1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:01,720 Speaker 1: Well, welcome. 2 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 2: It is Verdict with Center, Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you, 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 2: and we have got a very big show for you. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 2: And yes, we are going to talk about the elephant 5 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 2: in the room, two men that have had some back 6 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 2: and forth, the most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump, 7 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 2: the President, and the richest man in the world, Elon Musk. 8 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: I want to be clear, I love both these men 9 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 2: dearly and think they've done amazing things for this country, 10 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 2: and we are gonna talk about it. 11 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: We're gonna start with that. 12 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 3: Well, the battle that unfolded between Elon and Trump this 13 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 3: past week, it was painful for all of us to watch. 14 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 3: We're gonna break it down. I was actually in the 15 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:38,200 Speaker 3: Oval office with the President when the Twitter battle started. 16 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 3: I'm gonna bring you inside that and we're gonna assess 17 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 3: what are the consequences and where we go from here. 18 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 3: We're also going to talk about the one big, bold, 19 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 3: beautiful bill, what's gonna happen, what the Senate's gonna do. 20 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 3: I'm optimistic, but we're gonna break down the details. And 21 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 3: then we're gonna talk about a rather remarkable story about 22 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 3: the FBI arresting a Chinese national for bringing a dangerous 23 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 3: path pathogen into the United States, a pathogen that could 24 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 3: have done enormous damage. And finally, a Columbia protester, a 25 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: radical Jew hater who was talking about lighting someone on 26 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 3: fire on the Columbia campus. He's being prosecuted for his 27 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 3: crimes of violence. We're going to break that down for 28 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 3: you as well. 29 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: We certainly are. 30 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 2: And I also want to talk to you real quick 31 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 2: about something that's happening in this country and around the 32 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: world and how you can get involved to stand with 33 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: the people of Israel. We saw what just happened in Colorado, 34 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: and the first question people ask is what can I 35 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: do well. 36 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: You can stand up to anti Semitism. 37 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 2: You can stand up to these radicals by standing with 38 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: people in Israel. Right now, Jewish schools are being targeted 39 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: right here in America. We are watching Jewish individuals be targeted. 40 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: Synagogues are being threatened, and unfortunately, so many Jewish families 41 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: are now living in fear, and it's time for us 42 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: to stand up. Silent is not an option. This is 43 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 2: the moment to take a stand. And that's why I 44 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: want you to get involved with a group that I 45 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 2: love dearly. It's the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. 46 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 2: You may have heard of them as IFCJ. They are 47 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: literally on the front lines providing real help where it 48 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 2: is needed the most. They're giving food and shelter to 49 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: Jewish families that are under threat right now in Israel. 50 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: They are building bomb shelters for children right now in Israel. 51 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 2: They are helping survivors in America and all over the 52 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: world that have had their lives affected by this type 53 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 2: of hate and the attacks. And they don't just respond 54 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: to the crisis, they work every day to prevent it 55 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: as well. Now, your gift of just forty five dollars 56 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 2: will help support their life saving work by helping provide food, 57 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 2: shelter and armored vehicles, armored ambulances and so much more 58 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: like those bomb shelters. The Bible's pretty clear, I will 59 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: bless those who bless you, and supporting IFCJ is a 60 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,119 Speaker 2: spiritual stand and it's showing up for God's people when 61 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 2: it counts. So if you want to stand with so 62 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 2: many that are hurting right now, and you want to 63 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: stand with Israel, please call and make a donation eight 64 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: at eight four eight eight IFCJ. That's eight eight eight 65 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 2: four eight eight four three two five are go online 66 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 2: to IFCJ dot org. Every dollar helps, don't wait be 67 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: the difference IFCJ dot org or eight eight eight four 68 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 2: eight eight IFCJ. So, Senator, let's start with the Elon 69 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 2: Musk Donald Trump back and forth. I hate seeing this 70 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 2: because Democrats are loving it, the liberal medias are loving it. 71 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 2: And I want to be clear, I think Donald Trump 72 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: is not wrong. I also think Elon Musk is not wrong. 73 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: And unfortunately, Elon is working under the assumption that Congress 74 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: actually wants to do the job and save our country, 75 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 2: and I think Trump's working under the reality that there's 76 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 2: a lot of people in Congress that actually aren't looking 77 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: at out for the American people. 