1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:02,199 Speaker 1: Good Monday morning. 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 2: Nice have you with us, It's verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 2: Ben Ferguson with you and Senator I hope you had 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 2: a great Mother's Day with your family. I will start 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 2: with that as well. Happy Mother's Day to all the 6 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 2: mothers out there listening. And I know you wanted to 7 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: say something as well. 8 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 3: Well. 9 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 4: I had a wonderful Mother's Day. We took my mom out. 10 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,319 Speaker 4: My mom is ninety years old. We took her out 11 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 4: for a dinner in town. We took her out along 12 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 4: with Heidi and both the girls, and we had a 13 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 4: great dinner together as a family. We celebrated moms. My 14 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 4: mom is ninety and still going strong. HEDI is a 15 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 4: rock and I'm just grateful for all the moms in 16 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 4: our lives because there ain't nothing better. 17 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 3: Amen to that. 18 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 2: Am in too that We've got a big show today, 19 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: including a big victory in Texas that could have a 20 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 2: big impact on the country on the issue of school choice, 21 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: which is something you've been championing now for years. 22 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 4: Well, that's exactly right. We've got three big stories that 23 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 4: we're going to break down tonight. Number one, school choice 24 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 4: and school choice Texas just passed the biggest, the boldest, 25 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 4: the most significant school choice program in the entire country. 26 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 4: We're going to tell you all about it and what 27 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 4: it means for the school children in Texas. 28 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 3: We're also going to talk to you about on school choice. 29 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 4: We have an historic opportunity right now to win the 30 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 4: biggest victory in the country ever. On school choice is 31 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,839 Speaker 4: part of budget reconciliation. I'm going to explain to you how. 32 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 4: We're going to talk also about Iran, and they're ongoing 33 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 4: negotiations right now with Iran. There are those who are 34 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 4: advocating for another Obama Iran nuclear deal, which would be disastrous. 35 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 3: It would be terrible. 36 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 4: I agree with President Trump and the red line that 37 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 4: he has drawn that any agreement with Iran must include 38 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 4: total dismantlement of Iran's nuclear capability. 39 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 3: All of that up next. 40 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a great story and it's one that's important. 41 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: What I also tell you real quick about our friends 42 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: over at Patriot Mobile. You've heard me talk about Patriot 43 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: Mobile now for a long time, and you probably already 44 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 2: know that for years they've stood in the gap for 45 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 2: every American that believes that freedom is actually worth fighting for. Now, 46 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: Patriot Mobile, they're the real deal. So let me ask 47 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: you a question. Why haven't you switched to Patriot Mobile yet? 48 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 3: Now? 49 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: If the answer is no, then I gotta ask you 50 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: why are you worried about coverage? 51 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: Don't be. 52 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,679 Speaker 2: Patriot Mobile is one of the few cell phone providers 53 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: out there that operates on all three of the major networks. 54 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 2: The fact is, if you have cell phone service in 55 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: this country today, you can get exceptional or even better 56 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: service with Patriot Mobile. 57 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: I've been using them for years. I travel all the time. 58 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: It is phenomenal and that's why they offer a coverage 59 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: guarantee that others just can't. Or maybe you haven't joined 60 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 2: Patriot Mobile because you think making the switch is just 61 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 2: too hard and painful. Well, I'm going to tell you 62 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: it's not. In fact, it's incredibly easy. There is no 63 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 2: need to spend hours in a retail store waiting your turn. 64 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: Simply call Patriot Mobiles one hundred percent US based team 65 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: from the comfort of your own Homer office and they'll 66 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 2: have you activated in minutes. And if you're still locked 67 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 2: into a contract, not a problem. Patriot Mobiles contract buyout 68 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 2: program covers up to five one hundred dollars per device 69 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 2: and you keep your same number, you keep your same phone, 70 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 2: or you can treat yourself to an upgrade. So back 71 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,839 Speaker 2: to my main point, what are you waiting for? It's 72 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: time to join Patriot Mobile today and support faith, family 73 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: and freedom with every call and text you make. Because 74 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: they take about five percent of your bill and they 75 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: give it back to conservative causes. Don't wait, do it 76 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 2: right now. Patriot Mobile dot com slash verdict or nine 77 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 2: to seven to Patriot. Use the promo code vertict You're 78 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: gonna get a free month of service. That's Patriot Mobile 79 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: dot com slash verdict or no, I'm seven to Patriot. 