1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome in his verdict with Center, Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: with you Center. Nice to be with you on this 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Monday and Mayo min do we have some fun things 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: to talk about, including a very quick war with the 5 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: US and Columbia over illegal immigrants. 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 2: What a difference a week wit makes. A week ago 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 2: Joe Biden was still president. Now just seven days later, 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: Marines are on our southern border. Catch and release is over. 9 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 2: We are deporting illegal immigrants. We are arresting thousands of 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: criminal illegal immigrants, including murderers, including child molesters, including gang members. 11 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: And the nation of Columbia tried to stand up and 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: say we will not allow Colombians to come back. Trump 13 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 2: immediately retaliated, threatening tariffs, and within hours Columbia back down. 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: It went so far the president of Columbia, a radical socialist, 15 00:00:55,480 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: said he would send his presidential plane to America to 16 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 2: pick up the Colombian illegal immigrants. It is an incredible 17 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 2: victory for President Trump, for the nation for securing the 18 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 2: border in just hours. That is a big, big deal. 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: But that's not all that's going on. We also have 20 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: the CIA has confirmed its own judgment that the COVID 21 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 2: virus originated in China. That's something you and I have 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 2: talked about. We've talked about on Verdict for a long time. 23 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: Within hours of John Radcliffe being confirmed as the Director 24 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 2: of the CIA, he made that public. We're going to 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 2: talk about that as well. And finally we're going to 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: talk about confirmation the cabinet members that have already been confirmed. 27 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: Who's on deck. I've told you within thirty days, every 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 2: single Trump cabinet member will be confirmed. We'll walk you 29 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 2: through exactly where that stands. 30 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's going to be a really fun show. 31 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 2: Today. 32 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: I also want to remind you about something really important, 33 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: and that is that today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 34 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: when we remember the great evil of the Holocaust, when 35 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: millions of Jews were slaughtered during the Nazis reign of terror. Today, 36 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: the rise in global anti Semitism and the constant attacks 37 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: on Israel show us that it's more important than ever 38 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: to remember the atrocies of the Holocaust and to ensure 39 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: that it never happens again. That's why I partnered with 40 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. They provide food, shelter, 41 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: and safety to Jews in Israel and around the world. 42 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: Including those remaining Holocaust survivors. Now, your donation today will 43 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: help provide food, water, medicine, and other basic necessities to 44 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: the Jewish communities in need. And through your gift, you 45 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: will stand with the Jewish people and against this growing 46 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: anti Semitism and hatred that we're witnessing around the world. 47 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: So give a gift to show your support of the 48 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: Jewish people today by visiting SUPPORTIFCJ dot org. That's one word, 49 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: support IFCJ dot org. You can also call to make 50 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: a donation eight eight eight for eight eight IFCJ. That's 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: eight eight eight for eight eight IFCJ or online it 52 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: support IFCJ dot org. So Centa. Before we get into 53 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: the big war with Columbia, I want to start with 54 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: the incredible news of the deportations that are taking place 55 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: with violent rapists, murderers, gang members, drug traffickers. That ICE 56 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: is picking up not just in one city but all 57 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 1: over the country, people that could have been picked up 58 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: that were walking among us by the Biden Heirs administration 59 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: and they refused to do it. 60 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris did not care that 61 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: murderers and rapists were allowed to wander free, They would 62 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: not arrest them, they would not pick them up. In 63 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 2: just a week, thousands of illegal immigrants have already been arrested. 64 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: Here are a few of the examples. The White House 65 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 2: has put out that they've arrested. Edgar Dela Cruz Monzo, 66 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 2: a convicted child rapist, was arrested by ice in Seattle 67 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: on January twenty fifth. A Jordanian national with suspected tied 68 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 2: ISIS was arrested in Buffalo. On January twenty fourth, an 69 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 2: MS thirteen gang member from El Salvador wanted for aggravated 70 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: homicide was arrested in Los Angeles. Also on January twenty fourth, 71 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 2: a Mexican national wanted for murder was arrested in Los Angeles. 72 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 2: On January twenty fourth, a Honduran national was found with cocaine, 73 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 2: fetanohl and a firearm. He was arrested in Seattle. On 74 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 2: January twenty fourth. A Ethiopian national who's a convicted sex 75 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 2: offender was arrested in New Orleans. On January twenty fourth, 76 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 2: a Honduran national with convictions for driving while impaired and 77 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 2: pending charges including assault and firearms offenses was arrested in Atlanta. 