Verdict with Ted Cruz - Charlie Kirk's Memorial-Sparking Revival & Spreading the Gospel Worldwide

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.

00:00:02.600 Guaranteed human.

00:00:05.320 Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you.

00:00:09.520 And Senator Cruz and I, we just returned after the funeral of Charlie Kirk.

00:00:13.880 Today was, I think, maybe one of the most incredible things I've ever witnessed in my life.

00:00:20.700 And I'm saying that going to memorial service.

00:00:23.880 But Senator, I think you probably feel the exact same way that I do,

00:00:26.800 that this was a day where I feel blessed. I feel honored that we were able to be there, to be a part of it.

00:00:32.500 I feel like I'm watching a revival take place that is so much bigger than politics.

00:00:38.720 And I think what we've witnessed today was the start of something that could transform this country.

00:00:45.000 They're now saying over 100 million was the number of streams coming out of this event.

00:00:51.500 And well over 200,000 people showed up, the majority of them, without a ticket to go to the memorial service.

00:00:58.080 It was incredible.

00:00:59.800 It was extraordinary, Ben.

00:01:01.880 It is right now 1219 a.m. Sunday night, early Monday morning.

00:01:07.280 You and I spent the entire day in Arizona at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk.

00:01:13.200 And I got to say, this was a powerful day.

00:01:14.960 It was powerful.

00:01:17.120 Number one, we were grieving our friend.

00:01:19.640 Yeah.

00:01:20.040 Both you and I knew Charlie really well.

00:01:22.380 I talked to him not many weeks ago.

00:01:24.540 I met him when he was 18 years old.

00:01:29.400 And the last two weeks have been a hard week.

00:01:32.740 You and I both watched our friend murdered on live video online.

00:01:38.300 And the agony we felt was felt without hyperbole by millions of Americans who Charlie had touched.

00:01:48.340 So there was grief.

00:01:49.520 There was grieving.

00:01:51.140 But I got to tell you, as much as there was grief, and there were certainly tears.

00:01:55.500 There were tears for Erica.

00:01:57.800 There were tears for his two children that will never know their daddy.

00:02:02.800 But today, the atmosphere more than anything was one of celebration.

00:02:07.280 It was one of celebrating a life well-lived.

00:02:11.520 It was one of celebrating a legacy, an example.

00:02:15.440 You know, I got to say, none of us know when we will go.

00:02:18.760 We don't know if we'll be here tomorrow.

00:02:20.700 We don't know if we'll be here in 10 years, in 20 years, in 50 years.

00:02:26.560 But I will tell you, there's not a one of us who wouldn't hope to be remembered the way Charlie was today.

00:02:33.280 Yeah.

00:02:33.920 I mean, what a life well-lived.

00:02:36.120 And what a celebration.

00:02:39.540 And you mentioned revival.

00:02:41.860 That was a term that was used over and over and over again by speakers today.

00:02:46.800 And there was a feel of revival.

00:02:49.300 There was a feel.

00:02:51.040 You know, I saw the Babylon Bee had a story today about the devil saying, uh-oh, I went too far.

00:02:57.320 Yeah.

00:02:58.360 And I got to say, it is amazing.

00:03:04.060 You know, earlier today, Charlie Kirk's producer of his podcast sent out a tweet.

00:03:11.080 And the tweet said, I was just told that we have more press interest in Sunday celebration of Charlie Kirk's life and legacy than there is for the Super Bowl.

00:03:25.120 The gospel of Jesus Christ is about to be proclaimed to the largest audience in the history of humanity.

00:03:33.740 To God be the glory.

00:03:35.220 And I got to say, a friend of mine who's a pastor, he texted that to me.

00:03:39.520 And I just said, amen.

00:03:40.440 God is sovereign and God is good.

00:03:42.060 And, look, none of us know why God allowed this deranged killer to take Charlie's life, to take it too early, to take it at just age 31.

00:03:55.240 But I have to say, it is breathtaking.

00:03:58.160 Number one, I think it is very likely that in the last two weeks, more people have listened to Charlie Kirk than listened in his entire life.

00:04:09.040 It has been amazing, the penetration.

00:04:13.020 And this was, it did, it felt like a Billy Graham revival.

00:04:19.060 And the degree to which, you know, I'll tell you, Friday night, I was at a youth summit in Texas.

