1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: Welcome it a verdict it Ted Cruz weekend Review. Ben 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Ferguson here, and these are the big stories that you 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: may have missed that we talked about this past week. 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Number one, it's a political issue and the question now 5 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: is how does it move forward as Democrats move to 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: take Donald Trump off the ballot, taking away the rights 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: of the citizens of Maine and Colorado from choosing who 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: they want to be president. So how do we move 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: forward with this? And what will the Supreme Court do? 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: We dive into that. Also, Al Sharpton comes to protect 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: and defend Harvard's president, who is no kind of step 12 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: down but still making over a million dollars a year 13 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: from the university. 14 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 2: How did that happen? 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: We'll give you the real details about this fake firing 16 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: at Harvard. And finally, a big win for the country 17 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: when it comes to security at the southern border and 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: commerce with a bipartisan piece of legislation that center Ted 19 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: Cruz let on. It is a weekend review and it 20 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: starts right now. All right, So let's move into the 21 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: politics and the timing of this year. We're very close 22 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: now to getting into the primaries. We're talking about Iowa, 23 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: New Hampshire and South Carolina Center. You know this map 24 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: and this calendar, and how important it is when you 25 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: ran for president. And this could linger on with this 26 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: over Donald Trump's head, with state after state trying to 27 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: kick him off the ballot. How long could we have 28 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: to wait until the Supreme Court gets involved? And then 29 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: how long would we have to wait for the ruling 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: for this to come down? Are we weeks or months? 31 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: How long could this? How does this play out the 32 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: Supreme Court? Well, the appeal is already pending at the 33 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: Supreme Court. So last week, last Wednesday, the Colorado Republican 34 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,919 Speaker 1: Party asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado Supreme 35 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: Court's decision so that the initial appeal papers have been filed. 36 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: In the interim, Trump's name is on the ballot and 37 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: in Colorado, and that was under the terms of the 38 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: Colorado Supreme Court decision, which is they stayed their own 39 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: decision pending appeal. They recognized the massive consequences of it. 40 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: So the primary in Colorado is on March fifth, and 41 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: so right now Trump's name is on the March fifth ballot. 42 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: With the appeal filed, the Court could act exceptionally quickly 43 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: the Court could act in a matter of days or weeks, 44 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: and there are times for emergency appeals that the court 45 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: schedules are very expedited, briefing schedule, schedules, oral arguments, and 46 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 1: issued a decision. 47 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 3: I hope they do that. Look, there's a chance they 48 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 3: take their time and let it play out because the 49 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 3: Colorado Supreme Court decision is stayed, and so they could say, well, look, 50 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 3: he's going to be on the ballot, so there's no 51 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 3: urgency or exigency. And by the way, in Maine, there's 52 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,119 Speaker 3: a good chance the main courts overturn the main Secretary 53 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 3: of State's decision. If that happens, then there is no 54 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 3: immediate threat to the voters being denied the ability to 55 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 3: elect the candidate of their choice. I hope the Court 56 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 3: doesn't slow down or doesn't take their time doing it. 57 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 3: I hope they resolve this quickly. I think it's important 58 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 3: to have clarity nationally. But the court has the ability. 