78 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: On January twenty fifth. A Brazilian national convicted of vehicular 79 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 2: manslaughter was arrested in Boston on January twenty fifth. A 80 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 2: Mexican national convicted of three counts of aggravated dui was 81 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: arrested in Phoenix on January twenty fourth. Those are just 82 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 2: a few of the examples. And let me ask you something, Ben, 83 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 2: Why the hell were none of them arrested when Joe 84 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 2: Biden and the Democrats were in charge. 85 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the question that every American should be asking 86 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: is why were they purposely allowing them to stay and 87 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: walk among us? And how many people's lives were affected, 88 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: how many people's lives are lost, how many children were 89 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: abused because of people like this in this country. They 90 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: knew that where they were, and they didn't take go 91 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: get them, They didn't deport them, something that they've done 92 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: in less than a week. 93 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: Notice Ice was able to find them and arrest them 94 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 2: within days. Many of those were January twenty fourth, January 95 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: twenty fifth, which means we had the information, we know 96 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 2: how to get them. What was missing was the political leadership. 97 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: It's not that Joe Biden and Kamala Harrison, the Democrats 98 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 2: couldn't find these murderers, couldn't find these rapists, couldn't find 99 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 2: these terrorists, couldn't find these gang members, couldn't find these 100 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 2: child molesters. They could find them. It was actually pretty 101 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 2: easy and straightforward for ICE to do. 102 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 3: So. 103 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 2: The reason they weren't arresting them is that Democrats didn't 104 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 2: want to arrest them. And understand, it's not just Biden Harris, 105 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 2: it is every Senate Democrat who over and over and 106 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 2: overgive when we tried to vote and say let's go 107 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,799 Speaker 2: after the criminals, they voted no, no, no, straight party line. 108 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: I want you to listen to Tom Homan. The new 109 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 2: border controls are talking about what they're doing on the 110 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 2: border and what they intend to keep doing to deport 111 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 2: all of those people. 112 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,159 Speaker 4: Congress, you know, I think Congress pros has a mandate. 113 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 4: There's was number one issue that people voted. I think 114 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 4: Congress has a mandate to give us money we need. 115 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 4: What price you find national security? What price you put 116 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 4: on what you put onto all these young ladies who 117 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 4: been raped and murdered and burned alive? What price you 118 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 4: put on that? What price are you upon Lincoln Ryan's life? 119 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 4: What price you upon national security, Like I just explained, 120 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 4: when you have a sergeik is we don't secure that border, 121 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 4: that's when national security threats under the country. That's when 122 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 4: sex Chaffick grows up. That's when you know, that's when 123 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 4: the fatonyl comes in that killed with the Quarterminian Americans. 124 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 4: I don't put a price in that. 125 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: And on those detention centers. It's amazing on the media 126 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: keeps arguing that a quarter million Americans die from fetnohl 127 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: as he described it. He also mentioned Lncoln Riley and 128 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: the Lake and Riley Act was finally passed because Republicans 129 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: are in charge now, uh, and it is going to 130 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: go you know, to the president. This is one of 131 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: those moments where it should have been completely bipartisan. But 132 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: these are all the things that the Bidenhirs administration stopped. 133 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 2: Well they blocked it. And by the way, one of 134 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 2: their excuses for not deporting people, the real reason they 135 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 2: didn't deport people is they want the illegals here. But 136 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 2: one of their excuses is they say, well, some countries 137 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 2: wouldn't take them back. I got to say, what we 138 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 2: saw with Columbia in the last last two days has 139 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 2: been stunning, So the Trump administration was flying two different 140 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 2: planeloads of Colombian illegal immigrants to Columbia, and the head 141 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 2: of Columbia, Gustavo Petro, who is a hardcore socialist, radical 142 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: anti American, he decided. He announced, We're not going to 143 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 2: let the planes land. We're not going to take him back. Now, 144 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 2: President Trump sent out the following truth social and I 145 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 2: just want to read you what the President says. I 146 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 2: was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United 147 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: States with a large number of illegal criminals were not 148 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,079 Speaker 2: allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by 149 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 2: Columbia's socialist president, Gustavo Petro, who was already very unpopular 150 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 2: amongst his people. Petro's denial of these flights has jeopardized 151 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 2: the national security and public safety of the United States. 