1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Welcome in his verdict with Ted Cruz. 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 2: Weekend Review, Ben Ferguson with you, and here's some of 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 2: the big stories that we talked about this week that 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,159 Speaker 2: you may have missed. First up, oil, Is it a 5 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: issue of national security? Well, President Trump is dealing with 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: that exact issue, and all executives are also breaking it down. 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: We had a very interesting conversation with some of those 8 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 2: old executives and we're gonna explain to you exactly what 9 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 2: they say about that issue and energy independence. Also, Jim 10 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: Jordan goes up against Jack Smith. You remember Jack Smith, 11 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 2: the special prosecutor that tried to overthrow the will of 12 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,159 Speaker 2: the people and get rid of Donald Trump. Well, now 13 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 2: he's having an answer for exactly what he did and 14 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 2: it's truly unbelievable. And finally, the media not talking about 15 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 2: the most amazing part of all. In the first year 16 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: of Donald Trump's presidency, the crime stats nationwide have come 17 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 2: down drastically, literally saving people's lives. So why is the 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: media not talking about it? We'll give you those stats 19 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: and explain it all. It's the Weekend Review and it 20 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 2: starts right now. There is I had at dinner the 21 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: other night with some oil executives and they were frustrated 22 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: a little bit because the price of oil. 23 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: Has come down. 24 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,559 Speaker 2: And one of the people at the table was also 25 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: White House, and they said, what you don't understand is 26 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,839 Speaker 2: that our energy and its policy is also a national 27 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: security policy. Because when you take away the money that 28 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: is to the leadership in Iran to Vladimir Putin in Russia. 29 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 2: Venezuela is another example of this, right, then what the 30 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: money that they need to survive and to hold on 31 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 2: to power and to pay their forces to keep them 32 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 2: in power and to go after their citizens just completely disappears. 33 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 2: That is part of I think what Donald Trump, and 34 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: it was very interesting to hear this kind of back 35 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: and forth. It's like, hey, I'm sorry that the price 36 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: of per barrel is not where you want it, but 37 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 2: it's helping American families the lower gas prices, and it's 38 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: a national security thing for us as well. And it's 39 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 2: allowing some of these these horrible people in the world 40 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 2: to start teetering a little bit because they don't have 41 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: the cash flow they had two three four years ago 42 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 2: under democratic leadership. 43 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 3: I think that's right. There's also a balance that President 44 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 3: Trump and the Trump administration are trying to strike, which 45 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 3: is we've seen the price of oil drop dramatically from 46 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 3: from one hundred bucks a barrow to down just around 47 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 3: sixty bucks of barrow a little bit lower. That has 48 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 3: weakened almost every bad guy in the world. That is 49 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,799 Speaker 3: weak in Russia, that is weakened Iran, that is weak 50 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 3: in Venezuela, and Maduro because it is I guess God 51 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 3: has a sense of humor in that that many of 52 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 3: the worst players on planet Earth depend upon oil revenues. 53 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 3: There in many ways, Petro tyrants. Now yeah, Duro's not 54 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 3: Maduro is innate number two, five seven whatever. 55 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: But he used sticking out with pddy. 56 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, but I'll say this, Look, there is a balance 57 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 3: because from a US national security interest, look, oil and 58 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 3: gas and energy or powerful weapons against our enemies and 59 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 3: to buttress America. But you don't want to slash the 60 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 3: price of oil so dramatically that you devastate US producers. 61 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 3: And as you know, I talked to I represent Texas, 62 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 3: I talk to a lot of US producers, and I 63 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 3: will say, at down around sixty seventy dollars a barrel, 64 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 3: you see what we've got now, which is gas prices 65 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 3: at about two three bucks a gallon, depending on what 66 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 3: part of the country you're in. Now, if you're in California, 67 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 3: there's still four or five bucks a gallon. 68 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: But that's that's on you for living in California voting 69 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: for these nut jobs. 70 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 3: But again that's Gavin new some of the Democrats fault. 