Verdict with Ted Cruz - June 06, 2025


Elon vs Trump Firestorm plus What's Next for the Big Beautiful Bill & Chinese Nationals Caught Smuggling Dangerous Pathogens into America


Episode Stats

Misogynist Sentences

3

Hate Speech Sentences

32


Summary

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sits down with Sen. Ben Fincher (D-NJ) to discuss the back and forth between Donald Trump and Elon Musk on the latest episode of his new show, Verdict.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.660 Guaranteed human.
00:00:05.160 Well, welcome.
00:00:06.200 It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you,
00:00:09.840 and we have got a very big show for you.
00:00:12.400 And yes, we are going to talk about the elephant in the room,
00:00:16.060 two men that have had some back and forth.
00:00:18.580 The most powerful man in the world, Donald Trump, the president,
00:00:21.600 and the richest man in the world, Elon Musk.
00:00:23.660 I want to be clear, I love both these men dearly
00:00:26.120 and think they've done amazing things for this country.
00:00:28.280 And we are going to talk about it.
00:00:30.580 We're going to start with that.
00:00:31.680 Well, the battle that unfolded between Elon and Trump this past week,
00:00:35.380 it was painful for all of us to watch.
00:00:37.200 We're going to break it down.
00:00:38.380 I was actually in the Oval Office with the president
00:00:40.920 when the Twitter battle started.
00:00:42.640 I'm going to bring you inside that.
00:00:44.300 And we're going to assess what are the consequences
00:00:45.980 and where we go from here.
00:00:47.740 We're also going to talk about the one big, bold, beautiful bill.
00:00:50.960 What's going to happen?
00:00:51.760 What the Senate's going to do?
00:00:52.920 I'm optimistic, but we're going to break down the details.
00:00:55.080 And then we're going to talk about a rather remarkable story
00:00:58.420 about the FBI arresting a Chinese national
00:01:02.520 for bringing a dangerous pathogen into the United States,
00:01:06.260 a pathogen that could have done enormous damage.
00:01:09.120 And finally, a Columbia protester, a radical Jew hater,
00:01:13.860 who was talking about lighting someone on fire on the Columbia campus.
00:01:18.340 He's being prosecuted for his crimes of violence.
00:01:22.120 We're going to break that down for you as well.
00:01:23.660 We certainly are.
00:01:24.860 And I also want to talk to you real quick
00:01:26.820 about something that's happening in this country
00:01:28.720 and around the world
00:01:30.060 and how you can get involved to stand with the people of Israel.
00:01:34.900 We saw what just happened in Colorado.
00:01:38.100 And the first question people ask is,
00:01:40.600 what can I do?
00:01:41.840 Well, you can stand up to anti-Semitism.
00:01:43.660 You can stand up to these radicals
00:01:46.140 by standing with people in Israel right now.
00:01:50.020 Jewish schools are being targeted right here in America.
00:01:52.940 We are watching Jewish individuals be targeted.
00:01:56.100 Synagogues are being threatened.
00:01:57.960 And unfortunately, so many Jewish families are now living in fear.
00:02:01.660 And it's time for us to stand up.
00:02:03.980 Silence is not an option.
00:02:06.500 This is the moment to take a stand.
00:02:08.720 And that's why I want you to get involved with a group that I love dearly.
00:02:12.900 It's the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
00:02:15.820 You may have heard of them as IFCJ.
00:02:17.700 They are literally on the front lines providing real help where it is needed the most.
00:02:22.560 They're giving food and shelter to Jewish families that are under threat right now in Israel.
00:02:27.520 They are building bomb shelters for children right now in Israel.
00:02:32.140 They are helping survivors in America and all over the world
00:02:36.540 that have had their lives affected by this type of hate and the attacks.
00:02:41.960 And they don't just respond to the crisis.
00:02:44.500 They work every day to prevent it as well.
00:02:46.920 Now, your gift of just $45 will help support their life-saving work
00:02:51.280 by helping provide food, shelter, and armored vehicles, armored ambulances,
00:02:56.800 and so much more like those bomb shelters.
00:03:00.300 The Bible is pretty clear.
00:03:02.280 I will bless those who bless you.
00:03:04.880 And supporting IFCJ is a spiritual stand.