152 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: So I have directed my administration to immediately take the 153 00:08:55,640 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 2: following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures emergency twenty five percent 154 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 2: tariffs on all goods coming into the United States. In 155 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 2: one week, the twenty five percent tariffs will be raised 156 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 2: to fifty percent, a travel ban, and immediate revocations on 157 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 2: the Colombian government officials and all allies and supporters, visa 158 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 2: sanctions on all party members, family members, and supporters of 159 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: the Colombian government, Enhance customs and Border protection inspections of 160 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 2: all Columbia nationals, and cargo on national security grounds, AIPA, treasury, 161 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 2: banking and financial sanctions to be fully imposed. These measures 162 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,479 Speaker 2: are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian 163 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 2: government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the 164 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 2: acceptance and return of the criminals they forced into the 165 00:09:56,040 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 2: United States. Now that truth was posted on January twenty 166 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 2: sixth at one twenty eight pm. Within hours, Colombia completely caved. 167 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,080 Speaker 2: The White House Press Secretary put out a statement that 168 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 2: read as follows quote. The government of Columbia has agreed 169 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: to all of President Trump's terms, including the unrestricted acceptance 170 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 2: of all illegal aliens from Columbia returned from the United States, 171 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 2: including on US military aircraft, without limitation or delay. Based 172 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 2: on this agreement, the fully drafted IEPA tariffs and sanctions 173 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 2: will be held in reserve and not signed unless Columbia 174 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 2: fails to honor this agreement. The visa sanctions issued by 175 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 2: the State Department and enhance inspections from Customs and Border 176 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 2: Protection will remain in effect until the first plane loan 177 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 2: of Colombian deportees is successfully returned to Day's events make 178 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 2: clear to the world that America is respected again. President 179 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 2: Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation's sovereignty, and 180 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 2: he expects all other nations of the world to fully 181 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 2: cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present 182 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 2: in the United States. 183 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: It's amazing how fast has happened. And also the backstory. 184 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: So this tweet that went out went out apparently while 185 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: Donald Trump was playing golf, and he was clearly focused 186 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: on this at the same time, He's been all over 187 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: the country from North Carolina all the way out to 188 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: La then to Vegas and back to Miami. And you 189 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: look at the timeline here. It is incredible. This man 190 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: doesn't stop and he was ready for this fight. His 191 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: team was ready for this fight. That is I think 192 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,440 Speaker 1: maybe the biggest blessing of him not getting re elected 193 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty is he had time to think about, Hey, 194 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: if I go back, what would I do differently clearly 195 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 1: operating at a different level of efficiency this time compared 196 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: to twenty sixteen, and it's paying off big. 197 00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 2: It is indeed. And I got to say, the timing 198 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 2: of it, as I mentioned, one twenty eight pm, was 199 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 2: when Trump's truth social came out on January twenty sixth. 200 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 2: Do you know when the Press secretary set out her 201 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 2: statement that Columbia had caved? 202 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: What time? 203 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 2: At nine to twenty pm on one twenty six So 204 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 2: less than eight hours later. That's how long it took 205 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 2: for the Columbian president. He didn't just say, Okay, never mind, 206 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 2: you can let everyone in. He said I'll send my 207 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 2: damn presidential plane to pick them up. And that capitulation. 208 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 2: And this is from a hardcore leftist who hates America. 209 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 2: It illustrates the strength and leverage the United States has. 210 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 2: Every country in the world wants to trade, wants access 211 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 2: to the US market. That gives us leverage. It's one 212 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: of the things we've talked about a lot concerning tariffs, 213 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 2: which is that President Trump uses them as leverage. Now, 214 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: he likes tariffs generally, so we may see tariff's as 215 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 2: a broader policy, but he especially likes them as leverage 216 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 2: to change conduct that is hurting America. And Ben, I 217 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 2: want to ask you a simple question. Can you imagine 218 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 2: any universe in which Joe Biden or Kamala Harris would 219 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 2: do this. 220 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: No, no chance in hell. 221 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 2: And by the way, number one, you have to imagine 222 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 2: a universe in which they're actually willing to deport someone, 223 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 2: and then that's a big hypothetical. But let's assume they 224 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 2: sent two planes to Columbia and the Columbian president did 225 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 2: what he did to Trump. He would have done it 226 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 