1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: The greatest part of this show is hearing from you, 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: hearing your questions from all the wonderful people who have 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: subscribed and left five star reviews and made this one 4 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: of the biggest podcasts out there. And regularly I squander 5 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: that excellent aspect of this show because I just want 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: to ask all of my questions and we just really 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: get into it. So I am so excited to say 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: this episode all mail bag. So please thank you so 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: much for sending your questions in. We've got a lot. 10 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: Some of them are brilliant, some of them are funny, 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: some of them are extremely irreverent, and we will hit 12 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: all of those questions. Please be sure to like and 13 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: subscribe before the overlords in Big Tech take us all out. 14 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: For now, I am Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: Ted Cruise. Welcome back to Verdict with Ted Cruz. I'm 16 00:00:58,360 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: going to jump right in. I'm not going to allow 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: myself to say one extra word from Eddie. First question, Senator, 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: what was your least favorite part of Joe Biden's terrible 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: State of the Union speech? Well, it disturbed my nap. 20 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: That was irritating, but but look the part I hated 21 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: the boast was a line that he had where he 22 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: said we the people and then he said that's us, 23 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,119 Speaker 1: that's the government, and that just pissed me off because 24 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, that is utter and complete crap. That. Look, 25 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: I know that Joe Biden was not a very good 26 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 1: law student, but he needs to go back and take 27 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: con law again, because we the people, which is how 28 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:52,640 Speaker 1: the Constitution begins, means us the people. Damn it, It's 29 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: not government. It's the opposite of government. And you know, 30 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: this is Joe Biden being a totalitarian and like justifying 31 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: massive government power by saying, you know, I am we 32 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: the people. I mean, you know, it reminded me of 33 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: Louis the fourteenth LAMI LETI okay, And you did actually 34 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,679 Speaker 1: get me to to to mangle French on the podcast. 35 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: So we I've been hanging around with Gayle's too much. 36 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: It's clearly clearly a problem. It's far into But but 37 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: you know, Joe Biden thinks he's the sun God. I mean, 38 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: I mean, it is the arrogance and ignorance of that statement, 39 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: and it is what big government democrats believe. But I 40 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: think a lot of people think this, Senator, and I 41 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: will try to refrain from ascribing to malice that which 42 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: is equally explained by stupidity. True enough, Barack Obama said this. 43 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 1: Do you remember Barack Obama said, the government, that's that's 44 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,519 Speaker 1: what we do together, That's that is us. It was 45 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: what Joe Biden said was basically a plagiarized line from 46 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: Obama and Joe Biden. Biden. Biden would never plagiarized. No 47 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: could come on. Joe would not do that, not him, 48 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: not him. What do you say to people who say, look, yeah, 49 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: the government is when we all get together, you know, 50 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: we the people get together, and then the thing that 51 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: we do that expresses our unity together is the government. 52 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: And you you're just some crazy conservative who has an 53 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: irrational fear of government. So we the people is the 54 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: boss of government. Look, for most of human history, government 55 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: was the monarch, was the ruler, and the power of 56 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: government came from God Almighty and and and it was 57 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: a top down vision. And when the Framers rested sovereignty 58 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: with the people and the people lent government power to 59 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: officeholders for a temporary period of time, that transformed the 60 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: face of the planet. I mean that was a revolutionary idea. 61 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: You know. Thomas Jefferson put it really well when he 62 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: said that the Constitution serves as chains to bind the 63 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: mischief of government. Yeah, it's all about restraining government. Now. 64 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: We want a government strong enough to defend the nation, 65 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: to do the essential functions that the government needs to do. 66 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: But the Constitution and Bill of Bright are all about 67 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: protecting we the people from the Joe Biden's of the 68 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: world that want to take our freedom's away. And there 69 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: seems to be this total blurring of the distinction between 70 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 1: the different parts