00:04:27.300 And 2,000 to 3,000 young people came out to it.

00:04:31.680 The attendance more than doubled what it typically was.

00:04:35.620 And it ended up being just a remembrance of Charlie Kirk.

00:04:39.180 And I spoke at it.

00:04:40.880 I'll tell you, at the beginning, a pastor preached.

00:04:46.260 And about 200 young people gave their lives to Christ.

00:04:50.000 At a gathering.

00:04:50.280 That's incredible.

00:04:51.480 It's incredible.

00:04:52.400 In Texas on a Friday night.

00:04:55.660 And that, it was staggering.

00:04:58.280 This, you know, this was in the football stadium in Phoenix, Arizona.

00:05:02.880 It's a huge stadium.

00:05:04.880 People started showing up at 4 and 4.30 in the morning to line up to get in.

00:05:10.540 And if you were there, I ran into people who were there by 8 a.m.

00:05:13.740 They didn't get in.

00:05:14.600 The program started at 11.

00:05:17.480 If you showed up at 8, you didn't make it in.

00:05:20.380 And the over 100 million views is astonishing and powerful and, I think, transformational.

00:05:33.240 The gospel was proclaimed to millions today.

00:05:37.760 And I think a lot of people in the United States and across the world are listening to

00:05:44.360 what is said and are moved.

00:05:47.820 And, you know, I'm reminded of Jesus in the New Testament gives the parable and gives

00:05:52.620 the parable of sowing seeds.

00:05:54.420 And sowing seeds is spreading the gospel.

00:05:57.280 And some of the seeds fall on rocky soil.

00:06:00.960 Some of the seeds are eaten by birds.

00:06:03.900 But some of the seeds fall in fertile ground.

00:06:07.200 And they take root.

00:06:09.280 And they bear fruit.

00:06:10.440 And not everyone who watched and listened to the service today is going to have their

00:06:16.400 life transformed.

00:06:17.780 But I think an astonishing number are.

00:06:21.040 And I pray, and I think you do too, that revival comes from this.

00:06:25.860 That Charlie's death becomes a moment, particularly for young people, for young people to say,

00:06:31.540 you know what?

00:06:33.100 What he had, I want in my life too.

00:06:35.820 I want that kind of peace.

00:06:37.320 I want that satisfaction.

00:06:39.000 I want the joy of getting married and having kids and having a life where I'm a husband

00:06:44.500 and a father.

00:06:45.700 And I know that God loves me.

00:06:50.240 And I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

00:06:52.880 And I think Charlie's life was a powerful testament to that.

00:06:57.040 But I think Charlie's death may have been an even more powerful testament to that.

00:07:01.740 But no doubt.

00:07:03.200 And I want to paint a picture for people that weren't there so you understand.

00:07:06.260 Many of you we know, I'm sure, watched online, as we know from the number of streams.

00:07:12.920 It's just incredible.

00:07:14.420 But from the moment that I left Houston, you and I flew separately.

00:07:18.620 And I was flying in when we touched down in Arizona.

00:07:24.080 Amazing Grace broke out on the plane.

00:07:27.040 And I was able to record.

00:07:28.200 Play that video, because that video is beautiful.

00:07:31.660 Describe it, paint the scene, and then play the video.

00:07:34.160 Yeah, we landed, and it was an organic moment that just started.

00:07:38.820 And you're on a United flight.

00:07:40.180 I'm on a United, yeah.

00:07:41.320 This is not Southwest, is the best way I can describe it.

00:07:43.920 This is a United flight.

00:07:45.380 This is not normal on a United flight.

00:07:47.780 And it just started, and I want to play it for you, because you're going to hear the very end of what I was able to witness, which was just incredible.

00:07:58.900 And I grabbed my phone out, because I wanted to just share it.

00:08:04.160 And it was as we landed, and it was just people singing Amazing Grace on a United flight.

00:08:08.920 Number one, what a testimony to everyone.

00:08:13.820 Incredible testimony.

00:08:15.940 From just a standpoint of the flight attendants, and there was, I think it was pretty clear there was tears in the eyes of one of the pilots when we were walking off the plane.

00:08:25.300 And the people were singing, and I want to play it for you, and it went viral yesterday, and then Fox News played it this morning when I was on, and they put it up on foxnews.com, and it's hit millions and millions of views.