2: to them too, say we won't take them. It is 227 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 2: simply unimaginable that Biden or Harris would have had the 228 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 2: backbone to do anything other than the meekly back down 229 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: and say, okay, we'll take the criminals back like this is. 230 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 2: It is a simple illustration that America always had the 231 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 2: power to enforce our borders if we had a president 232 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 2: who gave a damn about it and was willing to 233 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 2: do what was necessary, and thank god, finally we do. 234 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: It also sends a bigger message to other countries that 235 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: we're gonna have to deal with because there's a lot 236 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: of other countries. I think simplistically, a lot of people think, well, okay, 237 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: the southern border, we have an issue with Mexico. Let's 238 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: be very clear, there are millions of people that are 239 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: in America legally from countries all over the world, and 240 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: these types of flights are gonna need to land in 241 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: many other countries the present. For what Donald Trump put 242 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: out and saying, it's not just gonna be a tear 243 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: for twenty five percent, but a week it's gonna go 244 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: to fifty percent. It's not just that we're gonna make 245 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: sure that anybody in your country and your government, family, allies, 246 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: friends can't come to America. 247 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 2: We're gonna get rid of the by the way, that piece. Listen, 248 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 2: if you're the foreign minister and your wife wants to 249 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: go to New York to go shopping, that's a real problem. 250 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:50,920 Speaker 2: If she's not allowed to go to New York to 251 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 2: go shopping, you want to talk about that. That's one 252 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 2: of the areas of leverage that actually causes foreign leaders 253 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 2: to freak out when they're not allowed to ad access 254 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 2: America for many, many reasons. People travel from all over 255 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 2: the world and want to come to America, and it's 256 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 2: using leverage. And we've talked on this pot a lot 257 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,000 Speaker 2: about about the enormous damage that was done to America 258 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 2: under Joe Biden because he was so weak, nobody was 259 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 2: afraid of him. Yeah, most of our enemies are terrified 260 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: of Donald Trump. That is very very good. 261 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: Well, and it goes back to this. Now, every country 262 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 1: that we're going to need to take these planes. And 263 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: just so people understand, they had agreed that these plans 264 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: could land in Columbia. It wasn't like Donald Trump random. 265 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: We just had two plans headed towards Columbia. This had 266 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: been pre arranged. The President said yes. Then in the 267 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: air he said. 268 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 2: Now revoke the authorization mid air, and I gotta say, look, 269 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: look that that there's an online meme that is fa 270 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 2: fo And because this is a family friendly podcast, I'm 271 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 2: not going to spell it out, but I'm going to say, 272 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:03,200 Speaker 2: to speak euphemistically, screwund and find out. Yeah, and Dunald 273 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:08,440 Speaker 2: Trump tweeted that out. But like, okay, that's just pretty 274 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 2: damn funny. 275 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: So every other country now that we've got to deal with, 276 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: wasn't this, clearly, I would argue, probably a pre planned 277 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: Any country that messes with us, here is what we're 278 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: going to do back to them. And now every country 279 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: knows you're gonna get the same treatment. 280 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 2: Look, I'll tell you I met a week ago with 281 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 2: a senior government official from Canada, who was very concerned 282 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 2: about the threatened tariffs on Canada. I was saying, Okay, 283 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 2: what do we do? And I basically said, listen, he's 284 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 2: not bluffing. What I would advise you do is lean 285 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 2: in vigorously and aggressively to do everything humanly possible to 286 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 2: help us secure the borders, because if you don't, you're 287 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 2: gonna see those tariffs. And no matter how aggressive you 288 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 2: were thinking of being to secure the border, triple down 289 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 2: on that, because this is not a bluff. It is 290 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 2: a real, incredible promise. And I got to say, as 291 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,960 Speaker 2: we saw in less than eight hours, it can spur 292 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 2: incredible change of conduct. By the way, in the first 293 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 2: Trump term, we saw the same thing prompt the remain 294 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 2: in Mexico agreement with Mexico for the same reasons. 295 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: Well, and now it seems like he's willing to double 296 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:17,360 Speaker 1: down even more than he was back then. And if 297 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,879 Speaker 1: anyone was doubting his resolve on securing the southern border, 298 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: just call Colombia's Petro and say, hey, how'd it work 299 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: out for you? Because when you have to send the 300 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: president you're playing to pick up migrants. After Trump announce 301 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: the sanctions, that is the biggest failure I've ever witnessed 302 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: in a political gamesmanship like this in modern political history. 