00:03:08.300 And it's showing up for God's people when it counts.
00:03:11.000 So if you want to stand with so many that are hurting right now
00:03:14.640 and you want to stand with Israel, please call and make a donation.
00:03:18.760 888-488-IFCJ.
00:03:22.200 That's 888-488-4325.
00:03:26.760 Or go online to ifcj.org.
00:03:29.360 Every dollar helps.
00:03:30.780 Don't wait.
00:03:31.680 Be the difference.
00:03:33.040 ifcj.org or 888-488-IFCJ.
00:03:36.760 So, Senator, let's start with the Elon Musk-Donald Trump back and forth.
00:03:41.400 I hate seeing this because Democrats are loving it.
00:03:44.340 The liberal media is loving it.
00:03:46.280 And I want to be clear.
00:03:47.240 I think Donald Trump is not wrong.
00:03:49.060 I also think Elon Musk is not wrong.
00:03:51.920 And unfortunately, Elon is working under the assumption
00:03:55.140 that Congress actually wants to do the job and save our country.
00:03:58.540 And I think Trump's working under the reality
00:04:00.340 that there's a lot of people in Congress
00:04:02.180 that actually aren't looking out for the American people.
00:04:05.620 Both men, in many ways, are right.
00:04:08.400 Well, listen, what unfolded this week was incredibly painful.
00:04:12.380 These are two men whom I know very well.
00:04:15.080 They're both good friends of mine.
00:04:17.140 President Trump has been an extraordinary president.
00:04:20.060 His election, his re-election in November
00:04:22.480 saved this country from absolute destruction.
00:04:25.380 Elon Musk is one of the greatest businessmen,
00:04:29.460 one of the greatest innovators,
00:04:31.100 one of the greatest thinkers I think the world has ever seen.
00:04:35.320 And what he has done,
00:04:37.920 whether with SpaceX, whether with Tesla,
00:04:41.200 whether with all of his companies,
00:04:42.740 or whether buying Twitter,
00:04:44.400 or creating a free speech zone
00:04:47.240 where people can engage in public debate,
00:04:49.660 that was massively consequential.
00:04:51.960 And that doesn't even begin to touch
00:04:54.680 the impact that Elon had at Doge
00:04:57.520 exposing massive government waste, fraud, and abuse.
00:05:01.480 And so I got to say, I watched the two of them.
00:05:04.000 And by the way, you and I,
00:05:05.020 we had Elon Musk as a guest on this podcast.
00:05:07.180 That is one of my favorite podcasts we've ever done.
00:05:10.540 At the White House, nonetheless.
00:05:11.840 It was at the White House.
00:05:13.840 And a week ago, he and the president were very, very close.
00:05:17.140 And what happened today,
00:05:18.320 so I was sitting in the Oval as this unfolded.
00:05:21.380 And I was sitting there,
00:05:22.940 and the tweets were coming.
00:05:25.360 And listen, Elon is brilliant,
00:05:27.560 and he is strong-willed,
00:05:29.620 and he's a force of nature.
00:05:31.320 Donald Trump is brilliant,
00:05:33.380 and he is strong-willed,
00:05:34.600 and he is a force of nature.
00:05:36.180 And these are two alpha males who are pissed off.
00:05:40.260 And unfortunately, they're unloading on each other.
00:05:43.020 And I wish that were not the case,
00:05:44.540 because I think the country does better
00:05:48.940 when these two amazing heroes
00:05:52.440 are working side-by-side for the country
00:05:55.560 and not just unloading on each other.
00:05:58.460 But listen, they are angry.
00:06:01.560 It's not complicated.
00:06:03.360 But it is unfortunate.
00:06:05.080 I will say, every enemy of America,
00:06:08.580 every Marxist, every person who hates our country,
00:06:11.840 every person who hates freedom,
00:06:13.620 is cheering for this divide to be real,
00:06:16.600 to be deep, to be lasting, to be permanent.
00:06:19.080 They would be thrilled.
00:06:21.160 Everyone who loves our country
00:06:22.580 is cheering for Elon and President Trump
00:06:25.960 to kiss and make up.
00:06:27.460 Like, look, they may not agree on everything,
00:06:29.880 but they're too significant in this country
00:06:33.200 for them to be fighting at cross-purposes.
00:06:35.440 I don't want either one fighting at cross-purposes.
00:06:38.240 And I will say, you know, listen,
00:06:42.040 when I was in the Oval, Trump was pissed.
00:06:44.100 I mean, he was venting on this topic.
00:06:46.360 And I understand it.
00:06:47.740 Elon was saying some really harsh things.
00:06:51.220 I understand why Trump was pissed.