78 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: Both men, in many ways are right. 79 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 3: Well. Listen, what unfolded this week was incredibly painful. These 80 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 3: are two men whom I know very well. They're both 81 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 3: good friends of mine. President Trump has been an extraordinary president, 82 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 3: his election, his re election in November, save this country 83 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 3: from absolute destruction. Elon Mosquez is one of the greatest 84 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 3: business men, one of the greatest innovators, one of the 85 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 3: greatest thinkers I think the world has ever seen, and 86 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 3: he is what he has done, whether in with SpaceX, 87 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 3: whether with Tesla, whether with all of his companies, or 88 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 3: whether buying Twitter or creating a free speech zone where 89 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 3: people can engage in public debate. That was massively consequential. 90 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 3: And that doesn't even begin to touch the impact that 91 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 3: Elon had a doze exposing massive government waste, fraud and abuse. 92 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 3: And so I got to say, I watched the two 93 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 3: of them, and by the way, you and I we 94 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 3: had Elon Musk's guest on this podcast that that is 95 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 3: one of my favorite podcasts we've ever done. 96 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: At the White House. Nonetheless, it was. 97 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 3: At the White House, and and a week ago he 98 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 3: and the President were very very close, and and what 99 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: happened today. So I was sitting in the oval is 100 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 3: this unfolded? And I was sitting there and and and 101 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: the tweets were coming, and listen, Elon is brilliant, and 102 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 3: he is strong willed, and he's a force of nature. 103 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 3: Donald Trump is brilliant, and he is strong willed, and 104 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 3: he is a force of nature. And and these are 105 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 3: two alpha males who are pissed off and and unfortunately 106 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 3: they're unloading on each other. And I wish that were 107 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:44,559 Speaker 3: not the case, because I think the country does better 108 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 3: when when these two amazing heroes are working side by 109 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 3: side for the country and not not just unloading on 110 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 3: each other, but but listen that they're they are angry. 111 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 3: It's not complicated, but it is unfortunate. I will say, 112 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 3: every enemy of America, every Marxist, every person who hates 113 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 3: our country, every person who hates freedom, is cheering for 114 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,679 Speaker 3: this divide to be real, to be deep, to be lasting, 115 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 3: to be permanent. They would be thrilled. Everyone who loves 116 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 3: our country is cheering for Elon and President Trump to 117 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 3: kiss and make up. Like Look, they may not agree 118 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 3: on everything, but they're too significant in this country for 119 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 3: them to be fighting at cross purposes. I don't want 120 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 3: either one fighting at cross purposes. And I will say, 121 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 3: you know, listen, when I was in the Oval, Trump 122 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 3: was pissed. I mean he he was venting on this topic, 123 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 3: and I understand it. Elon was saying some some really 124 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 3: harsh things. I understand why Trump was pissed, and the 125 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 3: back and forth. Knowing both of them, it was not 126 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 3: surprising to see it, you know, I gotta say, Ben, 127 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 3: it reminded me. There's a gift that's popular online from 128 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 3: Anchorman where Ron Burgundy, you know, Will Ferrell's character goes. Yeah, 129 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 3: that escalated quickly because it just went from zero to 130 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 3: eleven instantaneously. I get it, knowing both of the players. 131 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 3: But I hope it goes from eleven back down to 132 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 3: zero or maybe one or two. 133 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,640 Speaker 1: I hope it goes every bit as quickly. Well. 134 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 2: And as I said at the very beginning, the only 135 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: people that are happy right now over this is the 136 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 2: liberal media and the Democrat Party. 137 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: Yep. 138 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: And they're the ones that are sitting there going this 139 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 2: is amazing, and I'm meaning popcorn, and look, I think 140 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 2: both these men are right. I understand Elon musk frustration 141 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 2: in general. I wish Washington didn't have so many swampy 142 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: people there, but there's also what we wish and the 143 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: reality and the reality is it is really hard to 144 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: get something this big done with dealing with so many 145 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: players in DC. 146 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:53,679 Speaker 1: And look, I hope there's a truce. 147 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,440 Speaker 2: I hope that both of them get this figured out 148 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 2: behind the scenes very very quickly. I think there's a 149 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 2: very good chance that's going to happen, because they're going 150 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: to see the left and them celebrating over this as well. 151 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: And the way that you described it. 152 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 2: These two men are brilliant, and we need them working 153 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 2: together for the for the good of the country. Because 154 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 2: there's one thing I know about both them. They both 155 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 2: love America, and I think there's no doubt about that. 156 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 3: Well, I think that's exactly right. I hope they will 157 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 3: come back together. On the substance we're going to discuss 158 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 3: in a minute. Both of them are right on the substance. 