303 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, and look, I'll say, within an hour of Columbia refusing, 304 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 2: refusing the planes to land, and Trump announcing the consequences, 305 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 2: here's what I tweeted out. I tweeted out, Colombian President 306 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 2: Petro is playing with fire. After he took over Columbia 307 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 2: the summer of twenty twenty two. I worry this would happen. 308 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 2: I introduced the Act which required suspending aid to Columbia 309 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 2: unless they cooperated to reduce illegal immigration. That is child's 310 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 2: play compared to what will happen now if Petro doesn't 311 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,360 Speaker 2: reverse course. And about six hours later he did. 312 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 1: I want to move to this other big headline, and 313 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: that deals with the CIA and releasing new analysis on 314 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: the COVID origins. Doesn't matter where you read the headline, 315 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:31,679 Speaker 1: whether it's Fox News, Politico, AP, BBC, Wall Street Journal, 316 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 1: they're all writing the same article now, and I'll go 317 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: to Politico. CIA now says COVID nineteen is more likely 318 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: to have originated from a lab leak. Now, the most 319 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,879 Speaker 1: interesting part about this transparency that we're getting from the 320 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a friend of both of ours. 321 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: Is the fact that he made it clear, Hey, I'm 322 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: releasing information that they had already come to a conclusion 323 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: on Center when Biden and Harris were in charge. They 324 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: just didn't want the American people to know it. So 325 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: if you think I'm the one giving you this intel, 326 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,399 Speaker 1: it's not me. This is intel from Biden and Harris 327 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: that they hid from you. 328 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. So the CIA had already come to this conclusion, 329 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 2: and for a number of years, the CIA's public position 330 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 2: was it could not conclude with certainty where the pandemic started. 331 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 2: And yet two days after John Radcliffe was sworn in 332 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 2: as the new director of the CIA, they issued a 333 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 2: public statement that said, quote, we have low confidence in 334 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 2: this judgment and will continue to evaluate any available, credible, 335 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 2: new intelligence reporting or open source information that could change 336 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 2: CIA's assessment. And, by the way, low confidence typically when 337 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 2: the intelligence community has a conclusion that they will report 338 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 2: it with low confidence, with moderate confidence, or with high confidence. 339 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 2: So they're saying that they're not convinced it's absolutely right, 340 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,960 Speaker 2: but they think it's correct, but it's at the lowest 341 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 2: confidence level. And they did note CIA continues to assess 342 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 2: that both research related in natural origin scenarios of the 343 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 2: COVID pandemic remain plausible. It is strik striking however, that 344 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 2: as you just said a second ago, the CIA had 345 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,719 Speaker 2: concluded this some time ago. It's just under Joe Biden 346 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 2: and Kamala Harris they didn't bother to tell the American people. 347 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 2: Listen to John Radcliffe explaining. 348 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 3: This, part of what we have to do is we 349 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 3: have to restore Americans trust in our own institutions like 350 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:37,159 Speaker 3: the intelligence community and law enforcement, and that includes the CIA. 351 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 3: And you know, one of the things that the President stress, 352 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,879 Speaker 3: you know that the purpose of the CIA is to 353 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 3: protect Americans, to keep us safe from foreign threats and 354 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 3: foreign adversaries, but we also need to be truthful with Americans. 355 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 3: And he has stressed to me and others that you know, 356 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 3: these aren't mutually exclusive missions. We can do both. And 357 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 3: so in the case of the CIA, which is the 358 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 3: best foreign intelligence service in world, after five years, to 359 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 3: not have a public assessment, to be honest with the 360 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 3: American people about where the likely source of a pandemic 361 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 3: that killed millions around the world, including a million Americans, 362 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 3: and really impacted all three hundred and forty five million 363 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 3: Americans in some way. People lost jobs, they lost houses, 364 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,959 Speaker 3: they lost their health, they lost their businesses, all of that. 365 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 3: And so I had the opportunity on my first day 366 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 3: to make public an assessment that actually took place in 367 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,680 Speaker 3: the Biden administration, so it can't be accused of being political, 368 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 3: and it does assess the CIA has assessed that the 369 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 3: most likely cause of this pandemic that has wrought so 370 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,400 Speaker 3: much devastation around the world was because of elaborated incident 371 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 3: in Wuhan, and so we'll continue to investigate that moving forward. 