80 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: So centator, let's start with this big story. It is 81 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 2: one that media really hasn't been covering. I think it's 82 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 2: because they're terrified that this is going to give parents 83 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: freedom to give their kids a great education. And there's 84 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: a bill that passed in Texas. It deals with school choice. 85 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: It's something that you have been acting for for such 86 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 2: a long time. Now it's becoming a reality. Talk about it. 87 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 3: Well. 88 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 4: Governor Abbott just signed in a law in the state 89 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 4: of Texas the biggest, the broadest, the most significant school 90 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 4: choice program in the entire country. This has been the 91 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 4: result of decades of battle and hard work, decades that 92 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 4: I've been fighting in the field. So I'm going to 93 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 4: walk you through number one, the details of the bill. 94 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 4: The details of the bill. It's a billion dollars that 95 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 4: the state is allocated as school choice. One billion dollars 96 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,799 Speaker 4: that is going in the form of education savings accounts. 97 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 4: Education savings accounts that are going to be funded by 98 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 4: the state to the tune of just under eleven thousand 99 00:04:55,680 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 4: dollars for roughly ninety thousand school kids statewide. In addition, 100 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 4: kids with disability are education are eligible to get education 101 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 4: saving accounts that can be as high as thirty thousand dollars. Now, 102 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 4: these are not accounts that you're saving into. This is 103 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 4: the state putting funding, making it available to parents so 104 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 4: that they can choose the best school for their kids. 105 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 4: It is historic. Many other states have done small, little 106 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 4: pilot programs. The breadth the scope of this is massive, 107 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 4: and it's worth remembering Texas comprises ten percent of the 108 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 4: entire American population. Texas comprises roughly ten percent of the 109 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 4: school kids in America, So having robust school choice for 110 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 4: ten percent of the school kids in America is a 111 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 4: massive and game changing victory, and I got to tell you, Ben, 112 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 4: it's one that has been hard fought for a long time. 113 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 3: You know, if you. 114 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 4: Look at school choice and over the past two decades, 115 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 4: the states that have led on it have been states 116 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 4: like Florida, Arizona, Ohio, and Texas had been lagging behind. 117 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 4: And I got to say, for Texans, it is infuriating 118 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 4: not to lead. It is infuriating not to be standing 119 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 4: up doing the right thing. And Texas, it was a 120 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 4: big battle, and our challenge was not partisan. It wasn't 121 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 4: Republican or democratic. It wasn't even ideological conservative versus moderate. 122 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,559 Speaker 4: It was rather geographic in that Texas has a lot 123 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 4: of rural areas. And the challenge you faced is in 124 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 4: the Texas State House there were a number of rural 125 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 4: Republicans who were good guys, but the biggest employer in 126 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 4: their district is the public school district, and the school 127 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:52,840 Speaker 4: superintendents in the rural districts vigorously opposed school choice, most 128 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 4: significantly because the urban superintendents and the teachers' unions hated 129 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 4: school choice. And so what we had in Texas for 130 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 4: a long time it is a bunch of urban Republicans 131 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 4: who would vote to kill choice programs. Now, I'll tell 132 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 4: you what changed that. What changed that was a massive 133 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 4: political effort and something I started six years ago. Six 134 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 4: years ago, I began intervening and making endorsements in primaries 135 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 4: all across the state. And I got to tell you, Ben, 136 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 4: out of one hundred US Senators, to the best of 137 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 4: my knowledge, ninety nine of them don't do that. 138 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 2: They don't, yeah, because why take the political risk. And 139 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: it's where you said, this is how we get it changed. 