159 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 3: President Trump is right, we have to get this one big, 160 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 3: beautiful bill pass. We're going to Elon is right that 161 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 3: we have to make the bill better. We have to 162 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 3: cut more spending and tackle the deficit and debt more 163 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 3: than we do. They're both right. We're going to break 164 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 3: that down in just a minute. But I'll say also, 165 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 3: look the sentiment I have. I feel like the kids 166 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 3: of a bitter divorce where you're just saying, I really 167 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 3: wish mommy and daddy would stop screaming. I think a 168 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 3: lot of a lot of conservatives are feeling like this 169 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 3: is not good. Let's hug and make. 170 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 2: Up, all right, So let's talk about the bill that Obviously, 171 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 2: the fight with Elon and Trump has been over. 172 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: You were in the Oval office. 173 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 2: This bill is obviously something that you've talked about with 174 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: the President. There are people that have concerns about what's 175 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 2: in the bill, and there's an opportunity for the Senate, 176 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 2: as you guys are doing reconciliation on this bill, to 177 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 2: improve it, make it better. What do people need to 178 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 2: know about this bill, like what' sen it that you 179 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 2: should be proud of? 180 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: And what are the changes that need to be made? 181 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 3: Well listen on the merits of the fight between Elon 182 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 3: and Trump. As I mentioned, both are right. President Trump 183 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 3: is absolutely right. We need to get this passed because 184 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 3: this is the major vehicle to deliver on the promises 185 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 3: we made to the voters, and failure is not an option. 186 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 3: We cannot fail to secure the border. We cannot fail 187 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 3: to rebuild the military. We cannot fail to unleash American energy, 188 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 3: and we cannot fail to extend the Trump tax cuts 189 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 3: and make them bigger and bolder to unleash economic growth. 190 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,400 Speaker 3: All of those we are going to get done, and 191 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 3: the only avenue to getting them done is this reconc 192 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 3: iliation bill. So we will get it passed. But that 193 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 3: being said, this bill can be made much better. I'm 194 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 3: glad the House passed it that's the first step in 195 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 3: this becoming a law. The House came together, they got 196 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 3: a majority, they sent it to the Senate. But you 197 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 3: know a lot of people are asking, Okay, what happens now? 198 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 3: Does the Senate just pass the House bill? And the 199 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 3: answer is not remotely. So what is happening right now? Isa, 200 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:25,960 Speaker 3: say that again? 201 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,319 Speaker 2: Say that again for everybody listening, because that may be 202 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: music to some earors listening right now, Say that again. 203 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 3: The Senate will not pass the House bill. 204 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 1: All right, there we go. 205 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: We got it, and I like, I love this, I'm smiling, 206 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 2: keep going. 207 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: So listen. 208 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 3: Under a constitution, we have two chambers, two legislative bodies. 209 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 3: The House has passed their bill. The Senate is going 210 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 3: to pass our own bill. And what has happened is 211 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 3: each major committee has been given what are called reconciliation 212 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 3: instructions to draft their portions of the bill. I'm the 213 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,239 Speaker 3: chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 214 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 3: so I've drafted my portion of the bill. The Senate 215 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 3: bill will have similarities to the House bill. The similarities 216 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 3: will be anywhere, my guess is from about two thirds 217 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 3: to three quarters of the House bill. So the good 218 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:17,959 Speaker 3: provisions of the House bill will keep the bad provisions 219 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 3: I hope will jettison and say no, we're not going 220 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 3: to do that. And my hope what I am fighting 221 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 3: in the Senate to do is to have the Senate 222 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 3: cut spending significantly more than the House did. And this 223 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 3: is a point. Look, I think there's a real possibility 224 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 3: the Senate today is more conservative than the House. And 225 00:11:37,679 --> 00:11:40,720 Speaker 3: that's unusual, that is rarely the case. Here's why I 226 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 3: think that there are fifty three Republicans in the Senate. 227 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 3: I think it is entirely possible that the fiftieth most 228 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 3: fiscally conservative senator is to the right of the two 229 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 3: hundred and eighteenth most fiscally conservative House member. 