372 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 3: But I think it was important for the American people 373 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 3: to see an institution like the CIA get off the 374 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 3: sidelines and be truthful what our intelligence shows, at the 375 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 3: same time of protecting us from adversaries like China, if 376 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 3: they caused or contributed to this. 377 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 1: I mean, center, Wow, what else can you say? This 378 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: is all intel that we already had that they hid 379 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,160 Speaker 1: and lied to the American people about. 380 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 2: Well, listen, and I know John Ratcliffe, well, he's a 381 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:22,159 Speaker 2: good friend of mine. He is someone I sat and 382 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 2: spent about an hour talking with him a week ago 383 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 2: before his confirmation. And I'll tell you one of the 384 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 2: things I urged John to do is bring maximum transparency 385 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 2: that's possible. Look, the nature of the CIA, you can't 386 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 2: be transparent and everything. Obviously, we don't want the public 387 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 2: to know the identity of covert agents or or you know, 388 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 2: secret wiretaps or things that would jeopardize national security. But 389 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 2: the consequences of the politicization and weaponization of both law 390 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 2: enforcement and the intelligence community is that the public's trust 391 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 2: in those institutions has been severely diminished. That's what John 392 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 2: was talking about in that clip you just played, and 393 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 2: so I urged him. By the way, it's the same 394 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 2: thing I've urged Pam Bondi, who's been nominated to be 395 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 2: Attorney General. It's the same thing I've urged Cashptel, who's 396 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 2: been nominated to be FBI director, is have the maximum 397 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 2: transparency possible. And in particular I've urged them with respect 398 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 2: to COVID and the origins of COVID, and by the way, 399 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,120 Speaker 2: any US government complicity in terms of funding the Chinese 400 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 2: research and the gain of function research that may have 401 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 2: created the COVID virus, that we need maximum transparency concerning 402 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 2: that in particular, and I think John Ratcliffe is following 403 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 2: through with that I've also urged maximum transparency concerning January 404 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:43,160 Speaker 2: sixth and any US government informants who may have been 405 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 2: involved who may have enticed or entrapped people into conduct 406 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 2: on that day to make that public as well. And 407 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 2: I'm hopeful and by the way, I'll mention Trump is 408 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 2: also releasing the files on JFK and RFK and Martin 409 00:23:57,359 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 2: Luther King's assassinations. I will note Ben when when Trump 410 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 2: said he was releasing the JFK files. 411 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: I know where you're going with this. 412 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 2: I did at least tweet just wondering what are the 413 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 2: non extradition countries Again, I'm asking for a friend, all. 414 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,119 Speaker 1: Right, you can't say that without telling the backstory on 415 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 1: this one, right? Can you find people the humor here 416 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: on this? 417 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 2: Sure? During twenty sixteen, Trump accused my father of killing JFK, which, 418 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 2: for the record, no, my dad did not kill JFK. 419 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 2: He did kill Jimmy Hoffa. Jimmy Hoffa is buried my 420 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 2: bad dad's backyard. But he didn't kill JFK. And so 421 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,719 Speaker 2: it's it's it's it's it's a thing. And so if 422 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 2: he's releasing the the JFK files, I got to tell 423 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 2: you I'm buying a plane ticket for my dad to 424 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 2: go to Bolivia right now. 425 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: Between that and the Zodiac Killer, you're just making headlines, 426 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: my friend. 427 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 2: And it was amazing. So Ben, there is actually a 428 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 2: real poll that I have seen that show, This was 429 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 2: a few years ago, that twenty eight percent of Floridians 430 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 2: believe I may well be the Zodiac Killer. 431 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 1: That's what I would frame and put on my desk. 432 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 1: It really is. 433 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 2: And given that the Zodiac Killer killed a number of 434 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 2: people in northern California in the nineteen sixties before I 435 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 2: was born, that's an amazing talent to be able to 436 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,359 Speaker 2: murder in utero, to reach like back in time. That 437 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 2: that's just you know, I'm kind of proud of that. 438 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 1: I mean, if liberals a another reason to be afraid 439 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: of you, just know that Center crews can time travel, 440 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:35,160 Speaker 1: per per Internet Report. 441 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 2: So as the meme says, fafo, I love it. 442 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 1: All Right, let's talk about the last thing on our list, 443 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: and it is one. Were you right in your prediction? 444 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: When did you get home? If you listen our last show, 445 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: we were talking about our Democrats gonna hold out through 446 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: the weekend. Are you gonna have to stay in DC 447 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: all weekend? Are you gonna get to come home? They 448 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,000 Speaker 1: were holding up the nomination jet again? So tell us 449 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: how that went down. When did you get back? 450 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:02,680 Speaker 2: Were you right? 451 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 4: So? 452 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 2: I was right. I said I thought we'd get back Saturday. 