140 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 4: It is frankly politically stupid for a US Senator to 141 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 4: make endorsements in primary races in his own state. And 142 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 4: that's why none of my colleagues do so. Because when 143 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 4: you make an endorsement, the old rule of thumb is 144 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 4: you get half their friends and all their enemies, yep. 145 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 4: And so every time you do it, you're losing votes, 146 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 4: you're losing support. Well, what I've done for three cycles 147 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 4: in a row is I sit down with my team. 148 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 4: I have to make an Excel spreadsheet and I say 149 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 4: I want to see every vote that they've cast, every 150 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 4: state repid, every state senator on school choice. And my 151 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 4: rule is, if you voted in favor of school choice, 152 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 4: and you're otherwise relatively conservative, you're very likely to get 153 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 4: my support. If you voted against school choice, the chances 154 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 4: of my supporting your zero. And if you have anything 155 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 4: resembling a credible primary challenger, I'm going to endorse your 156 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 4: primary challenger. And when I do so, I don't do 157 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 4: so gently. 158 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 2: I come in and I hold on, are you saying 159 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 2: you're not subtle when it comes to your endorsing people? 160 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: And it's shocking. This is so off brand for your centator. 161 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 4: Look, I come in, I cut radio, I cut TV, 162 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 4: I get kinetic, and my view is all right, if 163 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 4: you're not going to support choice, that's fine, but you're 164 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 4: gonna find something else to do because you're not going 165 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 4: to be representing the people of Texas. Because the people 166 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 4: of Exis want and deserve school choice. I think school 167 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 4: choice is the civil rights issue of the twenty first century. 168 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 3: And so for three cycles I've done that. 169 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:12,319 Speaker 4: And there were a bunch of Republicans who voted against choice, 170 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 4: and you know what, we've beaten almost every one of 171 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 4: them that they came in, and we ran primary challengers 172 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 4: against them, and we beat them. And so this time 173 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 4: the state Senate passed a strong bill, they sent it 174 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 4: to the House, and I'll tell you, I went down 175 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 4: to the House. I spent an entire day on the 176 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 4: floor of the House. 177 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: This wasn't that long ago, by the way, it was 178 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: an April last week. Went all in. 179 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 4: I spent an entire day on the floor of the House. Okay, 180 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 4: it is weird for a US Senator to be on 181 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 4: the floor of the State House. That does not happen 182 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 4: very often. I sat the Speaker's office, and I was 183 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 4: there trying to shore up the votes while they're considered 184 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 4: school choice. 185 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 3: And for everyone I'm in. 186 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 4: I sat down and there's some great men and women 187 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 4: serving in the State House, and for those for those 188 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 4: that are there, I told every one of them, I said, listen, 189 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 4: this is the single most important vote you will cast 190 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 4: in your time. I'm in the legislature. I'm here to 191 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 4: tell you. The teachers' unions they're going to spend millions 192 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 4: attacking you when you stand up for the kids of Texas. 193 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 4: And I wanted to tell them I've got your back. 194 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 4: I'm going to support you. And in fact, when I 195 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 4: went and did that, I spent a quarter million dollars 196 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 4: in TV ads support Actually not TV as digital ads 197 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 4: supporting state reps and in particular freshman state reps who 198 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 4: were standing up for school choice, who were demonstrating courage. 199 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 4: And I did that to say, look, you've got friendly 200 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 4: air cover, you've got support. But at the same time 201 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 4: people understood the flip side. If you vote on the 202 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 4: other side, I'm going to do everything I can to 203 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 4: retire you and put someone in that position who actually 204 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 4: is going to fight to do the right thing for 205 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 4: the kids of Texas. 206 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,679 Speaker 2: So let's talk about the practical aspect of this. What 207 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 2: does this mean for a parent moving forward when it 208 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 2: comes to their kid and practically apply school choice, Because look, 209 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 2: the Teachers' Union center made this incredible. I guess the 210 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 2: best way to put is they've complicated it with doom 211 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 2: and gloom and extremism instead of simplifying it, which is 212 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 2: part of the reason why we've seen some of you 213 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 2: worried about schooltures, like it seems too complicated, let's not 214 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 2: do it. 215 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 4: Well, look, the Teachers' Union scaremonger. But the good news 216 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 4: is we now know the truth. So it was literally 217 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 4: thirty years ago that I got involved with the school 218 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 4: choice movement. I was a young lawyer and early on 219 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 4: in the nineteen nineties, I was the national chairman of 220 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 4: the School Choice and Education Reform Committee for the Federal Society. 