230 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 2: And so very inching perspective, by the way, because I 231 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 2: don't think people think about it that way at all. 232 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 3: No, they think about that there are one hundred fire 233 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 3: breathing conservatives in the House. That's true, but a majority 234 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 3: in the House is two eighteen, so one hundred doesn't 235 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 3: pass anything. So if you ask the House, okay, who's 236 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 3: the two hundred and eighteenth, who's the wobbliest Republican that 237 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 3: gets you to a majority, that Republican I think is 238 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:29,160 Speaker 3: actually significantly to the left fiscally compared to the fiftieth 239 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:33,440 Speaker 3: Senate Republican. So I'm not sure how bold we will do. 240 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 3: And I may have to do a podcast where I 241 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,079 Speaker 3: do a maya culpa and say I was too optimistic. 242 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 3: But my hope is what the Senate will pass will 243 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:49,320 Speaker 3: demonstrate much more fiscal restraint than what the House passed. 244 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 3: That's what I'm arguing to my colleagues. So I mentioned 245 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 3: I was in the Oval right as the Trump Elon 246 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 3: battle was unfolding. I was there for two reasons. Number One, 247 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 3: I was urging we need to cut more spending, and 248 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,240 Speaker 3: I gave the President a list of nearly three trillion 249 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 3: dollars of spending cuts that we could do, urging, okay, 250 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 3: let's cut the spending. We can do this, we can 251 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 3: make this happen. Elon is right that we're bankrupting our 252 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,199 Speaker 3: country and we need to do more than the House 253 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 3: bill does. I think the Senate will do that. What 254 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 3: will happen The Senate will pass our bill, I think 255 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 3: right before July fourth. Now, when the Senate passes the bill, 256 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 3: it's probably not going to be done. The likely outcome 257 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 3: after the Senate passes the bill is it will go 258 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 3: to conference where the House and Senate will negotiate back 259 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 3: and forth. The House will say we don't like some 260 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 3: provisions in this bill. The Senate will say we don't 261 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,719 Speaker 3: like some provisions in your bill, and we'll reach a compromise. 262 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 3: My guess is the final bill will be passed at 263 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 3: the end of July, right before the August recess, and 264 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 3: sent to the President to be signed at the beginning 265 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 3: of August. 266 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: I think that's likely. 267 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 3: There's another chance, when the Senate passes our bill, maybe 268 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 3: the House just says, okay, accept it, and we'll pass it. 269 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 3: That possibility is not zero, but I think it's more 270 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 3: likely we'll have a conference committee and reach some compromises. 271 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 3: I will say this Ben twenty seventeen, the last time 272 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 3: we passed big tax cuts, I was here. I spent 273 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 3: hundreds of hours negotiating those tax cuts. One interesting dynamic 274 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 3: if you look at the current House of Representatives, more 275 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 3: than sixty percent of the House Republicans were not in 276 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 3: Congress in twenty seventeen when we did this last time, 277 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 3: and so the back it's a stunning number. 278 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: That is a huge number. No one I wouldn't have 279 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: guessed that. Yeah. 280 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 3: Look, there's been a lot of turnover in Congress, and 281 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 3: so most of the House members were not here. What 282 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 3: happened in twenty seventeen, the House passed a good bill. 283 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 3: It went to the Senate and we made it much 284 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 3: much better. And then actually it went to conference committee 285 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 3: and it became significantly better. I'll give a couple of examples. 286 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 3: Number one, the House, when they initially passed it, did 287 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 3: not repeal in twenty seventeen the Obamacare individual mandate. The 288 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 3: House Conservatives or all my buddies, they said, there's no 289 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 3: chance you Senate Republicans will do this. You guys like 290 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 3: all of the jellyfish in the Senate, they'll never do this. Well, 291 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 3: I led the fight in the Senate and said, this 292 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 3: Obamacare of individual mandated is wrong, it is abusive, it 293 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 3: is unfair, and we ended up unifying Senate Republicans and 294 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 3: we repealed it, but the Senate added it. That was 295 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 3: a major, major victory. Another example, the bill that passed 296 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 3: out of the House initially in twenty seventeen had big 297 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 3: tax cuts for sea corps, for big big corporations, but 298 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 3: much smaller tax cuts for pass throughs and es. Corps 299 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 3: which tend to be small businesses. And in the Senate 300 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 3: we said that's not right. We need to fight for 301 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 3: small businesses. We improved that dramatically. I think the same 302 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 3: thing is going to happen. And so I was sitting 303 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 3: in the Oval saying, number one, here are three trillions 304 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 3: more in tax cuts you can make. And number two, 305 