00:08:37.800 And that just tells you the power, I think, of Charlie's legacy.

00:08:41.460 But listen to this on the plane.

00:08:43.220 It was amazing.

00:08:43.900 I once was lost, but now I'm found.

00:08:52.900 I once was blind, but now I see.

00:09:01.740 For Charlie.

00:09:03.520 Woo! 0.99

00:09:04.240 This is hard.

00:09:06.260 I mean, you can hear it there, and it was a moment that I'm thankful I was able to capture on video.

00:09:13.340 But that was the mood, and I think the other thing, you got up early this morning, and you went to the stadium to do Maria's show.

00:09:22.060 I got up early as well and was going to go do Fox beforehand.

00:09:25.900 The number of people that were at the stadium without a ticket that just on blind faith because they felt like they just needed to be there, they just went.

00:09:39.520 And they didn't know if they were going to get in.

00:09:41.400 At six in the morning, and there was a line of people.

00:09:44.820 It wasn't one or two.

00:09:46.620 It was a steady line.

00:09:48.520 And you know what?

00:09:49.220 It looked like the Super Bowl.

00:09:50.820 It looked like the Final Four or any major sporting event, except this was at six in the morning.

00:09:57.500 And it was a constant line of people just walking to the stadium.

00:10:01.800 They wanted to pay their respects to Charlie.

00:10:04.420 They wanted to honor his legacy.

00:10:06.980 They wanted to give thanks, give thanks for a life well lived.

00:10:11.480 And that was incredibly impactful.

00:10:16.360 And I will say we heard a lot of really powerful remarks, a lineup of one after the other after the other.

00:10:22.820 I will say by far the most impactful speech was from Erica Kirk, Charlie's widow.

00:10:31.940 And you and I were sitting next to each other in the memorial.

00:10:37.400 And we both looked at each other and said the same thing when she finished.

00:10:40.200 We just said, wow.

00:10:41.740 Like it was.

00:10:44.100 It was.

00:10:46.180 It actually reminded me of years ago.

00:10:49.080 If you remember Ben Carson's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, that he gave a speech during the Obama presidency, and it went viral nationally.

00:10:56.260 And it launched Ben Carson.

00:10:58.040 It made him a national superstar.

00:11:03.520 Erica's speech had that power.

00:11:07.300 And I think for a lot of people who'd never seen her before, they were turning on their TV.

00:11:11.940 They were opening their phone or their computer.

00:11:13.640 The strength it took to give that speech, less than two weeks after you've lost your husband, less than two weeks after you've lost the father of your kids, it boggles the mind.

00:11:30.980 And you could see her before she went up just stopping and just praying, God, give me the strength to make it through this.

00:11:37.540 And she was so openly relying on God's strength.

00:11:43.820 That's part of what made it so unbelievably powerful.

00:11:47.180 I'll tell you at the beginning, she made a really important point, a point distinguishing what the reaction was across America and across the world to Charlie's murder compared to something like George Floyd being killed and the riots and everything that played out.

00:12:05.060 Give a listen to what Erica Kirk said on this point.

00:12:08.540 Most of all, God's mercy and God's love have been revealed to me these past 10 days.

00:12:15.240 After Charlie's assassination, we didn't see violence.

00:12:20.940 We didn't see rioting.

00:12:22.660 We didn't see rioting.

00:12:35.060 We didn't see revolution.

00:12:40.100 Instead, we saw what my husband always prayed he would see in this country.

00:12:45.320 We saw revival.

00:12:52.340 You know, when she walked up there, I was choked up.

00:12:56.640 Yeah.

00:12:56.840 You were.

00:12:58.380 And I think everyone there was.

00:12:59.720 Every person there had tears in their eyes.

00:13:00.980 Yeah.

00:13:01.360 It was, how is she going to do this?

00:13:03.220 You and I had the conversation.

00:13:05.060 I don't know if I could have done that.

00:13:07.000 And we do this for a living.

00:13:09.280 I mean, you and I speak a lot.

00:13:11.420 Yeah.

00:13:12.960 That's part of, I think, just watching God work in that room.

00:13:16.700 I walked to that room earlier in the day.