of the government. I'm no con law expert, 71 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: but I have read the document once or twice, and 72 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 1: it seems to me you have the people, and you 73 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: have the states, and you have the federal government, and 74 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: you have a separation of powers, and you have checks 75 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: and balances, and you have federalism. And yet when you 76 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: hear Joe Biden talk about it, it's all just kind 77 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: of the same blob. And we got to do whatever 78 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: it tells us to do. Yeah. Look, the modern left, 79 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: it is openly socialist. The people driving the agenda in 80 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: the Biden administration are Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren an AOC. 81 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: Bernie an AOC explicitly or socialists, and Warren is not 82 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: too far behind that, and that means they believe their 83 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: solution to everything is government and government power. Now, one 84 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 1: of the consequences, I will say, the Biden guys, they 85 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: came in on January twentieth. They immediately fire everyone connected 86 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: with the Trump administration. They immediately start rescinding rules. And 87 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: they are frankly much more effective at doing this, yeah, 88 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: than Republicans are. But but for them, this is religion. 89 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: Government is religion, it is faith, It is what they do. 90 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: You know, too often Republicans treat treat politics like a 91 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: game of croquet at the back lawn, and the differential 92 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: and seriousness is it's a problem. So speaking of the 93 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: differential and seriousness between the Republicans and the Democrats, this 94 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: question comes from Jonathan Caitlyn twenty twenty one. Are you 95 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: with her? Um? Look, I think it will be interesting 96 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: to see see how California resolves that. UM. I find 97 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: it wonderfully beautiful that Gavin Newsom is getting recalled. UM. 98 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: I mean it. You know, karma has a way of 99 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: coming back on you. You know, it says something that 100 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: his shut everything down policies were so extreme that even 101 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: the people California said enough of this nonsense. Um, that's good, 102 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: that's good. That's actually good for hope in America. So 103 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 1: I don't know Caitlyn. I I met Caitlin back oh 104 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen. I think it was when I came out 105 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: to LA to speak to the Friends of ABE, the 106 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: conservative group in Hollywood, and and then Caitlyn was Bruce, 107 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:04,559 Speaker 1: and Bruce Jenner was openly conservative, which was a really 108 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: risky position to take in Hollywood. People don't know this, 109 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: but but Bruce Jenner would go to conservative events. It's 110 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: not exactly hiding this sort of thing. It Bruce had 111 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: demonstrated real courage. Now Caitlyn is running. You know, in 112 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, when I was running for president, Caitlyn Jenner 113 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: publicly said that she wanted to be my trans ambassador, 114 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: the trans ambassador for Ted Cruz, which which caused a 115 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: lot of the LBGT world to lose their minds that 116 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: that Caitlyn said such a thing listen to. I don't know. 117 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: I don't know who all's going to run and what's 118 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: going to happen, but but I think it's great. Democracy 119 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: is all about standing up for what you believe in. 120 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: And if the people of California choose anybody who is 121 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: more protective of liberty than Gavin Newsom. That's a step 122 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: in the right direction. There is a real world because 123 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: obviously it would raise lots of questions about and just 124 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: the pronouns. What pronouns do you use? What does this 125 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: mean for these broader issues of gender and sex? But 126 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: it may simply be the case that in California that's 127 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: about as conservative as you get. And so yes, I 128 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: suppose we all have to wait and see a lot 129 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: of other people are going to be part of this 130 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: race as well. We have a question, Senator, that is 131 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: that just cuts right to the point from the Panda 132 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: Tribune when no one is watching or any members of 133 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: Congress actually productive public servants, Yeah, I would say there 134 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: there are. Look, there are actually a number of members 135 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: of Congress who work pretty hard. It varies, and there's 136 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: a wide variance. You know. I remember when I was 137 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: first elected to the Senate's probably I don't know, twenty thirteen, 138 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 1: twenty fourteen, first couple of years I'm up there, and 139 