59 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 3: There are times where it has briefed and heard argument 60 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 3: and issued decisions within a matter of days, so it 61 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 3: has the ability to move very quickly. During Bush versus Gore, 62 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 3: during those thirty six days when we had multiple recounts 63 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 3: in Florida, as your recall, I was part of the 64 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 3: legal team that was litigating Bush versus Gore. I was 65 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 3: down in Tallahassee representing George W. Bush. In those thirty 66 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 3: six days, we went to the US Supreme Court twice 67 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 3: and within that period, briefed out the case, had oral argument, 68 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 3: and had decisions two different times from the US Supreme 69 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 3: Court within those thirty six days. So when the court 70 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 3: wants to, it can move exceptionally fast. I would note 71 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 3: also that between the two look in terms of the 72 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 3: general election, the odds are not great that Colorado is 73 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 3: going to be a swing state. Joe Biden won Colorado 74 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 3: by about fourteen points last time, and so it's Colorado 75 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 3: is not anticipated to be a swing state in November. Maine, 76 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 3: interestingly enough, is so Maine has an unusual way of 77 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 3: allocating its electoral votes. Maine has a total of four 78 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 3: electoral votes, and two of them go to the winner 79 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 3: of the state, and then one goes to the winner 80 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,559 Speaker 3: of one congressional district and another goes to the winner 81 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 3: of another congressional district. So Maine has two congressional districts. 82 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 3: What's interesting about that is even though Maine has been 83 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 3: a reliably Democrat state in presidential elections for some time, 84 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 3: one of the two congressional districts in Maine quite regularly 85 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 3: will vote for Republicans. And so Trump one one electoral 86 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 3: vote out of Maine. He added one of the districts 87 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 3: he won, the other three he lost, and that could 88 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 3: easily happen again. And listen, if this election was quite close, 89 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 3: it could literally come down to that single electoral vote 90 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 3: in Maine deciding the outcome. And so the decision in 91 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 3: Maine is quite consequential. It's also consequential going forward. Do 92 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 3: other states, in particular swing states, make the same determination. 93 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: Do you see bigger states a Pennsylvania, a Michigana, Wisconsin. 94 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 3: Do you see states like that that are very much 95 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 3: in play that very much could go either way? Do 96 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 3: you see them engage and try to follow this pattern? 97 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 3: And if these left wing partisans were to succeed in 98 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 3: removing Trump from the ballot, I think the risk would 99 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 3: be very high that you would see other bigger and 100 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 3: more consequential swing states following that pattern. Now, I don't 101 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 3: think that's going to hapen. And because they're not going 102 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 3: to succeed and By the way, there's an obvious escalation 103 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,479 Speaker 3: at some point. If the Left weaponizes the legal system 104 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 3: to such an extent that they try to remove the 105 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 3: Republican nominee from the general election ballot, you are likely 106 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 3: to see red states reciprocate and try to remove the 107 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,359 Speaker 3: Democrat nominee from the ballot. That this can be a 108 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 3: mutually assured destruction, which is one of the reasons I 109 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 3: don't think there's any chance the Supreme Court allows this 110 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 3: Colorado decision to go into effect because it undermines the 111 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,480 Speaker 3: ability of the voters to choose who they want as president, 112 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 3: and that is as foundational to democracy in our country 113 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 3: as anything there is. 114 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,840 Speaker 1: Finally, on this, there's the political ramifications of this. There's 115 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: a lot of conservative voters now that are very upset. 116 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: I've heard from more people that are not necessarily big 117 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,039 Speaker 1: fans of Donald Trump that are now, like, the hell 118 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: with this, I'm gonna stand behind Donald Trump because this 119 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: is just so egregious. Do you think the Democrats over 120 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: played their hand here politically and the backfire could be 121 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: catastrophic to them, Or by the time we get to 122 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: election day, will a lot of this just be forgotten? 123 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 3: Well, I think politically this benefits Trump in the primary. 124 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 3: Rewind go back to our early podcasts last year when 125 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 3: the first Trump indictment, when the Alvin Bragg indictment came down, 126 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 3: You and I went on air, and right after that indictment, 127 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 3: I went on this podcast and I told the podcast viewers, 128 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 3: I said, Donald Trump will go up ten points in 129 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 3: the polls as a result of this. That was a 130 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 3: prediction I made immediately after the indictment came down. A 131 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 3: week later, Donald Trump was up ten points in the polls, 132 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 3: and by the way, he's never come down since. If 133 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 3: you look at a year ago, the poll numbers had 134 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 3: a much more competitive race between Trump and Des Santas 135 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 3: a year ago, and then the first indictment came, and 136 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 3: then the second, and then the third, and then the fourth, 137 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 3: and Trump's numbers went up and up and up, and 138 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 3: everyone else's numbers went down. And I think one of 139 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 3: the effects is in a Republican primary, people rallied around Trump. 