00:13:19.280 You and I, you came back after Maria and I left early because we knew it was just, there were so many people there.

00:13:24.520 I abandoned the car and walked a mile and a half just trying to get into the stadium and seeing all the people that weren't going to get in.

00:13:30.900 And they were joyful.

00:13:31.900 They weren't angry.

00:13:33.560 They were praying.

00:13:34.220 I saw groups holding hands and praying.

00:13:35.520 Well, there's a whole second stadium filled with people watching it that were just watching it on TV.

00:13:40.000 Yeah.

00:13:40.440 And I walked in.

00:13:41.820 I finally got inside and was meeting one of the Fox producers to get down to the Risers.

00:13:47.320 And they were singing the worship music that you and I hear at church when we go on Sundays before the pastor speaks.

00:13:53.380 I literally on Fox, and I'm not a crier, but like talking about now, it's even because this has been an incredible and a sad but amazing day.

00:14:03.940 I told them on air, I was like, I've never felt in my life the Holy Spirit's presence in the way that I felt it today ever.

00:14:14.960 And I'm 43, and I've been to some pretty cool, amazing Christian events, promise keepers, and different things that you've been to.

00:14:23.020 It was a feeling I will never forget, and it was very clear that God's presence was there.

00:14:30.080 And if you were in that room, and I hope if you were watching it on TV, you felt it too, because what she was able to do was by the grace of God who gave her the power and the strength to do it.

00:14:40.400 Because on your own, no one could do that.

00:14:43.220 Yeah, absolutely.

00:14:45.080 There was one portion of her speech that I think will go down as the most memorable, the most consequential, and the most profound.

00:14:55.180 And I want you to just listen to it, because to be honest, if you heard nothing else that happened today at Charlie Kirk's memorial service,

00:15:04.980 hear these two minutes, because this was the entirety of the service boiled down in two minutes.

00:15:15.080 My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life.

00:15:34.980 That young man, that young man, on the cross, our Savior said,

00:15:58.460 Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.

00:16:04.980 That man, that young man, I forgive him.

00:16:34.980 I forgive him because it was what Christ did.

00:16:37.960 I forgive him because it was what Christ did,

00:17:05.260 and is what Charlie would do.

00:17:10.440 The answer to hate is not hate.

00:17:14.460 The answer we know from the gospel is love, and always love.

00:17:19.960 Love for our enemies, and love for those who persecute us.

00:17:28.100 You and I were there on the second row watching those words,

00:17:32.700 and you and I talked about it afterwards.

00:17:35.820 I don't know if I could have done that that quickly.

00:17:38.840 I know God says that we're supposed to forgive those who have wronged us,

00:17:43.800 but you want to talk about a ministry to the world in that moment.

00:17:51.720 If you are not a Christian, you have to be asking yourself a question, 0.50

00:17:56.680 what is it that she has that I don't?

00:17:58.740 How could she forgive in this moment,

00:18:01.860 and why would Charlie want her to forgive after what happened to Charlie?

00:18:06.980 It doesn't mean that we don't want justice, but wow.

00:18:11.420 Look, when she said that, I had tears in my eyes.

00:18:14.540 You had tears in your eyes.

00:18:15.720 Every one of us, 100,000 people had tears in our eyes.

00:18:19.980 And when she started on that, when she referenced Jesus on the cross,

00:18:26.640 I knew where it was going, and I knew what she was planning to say,

00:18:31.100 and I actually was holding my breath for her.

00:18:33.740 Because look, you and I both had this conversation spontaneously walking out.

00:18:39.620 To be honest, I don't think I could say that.

00:18:41.980 I would want to.

00:18:43.240 It would be the right thing to do.

00:18:44.720 Like, I cannot imagine being in the situation she is in and getting those words out,

00:18:53.980 not just breaking down, not breaking down with rage, breaking down with tears.

00:18:59.460 And it was the Holy Spirit that helped her get that out,

00:19:02.680 because there is not a human strength that can say that.

00:19:09.840 And one of the amazing things, I mean, we talked a minute ago about this being

00:19:13.500 one of, if not the largest presentation of the gospel in history.

00:19:19.480 What you just said, you and I talked about,

00:19:21.600 there are millions of people who watch this who are not Christians,

00:19:25.240 who have to have said, where did that come from?

00:19:28.240 I don't understand.