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: I went out to dinner with John McCain and John 140 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: McCain he and I had a famously combative relationship. Was 141 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 1: that the time he I believe he called you a 142 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: wacko bird. That was that the phrase he did. He 143 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: publicly called me a wacco bird. And actually when he 144 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 1: called me a wacco bird, I went to the Senate 145 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: floor and I gave a speech praising John McCain. And 146 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: it so happened. It was the fortieth anniversary of his 147 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: release from the Hanoi Hilton, and so I gave a 148 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 1: speech just unambiguously praising him. He served our nation, he 149 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: was shot down, he was a prisoner of war, and 150 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: most incredibly, he was offered early release, and he said 151 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: no because he thought it would be dishonorable. And I said, 152 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: you know, genuinely and from the heart, that I admire 153 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: and revere that service and sacrifice. I hope in the 154 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 1: same situation I would do the same thing. Ye, But 155 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: you and I we've never been tortured, we've never been 156 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: in prisoned. I don't know what I would do in 157 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: that circumstance. And so every word I said praising him 158 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: in that speech was heartfelt. I didn't praise him for 159 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: the terrible liberal policies he supports. There's lots of things 160 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: John McCain did that I and like, but I praised 161 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: him for that, which was praiseworthy. But I also meant 162 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: it to be a statement that if you go low road, 163 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: if you go nasty and personal and in the gutter, yeah, 164 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: I'm not going to respond in kind. And so I didn't. 165 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 1: But anyway, the story I was going to tell, because 166 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: this is a digression from the very good question. Some 167 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: months later, John and I went out and had had 168 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: dinner and we're talking just about the Senate, and he 169 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: made a point to me. Then he said, you know, 170 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: in the Senate, like in most places in life, the 171 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: eighty twenty rule applies, which is that eighty percent of 172 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 1: the work is done by twenty percent of the people. 173 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: That the Senate is a place where if you really 174 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:42,599 Speaker 1: want to roll up your sleeves and you want to 175 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 1: lead and you want to engage, that you can and 176 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,080 Speaker 1: you can very quickly lead. You don't have to. You know, 177 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: the House can be tougher. The House. Seniority matters a lot. 178 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: They're four hundred and thirty five members. Take it can 179 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: take a while to have an impact in the House. 180 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: You know, in the Senate there only one hundred senators. 181 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: It's not that big a place. Right now, they're fifty Republicans. 182 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: If you care about an issue, you can stand up 183 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: and lead and make a difference. So there are number 184 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 1: of Senators that make a big difference. Mike Lee. I 185 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: adore Mike Lee. He is a constitutionalist, he is passionate, 186 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: he works hard. You know someone who had just retired, 187 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 1: Lamar Alexander. Lamar a lot more moderate than I am. 188 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: But actually Lamar and I got along very well. He 189 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:34,319 Speaker 1: was a hard working, He delved into details, he delved 190 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: into substance, and he would drive a legislative agenda. There 191 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: are other Senators that frankly just go to cocktail parties. Yeah, 192 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: like it is a job. I mean, the eighty twenty 193 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: rule means also that eighty percent of the folks are 194 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: not working that hard. But you know what, that's true. 195 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:57,319 Speaker 1: That's true most places you go. That's true in most companies. 196 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: And if you resolve. So when I'm talking to potential 197 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 1: candidates who are thinking of running for Senate, and I 198 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: talked to a fair number of peopleho are looking at 199 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 1: Senate seats, and they'll ask They'll be like, well, can 200 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:12,679 Speaker 1: you make a difference in the Senate? Can you do anything? 201 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: And with the right person, I'm very encouraging because I say, look, 202 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: if you want to, if you're willing to do the work, 203 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: this is to a significant part self directed. How many 204 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: issues are you going to lead on? What are you 205 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: going to do? Are you gonna you know, how hard 206 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: are you going to work? But if you're willing to 207 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,000 Speaker 1: work and lead and you've got courage, can you can 208 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: make a big difference? Yes? And I actually can attest 209 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: to your complement of Senator Alexander because just about a 210 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: month ago, my newborn son was baptized in Lamar Alexander's 211 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: punch bowl. This was a very strange circumstance. It said 212 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: Lamar Alexander, Businessman of the Year nineteen eighty or something. 