140 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 3: Look when the Colorado Supreme Court decision came down, all 141 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 3: of Trump's opponents immediately denounced it, which you had to 142 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 3: do it. It was a lawless abuse of power. I 143 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 3: also think the Democrats are quite fond of that. Every 144 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 3: single Democrat in elected office wants Trump to be the nominee. 145 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 3: But at the same time, so they are happy with 146 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 3: helping Trump in the primary because that's the outcome they 147 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 3: want in the general. Assuming this Colorado decision is overturned, 148 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 3: assuming the main decision is overturned, it could backfire. You 149 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 3: could see some independent swing voters get ticked off. In 150 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 3: a state like Maine that has independence, that might have 151 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 3: some some lasting legacy, in a state like Colorado that 152 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 3: has some independence that might have some impact as well. 153 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 3: I have not seen any evidence that this abuse of 154 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 3: power is hurting Democrats in a general election. It may 155 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 3: be the case, but one of the challenges is that 156 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 3: the media is so utterly corrupt that they're by and 157 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 3: large not reporting on it. But I would I would 158 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 3: tell listeners a verdict. Anytime you're you're talking with leftists 159 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 3: who are arguing and they're trotting out language like we 160 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 3: must save democracy, you know, it's a great opportunity to say, oh, 161 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 3: save democracy, you mean like Colorado, like Maine, like like 162 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 3: preventing the voters from actually voting for the candidate they 163 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 3: want to vote for. Explain to me how exactly it's 164 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 3: saving democracy to stop the voters from voting for the 165 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 3: candidate they want to vote for. And I don't know 166 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 3: of a leftist who can argue against that other than 167 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 3: to just jabber, you know, Trump is evil, Trump is evil. 168 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 3: Trump is evil, rather than actually engage in reason and 169 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 3: logic and so so I'm not convinced this abuse of 170 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 3: power will have a massive ish impact on turnout in November, 171 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 3: but I do think it helps Trump in the primaries. 172 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,839 Speaker 1: Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, 173 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 1: you can go back and listen to the full podcast 174 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: from earlier this week. Now onto story number two and 175 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: al Sharpton coming out. As you know, Barack Obama, as 176 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: you mentioned earlier, behind the scenes, was working hard to 177 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: protect her. Sharpton condemned Gay's critics as racists for questioning 178 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 1: the integrity of a black woman, a woman that no 179 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: pun intended in black and white. Her words show that 180 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,319 Speaker 1: she lifted other people's words and used them as her own, 181 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 1: saying this quote, present Day's resignation is about more than 182 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: a person or a single incident. 183 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 2: And he's right. It wasn't a single incident. 184 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: It's now we've been told more than fifty instance of plagiarism. 185 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: He goes on to say, this is an attack on 186 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: every black woman in this country who puts a crack 187 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: in the glass ceiling. Is it really that sender or 188 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 1: is it just the fact that she cheated? And even 189 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: they at Harvard couldn't get over that. 190 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 3: Well, it was ultimately this was hurting Harvard. Harvard was 191 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 3: becoming a laughing stock when when and look, if you 192 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 3: look at at at her academic record, she had published 193 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 3: very little for a professor. You expect the president of 194 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 3: Harvard to be a serious scholar, to be a world 195 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 3: class scholar, and and clotting Gay's entire career, what was 196 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 3: built pushing the ideology of DEI was she was an 197 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 3: African American studies professor. She had published relatively little. What 198 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 3: she did publish, there now serious questions about the academic 199 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 3: integrity of it. And and there is no person on 200 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 3: planet Earth what it stands for. 201 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: Again, just because there's maybe people that are new, yes, 202 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: don't exactly know what DEI stands for. 203 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 2: And this is something that the woke left is obsessed with. 204 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 3: Diversity, equity, and conclusion, and it is the premise of 205 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 3: their anti racism. It is the premise of critical race theory. 