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 3: I was arguing, in particular the school choice provision in 306 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 3: the House bill. We need to make it bigger, we 307 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 3: need to make it boulder, we need to make it 308 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 3: more effective. That was the case I was making directly 309 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 3: to the President in the Oval office this week. 310 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: Center, let's move to this. 311 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 2: Really, I would say, very shocking and scary news that 312 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 2: not one, but two Chinese nationals have been charged by 313 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 2: US federal authorities for allegedly smuggling a dangerous agricultural pathogen 314 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 2: into the United States of America. It is basically, in 315 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 2: Layman's terms, a fungus that poses a significant threat to 316 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 2: crops such. 317 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: As wheat, barley, and rice. 318 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 2: It could cause massive disease and in essence famine on 319 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 2: our agriculture in this country. And this was brought into 320 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 2: this country, and it just screams of another example of 321 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 2: why you don't trust and why we have to watch 322 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 2: them and protect ourselves. It reminds, I think a lot 323 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 2: of people of COVID nineteen. But this could literally recavoc 324 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 2: on our entire national security from a basic we need 325 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 2: food to live strategy if it was weaponized against us. 326 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 3: Well, this is a story. Unfortunately you're not going to 327 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 3: watch on the corporate media ABCNBCCBS, They're not going to 328 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 3: cover it. But China is our enemy, and China is 329 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 3: I think the greatest geopolitical threat we have for the 330 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 3: next one hundred years. We saw with COVID the incredible 331 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 3: threats of a pathogen, of a virus that can do 332 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 3: enormous damage, can destroy trillions of dollars, can take massive 333 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 3: toll in human life. Well, this story and I just 334 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 3: want to read to you a tweet from the director 335 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 3: of the FBI, Cash Betel. Here's what the FBI director said, 336 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 3: quote new I can confirm that the FBI arrested a 337 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:04,479 Speaker 3: Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a 338 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 3: dangerous biological pathogen into the country. The individual, Young Quinn Jian, 339 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 3: is alleged to have smuggled a dangerous fungus called Fusarium gramminarium, 340 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 3: which is an agro terrorism agent, into the US to 341 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,920 Speaker 3: research at the University of Michigan, where she works. This 342 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 3: fungus can cause a disease called head blight, a disease 343 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 3: of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, causing significant health issues 344 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 3: in both humans and livestock. It is responsible for billions 345 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 3: of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Evidence also 346 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 3: indicates Jian had expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party 347 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 3: and had received funding from the Chinese government for similar 348 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 3: work on this pathogen in China. Jihn's boyfriend, Zuniang Liu, 349 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 3: also charged in the complaint, works at a Chinese university 350 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 3: where he conducts research on the same pathogen. Liu is 351 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:24,959 Speaker 3: alleged to a first liede that admitted to also smuggling 352 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 3: Fusarium gran grannarium into America through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport 353 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 3: so that he too could conduct research at the University 354 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 3: of Michigan. Both individuals have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling 355 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 3: goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud. 356 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 3: This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP is 357 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 3: working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to 358 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 3: infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would 359 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 3: have grave consequences, putting American lives and our economy at 360 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 3: serious risk. Your FBI will continue working tirelessly to be 361 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:14,439 Speaker 3: on guard against it. 362 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 2: You go through this and let's unpack it and just 363 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 2: go back a little bit to pain. I think the 364 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 2: broader picture, we've seen China financially infiltrate our colleges, our 365 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 2: best colleges. We have seen them by influence. We saw 366 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 2: this hell with the Biden Institute. For goodness sakes, we 367 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 2: have witnessed the number of Chinese students that we allow 368 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 2: to come into this country, be trained here, have access 369 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 2: to R and D here. And then we've witnessed what 370 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 2: our government did under Fauci with the amount of money 371 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 2: we were sending to China that was doing a lot 372 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 2: of this type of research and other things. And we 373 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 2: shouldn't be surprised that this has happened now. But this 374 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,879 Speaker 2: again goes back to the vulnerability. If China is sending 375 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 2: you money and sending billions of dollars to American universities, 376 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 2: and then we see this type of research and the 377 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 2: access at these research insuits like the University of Michigan, 378 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 2: et cetera. Why isn't there a massive red flag on 379 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 2: every dollar now coming in from China? After seeing yet 380 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 2: again the Chinese are enemy and they cannot be trusted. 