213 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: Somehow a Catholic church in Nashville fell into this sort 214 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: of thing. And so Lamar Alexander is still doing good work, 215 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 1: including bringing my son into the body of Christ that 216 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: I'm almost speechless on that. I will say, Lamar owns 217 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: something that that is a unique connection between your new 218 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:14,319 Speaker 1: home and my longtime home, which is that Lamar has 219 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: a walking stick that was owned by Sam Houston. And 220 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: Sam Houston was governor of Tennessee and was governor of Texas. 221 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: The only person in US history to be governor of 222 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: two different states. And so it's a very cool walking 223 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: stick that Sam Houston had. By the way, on the 224 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: question of senators doing things productive, I'll give you an 225 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: example that might surprise folks, which is a Democrat. Okay, 226 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: Kirston Gillibrand. So I like Kirston. She and I are friends, 227 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: We get along and and actually just today I did 228 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: a press conference with Kirston Gillibrand on an issue that 229 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: she has been relentlessly leading on and that I've been 230 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: working with her for about eight years. And it's sexual 231 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 1: assault the military. It's a real problem. The numbers are 232 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: very discouraging that far too many servicewomen and even some 233 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: servicemen are subjected to sexual assault in the military. And 234 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: you know, I twenty thirteen I started on the Senate 235 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: Armed Services Committee. She was on it, and she's passionate her. 236 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: She has legislation that would move the decision about whether 237 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: to prosecute sexual assault from the commanding officer to a 238 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: military prosecutor who is outside the chain of command. And 239 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: the top brass that the Pentagon hate this idea and 240 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: they argue vehemently against it. And so I'm brand new 241 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: on the Armed Services Committee and I go to a 242 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: hearing and you know, sometimes you think, well, debate doesn't 243 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: make a difference, that's all just play acting and everyone 244 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: knows what they think. Yeah. Well, I went into that 245 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: hearing genuinely not knowing what I thought and wanting to 246 00:14:55,480 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: listen to the arguments on both sides, and the brass say, well, 247 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: moving the prosecuting decision out of the chain of command, 248 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,360 Speaker 1: it would undermine good order and discipline. It would make 249 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: it harder for the commanders to lead their troops. Kirsten 250 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: came back with a number of facts, one of which 251 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: is that multiple of our allies have done exactly this reform. 252 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: So Canada has done it, the United Kingdom has done it, 253 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: Israel has done it, and they studied it and it 254 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: has not had an effective undermining good order and discipline. 255 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: And the real challenge is that the rates of reporting 256 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: in the military are very very low, that when someone 257 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: is a victim of assault, they are far too frequently 258 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,120 Speaker 1: unwilling to come forward and report it. And one of 259 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: the biggest reasons is they don't believe the commanding officer 260 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: will be fired and partial that they're worried that the 261 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 1: commanding officer may be buddies with the guy who committed 262 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: the assault and will be reluctant to bring charges. And 263 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: so I listened to those arguments and was persuaded by them, 264 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: and so back in twenty thirteen signed I signed up 265 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: and co sponsored the legislation with Kirsten and have been fighting. 266 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 1: And she's been fighting for eight years and I've been fighting. 267 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: And so we sit down with whiplists, where she goes 268 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: and looks for Democrats to support it, I go and 269 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: look for Republicans to support it. We just did a 270 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: press conference this morning. I think the bill is likely 271 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: to pass in the next two years, that we're seeing 272 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: really growing momentum. But I use that as an example 273 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:38,240 Speaker 1: where she has, I mean just tirelessly bird dogged this issue. 