453 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 2: I thought the Democrats would fight tooth and nail to 454 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 2: try to beat Pete Haggseth. I said they'd lose. And 455 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,199 Speaker 2: I said when they lost, they'd give in and they 456 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 2: want to get out of town because they want to 457 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 2: get home, just like we do. So that's exactly what happened. 458 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 2: So we were there, We were there late Friday night, 459 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 2: and then we ended up finishing the vote Saturday morning, 460 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,520 Speaker 2: and we all flew out Saturday afternoon. So I'm you 461 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 2: and I are recording. It is twelve eleven in the 462 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:35,360 Speaker 2: morning right now, Sunday night, Monday morning, I'm in Houston, 463 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,240 Speaker 2: and tomorrow morning I'll fly back to d C to 464 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 2: go back to the Senate tomorrow. So we did get out, 465 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 2: And where are we on the confirmations? So right now 466 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 2: four cabinet members have been confirmed. The first to be 467 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 2: confirmed was Marco Rubio, a Secretary of State. He was 468 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 2: confirmed on January twentieth. The vote was ninety nine to nothing. 469 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 2: The second to be confirmed was the guy that you 470 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 2: just played that clip from, John Ratcliffe at a director. 471 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 2: The vote was seventy two to twenty six, so big 472 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 2: bipartisan vote. And it's striking though that the Democrats delayed 473 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 2: that several days even though there was clear bipartisan support 474 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 2: for him. Ratcliffe should have been confirmed on January twentieth. Also, 475 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 2: in fact, we thought he was going to and the 476 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 2: Democrats delayed it several days just because they're engaged in obstruction. 477 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,439 Speaker 2: They're trying to delay everything, and. 478 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: We're way behind schedule compared to other administrations. 479 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 2: So if you understand that way behind is strong, but 480 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 2: they're dragging their feet, and that's why that's why we 481 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,280 Speaker 2: ram through, forced them to stay through the weekend cape 482 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 2: that kept them late Friday night, kept them their Saturday. 483 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 2: To make clear, listen, if you delay, we'll just motor through. 484 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:44,840 Speaker 2: And so you can decide do you want it to 485 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 2: be unpleasant or do you want to move forward. We're 486 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 2: going to move expeditiously and confirm these nominees. The Democrats, 487 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 2: if they want, they can abuse the procedural rules, they 488 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 2: can drag things out, but that means they're going to 489 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 2: be there on Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays, and they're 490 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:00,119 Speaker 2: not going home, and that's the most effective way to 491 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 2: get them to cave in, which is what they did. 492 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 2: And so Friday night, the third cabinet member was confirmed, 493 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 2: that was Pete Hegseth. That vote was fifty one to fifty. 494 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 2: More on that in a second, I'll come back to that. 495 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 2: And then on Saturday, we confirmed the fourth cabinet member, 496 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 2: which is Christy nom for Secretary of Homeland Security. She 497 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 2: was confirmed fifty nine thirty four, so a respectable bipartisan vote, 498 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 2: not overwhelming, but she got six Democrats. And next week 499 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 2: we have teed up Scott Bessent for Secretary of Treasury, 500 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 2: Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation, Chris Wright for Secretary 501 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,800 Speaker 2: of Energy, and Doug Berga for Secretary of the Interior. 502 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:41,479 Speaker 2: All of them are out of committee, all of them 503 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 2: are teed up. I think all four of them will 504 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 2: be confirmed next week. We may have some others confirmed 505 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 2: next week as well, but we're moving expeditiously, and as 506 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 2: I said, my prediction is that we will confirm all 507 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 2: of Trump's cabinet nominees within thirty days. We also have 508 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 2: next week in Judiciary, we will vote Pam Bondi out 509 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 2: of committee and we'll have the hearing on Cash Paateel. 510 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 2: And by the way, one of the things I did 511 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 2: last week is participated in in a moot preparation with 512 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 2: Cash Patel, which was very productive. Cash. I think it's 513 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 2: going to do a good job. The Democrats are going 514 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 2: to go hard after Cash, Battel, They're going to go 515 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 2: hard after Tulci Gabbard. Those are their top two targets. 516 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 2: And then Pete Hexseth. So Pete Hegseth. They fired everything 517 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 2: they could at him. They really wanted to defeat Pete. 518 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 2: And the vote ended up being fifty to fifty on 519 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 2: the floor of the Senate. So three Republicans voted no. 520 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 2: Susan Collins, which was not a surprise, Lisa Murkowski again 521 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 2: not a big surprise, and Mitch McConnell, who I have 522 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: to admit I was not surprised that Mitch voted no, 523 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 2: but that was the more surprising of the three. I 524 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 2: will say Friday. 