00:19:30.100 Why would you forgive someone who murdered your husband?

00:19:33.880 Yeah.

00:19:34.260 And that, I hope and pray and believe, that it caused many people to say,

00:19:40.860 you know, maybe I should ask a few more questions about Jesus.

00:19:44.660 Maybe I should go read the Bible.

00:19:47.080 Did Jesus really say on the cross,

00:19:50.280 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do?

00:19:52.440 Why would he say that when they were murdering him?

00:19:55.820 That's what Jesus said as he was nailed to the cross,

00:19:58.080 as he was hanging there dying.

00:20:00.620 Yeah.

00:20:01.100 Jesus asked God to forgive the people who killed him.

00:20:07.460 And it was, you know, I'll tell you, I saw on Twitter a tweet

00:20:12.780 from a woman named Sana Ibrahimi, and I don't know her,

00:20:18.220 but this tweet struck me.

00:20:20.600 I'm just going to read it to you.

00:20:21.640 I retweeted it.

00:20:23.700 I listened to Erica Kirk's full speech at the memorial,

00:20:26.780 and I want to share a few thoughts that came to me

00:20:28.960 while live-streaming the event.

00:20:30.880 This is not political.

00:20:33.160 First, I should say that I grew up as a Muslim in a Muslim country.

00:20:37.300 I don't know enough about Christianity to say

00:20:39.460 if what I witnessed is rooted in faith or culture.

00:20:44.240 But what struck me most is how,

00:20:47.200 even though death is heavy,

00:20:48.520 and this was by nature a sad occasion,

00:20:50.820 the entire event carried a celebratory spirit

00:20:54.120 that honored life.

00:20:56.260 That contrast hit me deeply.

00:20:57.880 In Islam, even though we believe that good people go to heaven,

00:21:02.300 the relationship with God is taught through fear.

00:21:05.820 Funerals are overwhelmingly sad,

00:21:07.760 often filled with warnings of the terrifying first night in the grave.

00:21:12.020 Growing up hearing that,

00:21:13.440 and then witnessing people celebrate life,

00:21:16.480 speak of God's love,

00:21:18.360 and remember someone through the impact he had on others,

00:21:22.720 it felt so refreshing and positive.

00:21:24.600 Second, I was profoundly moved by Erica Kirk's words.

00:21:30.060 I cannot fathom the strength it takes to stand and deliver such a meaningful speech

00:21:35.420 after losing the love of your life.

00:21:37.040 But even more than that,

00:21:39.800 the grace it takes to forgive the very person who destroyed your world.

00:21:45.400 I cannot imagine myself standing on a stage,

00:21:48.120 sending love to those who cheered your husband's murder,

00:21:53.380 or inviting others to spread God's love in response,

00:21:57.860 because, as she said,

00:21:59.660 we do not respond to hate with hate.

00:22:04.720 That is powerful beyond words. 0.92

00:22:08.660 Again, I am ignorant when it comes to Christianity, 0.99

00:22:11.820 but if this is what it truly embodies,

00:22:15.780 then I'm envious of those who get to experience that feeling.

00:22:19.160 I think this young lady is not alone,

00:22:23.700 and I think that message touched millions,

00:22:27.020 and I've got to say it was an incredible privilege

00:22:28.980 to be there and witness it firsthand

00:22:32.600 and be part of, I think,

00:22:35.100 what is a significant moment in the history of America

00:22:38.740 and maybe the history of the world.

00:22:40.460 One of the things I think that is so cool

00:22:42.820 that came out of this

00:22:44.140 that is just something that no one could have planned

00:22:49.860 is how many people are now sharing their own faith

00:22:54.440 and sharing the gospel.

00:22:56.740 You and I have talked more about our faith

00:22:59.700 on this podcast in the last two weeks

00:23:02.100 than we have ever before,

00:23:03.360 and it's not that we're afraid to talk about our faith,

00:23:05.520 but we talk a lot about what's happening in the world and politics.

00:23:08.980 Yes. J.D. Vance said that he has shared...

00:23:11.400 Yeah, that was something really profound, J.D. said,

00:23:13.540 is he said that he often felt uncomfortable talking about faith,

00:23:17.380 and he made the same comment

00:23:18.520 that he's talked more about faith in the last two weeks

00:23:21.840 than he has probably in his entire life.