274 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: And I think if we can reduce the incidents of 275 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: sexual assault in the military and do a better job 276 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: protecting our servicemen and women, that's very worthwhile. Certainly, next 277 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: question comes from Pancake Robot. I assume this is mister 278 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: Robot's Christian name after Saint Pancake of Alexandria. Question is 279 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: I want to hear Senator Cruz's take on the paradox 280 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 1: of Republican power. We elect Republicans to make the federal 281 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: government less powerful, but in practice that just means that 282 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: Republicans are reluctant to wield power to achieve that objective. 283 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: It's a very insightful question. How do we resolve that? 284 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: I think there are a couple of things that drive 285 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: at one we mentioned just just earlier in the pod. 286 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:33,400 Speaker 1: Democrats are ruthlessly serious. Government is life or death to them. 287 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: They spend every waking moment thinking about how to be effective. 288 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: Republicans often politics, if they do it it's a hobby, 289 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,880 Speaker 1: it's not It doesn't have the same seriousness. So when 290 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: it comes to wielding power, you don't get people that 291 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: are nearly as serious about moving a policy agenda because 292 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: they don't necessarily have the same passion to it. There 293 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: are a couple full of different challenges. Let me only 294 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: up break this down a couple of ways. Number one, 295 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,320 Speaker 1: how do you run a federal agency? And so a 296 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: challenge that Republican appointees having an agency is if you're 297 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: in an agency that you think should be abolished, that 298 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: can be a real problem for running it. You know, 299 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: you remember Rick Perry famously at the debate, you know, 300 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: forgot one of the agencies that he wanted to abolish 301 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: and said, oops, the irony is the agency he forgot 302 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: was the Department of Energy, which he later became Trump's 303 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: Secretary of Energy. So he literally led the department that 304 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: he forgot that he wanted to abolish, undermining it from within. 305 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:41,119 Speaker 1: One of my first jobs in politics was in the 306 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: George W. Bush administration, where I was at the Federal 307 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: Trade Commission. And my boss was a guy named Tim Muris, 308 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: who was the chairman of the FTCs of brilliant guys 309 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: the lawyers would economist, and he recruited me in to 310 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: be the head of policy at the FTC. And this 311 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: is two thousand, two thousand one to two thousand and three. 312 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: And what Tim understood if you go into an agency 313 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: as a Republican political appointee and you tell every person 314 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 1: at the agency your job is meaningless. Everything you've done 315 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 1: with your life is worthless. I hate the mission of 316 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 1: this agency and you suck. Now follow me. They're going 317 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 1: to fight back. They're going to resist you at every turn. 318 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: What Tim understood instead, a government bureaucracy is like a fire, 319 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: and you can direct the fire in a positive direction. 320 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 1: But if you if you just try to kill it, 321 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: it will try to kill you. And so, for example, 322 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: at the FTC, my office, the FTEC is charged by 323 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 1: statute with defending competition and defending consumers. They're seventy five 324 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: PhD economist at the FTC. And so one of the 325 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: things that I led is something called competition advocacy where 326 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:57,959 Speaker 1: we would study a state legislature or a state regulatory 327 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: body would request our views on particular and a competitive 328 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: bill they were considering that was typically restricting competition, favoring 329 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,639 Speaker 1: big business and hurting consumers, and we would study it. 330 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: The PhD economists would study it, and then we would 331 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 1: go and provide testimony or provide expert guidance on if 332 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: you do this, prices will rise twenty percent for consumers. 333 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,639 Speaker 1: And the competition advocacy people were eager to do it. 334 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 1: It was beneficial, but it was expanding freedom and it 335 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: was reducing the footprint of government. Another example class action lawsuits. 336 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: There were plaintiffs lawyers that were bringing abusive class action 337 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: lawsuits where they'd have a big class, they'd negotiate what's 338 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,880 Speaker 1: called a coupon settlement, which is you know, anyone who 339 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: ever bought a bag of Doritos gets a coupon for 340 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: ten cents off Doritos. And but you know, as fifty 341 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: million people, so everyone gets a ten cent coupon, and 342 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: the lawyers take home seventy million dollars. And the coupon settlements, frankly, 343 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:08,919 Speaker 1: are a croc many times because they're designed to make 344 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 1: lawyers fees and not actually to help the ostensible clients. 