381 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 3: There's no doubt there should be. And listen, when I 382 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 3: was first elected to the Senate thirteen years ago, I 383 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 3: was saying then that China is the greatest threat we 384 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 3: have for the next hundred years. I got to tell you, Ben, 385 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 3: at the time, that was a very lonely view in 386 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,959 Speaker 3: the United States Senate. Every Democrat disagreed with me, and 387 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 3: most of the Republicans did too. They all looked to 388 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 3: China and they saw nothing but dollar signs as far 389 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 3: as the eye could see. Now, COVID changed that for 390 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 3: a lot of people. They realized the mendacity, the duplicity 391 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 3: the damaged China causes. China engages in widespread murder of 392 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 3: its citizens, torture of its citizens. It has over a 393 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 3: million wigures in concentration camps, modern day human slavery, organ harvesting. 394 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 3: But they also engage in massive propaganda, massive espionage against 395 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 3: the United States, massive theft of intellectual property. They are 396 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 3: engaged in a global battle for world domination. They're objective, 397 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 3: which they've told us, They're very explicit. Their objective is 398 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,959 Speaker 3: to be the dominant world power and to displace America, 399 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:39,880 Speaker 3: and we need to combat them on the global stage. 400 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 3: China is engaged in Africa, in Latin America, and the 401 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 3: Middle East and Asia, every part of the world. China 402 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,880 Speaker 3: is trying to become the dominant world power. They are 403 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 3: waging a thousand year war. And when it comes to 404 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 3: the danger of pathogens, look you look at COVID. 405 00:22:58,440 --> 00:22:58,880 Speaker 1: COVID. 406 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 3: It was clear within the first couple of months of 407 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 3: this pandemic that the evidence strongly suggested that the virus 408 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,880 Speaker 3: escape from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. 409 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 3: We now know that the corporate media suppressed that story, 410 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:20,239 Speaker 3: that Facebook suppressed that story at the explicit request of 411 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 3: doctor Fauci. I will tell you this podcast Verdict with 412 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 3: Ted Cruz in March and in April of twenty twenty, 413 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 3: when COVID was first starting, we laid out the evidence 414 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 3: that this came from China, from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. 415 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:46,160 Speaker 3: Before you could get it practically anywhere else. China bears 416 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 3: enormous responsibility for what happened with COVID. I think the 417 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 3: evidence is overwhelming that COVID escaped from a Chinese government lab. 418 00:23:56,040 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 3: I think the evidence is significant that COVID was actually 419 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 3: invented in a Chinese government lab, that they took natural 420 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 3: viruses and they altered them using Gaina function research. That's 421 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 3: not as compelling as the fact that it escaped from 422 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 3: a government lab, but I think there's a lot of 423 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,400 Speaker 3: evidence of that. By the way, there are multiple federal 424 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 3: agencies that are now explicitly concluded that COVID likely escaped 425 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:23,360 Speaker 3: from a Chinese government lab. When COVID escaped, the Chinese 426 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 3: government covered it up. They suppressed the evidence, they destroyed 427 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 3: the samples, They did everything they could to prevent others 428 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 3: from understanding the source of this virus and also to 429 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 3: frustrate efforts to stop the spread of this pandemic. Now 430 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 3: put that in the context of this story, a dangerous 431 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:46,400 Speaker 3: agro terrorism fungus that could do massive damage to crops, 432 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 3: to livestock, to human beings in the United States being 433 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:55,959 Speaker 3: smuggled in by not one but two Chinese nationals being 434 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,199 Speaker 3: paid by the Chinese Communist Party. Look, it is not 435 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 3: difficult to imagine a pathogen like that being released in 436 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,360 Speaker 3: the United States and doing enormous damage. And that's the 437 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 3: sort of threat our government we need to be vigilant 438 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 3: against when it comes to Communist China. 439 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 2: Well, and it goes back to again some of this 440 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 2: evidence that apparently they've been discussing the plan to smuggle 441 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 2: these biological materials since at least twenty twenty two. The 442 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:28,000 Speaker 2: electronic device has contained documents expressing the Chinese Communist Party, 443 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 2: the CCP, and detailing research funded by the Chinese government. 444 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 2: So the story just keeps repeating itself. It is over 445 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 2: and over again when we see these things happen. It's 446 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,280 Speaker 2: directly tied tied to the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese 447 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 2: Communist government, and we should not be surprised as is happening. 