525 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: I was surprised by that one. So explain why you 526 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: say you weren't surprised. I just I was shocked knowing 527 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 1: who he had voted to confirm in the past on 528 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: the Democrat sides. Was it more of an inside baseball 529 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: in DC? Everybody thought, yeah, he'd probably do this. I 530 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: don't explain why. 531 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,480 Speaker 2: So several things. One, I think it's fair to say 532 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 2: Mitch is not a fan of Donald Trump. To put 533 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 2: that mildly, I think both of them can't stand each other. 534 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:19,520 Speaker 2: I think secondly, Mitch listen that the odds are overwhelming. 535 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 2: Mitch is not going to run for reelection, which means 536 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 2: he's got two years and his term is up in 537 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 2: twenty twenty six. I think for his final two years, 538 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,959 Speaker 2: Mitch has decided he wants to be basically John McCain. 539 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 2: He wants to fight for a bigger military, he wants 540 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:36,440 Speaker 2: to fight for an aggressive, interventionist foreign policy. And I 541 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 2: think he views many of Trump's foreign policy nominees, many 542 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 2: of his foreign policy positions Mitch passionately disagrees with, and 543 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 2: I think in Mitch's mind he put hag Seth into 544 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:51,600 Speaker 2: that category. And so just given where Mitch is coming from, 545 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 2: I wasn't surprised that he voted no, and I think 546 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 2: you could see Mitch vote no. I think those three 547 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 2: Collins Berkowski and McConnell could vote no on on a 548 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 2: couple of other nominees. On most of them they'll be yeses, 549 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 2: but those three. To have a good thing about a 550 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 2: fifty three vote majority is we can afford to lose three. 551 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 2: We can afford to lose three and win. So it 552 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 2: was fifty to fifty on the floor of the Senate, 553 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 2: which meant the Vice President J. D. Vance came late 554 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 2: Friday night and he cast the tie breaking vote. So 555 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 2: Pete hagg Seth is now the Defense Secretary. But that 556 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 2: was a battle, and there was some real drama, in 557 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 2: particular because Tom Tillis from North Carolina had raised real 558 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 2: issues during the day whether he would be a yes 559 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:32,960 Speaker 2: or a no. And I can tell you there were 560 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 2: a lot of intense conversations with Tom, with Pete hegg Seth, 561 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 2: with the White House, back and forth. Look, if one 562 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 2: more Republican had voted no, it would have taken hegg 563 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 2: Seth down. But at the end of the day I 564 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 2: was confident Tillis would vote yes, and he did vote yes. 565 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 2: In fact, I offered to several of my colleagues, I said, 566 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:53,320 Speaker 2: I'll bet you a hundred bucks he's a yes, and 567 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 2: nobody would take my bet. That's a shame because I 568 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 2: would have liked to have won one hundred dollars. 569 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt about it. All Right. So lastly, this week, seek, 570 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: what do you think is going to happen? Is it 571 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 1: going to be a long week or are you guys 572 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 1: going to get a lot of this done and get 573 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: out of there on Thursday like normal, or are the 574 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: Democrats going to keep playing the games? 575 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:13,120 Speaker 2: Well, listen, normal Senate schedule as you come in Monday night, 576 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 2: your first vote is typically five thirty pm. The reason 577 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 2: it's five thirty pm that's called the comeback vote. And 578 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 2: you've got senators flying in from all over the country, 579 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 2: so even from the West coast, you can fly in 580 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,120 Speaker 2: and land in DC and get to a five thirty vote. 581 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:28,800 Speaker 2: So that's why we start Monday night so everyone could 582 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 2: come back to town that day. The normal Senate schedule is 583 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 2: you wrap up voting Thursday afternoon, you fly home to 584 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 2: your state, and then you're in your state. You're traveling 585 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,800 Speaker 2: your state on Friday and the weekends. What John Thune 586 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 2: has announced is is the schedule right now every week 587 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 2: we're going to be there through Fridays. I think part 588 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:51,520 Speaker 2: of that is to put pressure on the Democrats not 589 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 2: to be obstructionist. I think if the Democrats agree to 590 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 2: collapse time and to move a little faster, I think 591 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,480 Speaker 2: we may go home Thursday afternoons as well, so we 592 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 2: can be back in the state on Friday. But if 593 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 2: the Democrats delay are an obstructionist, I expect us to 594 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 2: be there every Friday. 595 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,360 Speaker 1: Incredible, don't forget we do the show Monday, Wednesday Friday. 596 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 1: We're gonna give you a blueprint for what's happening, especially 597 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: during these confirmation hearings, just like we talked about, So 598 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: hit that subscribe or that auto download button, and on 599 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 1: those in between days, grab my podcast, the Ben Ferguson Podcasts. 600 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: I'll keep you updated on the latest breaking news as 601 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 1: well on those days and the Senate and I will 602 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,200 Speaker 1: see you back here Wednesday morning.