206 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 3: It is the premise of the cultural Marxist on the left, 207 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 3: who advocate that we should affirmatively discriminate and discriminate against 208 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 3: so called oppressors and in favor of so called victims. 209 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 3: It's why the radical left is just fine with Jewish 210 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 3: people being demonized, being threatened, because to the cultural Marxist 211 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 3: Jewish people are oppressors. It's why cultural Marxists are okay 212 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 3: with whatever Hamas terrorists do because they are the victims 213 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 3: and that same reasoning. Look, I'll give you an example 214 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 3: Ibram X Kendy, who's one of the godfathers of critical 215 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:51,439 Speaker 3: race theory, who has pushed this so called anti racism, 216 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,599 Speaker 3: which we've talked about at length in this podcast. It 217 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 3: has an Orwellian name because what he means by anti 218 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 3: racism is aggressively just discriminating against the so called oppressors 219 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 3: on behalf of the so called victims. Here's what he 220 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 3: had to say about Claudine Gay resigning. 221 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 2: Quote. 222 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 3: Racist mobs won't stop until they topple all black people 223 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 3: from positions of power and influence who are not reinforcing 224 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 3: the structure of racism. What these racist mobs are doing 225 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 3: should be obvious to any reporter who cares about truth 226 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 3: or justice as opposed to conflicts and clicks. That is 227 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 3: going to be their talking point. If you dare stand 228 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 3: against their radical ideology, you are by definition a racist. 229 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:46,000 Speaker 3: And and and they that they still see nothing that 230 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:47,319 Speaker 3: she did or said that was wrong. 231 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: I want to I want to play for everybody to 232 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: remind them of exactly where all this started and to 233 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: put it back into context of the demise of this 234 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: Harvard president. Is not for what she said that was 235 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: anti Israel, anti Semitic. It was the plagiarism. And do 236 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: not be duped by the mainstream media acting like she's 237 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: being held accountable for these words. These words that she 238 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: said before Congress to representive Stephanic are words that Harvard 239 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: was willing to stand by her no matter what. Here 240 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: is that flashback to December the fifth, and what was said. 241 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 4: We're student calling for the mass murder of African Americans 242 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 4: is not protected free speech at Harvard. Correct our commitment. 243 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 4: It's a yes or no question. Is that corrected? Is 244 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 4: that okay for students to call for the mass murder 245 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 4: of African Americans? At Harvard. Is that protected free speech 246 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 4: our commitment to free school. It's a yes or no question. 247 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 4: Let me ask you this. You are president of Harvard, 248 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 4: so I assume you're familiar with the term into fada. 249 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 5: Correct. I've heard that term, yes. 250 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 4: And you understand that the use of the term into 251 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 4: fada in the context of the Israeli Arab conflict is 252 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 4: indeed call for violent arm resistance against the state of Israel, 253 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 4: including violence against civilians and the genocide of Jews. 254 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 5: Are you aware of. 255 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 6: That that type of hateful speech is personally abhorrent to me? 256 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 4: And there have been multiple marches at Harvard with students chanting, 257 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 4: quote there is only one solution into fada, revolution and 258 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 4: quote globalize the intofada. 259 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 5: Is that correct? 260 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 6: I've heard that thoughtless, reckless and hateful language on our campus. 261 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 4: Yes, So, based upon your testimony, you understand that this 262 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 4: call for intefada is to commit genocide against the Jewish 263 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:40,479 Speaker 4: people in Israel and globally. 