345 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: And so what we did in the FTC is we 346 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: began intervening in cases that involved coupon settlements and arguing 347 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: to the judge that the judge ought to chop down 348 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: the lawyer's fees and give the money to the consumers. 349 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: And you know, Michael, on the question of the Republican paradox, 350 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,399 Speaker 1: I like that the way that was put it also 351 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: sometimes is a conservative paradox. And I'll give an example. 352 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:47,160 Speaker 1: Many times moderates in government have been much better than 353 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: the conservatives. They've been better prepared, they've taken it more seriously, 354 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: and they've won bureaucratic battle. So I'll give an example. 355 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: One of my favorite books in politics is Jim Baker's 356 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: book his autobiography, and it's called work, hard, study, and 357 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:07,080 Speaker 1: stat of politics, which was actually the advice his grandfather 358 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,159 Speaker 1: gave him. And you know, you think about it. So 359 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: Baker was the campaign manager of five presidential campaigns, I mean, 360 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: pause and like you know, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary 361 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 1: of State. I mean, the guy had an extraordinary career. 362 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty, Baker was the campaign manager of George 363 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: Herbert Walker Bush's campaign running against Ronald Reagan. And that 364 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: was a bitter primary. That's where Bush accused Reagan of 365 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 1: voodoo economics. I mean, they were pounding the heck out 366 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:43,160 Speaker 1: of each other. Reagan wins, and Jim Baker becomes Reagan's 367 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,399 Speaker 1: chief of staff in the White House. I mean that's 368 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: I don't know of any other circumstance where the campaign 369 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: manager for your primary opponent becomes your chief of staff 370 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: when you win. That that is an extraordinary thing. And 371 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:00,400 Speaker 1: so Baker recounts in his book, right at the beginning 372 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: of the Reagan White House, he sits down with Ed Meese. Now, 373 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: Ed mess is someone who's a dear friend. He was 374 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 1: a longtime confident of Reagan's. It's this principal conservative. When 375 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 1: I first ran for Senate, Ed Meese was the chairman 376 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: of my national leadership team. He's an extraordinary guy. Baker 377 00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: recounts how he sat down with Mee to divide responsibilities 378 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: in the White House, and he pulls out a yellow 379 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: notepad and he draws a line down the middle and 380 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: so on, and he says, all right, Ed, let's let's 381 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: divide responsibilities. And he says, look, Ed, you've been with 382 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: the president for so long. You have his trust, you 383 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: have his confidence, you know his heart. Ed, you need 384 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: to drive the substance. You need to drive the meat. 385 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,680 Speaker 1: You need to drive really the important stuff that we're doing. 386 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: So you need to lead the Domestic Policy Council, you 387 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,439 Speaker 1: need to lead the National Economic Council. All of the 388 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: substance you should be in charge of. And Baker says, look, 389 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: I'll just do the admin stuff. And he said, I'll 390 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: tell the schedule, and I'll take personnel, and I'll take budget, 391 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,159 Speaker 1: and I'll take ledge affairs and so Actually, in his 392 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 1: book he reproduces he has a xerox copy of the 393 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: actual yellow pad that says Ed and Jim, and it 394 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,640 Speaker 1: has that on there. And in his autobiography Baker admits 395 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: he says, look, I knew I was eating niece's lunch. Because, 396 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: all right, if he controls the schedule, he controls every 397 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,400 Speaker 1: minute of the president's time. That's a big deal. If 398 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,880 Speaker 1: you decide how the president spends every day, all day long. 399 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 1: If he controls personnel, there's an old saying that I 400 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: think is very true that personnel is policy. If Baker 401 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: is picking the people that are throughout the administration, he 402 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: controls the administration. On budget, everything that happens in government 403 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 1: happens through budget. If he controls budget, the dollars drive 404 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: the substance. And then finally on ledge affairs. The way 405 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: he put it, he said, listen, if I'm the one 406 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: sitting in the room with the Senate Majority leader and 407 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: the Speaker of the House, and I'm negotiating the bill, 408 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 1: ed can have whatever he wants and his cute little 409 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: policy counsel, and they can write as many white papers 410 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 1: as they want, but I get to decide what gets done. 411 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: And Jim Baker extraordinarily capable guy, but not a conservative, 412 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 1: very much a moderate, and conservatives suffered because he was 413 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: so good. Dick Darman, who worked for Baker, likewise not 414 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:39,920 Speaker 1: a conservative, but ruthlessly effective, really understood the machinery of government. 