00:23:24.540 I mean, even this morning,

00:23:26.720 I had two times, I was on Fox this morning

00:23:29.780 before it started,

00:23:32.280 and the entire conversation was not about politics.

00:23:34.740 The entire conversation was about faith.

00:23:36.860 Yeah.

00:23:36.980 That just, his life being taken

00:23:40.200 has given the opportunity for all of us to share our faith,

00:23:43.760 and I think in a more bold way,

00:23:45.040 in a more proud way,

00:23:45.860 in a more I'm not afraid to share my faith.

00:23:48.540 I think sometimes I think I'm in the world of politics,

00:23:50.500 and that's maybe not my place to be doing that as much.

00:23:53.820 I'm going to change my mentality on that,

00:23:55.940 I think, forever moving forward.

00:23:57.660 And I can think of very few sentiments

00:23:59.580 that would make Charlie happier than that.

00:24:01.840 Yeah.

00:24:02.420 And it was the whole time it was about faith.

00:24:04.480 If you look at today,

00:24:05.860 I also think one of the most incredible things was

00:24:08.000 you and I were sitting there

00:24:09.460 with the most powerful people in the world,

00:24:11.500 certainly in the conservative movement,

00:24:13.280 where we're all in the political world,

00:24:16.340 and the entire thing was about God.

00:24:19.700 I've never seen that before.

00:24:21.360 I've never been a part of that before.

00:24:22.980 No, and at the very end,

00:24:27.960 President Trump spoke,

00:24:30.140 and he gave, I think, very good remarks,

00:24:32.340 but I want you to listen to what he said

00:24:33.800 in particular about Erica and her testimony.

00:24:36.520 Here, give a listen.

00:24:37.900 To Charlie's incredible and beautiful widow, Erica,

00:24:43.360 we know the weight of this monumental loss

00:24:46.440 is almost unbearable,

00:24:47.860 but even in the midst of heartache and pain

00:24:51.700 too great to even fathom,

00:24:55.600 you have somehow found the strength and deep faith

00:24:58.300 to be a comfort to millions and millions of people.

00:25:03.200 And thank you very much, Erica.

00:25:05.160 Thank you very much.

00:25:06.280 You and I have seen Donald Trump

00:25:12.920 give a lot of speeches.

00:25:14.380 This was one of the most, I think, somber,

00:25:18.020 sincere,

00:25:19.560 and one of the most incredible speeches,

00:25:22.020 I think, by Donald Trump

00:25:23.080 that had nothing to really do with him.

00:25:25.540 Well, and President Trump knew Charlie well.

00:25:27.960 Charlie had spent a lot of time with him.

00:25:28.840 I think he's rattled by it.

00:25:31.180 Charlie,

00:25:31.700 Charlie in the 2016 campaign

00:25:36.580 was Don Jr.'s body man.

00:25:40.020 He traveled with Don Jr. all over the country,

00:25:42.400 and Charlie helped mobilize young people

00:25:45.820 for the 2016 election.

00:25:47.480 He helped mobilize young people

00:25:48.680 for the 2020 election.

00:25:50.380 He played a really integral part

00:25:52.500 in the victory in 2024.

00:25:54.700 And President Trump has spent a lot of time

00:25:57.520 with Charlie Kirk.

00:25:59.840 Just about everyone in the White House has.

00:26:01.480 I mean, it was one of the things,

00:26:02.720 the entire White House is shaken.

00:26:04.340 This is not some distant person

00:26:07.280 they don't know.

00:26:08.260 This touched almost everyone

00:26:13.900 who works in the Trump administration

00:26:16.460 had connections to Charlie,

00:26:19.600 had personal connections,

00:26:20.960 and they were shaken by it.

00:26:23.000 And, you know,

00:26:23.440 one of the bits of news

00:26:24.940 that broke this week

00:26:25.800 that I thought it was a small snippet,

00:26:28.460 but it encapsulated who Charlie was well.

00:26:31.480 And Van Jones,

00:26:34.340 who you and I both know well,

00:26:36.260 he's very much a man of the left,

00:26:38.360 maybe even far left.

00:26:40.860 He's not someone

00:26:41.980 who you would typically envision

00:26:43.520 saying nice things about Charlie Kirk.