71 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 3: But here here in Texas, you fill up your tank, 72 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 3: it's you know, somewhere between two and three bucks typically 73 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 3: is what you're paying right now. I think that's a 74 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 3: sweet spot is sixty to seventy dollars. Where it get 75 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 3: lowers under Biden, when we had one hundred dollars oil, 76 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 3: you were seeing four or five, six seven dollars a 77 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 3: gallon a gasoline. That really hurts consumers. 78 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I say, crushing middle and lower class families even 79 00:03:57,920 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: more than anybody else. 80 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: I will say this. If you see oil prices plummet, 81 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 3: so let's say they drop from the sixties down to 82 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 3: say the forties. 83 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: Are below, it hurts out people. 84 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 3: That's when it starts doing real damage, in particular to 85 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 3: the independent producers, the small guys in West Texas and 86 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 3: the Permian. That's when you see drilling basically stop. And 87 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 3: by the way, the majors will be fine. The x 88 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 3: on Mobiles, the Chevrons. I mean, look, those are companies 89 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 3: that literally have more revenue and assets than most countries 90 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 3: on planet Earth. They're that massive. So the majors will 91 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 3: survive a drop. But what happens if we see forty 92 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 3: dollars oil? You'll see bankruptcy bankruptcies throughout the Permian basin 93 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 3: of the small producers. And when those guys go away, 94 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 3: those are the guys driving production. And what it does 95 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 3: is it weakens America's ability to produce oil and makes 96 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: us more dependent on foreign adversary. So I think what 97 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 3: President Trump of the administra trying to do is stay 98 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 3: in a sweet spot where oil is low enough that 99 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 3: our enemies are weakened, but not so low that we're 100 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 3: devastating us small businesses. And I think they're doing a 101 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 3: pretty good job of trying to balance those two factors. 102 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 2: Well, I was talking to some small refineries and that 103 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 2: was exactly their concern. Center was, Hey, these small refineries 104 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 2: that keep these small towns going, that employ a lot 105 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: of people. They want to make sure that they're okay 106 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: as well. And like you said, that's where this administration 107 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: kind of asked away both ends of this because you 108 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 2: don't want to hurt mom and Pops. 109 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: You don't want to hurt the small ones. 110 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 2: Like you said, the big ones will be okay, but 111 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 2: these small refineries that literally power these small towns where 112 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: they are, you don't want them to get hurt either. 113 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 3: Yeah. And look, in the last several weeks, with everything 114 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 3: happening in Iran, everything happening in Venezuela, I've been reaching 115 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 3: out to energy leaders, primarily in Texas. So I've had 116 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 3: conversations with the CEO of Chevron and the CEO of Valero, 117 00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 3: the biggest refiner in America, and I've had conversations with 118 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 3: a number of smaller ee and p expiration and production 119 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 3: independence in West Texas, and they've expressed optimism. Number one 120 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 3: in terms of Venezuela. Venezuela, as we've talked about, has 121 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 3: the highest proven reserves of oil in the world. No 122 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:22,799 Speaker 3: country has more. But the Venezuelan infrastructure is completely collapsed. 123 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 3: Communism is not capable of producing what they should and 124 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 3: so Venezuela right now is producing about a million barrels 125 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 3: a day, which is a fraction of what their capacity is. 126 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 3: I will say, I asked one of the major CEOs. 127 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 3: I said, okay, what would the time frame be to 128 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 3: take Venezuela from one million barrels a day to three 129 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 3: million barrels a day? And the response was ten years. 130 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 3: That it doesn't happen over it would take tens of 131 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 3: billions of dollars of investment, and perhaps north of one 132 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 3: hundred billion dollars. Now you would recoup that, but the 133 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 3: infrast structure has so degraded. And I said, all right, 134 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 3: so ten years to go from one million a day 135 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 3: to three million a day? How about just from one 136 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 3: to two And the answer was five to seven years. 137 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 3: So the first million is it's. 138 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: An interrastrystruct it's just straight up infrastructure. 