00:06:52.800 And the back and forth, knowing both of them,
00:06:56.680 it was not surprising to see it.
00:06:59.580 You know, I got to say, Ben,
00:07:00.640 it reminded me there's a gif that's popular online
00:07:03.200 from Anchorman where Ron Burgundy,
00:07:06.840 you know, Will Ferrell's character goes,
00:07:08.640 well, that escalated quickly
00:07:09.920 because it just went from zero to 11 instantaneously.
00:07:15.320 I get it knowing both of the players,
00:07:17.820 but I hope it goes from 11 back down to zero
00:07:21.500 or maybe one or two.
00:07:22.780 I hope it goes every bit as quickly.
00:07:24.980 Well, and as I said at the very beginning,
00:07:26.400 the only people that are happy right now over this
00:07:29.860 is the liberal media and the Democratic Party.
00:07:33.080 And they're the ones that are sitting there going,
00:07:35.220 this is amazing.
00:07:36.220 And I'm eating popcorn.
00:07:37.400 And look, I think both these men are right.
00:07:39.060 I understand Elon Musk's frustration in general.
00:07:41.900 I wish Washington didn't have so many swampy people there.
00:07:46.420 But there's also what we wish and the reality.
00:07:49.780 And the reality is it is really hard
00:07:51.640 to get something this big done
00:07:53.340 with dealing with so many players in D.C.
00:07:56.180 And look, I hope there's a truce.
00:07:58.040 I hope that both of them get this figured out
00:07:59.740 behind the scenes very, very quickly.
00:08:01.300 I think there's a very good chance that's going to happen
00:08:03.140 because they're going to see the left
00:08:04.920 and them celebrating over this as well.
00:08:06.940 And the way that you described it,
00:08:08.540 these two men are brilliant
00:08:09.680 and we need them working together
00:08:11.500 for the good of the country
00:08:13.100 because there's one thing I know about both of them.
00:08:15.060 They both love America.
00:08:16.280 And I think there's no doubt about that.
00:08:19.020 Well, I think that's exactly right.
00:08:20.640 I hope they will come back together.
00:08:22.360 On the substance, we're going to discuss in a minute.
00:08:25.520 Both of them are right on the substance.
00:08:27.020 President Trump is right.
00:08:28.320 We have to get this one big, beautiful bill passed.
00:08:31.320 We're going to.
00:08:32.560 Elon is right that we have to make the bill better.
00:08:35.480 We have to cut more spending
00:08:36.760 and tackle the deficit and debt more than we do.
00:08:39.400 They're both right.
00:08:40.060 We're going to break that down in just a minute.
00:08:42.320 But I'll say also, look, the sentiment I have,
00:08:45.640 I feel like the kids of a bitter divorce
00:08:49.640 where you're just saying,
00:08:51.200 I really wish mommy and daddy would stop screaming.
00:08:53.900 I think a lot of conservatives are feeling like,
00:08:57.340 this is not good.
00:08:59.380 Let's hug and make up.
00:09:00.960 All right.
00:09:01.440 So let's talk about the bill
00:09:03.920 that obviously the fight with Elon and Trump has been over.
00:09:07.240 You were in the Oval Office.
00:09:09.260 This bill is obviously something
00:09:10.800 that you've talked about with the president.
00:09:13.040 There are people that have concerns
00:09:14.500 about what's in the bill.
00:09:15.540 And there's an opportunity for the Senate,
00:09:17.980 as you guys are doing reconciliation on this bill,
00:09:20.820 to improve it, make it better.
00:09:22.280 What do people need to know about this bill?
00:09:24.900 Like, what's in it that you should be proud of?
00:09:26.680 And what are the changes that need to be made?
00:09:29.260 Well, listen, on the merits of the fight
00:09:31.160 between Elon and Trump, as I mentioned, both are right.
00:09:34.700 President Trump is absolutely right.
00:09:36.380 We need to get this passed
00:09:37.640 because this is the major vehicle
00:09:39.600 to deliver on the promises we made to the voters.
00:09:42.340 And failure is not an option.
00:09:43.800 We cannot fail to secure the border.
00:09:47.000 We cannot fail to rebuild the military.
00:09:49.360 We cannot fail to unleash American energy.
00:09:52.280 And we cannot fail to extend the Trump tax cuts
00:09:55.260 and make them bigger and bolder
00:09:57.180 to unleash economic growth.
00:09:59.000 All of those we are going to get done.
00:10:01.440 And the only avenue to getting them done
00:10:03.440 is this reconciliation bill.