00:26:46.220 But I want you to listen

00:26:47.040 to what he said

00:26:47.860 in the last few days

00:26:49.220 about his last interaction

00:26:50.840 with Charlie Kirk.

00:26:52.220 Charlie Kirk and I were not friends

00:26:53.800 at all.

00:26:56.040 In fact,

00:26:56.860 the last week of his life

00:26:57.880 we were beefing hard,

00:26:59.720 beefing online,

00:27:00.700 beefing on air.

00:27:02.420 But the day before he died,

00:27:03.960 he did something that shocked me.

00:27:06.000 He sent me a personal message

00:27:07.380 calling for personal dialogue,

00:27:09.880 wanted me to come on the show.

00:27:11.080 He said we could be gentlemen together.

00:27:13.060 He said we could deal

00:27:14.980 with our disagreements agreeably.

00:27:19.060 And in the past week and a half,

00:27:21.100 just watching people talk

00:27:22.000 about civil wars and censorship

00:27:23.620 and all this stuff

00:27:24.560 coming out of his death,

00:27:26.400 I just thought it was important

00:27:27.780 to let people know,

00:27:29.840 don't put that on Charlie Kirk

00:27:31.620 because the last day of his life

00:27:34.160 he was reaching out

00:27:34.940 to have not more censorship,

00:27:37.040 more conversation,

00:27:38.560 more dialogue

00:27:39.140 with somebody who honestly

00:27:41.080 was one of his adversaries,

00:27:42.860 me.

00:27:44.200 And I just want to share

00:27:45.740 that with the world.

00:27:47.340 And I hope that maybe

00:27:49.840 it might help somebody

00:27:51.740 on both sides

00:27:53.700 deal with issues more

00:27:55.320 like you did.

00:27:57.320 Van, putting that out there 0.78

00:27:58.940 immediately brought me to today.

00:28:01.960 You and I were sitting there

00:28:03.040 and we looked over

00:28:03.960 to the right of us

00:28:06.020 and you leaned over

00:28:07.280 and you said there's Elon.

00:28:08.340 And several weeks

00:28:10.680 or months ago,

00:28:11.880 Charlie had said

00:28:12.740 that he wanted Donald Trump

00:28:14.260 and Elon to make up.

00:28:16.580 We then, a few minutes later,

00:28:18.460 see Elon in the box

00:28:19.580 with President Trump.

00:28:21.020 They hugged.

00:28:22.540 The president patted him

00:28:23.700 on the chest

00:28:24.480 and he tweeted out

00:28:26.120 a picture Elon did

00:28:27.380 of them talking

00:28:28.440 and all it said was

00:28:30.540 for Charlie.

00:28:32.660 I mean,

00:28:33.620 you want to talk about

00:28:34.840 bringing people back together.

00:28:36.660 That's incredible.

00:28:37.320 I will say

00:28:38.360 I respect Van Jones

00:28:39.680 for putting that out.

00:28:40.640 You know Van better than I do.

00:28:42.900 But he didn't have to put that out.

00:28:44.360 He didn't have to say that.

00:28:45.880 And I do think

00:28:46.840 it reflects who Charlie was.

00:28:48.780 Yeah.

00:28:49.060 And I think

00:28:50.840 the entire

00:28:51.580 memorial today

00:28:53.960 reflected

00:28:55.980 it was a celebration

00:28:59.200 of his life

00:29:00.520 and it was a proclamation

00:29:01.940 of the gospel.

00:29:03.060 and that

00:29:04.680 I'm really grateful

00:29:07.300 to have been friends

00:29:08.200 with Charlie.

00:29:08.880 I'm really grateful

00:29:09.660 to have a chance

00:29:11.660 to be there

00:29:12.740 for this celebration

00:29:13.620 because I think

00:29:14.920 it is going to have

00:29:15.920 really profound impacts

00:29:18.340 on our country.

00:29:19.600 I think we're going to end up

00:29:20.540 finding out down the road

00:29:21.640 that today was

00:29:22.380 one of the biggest days

00:29:23.400 not in politics

00:29:25.200 with the biggest people

00:29:26.240 in politics in a room

00:29:27.240 but one of the biggest days

00:29:28.960 for young men and women

00:29:30.340 accepting Christ

00:29:31.500 and learning about the Lord

00:29:33.500 from this horrific moment

00:29:35.340 in our history

00:29:36.040 and I think

00:29:37.600 you look at that

00:29:39.220 bringing all these people together

00:29:41.440 the way that he was doing it

00:29:42.880 I think it's going to change

00:29:44.180 the way we have dialogue

00:29:45.120 and conversation.