139 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 3: Right, and you could keep going up from there. I 140 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 3: also am talking to refiners. So, so Venezuela produces h 141 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 3: what is called heavy sour crude, which is a different 142 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 3: sort of crude than in West Texas, they produce what's 143 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 3: called light sweet crude. You refine them very very differently. Now, 144 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 3: it so happens that the refineries that were built to 145 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 3: handle heavy sour crude are along the Gulf coast. They're 146 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 3: in Texas and Louisiana, and so we've got the capacity. 147 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 3: I've been told that the Gulf Coast refineries could almost 148 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 3: overnight refine an additional two hundred and fifty thousand barrels 149 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 3: of the heavy crude from Venezuela. Now, interestingly enough, when 150 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 3: I've asked the refiners, okay, what would the trade off be, 151 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 3: what would the impact be, say for West Texas producers. Yeah, 152 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: the refiners at least were not that concerned about it. 153 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 3: And they said, look, the other producers of heavy crude 154 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 3: are Canada, and so the tar sands in Alberta. And 155 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 3: I said, look, more Venezuelan and crude would impact Canada. 156 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 3: And actually Mexico. Mexico also produces similar crude to to 157 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 3: to what Venezuela and Canada produce. And so that in 158 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 3: terms of the impact, those are the trade offs, and 159 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 3: that's those are That's the kind of decision making the 160 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 3: Trump administration is engaged in. 161 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,439 Speaker 2: Right now, I want to ask you one final question 162 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 2: before we wrap here. We talked a lot about Venezuela 163 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: in the last couple of shows. We kind of know 164 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 2: the state of play there, Uh, we we talked a 165 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 2: lot about it. Ran today, can you give us, for 166 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 2: everyone listening just a quick update on what's happening in Cuba. 167 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: We've mentioned it several times of of how things could 168 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 2: be teetering there. Give a little bit of an update 169 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 2: for people that so they understand what's happening on the 170 00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 2: ground there as we wrap things up. 171 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 3: So, the Cuban regime has been a communist dictatorship since 172 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 3: nineteen fifty nine. As you know, that for me is 173 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 3: not some abstract statement because my family was directly involved 174 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 3: in him. My dad was a kid, He was fourteen 175 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 3: when he began fighting in the Cuban Revolution. And to 176 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 3: this day, my dad turns eighty seven in March, and 177 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 3: he told me, he said, look the revolution. He said 178 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,839 Speaker 3: it was fourteen and fifteen year old boys who he 179 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 3: said were too stupid to know any better. And as 180 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 3: you know, you know my dad. Well, but when I 181 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 3: want to give my father grief, I'll call my dad 182 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 3: a communist gorilla. He gets very mad. 183 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 2: I have a feeling that through during game night, when 184 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 2: you guys are playing games, I just I feel like 185 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:45,679 Speaker 2: that's one of that's going to get used the most. 186 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, and he will say I was not a communist. 187 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 3: I was never a communist. He was a kid, and 188 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 3: they were fighting against Batiste, who was a dictator. He 189 00:09:55,640 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 3: was corrupt, and Batista's thugs through my fire in prison 190 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:02,959 Speaker 3: and they tortured him. And so when my dad came 191 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 3: to America, he was fleeing Batista, and he came to 192 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 3: Texas at eighteen with nothing, and he couldn't speak English. 193 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 3: He came seeking freedom. His younger sister is my theos Onya, 194 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 3: and might theo Sonia. I adore my theos Sonia. I 195 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 3: call her my Theoloka. She's my crazy aunt. She is 196 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:24,040 Speaker 3: a fireball. She was there in fifty nine when Castro 197 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 3: took over and the young people, the Cubans didn't realize 198 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 3: Castro was a communist. They just thought it was a 199 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 3: people's revolution against Batista. He took over it, he clared 200 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 3: he was a communist. He began firing squads. He began 201 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 3: executing anyone who disagreed with him again, seizing people's lands. 202 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 3: And my Theosagnia fought in the counter revolution. She was 203 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 3: there was a whole counter revolution of the people trying 204 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 3: to fight back, and my theoso Onia ended up being 205 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 3: thrown in prison and tortured by Castro's goons. So I 206 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 3: take it very personally when it comes to communism, it 207 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 3: it strikes very close to home. If you look at 208 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 3: the history of Cuba, starting early on, from when Castro 209 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 3: took over and made Cuba a communist dictatorship. For decades, 210 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 3: Cuba was effectively a satellite state of the Soviet Union, 211 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 3: remember the whole Cuban missile crisis under JFK, and the 212 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 3: Soviets provided them a financial lifeline. Look, if you're a communist, 213 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 3: you destroy the economy. That happens all across the world. 