221 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 4: And I did that coming off of my clerkship with 222 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 4: Chief Justice Renquist, where Leonard Leo, who was helping run 223 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 4: the Federalist Society, asked me, would you lead this because 224 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 4: you're passionate about this issue, and I'll tell you what 225 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 4: I said. Actually when he did, he said, look, I 226 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 4: said I'd love to, but I said, to be honest, 227 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 4: I don't have a record on this. I've never done 228 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,319 Speaker 4: anything on choice. I was a twenty seven year old lawyer. Sure, 229 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 4: and so I said, I'll do it, but I want 230 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 4: to have a co chair with me, and I asked 231 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 4: for the co chair to be a woman named Nicole Garnet. 232 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 4: Nicole is a good friend of mine. She was a 233 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 4: law clerk to Clarence Thomas. She was married to Rick Garnett, 234 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 4: who was my co clerk with Chief Justice Rehnquist. Both 235 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 4: Rick and Nicole a professors at Notre Dame. But Nicole 236 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 4: at the time was a lawyer at the Institute for Justice, 237 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 4: and she was litigating school choice cases all over the country, 238 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 4: and so she had been representing defending these programs and 239 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 4: winning victories. And I said, look, Nicole's got a record 240 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 4: on this, I've got passion, so I'm happy to do 241 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:32,839 Speaker 4: the work. 242 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 3: But I didn't want to do it alone. We did 243 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 3: it together. I got to tell you. 244 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 4: So in the nineteen nineties when you were debating school choice, 245 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 4: like at nineteen ninety nine, all right, I had a 246 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 4: very odd speaking invitation. Where do you think I was 247 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 4: invited to speak in nineteen ninety nine? 248 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 2: I genuinely have no clue at all on this one. 249 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 3: I was the keynote speaker, or one of the keynote speakers. 250 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 2: If you say the Democratic National Convention, I'm going to 251 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 2: laugh out. 252 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 4: Out worse at the National Convention of the ACLU, No 253 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 4: way in hell and the ACLU. They had a one 254 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 4: on one debate on school choice between me and Juan Williams. 255 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, and you know Wan. 256 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 4: And it was moderated by Barry Lynn, who runs American 257 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 4: United for Separation of Church and State, who's a big 258 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 4: left to you hate school choice? And I did it 259 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 4: in San Diego. There were over five hundred hardcore left 260 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 4: wing ACLU activists, maybe the most hostile audience I've ever 261 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 4: spoken in front of my life, but I was out 262 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 4: there pounding it away. 263 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,479 Speaker 3: I will tell you in the nineteen. 264 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 4: Nineties, when you were arguing about school choice, the teachers 265 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 4: unions would say, if kids have a choice, it'll destroy 266 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 4: the public schools. And I got to say, that's a 267 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 4: serious and powerful argument. If that were true, Ben, I 268 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 4: would oppose school choice sure, because the vast majority of 269 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 4: kids are educated by the public schools, and for the 270 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 4: foreseeable future will continue to be educated by the public schools. 271 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 4: Back then, school choice was a theoretical idea of Milton 272 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,199 Speaker 4: Friedman and other free market economists that talked about it, 273 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 4: but it hadn't been implemented a lot of places. What 274 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 4: has happened in the last thirty years is we have 275 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 4: seen roughly thirty different school choice programs implemented all over 276 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 4: the country, and we now know the facts. Number one, 277 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 4: the claim that it destroys the public schools, we know 278 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 4: is objectively false because everywhere it's been implemented, that has 279 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:36,240 Speaker 4: not happened. What has happened consistently when choices implemented. 280 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 3: You see for the students. 281 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 4: Who exercise a scholarship, who take another choice and leave 282 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 4: off of a failing school to go somewhere else. 283 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 3: The results are unequivocal. 