vote, Biden came to the Capitol. 618 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: He had lunch with all the Democratic senators the day 619 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:19,799 Speaker 1: of the vote, and Joe Biden was personally lobbying the 620 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: Democratic senators to vote against Cruz's sanctions on Russia. And 621 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,759 Speaker 1: so it's actually I mean, you said it tongue in cheek, 622 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:28,800 Speaker 1: but it's actually true. I just think Mansion and Cinema 623 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 1: felt they couldn't stand up to the White House and 624 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: anything else. They were getting so pounded on everything else, 625 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: you've killed your legislative agenda. So we'll let you. And look, 626 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 1: I didn't like that they voted no, but but I'll 627 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:43,720 Speaker 1: give them a mulligan because they are saving the republic 628 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: on other sides. But the Democrats are literally, this is 629 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 1: not hyperbole. They are literally acquiescing in Russia, wiping Ukraine 630 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 1: off them. So there you might say they are thumbing 631 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: their nose at Ukraine, which raises one I know, we 632 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:03,800 Speaker 1: have to let you get to the Senate to go vote, 633 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 1: but it does raise one very important story that involves 634 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:11,120 Speaker 1: a victory and a loss. You won a basketball game, 635 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,520 Speaker 1: you lost the use of your thumb. True enough, And 636 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,879 Speaker 1: by the way, that's that's quite the segue. Um. Let 637 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 1: me just say, if the President of Yale ever sees 638 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:27,919 Speaker 1: that segue, they will revoke your degree. They've been trying 639 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:31,479 Speaker 1: for years. Well that's true that that that they would 640 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,879 Speaker 1: provoke your degree for many other reasons before then. So 641 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 1: so that's probably the least least of your sins on 642 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 1: that front. So yeah, so I broke my thumb. Um, 643 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: I don't have a cast on, so I don't I've 644 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: got a splint, but you can take it off, okay. 645 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: So so I was playing, uh Friday, I play basketball 646 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 1: up twice a week, and so Friday, because Schumer doesn't 647 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: know how to run the Senate, we were still around, 648 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: and so I was playing Friday morning. Uh. And I 649 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 1: play a lot of times. Other senators play, but but 650 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: I play every week with my staff. We got some good, 651 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:03,839 Speaker 1: good ball players. We've got a couple of guys who 652 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:06,720 Speaker 1: played college basketball, a couple of guys who played college football. 653 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 1: So we're playing, and you actually haven't invited me to 654 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,160 Speaker 1: this game. I did make sure I was busy that 655 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 1: day so that I did not humiliate myself on the court. 656 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:18,400 Speaker 1: So I have joked that our game is more violent 657 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 1: than skillful, and and it is. I mean, we play 658 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: no blood, no foul, and there are regularly foul, so 659 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:27,640 Speaker 1: so there is regularly blood. And so in this instance, 660 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 1: I was going up for a rebound and the culprit 661 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:33,880 Speaker 1: is a guy who's a law clerk in our office. 662 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: You'll appreciate this as a New Yorker's name is Tony. 663 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 1: He's from New York. I imagine, um. He is a 664 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: great guy, hard working conservative law student, but but he's 665 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: from Brooklyn, and he played street ball in Brooklyn, and 666 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 1: he tony from Brooklyn in every respect. So I went 667 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:58,760 Speaker 1: up for a rebound and he came down like a 668 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:02,440 Speaker 1: ton of bricks on my thumb and broke it right 669 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,239 Speaker 1: across there. So I had an X ray today, and 670 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:07,440 Speaker 1: they're like, actually, yesterday, I had an X ray. They're like, yep, 671 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:11,439 Speaker 1: that's that's a fracture. So you you lost a little 672 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: bit of the use of your thumb, but you did 673 00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 1: win the game. I did, and we actually finished the 674 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: game terrifyingly enough, with the broken thumb. I tried to 675 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: shoot and I couldn't. I mean, it really hurt. This 676 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: is not quite at the level of Teddy Roosevelt getting 677 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: shot now finishing his speech, but by the same Prince. 678 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: But I will say this, I did score a layup 679 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,400 Speaker 1: with a broken thumb because I could use my four fingers. 680 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 1: I just stuck my thumb off to the side and 681 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: did a little scoop layup. So so I even even 682 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,960 Speaker 1: scored scored a bucket with a broken thumb. Physical lesson, 683 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 1: it's a political lesson. No pain, no gain. Sometimes you 684 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 1: have to make some sacrifices for the wins. I hope 685 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:52,279 Speaker 1: you got a win tonight before we go. You might 686 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:55,799 Speaker 1: remember on the one hundredth episode of Verdict that we 687 00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:01,160 Speaker 1: announced a contest, actually a series of contests, free merch 688 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: for people who commented, an opportunity maybe to come out 689 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: and see us some some other wonderful prizes as well. Well. Now, 690 00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 1: because this is the two year anniversary of Verdict with 691 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:14,440 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz, we have the winners because we all want 692 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:18,720 Speaker 1: to celebrate. Here to introduce those winners, our very ownless wheeler, 