415 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: And I'm a big believer that conservatives need to be 416 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:48,360 Speaker 1: just as effective as the other guys. That we need 417 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: conservatives who are as good as Jim Baker, who understand 418 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: how to drive an agenda and actually get it accomplished. 419 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: You know, there is a lot to be said for 420 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:02,280 Speaker 1: the philosophical debate among conservatives. You can throw a hundred 421 00:26:02,280 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: conservatives into a room. They would somehow find a way 422 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:07,360 Speaker 1: to disagree with every single other one and how much 423 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,679 Speaker 1: they've read, and how much they think, No, they wouldn't, No, 424 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:14,680 Speaker 1: they wouldn't and there. But you know, actually you've proven 425 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: this too, not just the philosophical aspect. There is a 426 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: basic competence question here to politics as well. And you 427 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: have gotten things done. There have been conservatives who haven't 428 00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:29,880 Speaker 1: gotten things done. You have why because it's not enough 429 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: to just sit in the Freshman bull session, Yeah, and 430 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:34,959 Speaker 1: argue about philosophy all day. You actually have to know 431 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: how to wield the levers of power and accomplish the 432 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: tangible aspect of the job. No, that's exactly right. And 433 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: if you want to change the trajectory of the country, 434 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: you look at Ronald Reagan did a phenomenal job of 435 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 1: it because he understood, he understood the power of vision, 436 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: he understood the power of personnel, and and he understood 437 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: how to drive that vision throughout. And so you know, 438 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: Reagan ran on winning the Cold War, defeating the Soviet Union. 439 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 1: He ran on cutting taxes and bringing the economy back, 440 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: and he ran on cutting government spending. He achieved two 441 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: of those three. So he was successful in winning the 442 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: Cold War, defeating the Soviet Union. He rebuilt the military 443 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 1: and bankrupted the Soviet Union. No one thought that was possible. 444 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 1: He was successful in cutting taxes and reducing regulations that 445 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 1: produced enormous economic growth. Where he wasn't successful was reigning 446 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: in government spending. And frankly, his own party fought him 447 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 1: on that. Democrats fought him on that, and he at 448 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 1: times slowed the rate of growth of spending. But that 449 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: was about it. Yeah, not two out of three ain't 450 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: so bad. Let's say, you know, it could be we 451 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,120 Speaker 1: could we could try to get the rest now, which 452 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: actually leads into my final question, A quick question in 453 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: our last moments here. This is from Ben. How screwed 454 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: are we very very, very very But I believe not 455 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: permanently And let me break into a couple of things. 456 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: Taxes are going up. They're going up a ton every tax, 457 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: every tax is going up by trillions of dollars, and 458 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 1: there's nothing Republicans can do to stop it because they 459 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: will use budget reconciliation that can't be filibustered to raise taxes. 460 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: The only question is how massive will the tax increase be, 461 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 1: and that will be decided by the fifty Democrats in 462 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: the Senate. They won't talk to Republicans, they won't care 463 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: what we have to say, and it's going to be 464 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,959 Speaker 1: in the trillions. The only question is how big. Regulations 465 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:44,760 Speaker 1: are going to be horrific. They're going to be terrible. 466 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 1: They're going to kill jobs, They're gonna be really harmful. 467 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: Foreign policy, I think, is going to be a mess. 468 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: Biden is going to kiss up to our enemies and 469 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 1: alienate and antagonize our friends. This is the worst motivational 470 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: speech I've ever heard. But no, go on, I want 471 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: the truth. I want the truth. Looks it's bad. There 472 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 1: there are consequences when you elect Biden, Pelosian Schumer and 473 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: you give the Democrats control of all three of the 474 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 1: elected parts of government. Really bad Stuff's gonna happen. We're 475 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: gonna see some terrible judges put on the bench, terrible 476 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:24,760 Speaker 1: judges who are radical leftist, who will consistently vote to 477 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: undermine our constitutional rights. All of that's going to happen. 