284 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 4: Their reading scores go up, their mass scores go up, 285 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 4: their high school graduation rates go up, their college admissions 286 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 4: go up. It has a profound effect on the students 287 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 4: that accept and use the scholarships or use the education 288 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 4: savings accounts to choose a preferred something they want more 289 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 4: than where they were already. But here's the striking thing 290 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 4: that is really important. We now know that choice is 291 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 4: also good for the public schools. So for the students 292 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 4: that never exercise choice, that stay at the same school 293 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 4: that had been struggling or failing, when the other students 294 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 4: have the ability to exercise choice, we've seen quality go up. 295 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 4: That competition is good. It turns out when you have 296 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 4: to fight for your customers, for your clients, for your students, 297 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 4: or else they leave, you end up providing a better product. 298 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 4: We know that consistently across the country, and we're about 299 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 4: to see it. I believe powerfully in Texas, in numbers 300 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 4: that are frankly just bigger than any other state. 301 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 2: So, Santa, the next question I got to ask is 302 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 2: how do we get this federally? How do we have 303 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 2: the ability for so many people to get what we 304 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 2: just accomplish in Texas on the federal level. 305 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: That seems like an uphill battle. 306 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 2: It took you a long time to pull this off 307 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 2: in Texas, and you got your hands dirty in the process. 308 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 4: Well, it is an uphill battle, and it's a battle 309 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 4: that I've been fighting for the past thirteen years. Since 310 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 4: I've been in the Senate, I've been the leading defender, 311 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 4: the leading advocate of school choice. The single biggest legislative 312 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 4: victory that I've had that I'm most proud of in 313 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 4: my entire time in the Senate concerned school choice. Back 314 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 4: in twenty seventeen, when we were passing the Trump tax cuts, 315 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 4: I introduced an amendment that expand expanded college five to 316 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 4: twenty nine savings plans to include K through twelve education. 317 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 4: So five twenty nine savings plans let parents and grandparents 318 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 4: save in a tax advantage way for college expenses. And 319 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 4: I headed amendment to say this can now apply to 320 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 4: K through twelve, to public schools, private schools, parochial schools, 321 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 4: your choice. It ended up passing on the floor of 322 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 4: the Senate at one in the morning, was a fifty 323 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 4: to fifty vote. It was tied, and so the Vice 324 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 4: President came down at one in the morning and broke 325 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:10,120 Speaker 4: the vote. It remains to date the single most far 326 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 4: reaching federal school choice bill that's ever passed. Now, when 327 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 4: Trump was president, I then introduced a much broader school 328 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 4: choice bill, and it was a school choice bill that 329 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 4: I introduced along with President Trumps Secretary of Education at 330 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 4: the Department of Education. And it would create a federal 331 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 4: tax credit for contributions given to scholarship granting organizations in 332 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 4: the States. The states would administer them, the states would 333 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 4: run them, but you would get a dollar for dollar contribution. 334 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 4: So if Ben Ferguson gave money to a scholarship granting 335 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 4: organization in Texas, you would get a credit on your 336 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 4: federal income tax for the amount of your contribution. And 337 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 4: it was structured so it was ten billion dollars a year, 338 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,679 Speaker 4: so one hundred billion dollars over ten years. Now there 339 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 4: are no federal strings on the money other than the 340 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:05,959 Speaker 4: only requirement is that the scholarship granting organizations cannot discriminate 341 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,399 Speaker 4: against private or parochial schools. They have to let the 342 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:13,600 Speaker 4: parents and the kids actually decide. And as long as 343 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 4: the parents and kids are choosing. It is up to 344 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 4: the states to administer, and the parents and kids to administer. 345 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 4: So that bill I rolled out at the Department of Education. 346 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 4: President Trump in the State of the Union address called 347 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 4: on Congress to pass it, and we had a problem. 348 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 4: The problem is every Democrat in the Senate opposes school 349 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 4: choice because the teachers' unions are the single most important 350 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:42,400 Speaker 4: donors and the most important foot soldiers for Democrat candidates. 351 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,359 Speaker 4: And so every one of the Democrats is more afraid 352 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 4: of the teachers' union bosses than they are motivated to 353 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,919 Speaker 4: help the kids who are trapped in failing schools. So 354 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 4: we couldn't get it passed. Now, your question, Ben is 355 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:57,959 Speaker 4: how can we get it done at a federal level. Well, 356 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 4: you know what we're doing right now, doing budget reconciliation. 357 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 4: Budget reconciliation means that we can pass a tax bill 358 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 4: with only fifty votes of the Senate, with only Republican votes. 