693 00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: thank you for having me. I don't like to think 694 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: of this as giving away free stuff though, this is 695 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:26,080 Speaker 1: this is earned merchandise. Yes, these these our community here, 696 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: our community here earned this by being part of what 697 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,920 Speaker 1: we do. This is oh yeah, we hit these benchmarks, 698 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:32,880 Speaker 1: by the way, most of them, and we're going to 699 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:34,759 Speaker 1: do the fun stuff. Anyway. We hit these benchmarks, which 700 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 1: is awesome. On YouTube, we said ten people commenting on 701 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,160 Speaker 1: episode one hundred would get a free box of March 702 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 1: you know, the sweet cactus hat, the laptop stickers, the 703 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:47,200 Speaker 1: T shirts. Fifteen hundred people commented, Wow, that's pretty good, right, 704 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:49,759 Speaker 1: I think that's incredible. So here are the winners. Ken 705 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:53,799 Speaker 1: Melbourne Junior. You won Metaveria, you want Stephan Ds, you 706 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:57,400 Speaker 1: want Shelley Carter, you want Philip Paxton driving Fritz. I 707 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,840 Speaker 1: assume that's a user name, right, Thomas Lusty, Doctor rig 708 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 1: Mark Erdman, Safe Spot, Andrew Clark, Megadeath till Death. Another 709 00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:10,840 Speaker 1: user name still counts Todd Cole, Mary Fleshman, and Cosmic Carosella. 710 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:13,360 Speaker 1: These are the winners. By the way, if some parents 711 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:16,799 Speaker 1: actually named their child little Megadeath, yeah, he or she 712 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:19,160 Speaker 1: may be very upset right now. I think that's slavic. 713 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 1: So we will reach out to each and every one 714 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,560 Speaker 1: of you to give you your merch here, and I 715 00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: want to see pictures. I want to see pictures of 716 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,880 Speaker 1: every day wearing this merch. So that's on YouTube. Then 717 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:33,399 Speaker 1: on Verdict Plus this this was maybe the most fun one. 718 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:36,080 Speaker 1: We said that a member of Verdict plus the Verdict 719 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: plus community will win an all access trip to come 720 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,319 Speaker 1: and see us on the road on college campuses. Well, 721 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 1: we have a winner here. This is an Italian name, Michael. 722 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,200 Speaker 1: You can tell me if I'm butchering this puzzoli, let 723 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:51,800 Speaker 1: me see it. I would say at your pronunciation was beautiful, 724 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 1: I would say me a little more you know you 725 00:40:55,160 --> 00:41:02,440 Speaker 1: get the face down putsually. Well, mister you have won 726 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: a trip to see Verdict live. That's pretty awesome. We 727 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:06,920 Speaker 1: will reach out to you and then, um, this is 728 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:08,560 Speaker 1: my favorite one and I am going to buy us 729 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:11,759 Speaker 1: this poll. We are going to post this on the 730 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,200 Speaker 1: Verdict plus community that's Verdict with Ted Cruise dot Com 731 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:17,319 Speaker 1: slash plus because everyone needs to vote in this. For 732 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,800 Speaker 1: this upcoming year, there's going to be a community based 733 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:25,400 Speaker 1: competition or Shenanigans if you will, and this is what 734 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:27,160 Speaker 1: you're going to vote on. I'm not taking part in this. 735 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:28,799 Speaker 1: I'm just going to enjoy it. You guys will have 736 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,000 Speaker 1: to do this. Should for an episode of Verdict The 737 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:34,040 Speaker 1: Senator where a braves Jersey, it's option number one, Option 738 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,240 Speaker 1: number two. Should there be an arm wrestling match between 739 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:39,040 Speaker 1: Michael and the Senator. I think we all know how 740 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,719 Speaker 1: that would end. Um Should the Real Truth Cactus be 741 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 1: a special guest on the show. I think that's a 742 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,560 Speaker 1: good option. Or should there be a throwdown episode trash 743 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 1: Talking Yell versus Princeton that could go on for hours. 744 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:53,319 Speaker 1: That could go on for hours. So this poll will 745 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 1: be posted on again Verdict with Ted Cruise dot com 746 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 1: slash plus Um, can I tell you which one? I 747 00:41:57,840 --> 00:41:59,719 Speaker 1: want to see? Which one? Well, I'm gonna vote for 748 00:41:59,719 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 1: the arm You're going to vote for the art and 749 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 1: who do you think is gonna win? Michael, don't ask 750 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:06,320 Speaker 1: questions you don't want to know the answer to polite 751 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:08,799 Speaker 1: you can vote in it now. Look, Michael may now 752 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,360 Speaker 1: be engaged. Now that I have a broken song. He 753 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: may suddenly feel true, he sees an advantage. Providence has 754 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:19,440 Speaker 1: smiled upon me. Thank you very much. Well, congratulations to 755 00:42:19,480 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: all of the winners. Thank you to everyone who has 756 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 1: tuned in for two years. Two years a Verdict. It's wonderful. 757 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:28,799 Speaker 1: We look forward to a whole lot more episodes with you, 758 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:32,640 Speaker 1: and we look forward to arm wrestling. I'm Michael Knowles. 759 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. This episode of Verdict 760 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,680 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, 761 00:42:46,719 --> 00:42:50,480 Speaker 1: Freedom and Security Pack, a political action committee dedicated to 762 00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:55,239 Speaker 1: supporting conservative causes, organizations, and candidates across the country. In 763 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, Jobs Freedom and Security Pack plans to 764 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:01,360 Speaker 1: donate to conservative can In did its running for Congress 765 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,200 Speaker 1: and helped the Republican Party across the nation