214 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 3: Communism is a great way to destroy jobs and make 215 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 3: your people incredibly poor. Cuba went from it was the 216 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 3: number one sugar producer in all of Latin America. They 217 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 3: just destroyed the sugar industry and everything else and brought 218 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 3: massive poverty to Cuba. They survived because the Soviet Union 219 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 3: sent them money, and they sent them money because the 220 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 3: Soviets wanted a military satellite just ninety miles off the 221 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 3: coast of America. Now, when we won the Cold War, 222 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 3: when the Soviet Union collapsed, suddenly that financial lifeline diss 223 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 3: and what happened was Venezuela stepped into the breach and 224 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 3: you had Huo Chavez and then later Maduro both communist 225 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 3: dictators who destroyed the economy in Venezuela, just like Castro 226 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 3: had in Cuba. Chavez and Maduro did the same thing 227 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 3: in Venezuela, and Venezuela had a corrupt bargain where they 228 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 3: were sent oil which they had a ton of, and 229 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 3: they would send money, which they had a lot of, 230 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 3: in exchange for selling the oil, and what they would 231 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 3: get back is is enforcers in thugs. There was a 232 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 3: reason Maduro's entire protection detail were Cuban guards. And you know, 233 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 3: in the article I just read, it talked about how 234 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 3: one of the reasons is Maduro didn't trust Venezuelans because 235 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 3: he was such a terrible leader that he was afraid 236 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 3: Venezuelans would turn on him, which is why he used 237 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 3: Cuban enforcers instead. Well, with Venezuela, with Maduro having been 238 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 3: arrested no longer in power, Venezuela is no longer sending 239 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 3: oil and no longer sending money to Cuba, and the 240 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 3: Cuban economy is in freefall, just like the Iranian economy 241 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 3: is in freefall. The regime is incredibly precarious, and i'll 242 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 3: tell you what's keeping it alive right now, which is 243 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 3: Mexico is still sending oil to Cuba. And and my 244 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 3: hope is the Trump administration is going to lean on 245 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 3: Mexico to stop that oil going to Cuba. I think 246 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 3: that may be the single most important piece to nudge 247 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 3: Cuba beyond the tipping point, much like Iran is and 248 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 3: and and I think the communist dictatorship is terrified that 249 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 3: that they will lose control. Now, the counterbalance to that 250 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 3: is the Cuban regime has a massive oppressive machinery that 251 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 3: has been in place for decades and and and that 252 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 3: machinery can be really brutal and and and so I 253 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 3: think the vulnerability right now is that when people face 254 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 3: a collapsing economy, they get angry and they can turn 255 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 3: on their leaders. And and so I think the Trump administration, 256 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 3: I think President Trump is encouraging that. But it is 257 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 3: the economic factor, more than anything that I think is 258 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 3: putting the regime in a massively fragile position. 259 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 2: Now, if you want to hear the rest of this conversation, 260 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 2: you can go back and listen to the full podcast 261 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 2: from earlier this week. Now onto story number two. All right, 262 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 2: I want to get to another big story center and 263 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,479 Speaker 2: it deals with Jack Smith he was in front of Congress. 264 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 2: I would assume ninety percent of this audience does not 265 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 2: know that he had to testify before Congress this week, 266 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 2: not because they're uninformed, because the media refuses to cover this. 267 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: They think this is old news and just hashing out 268 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 2: something that happened a long time ago, so no one 269 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: should care. I think we should remind people of why 270 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 2: accountability is still so vitally important and what Jack Smith 271 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 2: was a part of. Can you just give a quick 272 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 2: synopsis to people so that people remember who is Jack Smith, 273 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 2: what was he doing to abuse power, and just how 274 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 2: corrupt was his quote investigation to Donald Trump and. 275 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 3: Others, Jack Smith was the point of the spear on 276 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 3: the greatest abuse of power we have seen in modern times. 