359 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 4: So I'll tell you, I am making the hard run 360 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 4: at my colleagues that we have the chance right now, 361 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 4: as a part of one big, bold, beautiful bill to 362 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 4: pass the biggest federal school choice bill in history. We 363 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 4: can get it done right now. The Democrats cannot stop 364 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 4: it if Republicans stand together. 365 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:31,760 Speaker 3: So I'm urging my colleagues. 366 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 4: We had this past week, we had a retreat of 367 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 4: all the Senate Republicans and we're talking about all the 368 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 4: different priorities for budget reconciliation that we're trying to pass. 369 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 4: And one of the things I stood up and said 370 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 4: to my colleagues is, look, this bill is going to 371 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 4: be four trillion, four and a half trillion dollars. It's 372 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 4: going to be a big bill that impacts a lot 373 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,160 Speaker 4: of things. A lot of what we're working on individual 374 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,439 Speaker 4: individual tax cuts, corporate tax cuts, small business tax cuts, 375 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 4: those are all massively, massively important. But I said, we 376 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,360 Speaker 4: ought to focus at least a little bit on legacy. 377 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 4: We ought to focus on ten, twenty, thirty, forty years 378 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 4: from now, what in this bill do people remember? What 379 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 4: will make a difference forty years from now that people 380 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:19,400 Speaker 4: will say this changed the country, This changed my family. 381 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 4: And the case I made to my colleagues is is 382 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 4: there's just about nothing we could do that would have 383 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 4: a bigger legacy than school choice. Ten billion dollars a 384 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 4: year in federal tax credits for contributions to scholarship granting 385 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:37,399 Speaker 4: organizations in the States. You would see ten billion dollars 386 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 4: worth of new scholarships in all fifty states. We can 387 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 4: get that done if we simply stand together. 388 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 2: Right now, I want to talk about what we also 389 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 2: some big news that deals with the issue of Iran. 390 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:51,880 Speaker 2: You went on Life livertal event our good friend Mark 391 00:20:51,920 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 2: Levin show, and we're talking about Iran right now and 392 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 2: what they're actively trying to do. 393 00:20:58,560 --> 00:20:59,959 Speaker 1: Fill us in on that for a second. 394 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 4: Well, right now, they're ongoing negotiation going on with the 395 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 4: nation of Iran and the Iyahtola is a theocratic lunatic. 396 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:16,400 Speaker 4: He regularly regularly leads mobs chanting death to America and 397 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 4: death to Israel. And by the way, if history teaches 398 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 4: us anything it's that if somebody tells you they want 399 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 4: to kill you, believe them. Yeah, And when it comes 400 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 4: to Iran, I'll tell you there are some voices in 401 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 4: Washington and the administration that are pushing for another Iran deal. 402 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 4: They really want an Iran deal and basically they want time. 403 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 2: Why did I got to ask, because as some of 404 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 2: you listening, they're going to say the same thing I'm 405 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 2: saying right now is why on earth would you want 406 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 2: an Iran deal if you know that they cheated on 407 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 2: the last deal. 408 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 4: So look, I don't know. I'm not Sigmund Freud. I'm 409 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 4: not their psychoanalysts. I just know they're advocating for it. 410 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 4: If you look at the Obama Iran nuclear deal, the 411 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 4: elements of it, it lifted international sanctions, it allowed Iran 412 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 4: to sell oil on the global market, and it allowed 413 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 4: Iran to have its nuclear program continue unmolested. There are 414 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 4: voices within the administration, and by the way, I led 415 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,199 Speaker 4: the charge to pull out of that disastrous deal, and 416 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 4: President Trump did exactly that. 417 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 3: He did the right thing. 418 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 4: It was the single most important decision, national security decision 419 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 4: of his first term to pull out of the disastrous 420 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,919 Speaker 4: Obama Iran nuclear deal. And right now there's a battle 421 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 4: within the administration. But I agree with the red line 422 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,280 Speaker 4: that President Trump has drawn, and he has said that 423 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 4: any deal must include full dismantlement, dismantling the centrifuges, shutting 424 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 4: them down, that anything short of that is unacceptable. 425 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: When you look at that deal. 426 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,919 Speaker 2: And I want to play part of what you said 427 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 2: on Mark Levin's show, because it is more background just 428 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 2: on how crazy the IETOA is in Iran and how 429 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 2: big of a threat it is and why you shouldn't 430 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 2: trust them. 431 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: Take a listen. 