264 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:41,000 Speaker 5: Correct. 265 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 6: I will say again that type of hateful speech is 266 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 6: personally abhorrent to me. 267 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 4: Do you believe that type of hateful speech is contrary 268 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 4: to Harvard's code of conduct or is it allowed at Harvard, 269 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 4: it is. 270 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 5: At odds with the values of Harvard. 271 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 4: Say that it is against the code of conduct at Harvard. 272 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 6: We embrace a commitment to free expression, even of views 273 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 6: that are objectionable, offensive, hateful. It's when that speech crosses 274 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 6: into conduct that violates our policies against bullying? 275 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 4: Does that speech not cost that barrier? Does that speech 276 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 4: not call for the genocide of Jews and the elimination 277 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 4: of Israel? When you testify that you understand that is 278 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 4: the definition of intofada? Is that speech according to the 279 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 4: code of conduct or not. 280 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 6: We embrace a commitment to free expression and give a 281 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 6: wide berth to free expression, even of views that are objectionable. 282 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 5: You and I both know that's not the case. 283 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 4: You are aware that Harvard ranked dead last when it 284 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 4: came to free speech? 285 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 5: Are you not aware of that report? 286 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 6: As I observed earlier, I reject that characterization. 287 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 5: It's the data shows it's true. 288 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 4: And isn't it true that Harvard previously rescinded multiple offers 289 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 4: of admissions for applicants and accepted freshmen for sharing offensive memes, 290 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 4: racist statements, sometimes as young as sixteen years old. Did 291 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 4: Harvard not rescind those offers? 292 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 6: Of admission that long predates my time as present. 293 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 4: But you understand that Harvard made that decision to resin 294 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 4: those offers of admission. 295 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 6: I have no reason to contradict the facts as you 296 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 6: present them, correct, because it's a fact. 297 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 4: You're also aware that a Winthrop House faculty dean was 298 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:31,640 Speaker 4: let go over who he chose to legally represent. Correct, 299 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 4: that was while you were dean. That is an incorrect characterization. 300 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 4: Avoid transfer. What's the characterization? 301 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,120 Speaker 6: I'm not going to get into details about a personnel matter. 302 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 4: Well, let me ask you this, Will admissions offers be 303 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 4: rescinded or any disciplinary action be taken against students or 304 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 4: applicants who say from the river to the sea or 305 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 4: into Fada advocating for the murder of Jews? 306 00:17:55,160 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 6: As I've said, that type of hateful, reckless, offensive space 307 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 6: each is personally abhorrent to. 308 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 4: Me, and today that no action will be taken. What 309 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 4: action will be taken? 310 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 6: When speech crosses into conduct that violates our policies, including 311 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 6: policies against bullying, harassment, or intimidation. We take action, and 312 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 6: we have robust disciplinary processes that allow us to hold 313 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:22,159 Speaker 6: individuals accountable. 314 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 4: What action has been taken against students who are harassing 315 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 4: and calling for the genocide of Jews on Harvard's campus. 316 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 5: I can assure you we have robust what actions have 317 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 5: been taken. I'm not asking estions underway. 318 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 4: I'm asking what actions have been taken against and students. 319 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 6: Given students' rights to privacy and our obligations under FURPA, 320 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 6: I will not say more about any specific cases other 321 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 6: than to reiterate that processes are ongoing. 322 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 5: Do you know what the number one hate crime in 323 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:56,359 Speaker 5: America is? 324 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 6: I know that over the last couple of month months 325 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 6: there has been an alarming rise of anti Semitism, which 326 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,280 Speaker 6: I understand is the critical topic that we are here 327 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 6: to discuss. 328 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 4: That's correct, It is anti Jewish hate crimes, and Harvard 329 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 4: ranks the lowest when it comes to protecting Jewish students. 330 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,400 Speaker 4: This is why I've called for your resignation and your 331 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,440 Speaker 4: testimony today. Not being able to answer with moral clarity 332 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 4: speaks volumes. 