448 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 2: Will there be any reaction or anything that Congress can 449 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:52,439 Speaker 2: do on this very quickly? 450 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 3: Well, listen, this has been an area I've been legislating 451 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 3: for a long time. So, for example, one of the 452 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 3: very first bills I passed into law dealt with Confucius institutes. 453 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,920 Speaker 3: Confucius institutes were formed on us universities all across the country, 454 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 3: hundreds of them, and they were funded by the Chinese 455 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:14,080 Speaker 3: Communist Party. They conducted espionage and propaganda. I introduced legislation 456 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 3: to cut off federal funding the universities that have Confucius institutes. 457 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 3: Passed it into law, and as a result, we've shut 458 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 3: down most of the Confucius institutes across the country. So 459 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 3: we can fight this, but we need to be vigilant 460 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 3: and we need to fight. 461 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 2: All right, Senat, I want to move on to another story. 462 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:36,120 Speaker 2: We tease this earlier Columbia protester and self proclaimed Jew 463 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 2: hater had direct links to hamas Tersel. Disturbing new phone 464 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 2: records revealed that the DOJ has come out with another 465 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 2: example of we were not doing a good enough job 466 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 2: of protecting America and letting people in that we did 467 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 2: not know exactly who they were. 468 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,439 Speaker 3: Well, today's Democrat party has rallied around defending the anti 469 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 3: Semitic protesters on college ca campuses, and the media has 470 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 3: as well. And yet the viciousness, the hatred, the violence, 471 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 3: and the ties to terrorists on these protests are significant. 472 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 3: So this is a story that broke just this week, 473 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 3: and I'm reading now from The New York Post quote 474 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:20,119 Speaker 3: a jew hater who protested against Israel on Columbia University's 475 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 3: campus and contemplated setting a student on fire, allegedly had 476 00:27:27,119 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 3: a direct link to Hamas's deadly Al Cassam Brigades militant group. 477 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:38,160 Speaker 3: The Post can reveal. Tarek Bazruk, awaiting trial after being 478 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 3: indicted on three federal hate crimes against Jewish people, was 479 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 3: quote a member of a chat group that received regular 480 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 3: updates from Abu Obidan, the official spokesperson for the Brigades. 481 00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 3: According to allegations in federal documents, the accusation is the 482 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 3: first evidence of an agitator receiving information directly from Hamas 483 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 3: and taking action during protests on the university campus. Basruk twenty, 484 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 3: who was not a Columbia student and many of the 485 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 3: people who were conducting these protests were not students at 486 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,719 Speaker 3: the universities, also frequently wore the green headband used by 487 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:27,439 Speaker 3: Hamas terrorists and boasted to friends about having relatives overseas 488 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 3: who were part of the terror group, Prosecutors claim in 489 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 3: a letter filed with the court. While on Columbia's campus 490 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 3: during protests in April twenty twenty four, Basruk allegedly texted 491 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:46,080 Speaker 3: a pal saying he lit a flare and considered lighting 492 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 3: someone on fire, but that there were quote too many 493 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 3: people around him for him to take on otherwise he 494 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 3: would have quote herded them. Columbia University says it has 495 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 3: no record of Bazruk being on campus and it wanted 496 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 3: to be clear that this individual is not affiliated with 497 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 3: our university in any way, adding the school strongly condemns 498 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 3: anti Semitism and violence, and we are horrified by the 499 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 3: violence and hate crimes described in the indictment. Bazruk, a 500 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 3: US citizen born and raised in New York, was also 501 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 3: arrested next to the campus in December twenty twenty four 502 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 3: for one of the three attacks against Jewish peoples of 503 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 3: which he stands accused. This is the kind of violent 504 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 3: hate and violent hate tied to terrorism that we've seen 505 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,960 Speaker 3: erupting at universities across the country. 506 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 2: It's such a concerning, I think thing now, because if 507 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 2: you're a Jewish student, do you feel safe on any 508 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 2: college campus? It's an honest question that we should ask. 509 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 2: If you are a student on a college campus now, 510 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 2: do you feel safe and feel like the campuses are 511 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 2: going to protect your safety when they allow these protesters 512 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 2: on college campuses. A guy that refers to himself as 513 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 2: a Jew hater, right who protests against Israel on Columbia University. 514 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 2: So now this is completely infiltrated that the best you know, 515 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 2: quote universities that America has to offer are actually now 516 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 2: becoming the most radical. 