277 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 3: And to put it in context, what Jack Smith did 278 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 3: was orders of magnitude worse than what the Nixon administration 279 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 3: did during Watergate. During Watergate, you had a couple of 280 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 3: half right burglars break in to the headquarters of the DNC, 281 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 3: the Democrat National Committee. In this instance, Jack Smith, what 282 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 3: he did was orders of magnitude worth He went directly 283 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 3: after President Trump indicted him multiple times. He did so 284 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 3: for a very explicit reason because he wanted to prevent 285 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 3: the American people from re electing him. It was an 286 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 3: effort directly to subvert democracy. It was the first time 287 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 3: in the history of the United States that a president 288 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 3: or former president has been indicted. Jack Smith did it twice, 289 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:56,080 Speaker 3: and then he also teamed up with his rogue Democrat 290 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 3: local prosecutors to do it two more times. He also 291 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 3: subpoenaed the phone records of roughly twenty percent of the 292 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 3: Republicans in the Senate in a fishing expedition, he targeted 293 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 3: over four hundred Republicans. It was a political persecution. If 294 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 3: you're a fan of lame Is Jack Smith would make 295 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 3: Javert blush. He was out of control and he continues 296 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 3: to be brazen. And I will tell you his testimony 297 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 3: testified for the House of Representatives. It was a disaster. 298 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 3: Jim Jordan your friend of mine. He's been a guest 299 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 3: on the Verdict podcast. Before Jim Jordan shaired the hearing. 300 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 3: He opened the hearing by pointed out that the FBI 301 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 3: when it rated mar A Lago, that it searched Milania's 302 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 3: closet because apparently her clothing and underwear as a matter 303 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 3: of national security, according to Jack Smith and the Biden 304 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 3: DOJ and it searched baron Trump's bedroom because you know, 305 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 3: going after a teenager is really the best use for 306 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 3: the Department of Justice, and I guess it is if 307 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 3: you're willing to abuse your power. I want you to 308 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:04,880 Speaker 3: listen to Jim Jordan talking about Jack Smith at the hearing. 309 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 4: Here, give a listen, gentlemen, yields back. Mister Smith. Is 310 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 4: Cassidy Hutchinson a liar. 311 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 5: She was their star witness January sixth Committee, their star 312 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 5: witness in one of those staged and choreographed hearings they 313 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 5: paid the former president of ABC News to put together. 314 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 5: She was fact the only witness at this special prime 315 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 5: time hearing Tuesday, June twenty eighth, twenty twenty two, eight 316 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 5: o'clock in the evening, and she told some stories. 317 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 4: I mean, these were these were some stories. 318 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 5: She talked about President lunged across the back seat, grabbed 319 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 5: the steering wheel, tried to drive the car to the Capitol. 320 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 5: And I just want to know you think. 321 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 6: She was lying, Chairman Jordan. 322 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 7: My assessment of that particular issue is that with respect 323 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 7: to the testimony about someone of the president lunging towards 324 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 7: the driver. Recollection of her testimony about that is that 325 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:03,440 Speaker 7: it was secondhand. 326 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:05,200 Speaker 6: She said she'd heard that from somebody. 327 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 5: You familiar with the name Tony Ornado? I'm sorry, Do 328 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 5: you familiar with the name Tony Ornado? 329 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 7: Yes? 330 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 5: White House Deputy Chief of Operations, Deputy cheap of staff 331 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 5: for operations, right. 332 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 4: You know, remember what he said about. 333 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 6: It, as I said here right now, I do not. 334 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, he said it didn't happen. How about Bobby Engle? 335 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 5: Are you familiar with that name? Yes, I am Secret 336 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,880 Speaker 5: Service agent who was actually in the car that day. 337 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 4: You know what he said? He said it didn't happen. 338 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 5: And they both said the first time they ever heard 339 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 5: this story was when miss Hutchinson testified in the prime 340 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 5: time hearing as their star witness of the January sixth committee. 341 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 5: By the way, do you ever confirm her testimony about 342 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 5: this particular incident? 343 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 7: We conducted, as I said, before, our own independent investigation 344 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,880 Speaker 7: of all aspects of the case that we thought was relevant. 345 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:57,159 Speaker 6: We attorneys from my office. 346 00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 4: Did you ever confirm it? That's a simple question. 347 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 7: We interviewed her, I should say, attorneys in my office. 348 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 5: But did you ever confirm the President leaping across the seat, 349 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 5: grabbing the steering wheel. This whole concoction she brought up 350 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 5: in the January sixth hearing. 