333 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 2: I yield back, Senator, you hear that. 334 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: And the part that I think galls me the most 335 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: is the fact that she's still employed. She's still going 336 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: to be paid about a million dollars a year. 337 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 2: She's just had a title change, that's. 338 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:47,360 Speaker 3: It well, and Harvard doesn't intend to change its conduct. 339 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 3: They certainly have made no expression that they intend to 340 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 3: do differently. That they were forced after over a billion 341 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 3: dollars in commitments to contributions were called out, after academically 342 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 3: their president became a laughing stock, after you began to 343 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 3: have students who I would note had to anonymously call 344 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 3: for her to resign because they were afraid of retaliation, 345 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 3: after you had ed editorials in the New York Times 346 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 3: and the Washington Post, bastions of the left, both calling 347 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 3: not from the papers but from people submitting op eds 348 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 3: calling for her resignation. After all of that, it became intolerable. 349 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 3: And yet they dug in, and they dug in and 350 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 3: they dug in. And it's really quite ironic. You look 351 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 3: at her testimony, and she is defending free speech. And 352 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:43,919 Speaker 3: it would be one thing if she was saying, you know, 353 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 3: Harvard's a place where anyone can say anything, and we 354 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 3: protect free speech for everyone. That's laughably false. They protect 355 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 3: free speech for anti semites and leftists. And at the 356 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 3: same time, so there's an organization called Fire and Fire 357 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 3: is actively involved in fighting to defend free speech and 358 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:06,199 Speaker 3: examining censorship and suppression of free speech on campus, and 359 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 3: they do an elaborate survey every year at an analysis of 360 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 3: universities across the country. So Harvard is consistently ranked one 361 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,199 Speaker 3: of the worst in the country. In twenty twenty, Harvard 362 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,679 Speaker 3: ranked number forty six out of fifty five schools in 363 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 3: terms of protecting free speech. In twenty twenty one, it 364 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:26,879 Speaker 3: ranked one hundred and thirty out of one hundred and 365 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,239 Speaker 3: fifty four schools. In twenty twenty two, it ranked one 366 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 3: hundred and seventy out of two hundred and three schools, 367 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 3: and this past year, in two thousand and three, Harvard 368 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 3: was dead last, and out of a possible score from 369 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 3: zero to one hundred, Harvard's score was actually a negative 370 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 3: ten point six ' nine, so it was dead last. 371 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 3: It was six standard deviations below the average and more 372 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,919 Speaker 3: than two standard deviations below the second to last school 373 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 3: in the rankings, and the second to last school was 374 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:04,160 Speaker 3: the University of Pennsylvania, pen And so when she is 375 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:10,679 Speaker 3: is saying, well, anti semites are allowed and apparently encouraged 376 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 3: because of free speech, that is a policy that is 377 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 3: applied very selectively, and Harvard's expressed no willingness, no desire 378 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 3: to correct that, and I think it is imperative that 379 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 3: this become a moment to try to address and try 380 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 3: to fix the profound ideological corruption. By the way, if 381 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,640 Speaker 3: you look at the Harvard Corporation Board, every single one 382 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 3: of its board members is a hardcore partisan, ideological democrat. 383 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 3: There is no one right of center allowed anywhere near 384 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 3: that board. And you see it in the policies why 385 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,479 Speaker 3: they universally circled the wagons around Claudine Gay and it 386 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,159 Speaker 3: was only when dragged, kicking and screaming that they allowed 387 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 3: her to resign as before. 388 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,360 Speaker 1: If you want to hear the rest of this conversation 389 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: on this topic, you can go back and down the 390 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: podcast from earlier this week to hear the entire thing. 391 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: I want to get back to the big story number 392 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: three of the week you may have missed. I want 393 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: to move to something else that is obviously important and significant. 