432 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 5: It's my understanding that the vast majority Republicans in the 433 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 5: Senate in the House are saying Iran must dismantle its 434 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 5: nuclear program. 435 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,880 Speaker 3: It's not a joke. He know what it. 436 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 5: Means when people talk about a civil or civilian nuclear program. 437 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:24,400 Speaker 5: We're not going to be fooled. They must dismantle their program. 438 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 5: Is that what you understand? That? 439 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 3: That is exactly right? 440 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 4: And I got to say, Mark, there's a real contrast 441 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 4: between the strength that President Trump has shown with respect 442 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:37,320 Speaker 4: to Iran and the weakness and appeasement that Joe Biden 443 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 4: showed for four years the first term President Trump took 444 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 4: on Iran directly pulled out of the disastrous Obama Iran 445 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 4: nuclear Deal. He ended the civilian nuclear waivers, he ended 446 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:55,199 Speaker 4: the oil waivers, and the result maximum pressure put the 447 00:23:55,240 --> 00:24:00,480 Speaker 4: Iranian economy into freefall. Their oil sales fell from a 448 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 4: million barrels a day of oil down all the way 449 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 4: down to three hundred thousand barrels of oil. When Joe 450 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,199 Speaker 4: Biden came into office, the Iranian economy was in shambles 451 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 4: and the Iotola and the Mullahs were teetering and near collapse. 452 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 4: But sadly, Biden reversed everything he did complete appeasement. He 453 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 4: stopped enforcing the oil sanctions, and as a result, the 454 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 4: Iatola's oil sales skyrocketed from three hundred thousand barrels a 455 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 4: day to two million barrels a day. 456 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 3: That's one hundred billion dollars that. 457 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 4: Joe Biden, the Democrats gave the Iatola, and the Iatola 458 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 4: is using it to fund the RGC to attack and 459 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 4: kill Americans. The Iatola is using that to fund Hamas 460 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 4: and Hezbola. In a very real sense, Joe Biden and 461 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 4: the money he gave the Iatola funded October seventh. Now 462 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 4: that Donald Trump is back in office, he's drawn a 463 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 4: clear red line. Iran must dismantle their nuclear capacity. 464 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 3: They must shut down. 465 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,680 Speaker 4: Their centrifuge, as it is the only thing that is 466 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 4: verifiable is full dismantlement. And I have every confidence confidence 467 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,200 Speaker 4: the president is going to hold that line. 468 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,720 Speaker 5: I do, But I don't have any confidence in the 469 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 5: Iranians who lie and cheat and still and murder. 470 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 4: Yes. 471 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 5: And so the question is, how can we expect a 472 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 5: regime that does all those things. It is not abided 473 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 5: by anything, it's agreed to anything. It has promised over 474 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 5: the course of the last fifteen years. So here we 475 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 5: are at the eleventh hour. Here we are at the 476 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 5: eleventh hour trying to deal with this. How can we 477 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 5: trust them? Or, better put, we're not going to trust them. 478 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 5: How do we make sure that they do what we 479 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 5: tell them they must do? 480 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 4: Well, listen, we can't trust them because we know that 481 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 4: they lie, and they lie over and over and over again. 482 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 4: It's worth noting the IATOLA right now today is actively trying. 483 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 3: To murder Donald J. 484 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 4: Trump has hired hitmen trying to murder the President of 485 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 4: the United States. The IATOLA is also actively trying to 486 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 4: murder the former Secretary of State Mike Pompeio and the 487 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 4: former National Security Advisor John Bolton. They have hired hitmen 488 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 4: that are targeting former senior US officials and the sitting 489 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 4: president of the United States. These are not people who 490 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 4: can be trusted, which is why the objective must be 491 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 4: full dismantlement must be the centrifugeas disassembled, destroyed, taken out. 492 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 4: And as President Trump said recently, we can do that 493 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 4: either nicely or not so nicely. Nicely if they agree 494 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 4: and we go in and dismantle them ourselves, or not 495 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,239 Speaker 4: so nicely is if Iran refuses to negotiate, we have 496 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 4: the capability to take out these nuclear facilities. And I 497 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,400 Speaker 4: got to say, Mark, you and I have talked about this. 498 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 3: Listen. 