351 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 7: Do you ever confirm that we interviewed another firsthand witness 352 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 7: who was in the car who did not confirm that 353 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 7: that can happen. 354 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 5: But also your deposition to the committee last month, mister Smith, 355 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 5: you said this my recollection with miss Hutchinson was a 356 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 5: number of the things that she gave evidence on were 357 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 5: secondhand hearsay. Your remembers making that statement to us last 358 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 5: month in the deposition, I did, and I. 359 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 7: Was referring particularly to what we're talking about now. 360 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 5: Yeah, And you also said miss Hutchinson regarding this particular claim, 361 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 5: was a second or even third hand witness. We ask you, 362 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 5: if you were a defense attorney, how would you handle 363 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 5: cross examining her if she was on the witness stand, 364 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:49,640 Speaker 5: And you said, if I were a defense attorney, miss 365 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 5: Hutchinson were a witness, the first thing I would do 366 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 5: was seek to preclude her testimony because it was here 367 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 5: say you remember saying all that. 368 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 6: Yes, that's correct, so that's correct? Right? 369 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:59,240 Speaker 5: Were you gonna put her on the witness stand if 370 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 5: you ever got to trial. 371 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 7: We had not made final determinations as to who we 372 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 7: were going to call as a witness. We had a 373 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 7: large we're still considering her. We had a large choice 374 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 7: of witnesses in this. 375 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 5: Are you familiar what Washington Post reporters Carole Lenning and 376 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 5: Aaron Davis said in their book? They did his book, 377 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 5: three hundreds on pages book on chronicle and the whole 378 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 5: investigation of the Justice Department, And here's what they said. 379 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,439 Speaker 5: On page three to ten, they said Jack Smith had 380 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 5: wondered whether some of Hutchinson's claims might be relied upon 381 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 5: a trial. Still, at one point, Smith told the elections 382 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 5: team he wasn't ready to give up on Hutchinson's account. Ultimately, however, 383 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 5: Trump administration officials uniformly fiercely disputed her accounts under oath. 384 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 5: Prosecutors on your team told Smith they wouldn't want to 385 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 5: use Hutchinson as a witness in court, and Smith agreed. 386 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,199 Speaker 5: Are Carol Lenning and Aaron Davis who wrote this are 387 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:48,640 Speaker 5: they lying? 388 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,640 Speaker 7: My recollection is that I certainly had not made any 389 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 7: final determinations about. 390 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 6: In who we were going to call. 391 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 4: Well, that's the point. That is the point. 392 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,359 Speaker 5: The fact that they used her in a primetime hearing, 393 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,200 Speaker 5: and you won't rule out using her, didn't rule out 394 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,880 Speaker 5: using her putting on the witness stand when everybody knows 395 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 5: she wasn't telling the truth. 396 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 4: That says it all. 397 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 5: That's the degree the Left and Democrats were willing to 398 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 5: go to get President Trump putting on the witness stand someone. 399 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 4: Everybody knows is making it up. Everybody knows that, and 400 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 4: you were willing to do. 401 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 5: By the way, you know how many times Cassiy Hutchinson 402 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 5: was mentioned in their report, the January sixth report, Any idea, 403 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 5: mister Smith, I do not one hundred and eighty five 404 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 5: times someone that the whole country knows wasn't telling the truth, 405 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 5: and you were still considering putting her on the witness 406 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 5: stand because you had to get President Trump. And everybody 407 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 5: can see that. 408 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: Senator. 409 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,639 Speaker 2: You listen to that line of questioning, and that's just 410 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,439 Speaker 2: five minutes of pure facts and gold from Jim Jordan 411 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 2: reminding people what they were trying to do on the left, 412 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 2: even when they knew that things were being made up, 413 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 2: that lies were being told. And this is no different 414 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,439 Speaker 2: than Russian collusion. Back in sixteen, when the FBI had 415 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 2: already declared that they thought that Steele dossier was quote 416 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 2: user generated and they used it anyway. That's exactly what 417 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 2: was happening here with this special counsel. It was weaponize 418 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 2: and do whatever you want to do to try to 419 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,719 Speaker 2: stop Donald Trump from becoming president again. 