394 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: We've talked about it, and it's a big win on 395 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:29,399 Speaker 1: the border to secure the enactment of a streamline permitting 396 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: process for new and expanded bridges across the Rio Grand 397 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: in Brownsville, Laredo and Eagle Pass, Texas. It is something 398 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: that you were a part of and led on it's 399 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:45,239 Speaker 1: now actually become law. You were down in Laredo, and 400 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,119 Speaker 1: I want to play for people part of what you 401 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,439 Speaker 1: had to say at this very, very big moment. 402 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:56,719 Speaker 7: We're here today to celebrate bipartisan legislation that was signed 403 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 7: in the law in December of last year that will 404 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 7: expedite building new bridges and expanding bridges between Texas and Mexico. 405 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 7: We're here at the World Trade Bridge, the largest land 406 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 7: port in the United States. Every year, Texas and Mexico 407 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:25,600 Speaker 7: have roughly eight hundred billion in trade and commerce that 408 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 7: comes across this border. That's jobs in Texas, that's jobs 409 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 7: in Mexico. That's the lifeblood of South Texas. 410 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: This is obviously significant, not just from the standpoint of 411 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 1: security that you talked about and orderly commerce coming across 412 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,400 Speaker 1: the border in a safer manner, but it's also a 413 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: really big deal from the fact that, as you mentioned, 414 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:54,479 Speaker 1: it was bipartisan talk about how significant this is going 415 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: to be for this country and for Texas well. 416 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 3: The audio you just played was from a press conference 417 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,800 Speaker 3: that I did in Laredo yesterday morning, and it was 418 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 3: right at the World Trade Bridge, right on the southern border, 419 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 3: and I did that alongside Henry Quayar, the Democrat congressman 420 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 3: who represents Laredo, and Henry and I worked hand in 421 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 3: hand in this and it was a huge victory. The 422 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 3: Texas Business Association that was down there with us and 423 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,879 Speaker 3: there was a large group of people celebrating this legislative 424 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 3: victory that we had just two weeks ago described the 425 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 3: legislation that I introduced and passed as the biggest positive 426 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 3: step for jobs and commerce in Texas since the US 427 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 3: Mexico Canada agreement was negotiated. It is literally billions of 428 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,320 Speaker 3: dollars of additional trade in commerce and tens of thousands 429 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 3: of jobs and real quickly what happened. So, there are 430 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,200 Speaker 3: four bridge projects that have been proposed in South Texas 431 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 3: to in Laredo, one in Brownsville won an eagle pass, 432 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 3: and the Biden administration had put bureaucratic barriers they were 433 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 3: delaying every one of these bridge projects. The World Trade 434 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 3: Bridge that I was at yesterday morning, that bridge right 435 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:17,679 Speaker 3: now is eight lanes. They have proposed to expand it 436 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 3: to eighteen lanes, to more than double the size of it, 437 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 3: which enables commerce to move much more rapidly. That benefits farmers, 438 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 3: that benefits ranchers, that benefits manufacturers, that benefits small businesses. 439 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 3: That benefits consumers by lowering prices at the grocery store. 440 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 3: It also benefits national security by making it easier to 441 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 3: bring manufacturing back from China, either back to the United 442 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 3: States or near shoring it, bringing it back to Mexico 443 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 3: where we could have trade and commerce with Mexico rather 444 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 3: than China. So all of those are good outcomes. And 445 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,679 Speaker 3: what happened. So in order to build a bridge, ordinarily 446 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:02,439 Speaker 3: you have to do what is called Federal Environmental NEPA review. 447 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 3: It's to go through a process of reviewing the environmental 448 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 3: impact of a bridge. That's true for any bridge. If 449 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 3: you're building a bridge across an international border, there's an 450 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 3: additional legal requirement. You need a permit from the President 451 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 3: of the United States. Now, the way this used to 452 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 3: be done is the President would grant that permit contingent 453 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 3: on the completion of the NEPA review. And what that 454 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:33,480 Speaker 3: did is accelerated the process, enabled it to move through quickly. 