499 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 4: There are some voices in the Trump administration that are 500 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 4: on the isolationist wing of foreign policy that say, let's 501 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:01,640 Speaker 4: not worry about Iran. Let's not let's not do anything 502 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 4: about Iran. And listen, I am someone who is very 503 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 4: reluctant to use military force. But Iran is trying to 504 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 4: build nuclear weapons because Iran wants to be able to 505 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,400 Speaker 4: threaten to use nuclear weapons, and they might even use them. 506 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:19,120 Speaker 4: And I believe a nuclear Iran is an unacceptable threat 507 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 4: of seeing an atomic bomb detonated in the skies of 508 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 4: New York or the skies of Los Angeles, and so 509 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 4: our commander in chief, President Trump, I don't think he's 510 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 4: going to. 511 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:30,120 Speaker 3: Allow that risk. 512 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 4: We are going to demand the centrifugas, the nuclear capability 513 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 4: be dismantled, and they either do so willingly or they'll 514 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 4: be dismantled unwillingly. 515 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 2: It doesn't seem to be any gray area here from you, 516 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 2: I will bend there and the president. It seems to 517 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 2: be y'all are all in lockstep on the same thing here. 518 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:52,400 Speaker 2: You cannot trust Iran at all. 519 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 4: Well, and you asked, what why do people oppose this 520 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 4: the rhetoric they use as they say, Well, if you're 521 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,239 Speaker 4: standing up to Iran and you're a warmonger. And let 522 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:06,959 Speaker 4: me be clear, as I mentioned to Mark Levin, I 523 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 4: have consistently been very reluctant to use military force. You know, 524 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 4: you go back to twenty sixteen, the presidential race. You 525 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 4: had seventeen Republicans running for president that year, set ran 526 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 4: policide because Rand's views are unique in the Senate. Of 527 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 4: the remaining sixteen, there were only two of us on 528 00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 4: that stage who believed and said the Iraq War was 529 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 4: a mistake. Donald Trump and me. Both of us said 530 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 4: the Iraq War was absolutely a mistake. I believe it 531 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 4: was a mistake because you had a dictator, a cruel dictator, 532 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 4: Saddam Hussein, who was killing terrorists. We came in and 533 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 4: we toppled that dictator, and the result was the terrorist 534 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 4: took over and they began killing Americans. That did not 535 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 4: help America. Toppling a dictator and putting the terrorists in 536 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 4: charge was a mistake. By the way, we made the 537 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 4: same mistake in Libya, where you had Kadafi and other 538 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 4: another very cruel dictator, but he was killing terrorists. We 539 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 4: came in and toppled him, and the terrorists took over 540 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 4: and they began killing Americans. I think that's a bad 541 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 4: trade off. So when I say that we need to 542 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 4: focus on American national security, it doesn't mean we should 543 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 4: invade other countries. It doesn't mean we should send the Marines. 544 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 4: It means we should look at serious, real threats to 545 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 4: our national security. And I think the single most acute 546 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 4: threat we face, the urgent threat we face right now, 547 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,280 Speaker 4: is a nuclear Iran, because you've got a theocratic lunatic 548 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 4: who has said he wants to murder us, and by 549 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 4: the way, we know that he's willing to hire hitmen 550 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 4: to try to murder the president already, and if he 551 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 4: had nuclear weapons, I think the odds are unacceptably high 552 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 4: he would use them. And so in the first term, 553 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,120 Speaker 4: what I advocated for and what President Trump agreed with, 554 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,720 Speaker 4: was maximum pressure, using sanctions, cut cutting off their financial system. 555 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 4: Their economy went into freefall because President's Trump stood up 556 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,719 Speaker 4: against the iotolin. It was incredibly effective until Joe Biden 557 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 4: undermined it by embracing appeasement. That was a massive mistake, 558 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 4: and I hope and believe President Trump is turning that 559 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 4: around right now. 560 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is really incredible to see him standing up 561 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 2: and saying, hey, there are certain things that we're just 562 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 2: not gonna deal with and certain things that we're not 563 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 2: going to negotiate on. That's exactly what you're hearing from 564 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:34,640 Speaker 2: the President. 565 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 3: Now. 566 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 2: Don't forget we did this show Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 567 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 2: So hit that subscriber auto download button wherever you're getting 568 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 2: this podcast, and make sure that you tell your friends 569 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 2: about it, put it up where you are on social media, 570 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 2: and then Senator I will see you back here on 571 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 2: Wednesday morning.