517 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: And yet there are still people on the left. 518 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 2: That are saying, no, no, no, you got to allow this 519 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 2: to happen, No matter what, you got to allow these 520 00:30:22,640 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 2: these disturbances and these takeovers, and the and the and 521 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 2: the sit ins, and the and the and the taking 522 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 2: over buildings and the attacking of Jews. It goes back 523 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,640 Speaker 2: to the anti semitism that has festered on our college campuses. 524 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 3: And that the Democrats are defending. By the way, we 525 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 3: have text exchanges between Chuck Schumer and Columbia University where 526 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 3: where Chuck Schumer said, look, it's only the Republicans who 527 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 3: are concerned about this anti semitism. We the Democrats were 528 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 3: fine with it. I mean, I mean that that is 529 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:57,680 Speaker 3: the explicit position. There is a Prohamas wing of the 530 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 3: Democrat Party. It is tragic that didn't use to exist, 531 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 3: but it is how radicalized they've gotten. And this particular 532 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 3: individual who's charge, according to the Department of Justice, he 533 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 3: had a picture of Obeida, who was the spokesperson for 534 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 3: Al Caasom, the military arm of Hamas, and one of 535 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 3: an individual waving a Hama's flag. This was on his phone, 536 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 3: and an Al Casom brigade's meme which reads, quote by God, 537 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 3: I would not trade the al Casom Brigades for the 538 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 3: world and everything in it. May God be pleased with 539 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 3: them and allow them to break the wicked enemy through him. 540 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 3: Also included in his phone are quotes from text messages 541 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:44,360 Speaker 3: in which Baruk Bazruk rather allegedly identifies himself as quote 542 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 3: a Jew hater, so that's his term for himself, labels 543 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:54,560 Speaker 3: Jews as quote worthless, exhorted Allah to quote get us 544 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 3: rid of Jews, and called an acquaintance an effing Jew 545 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 3: and told a friend to slap that be and he 546 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 3: did not abbreviate be in reference to a woman with 547 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 3: an Israeli sticker on her laptop, according to court documents, 548 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 3: and understand this individual that there was a real risk 549 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 3: of violence he was. He kicked one Jewish student college 550 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:28,560 Speaker 3: student in the stomach. In a text message four days later, 551 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 3: he wrote that quote, if he ever sees a Jewish person, 552 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 3: he is going to boom boom them. He's accused of 553 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 3: slugging a Jewish Columbia University student in the face while 554 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 3: ranting about Hitler and the Nazis, and he's been arrested 555 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 3: a total of six times first conduct at Israel and 556 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 3: Gaza protests, including multiple assaults. Law enforcement searched his Manhattan 557 00:32:54,600 --> 00:33:01,239 Speaker 3: apartment and found brass knuckles, four knives, a Taser, an 558 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 3: airsoft gun that looks identical to a revolver, spent casings 559 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 3: from an actual firearm, and five hundred thousand dollars in cash. 560 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 3: An additional search turned up another two hundred and fifty 561 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 3: thousand dollars. Now, Ben, who the hell has seven hundred 562 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 3: and fifty thousand dollars of cash in his apartment? Let 563 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 3: me give you one other fact that just to color this. Bazruk, 564 00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 3: a twenty year old, lives with his parents. He has 565 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 3: said he has a net worth of three thousand dollars 566 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 3: and that he's quote unemployed and supported by his parents. 567 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 3: Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash. 568 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and the big question is how many more are 569 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,800 Speaker 2: out there like them? Final question on this Trump administration 570 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 2: also escalating pressure on Colombia as the Department of Education 571 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:59,560 Speaker 2: is questioning the university's accreditation. Is this the right way 572 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,440 Speaker 2: to start to deal with these radical universities? 573 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: Yes? 574 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 3: Yes, stand up to them. The Trump administration is doing 575 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 3: exactly right. These violent protests occurred because radical administrators, radical faculty. 576 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 3: They sided with the pro hamas protesters, and I am 577 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:19,840 Speaker 3: very glad. Look, you ought to just ask the question 578 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 3: why was nobody arrested during the Biden administration while we're 579 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:26,359 Speaker 3: none of the protesters arrested, while we're none of the 580 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 3: funders arrested, while we're none of the universities having their 581 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:33,799 Speaker 3: their funding suspended. And it's because the Democrats they were 582 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 3: cheering on the protesters as. 583 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 2: Well as always thank you for listening to Verdict with 584 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,239 Speaker 2: senter Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you don't forget to 585 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 2: deal with my podcast and you can listen to my 586 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 2: podcasts every other day you're not listening to Verdict or 587 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 2: each day when you listen to Verdict afterwards, I'd love 588 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 2: to have you as a listener to again. Ben Ferguson 589 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:52,919 Speaker 2: Podcasts and The Center, and I will see you back 590 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,479 Speaker 2: here for the weekend review on Saturday morning.