420 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 3: Well, and what Jim Jordan did there was also highlight 421 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 3: the willingness to rely on people that were lying, that 422 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 3: were obviously lying. You know, I will say it's interesting. 423 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 3: Cassidy Hutchison. I don't know her personally. Before she worked 424 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 3: in the White House, she was apparently an intern in 425 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 3: my office. I have no recollection of her. We have 426 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,639 Speaker 3: lots of interns who come in and out of the office. 427 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 3: We tend to have interns in the spring semester and 428 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 3: the fall semester, and also during the summer, and typically 429 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,159 Speaker 3: I will sit down with the group of interns that 430 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 3: are with us for like a twenty minute meeting in 431 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 3: my office and I'll talk with them a little bit. 432 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 3: So I assume I met her when she interned, but 433 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 3: I don't remember her. She wrote a book right after 434 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 3: her her star testimony. She wrote a book of all 435 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 3: of her stories and and and in it she describes 436 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 3: this exchange with me this conversation that she says happened 437 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:15,640 Speaker 3: with me, that is truly fantastic U, because it never occurred, 438 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 3: and it was an exchange that she said occurred after 439 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 3: she went to the White House, and the dialogue back 440 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 3: and forth she makes up has me kind of like 441 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 3: like like tugging on her shirt sleeve and asking for 442 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 3: her help, and it has her like strongly like sticking 443 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 3: it to the Senator. I have to admit, so I 444 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 3: didn't read her book, and I think very few people 445 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 3: actually did. I did what's called the Washington read when 446 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 3: someone writes something about you that's sort of making a 447 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 3: little bit of news, which is I went and read 448 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 3: the page where she talks about it, and I literally 449 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 3: laughed out loud at the exchange because it it it 450 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 3: was truly fiction. And and the fact that she was 451 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 3: willing to fictionalize a conversation with me that that did 452 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 3: not occur tells me that the other pages of the 453 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 3: book are quite likely to be fiction as well. And 454 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 3: it speaks volumes that both Jack Smith and the Democrats 455 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 3: running the January sixth Commission were perfectly happy to rely 456 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 3: upon a fabulous whom they knew was not telling the truth. 457 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:19,440 Speaker 1: As before. 458 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 2: If you want to hear the rest of this conversation 459 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,080 Speaker 2: on this topic, you can go back and dow the 460 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: podcasts from earlier this week to hear the entire thing. 461 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 2: I want to get back to the big story, number 462 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 2: three of the week. You may have missed, all right, Senator, 463 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 2: So let's just get back to this headline. A lot 464 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 2: of people not paying attention to it because why well, 465 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:42,959 Speaker 2: no one's covering it because it's good news. There are 466 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 2: fewer Americans that are becoming victims of crime, fewer people 467 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,560 Speaker 2: in America that are being murdered. All of this because 468 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 2: of Donald Trump's leadership and trying to go into dangerous 469 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 2: cities and make them safer for all Americans. 470 00:24:57,359 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 3: That's right. Let's start with crime, and what was release 471 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 3: this week is the latest murder rates. And the murder 472 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:08,680 Speaker 3: rates across the United States decreased nationwide roughly twenty percent. 473 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 3: And let's put that in specific numbers. If you look 474 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 3: at January through October of twenty twenty five and you 475 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 3: compare it to the same time period in twenty twenty four. 476 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:24,359 Speaker 3: In twenty twenty five, approximately five nine hundred and twelve 477 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 3: murders were recorded in the US in that same time period. 478 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:32,119 Speaker 3: In twenty twenty four, seven thousand, three hundred and sixty 479 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:35,719 Speaker 3: nine murders were recorded. In other words, there are about 480 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,439 Speaker 3: fourteen hundred people one thy four hundred people alive who 481 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 3: were not murdered because of common sense law and order policies, 482 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 3: because of not releasing murderers onto the street, because of 483 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 3: deporting murderers and violent gang members. And let's break the 484 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 3: numbers down. Chicago the murder rate dropped thirty percent. New 485 00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 3: York City the murder rate dropped twenty percent. Birmingham, Alabama, 486 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 3: it dropped forty nine percent. Albuquerque, New Mexico, had dropped 487 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 3: thirty two percent. Baltimore, Maryland it dropped thirty one percent, Atlanta, 488 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 3: Georgia twenty six percent, Oakland, California, thirty three percent, Washington, 489 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 3: d C. Where President Trump deployed the National Guard thirty 490 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 3: one percent. These are historic lows, and if these trends continue, 491 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 3: the US may record its lowest murder rate since nineteen sixty, 492 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,800 Speaker 3: that is sixty six years ago. That is a stunning result. 