00:29:46.280 I think my demeanor

00:29:47.120 is probably going to be different.

00:29:49.360 I'm still going to fight

00:29:50.140 the good fight

00:29:50.740 and I'm still going to fight hard

00:29:52.460 but I want to have

00:29:53.180 better conversations

00:29:54.180 while doing it.

00:29:55.620 I think everybody's temperature

00:29:56.840 is going to change

00:29:57.660 a little bit

00:29:58.140 and how we interact

00:29:59.440 the way that Charlie did it

00:30:00.540 and I left there today

00:30:03.880 and I don't know

00:30:04.600 I want to ask you this

00:30:05.540 as we wrap

00:30:06.180 I left there today

00:30:08.140 more hopeful

00:30:10.260 for the future of this country

00:30:11.600 than I have been in decades

00:30:14.680 and more hopeful

00:30:16.520 for the younger generation

00:30:18.300 in this country

00:30:20.300 that they're going to see the light

00:30:22.620 because I've been very worried

00:30:24.460 for quite some time

00:30:25.520 it's part of the reason

00:30:26.060 why I do this

00:30:26.700 is that we have lost

00:30:28.720 an entire generation

00:30:29.920 to the radical left

00:30:31.440 I think we are seeing

00:30:33.280 a very quick pendulum shift

00:30:35.440 that only God could create

00:30:38.220 and put people in a place

00:30:40.100 to do it.

00:30:42.800 Absolutely.

00:30:44.000 You know I'm reminded

00:30:45.280 of the scripture

00:30:46.720 2 Chronicles 7.14

00:30:48.740 if my people

00:30:51.300 who are called

00:30:52.060 by my name

00:30:52.840 will humble themselves

00:30:54.860 and pray

00:30:55.400 and seek my face

00:30:57.200 and turn from their wicked ways

00:30:58.740 then I will hear from heaven

00:31:00.920 and I will forgive their sins

00:31:03.360 and I will heal their land.

00:31:08.940 That has been my prayer

00:31:11.340 for a long time

00:31:12.340 and I think today

00:31:15.600 was in a very real sense

00:31:18.760 a great many people in America

00:31:22.480 calling out for God

00:31:23.600 to hear our prayer

00:31:24.420 and to heal our land

00:31:27.800 and I pray that that is the outcome

00:31:30.680 the path we are on

00:31:33.440 that we see revival

00:31:34.800 our country needs it.

00:31:37.540 Amen to that.

00:31:38.280 For all you guys that listen

00:31:39.600 I say this sincerely

00:31:40.740 thank you guys

00:31:41.560 for what you do

00:31:42.360 thank you for supporting us

00:31:43.640 we hope that we

00:31:45.260 help you guys as well

00:31:46.660 we never ever

00:31:47.920 take you guys for granted

00:31:49.100 and just thank you

00:31:50.520 for supporting us

00:31:51.300 in this show

00:31:51.860 and sharing it where you do

00:31:53.100 and everybody we saw today

00:31:55.080 that was giving thumbs up

00:31:56.420 and taking pictures

00:31:57.540 and saying thank you

00:31:59.080 to you Senator

00:31:59.600 for what you do

00:32:00.520 it's encouraging

00:32:02.300 I think now more than ever

00:32:03.820 and I just wanted to say

00:32:05.420 to everyone that listens

00:32:06.400 to Verdict

00:32:06.780 you guys are incredible

00:32:07.740 and we really appreciate

00:32:10.580 without you guys

00:32:11.320 this show wouldn't exist

00:32:12.320 and we wouldn't do it

00:32:13.400 so thank you

00:32:14.480 and we'll see you back here

00:32:15.940 on Wednesday morning.

00:32:17.920 This is an iHeart Podcast

00:32:19.560 Guaranteed Human 0.83

Verdict with Ted Cruz - September 22, 2025

Charlie Kirk's Memorial-Sparking Revival & Spreading the Gospel Worldwide

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