455 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 3: When Joe Biden became president, he announced they were reversing 456 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 3: that policy and Biden was going to grant zero presidential 457 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 3: permits for cross border bridges unless and until the NIPA 458 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 3: environmental review was fully completed. The effect of that was 459 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 3: to add two, three, four five years to these bridge projects, 460 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,800 Speaker 3: to delay them all. It also made it harder for 461 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:08,720 Speaker 3: them to get funding because the banks were reluctant to 462 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 3: commit capital until the presidential permit had been granted. So 463 00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:14,800 Speaker 3: there was a chicken and egg problem, and the Biden 464 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 3: administration dug in. And so what I did is is 465 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 3: Number One, unified the congressional delegation in South Texas, and 466 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 3: so I brought together a coalition of myself and John 467 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 3: Cornon the other Texas Senator, along with Henry Quayar, a Democrat, 468 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 3: Monica Delacruz, a Republican, Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, 469 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 3: a Republican, all of the South Texas Congressional Delegation. We 470 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 3: jointly pressed the Biden State Department reverse this idiotic policy. 471 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 3: This is hurting Texas and hurting America. The Biden administration 472 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 3: dug in. They refused to change, and so I authored 473 00:28:54,640 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 3: legislation mandating that they expedite the process. Got bipartisan support 474 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 3: the Senate passed it out of the Senate and then 475 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 3: passed it out of the House, and Joe Biden signed 476 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 3: it into law on December twenty second. It was actually 477 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 3: my birthday that he signed the law, and so it 478 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 3: was a pretty great birthday gift because it's a huge 479 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 3: victory for jobs in the state of Texas, and it's 480 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 3: an example of you know, I got to say, it's 481 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 3: also an example of the bizarre hypocrisy. I mean, let 482 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 3: me ask you seriously, Ben, explain to me the mind 483 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 3: of a whack job liberal that you want totally open 484 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,960 Speaker 3: borders and ten million people invading this country illegally, including 485 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 3: human traffickers and drug traffickers on the one hand, but 486 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 3: on the other hand, you want to put bureaucratic roadblocks 487 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 3: in the way of legal trade and commerce from farmers 488 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 3: and businesses, while you're allowing illegal immigrants to flow with 489 00:29:58,160 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 3: no restraint. 490 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it makes so sense, especially when every year Texas 491 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: and Mexico, as you mentioned, have roughly eight hundred billion 492 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,560 Speaker 1: in trade and commerce that come across this border. And 493 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: this does it in a more early fashion, but also 494 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: with the issue of national security involved in it, keeping 495 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 1: it orly with safety and security, especially with all the 496 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: drug trafficking FETNO and everything else coming across the border, 497 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: it makes no sense. 498 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 3: Look, that's exactly right, and we ended up building the 499 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 3: bipartisan coalition to pass this into law. And so the 500 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 3: way the law works is December twenty second is when 501 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 3: Joe Biden signed it into law. On that date, which 502 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 3: was the date he signed it, the legislation starts a 503 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 3: shot clock of sixty days, and the State Department has 504 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 3: a sixty day time limit to submit its recommendations to 505 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 3: the White House as to whether he should grant the 506 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 3: permit for these four bridges. After that sixty day period, 507 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 3: a second shot clock starts and the president it has 508 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 3: sixty days to make it a termination on the permit. 509 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 3: If the President does nothing after that second sixty days, 510 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 3: the permit is deemed automatically granted by operation of law. 511 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 3: What that means is because it was signed on December 512 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 3: twenty second, that by April twentieth, we will have these 513 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:27,200 Speaker 3: presidential permits which will expedite these bridges going forward. That 514 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 3: is an enormous victory despite the Biden administration putting roadblocks 515 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 3: in the way every step of the way. 516 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: As always, thank you for listening. To Verdict with center 517 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you don't forget to deal 518 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: with my podcast, and you can listen to my podcast 519 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: every other day you're not listening to Verdict or each 520 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: day when you listen to Verdict. Afterwards, I'd love to 521 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 1: have you as a listener to again, Ben Ferguson Podcasts, 522 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: and we will see you back here on Monday morning.