493 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 3: By the way, border crime, border crime, other violent crimes 494 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 3: also decreased in twenty twive, including a twenty five percent 495 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 3: drop in motor vehicle theft, an eighteen percent drop in robberies, 496 00:26:54,480 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 3: and an eight percent drop in aggravated assaults. Now these 497 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:04,040 Speaker 3: data are being reported, and what is really quite interesting 498 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,920 Speaker 3: is the media is doing everything they can to cover 499 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 3: it up. So Axios wrote the first story on this, 500 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 3: and they talk about the murder rate has fallen, but 501 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 3: they say, well, it's unclear that this has anything to 502 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 3: do with Donald Trump or DJ or the FBI or 503 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,680 Speaker 3: policies that Republicans have put in place deporting violent criminals 504 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:28,439 Speaker 3: and murderers and gang members, which is truly it is 505 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 3: a level of dishonesty that is incredible. And I want 506 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 3: to give you some of the raw backgrounds that explains 507 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:43,959 Speaker 3: why the murder rate has dropped so profoundly. Here are 508 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 3: some raw numbers and this was put out by FBI 509 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:50,120 Speaker 3: Director Cash Betel of what has happened that would explain 510 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,160 Speaker 3: why is it that we've seen a twenty percent drop 511 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:56,400 Speaker 3: in murder rate in the last year, we've seen an 512 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 3: increase in violent crime arrests. What rate do you think 513 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 3: the increase in violent crime arrest has been? 514 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,679 Speaker 1: What has it been? I have no clue? 515 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 3: One hundred percent? Wow, all right, how about this. Gangs 516 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 3: and criminal enterprises disrupted. What rate do you think that 517 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 3: that increase has been. 518 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna guess it's got to be significant. 519 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 3: Two hundred and ten percent. A total of one thousand, 520 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 3: eight hundred gangs and criminal enterprises disrupted, all right. Fentanyl 521 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 3: more than two thousand kilos of fentanyl sees. That's up 522 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 3: thirty one percent. That's enough to kill one hundred and 523 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 3: thirty million Americans. There've also been more than six thousand 524 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 3: child victims located. That's an increase of twenty two percent. 525 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 3: There have been more than one thousand, seven hundred child 526 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 3: predators arrested. That's an increase of ten percent. There have 527 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 3: been more than three hundred human traffickers arrested. That's up 528 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 3: fifteen percent. There's a thirty five percent increase in espionage arrests. 529 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 3: And four of the FBI's top ten most wanted fugitives 530 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 3: were captured. And to give you a sense of that, 531 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 3: in one year, do youny how many of the FBI's 532 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 3: top ten lists were captured in the four years of 533 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 3: the Biden presidency. 534 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna guess it's less than five four So. 535 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 3: In one year they captured as many on the top 536 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 3: ten list, as Biden did in all four years, and 537 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 3: the media want to do everything they can to say no, no, 538 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 3: this drop and the murder rate, it just happened magically. 539 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 3: It's probably due to global warming or something. It has 540 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 3: nothing to do with arresting murderers. It has nothing to 541 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 3: do with deporting murderers. It certainly has nothing to do 542 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: with MS thirteen gang members being put in jail and deported, 543 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 3: despite the fact that the way you join MS thirteen 544 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 3: is by murdering someone. And this is real results. And 545 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 3: then you put on top of it. You put on 546 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 3: top of it the drop in overdoses, and when we 547 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 3: come back, we're gonna give you the drop in overdoses, 548 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 3: which is even more profound. Even more lives have been 549 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 3: saved in the past year. 550 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 2: As always, thank you for listening to Verdict with center 551 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:17,840 Speaker 2: Ted Cruz Ben Ferguson with you don't forget to down 552 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 2: with my podcast and you can listen to my podcasts 553 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 2: every other day you're not listening to Verdict or each 554 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 2: day when you listen to Verdict afterwards, I'd love to 555 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 2: have you as a listener to again the Ben Ferguson 556 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 2: podcasts and we will see you back here on Monday morning.