478 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 1: The big unknown to me is whether they end the filibuster. 479 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:40,719 Speaker 1: If they end the filibuster, we might be permanently screwed. 480 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: That's actually what frightens me. If they end the filibuster 481 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: and they have forty eight votes that there are two 482 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: Democrats who say they won't don't, won't end the filibuster 483 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: Joe Mansion from West Virginia Kirsten Cinema from Arizona. If 484 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 1: they hold the line, everything I just said there is bad, 485 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: but it can be undone. It can be undone when 486 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: we win the next elections and take over. If they 487 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: end the filibuster, what they will try to do as 488 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,040 Speaker 1: structural changes to make it so you can never unwind it. 489 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 1: So if they end the filibuster, they'll add DC as 490 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: a state, and they'll add Puerto Rico as a state. 491 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: They believe that will elect four new Democratic senators. DC 492 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 1: certainly will Puerto Rico might. The Democrats believe it definitely 493 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 1: will actually think Republicans could compete in Puerto Rico, but 494 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: at a minimum its two new Democratic senators from DC. 495 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: If they end the filibuster, they will pass hr one, 496 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: the Corrupt Politicians Act, that will federalize elections, that will 497 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: massively expand voter fraud, that will register millions of elial 498 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: aliens and felons. That's designed that will weaponize the Federal 499 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 1: Election Commission to target Republicans. That's designed to keep Democrats 500 00:30:54,120 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 1: in power for a hundred years. And if they end 501 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: the filibuster, they'll pack the Supreme Court. They'll grow the 502 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: Supreme courts from nine justices to thirteen justices. That is 503 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 1: the greatest threat to our constitutional liberties we're facing. So 504 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: on the question of how screwed we are it the 505 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 1: biggest thing that hinges on that, in my mind, is 506 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: whether the filibuster goes or not. I'm worried. I think 507 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: the filibuster they might end it. But if you're a 508 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 1: person of faith, pray for spinal fortitude for mansion and cinema. 509 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:31,880 Speaker 1: But let me you know, you said this was a 510 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: lousy pep talk, so let me try to take it around. 511 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: I'm actually very optimistic. The crazier they get politics always 512 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,160 Speaker 1: has a pendulum to it. When one side gets in 513 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: power and they go too far, the country moves back 514 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 1: the other direction. These guys are bat crap crazy like 515 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 1: like they are. They're not just going left, They're going 516 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: off the charts extreme left. Every time they do something 517 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: like that, I think that makes it more likely that 518 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: we have a very good election in twenty twenty two 519 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: and a very good election in twenty twenty four. And 520 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: the analogy that I draw often is it took Jimmy 521 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: Carter to give us Reagan, and I think Biden going 522 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: radically left sets us up to move back in the 523 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 1: direction of freedom, back in the direction of the Constitution 524 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty two and in twenty twenty four. Senator, 525 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: I'm relieved to hear that, because when you said that 526 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: you had some hope and you said I'm an optimist, 527 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: I feared you were going to say, I'm an optimist. 528 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 1: I think things can get much much worse than they 529 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,280 Speaker 1: are right now. You know, I think I absolutely do. 530 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: So I'm pleased to hear a little glimmer of hope. 531 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: Many more questions to get too. We will have to 532 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 1: hold them until the next episode of Verdict. I'm Michael Knowles. 533 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 1: This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. This episode of Verdict 534 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,680 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, 535 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,479 Speaker 1: Freedom and Security Pack, a political action committee dedicated to 536 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: supporting conservative causes, organizations, and candidates across the country. In 537 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, Jobs Freedom and Security Pack plans to 538 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 1: donate to conservative candidates running for Congress and help the 539 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: Republican Party across the nation.