00:10:05.120 So we will get it passed.
00:10:06.920 But that being said,
00:10:08.840 this bill can be made much better.
00:10:10.520 I'm glad the House passed it.
00:10:12.320 That's the first step in this becoming a law.
00:10:15.760 The House came together.
00:10:17.020 They got a majority.
00:10:17.840 They sent it to the Senate.
00:10:18.820 But, you know, a lot of people are asking,
00:10:20.340 okay, what happens now?
00:10:21.680 Does the Senate just pass the House bill?
00:10:24.440 And the answer is not remotely.
00:10:26.360 So what is happening right now is each...
00:10:29.280 Wait, wait, wait.
00:10:29.740 Say that again.
00:10:30.440 Say that again for everybody listening
00:10:31.980 because that may be music to some ears
00:10:33.660 listening right now.
00:10:34.540 Say that again.
00:10:35.900 The Senate will not pass the House bill.
00:10:39.580 All right.
00:10:40.020 There we go.
00:10:40.660 We got it.
00:10:41.240 I love this.
00:10:42.520 I'm smiling.
00:10:43.200 Keep going.
00:10:44.280 So listen.
00:10:44.940 Under our Constitution,
00:10:45.680 we have two chambers,
00:10:47.660 two legislative bodies.
00:10:48.680 The House has passed their bill.
00:10:50.300 The Senate is going to pass our own bill.
00:10:52.920 And what has happened is each major committee
00:10:55.260 has been given what are called
00:10:56.360 reconciliation instructions
00:10:57.700 to draft their portions of the bill.
00:11:00.760 I'm the chairman of the Senate Committee
00:11:02.100 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
00:11:03.420 So I've drafted my portion of the bill.
00:11:06.320 The Senate bill will have similarities
00:11:08.480 to the House bill.
00:11:09.960 The similarities will be anywhere,
00:11:11.660 where my guess is from about two-thirds
00:11:14.120 to three-quarters of the House bill.
00:11:16.400 So the good provisions of the House bill
00:11:19.180 will keep.
00:11:21.000 The bad provisions, I hope,
00:11:22.780 will jettison and say,
00:11:23.700 no, we're not going to do that.
00:11:25.220 And my hope,
00:11:26.560 what I am fighting in the Senate to do
00:11:28.580 is to have the Senate
00:11:29.940 cut spending significantly more
00:11:32.680 than the House did.
00:11:34.180 And this is a point,
00:11:36.300 look, I think there's a real possibility
00:11:38.180 the Senate today
00:11:39.260 is more conservative than the House.
00:11:41.780 And that's unusual.
00:11:42.860 That is rarely the case.
00:11:44.540 Here's why I think that.
00:11:46.380 There are 53 Republicans in the Senate.
00:11:49.780 I think it is entirely possible
00:11:51.940 that the 50th most
00:11:54.220 fiscally conservative senator
00:11:55.960 is to the right
00:11:58.160 of the 218th most
00:12:00.780 fiscally conservative House member.
00:12:03.400 That's a very interesting perspective,
00:12:05.640 by the way,
00:12:06.000 because I don't think people
00:12:06.740 think about it that way at all.
00:12:07.900 No, they think about
00:12:09.380 that there are 100
00:12:10.280 fire-breathing conservatives
00:12:12.400 in the House.
00:12:13.020 That's true.
00:12:14.220 But a majority in the House
00:12:15.280 is 218,
00:12:16.140 so 100 doesn't pass anything.
00:12:18.520 So if you ask the House,
00:12:20.280 okay, who's the 218th?
00:12:22.500 Who's the wobbliest Republican
00:12:24.640 that gets you to a majority?
00:12:26.800 That Republican, I think,
00:12:28.440 is actually significantly
00:12:29.800 to the left fiscally
00:12:31.140 compared to the 50th Senate Republican.
00:12:34.720 So I'm not sure
00:12:36.840 how bold we will do,
00:12:37.900 and I may have to do a podcast
00:12:39.240 where I do a mea culpa
00:12:41.800 and say I was too optimistic,
00:12:44.060 but my hope is
00:12:46.280 what the Senate will pass
00:12:47.820 will demonstrate
00:12:49.660 much more fiscal restraint
00:12:52.440 than what the House passed.
00:12:53.900 That's what I'm arguing
00:12:55.100 to my colleagues.
00:12:55.760 So I mentioned I was in the Oval
00:12:57.120 right as the Trump-Elon battle
00:12:59.680 was unfolding.
00:13:00.380 I was there for two reasons.
00:13:02.020 Number one, I was urging
00:13:03.400 we need to cut more spending,
00:13:05.020 and I gave the president
00:13:06.020 a list of nearly $3 trillion
00:13:08.600 of spending cuts
00:13:09.880 that we could do,
00:13:11.320 urging, okay,
00:13:12.180 let's cut the spending.
00:13:13.440 We can do this.
00:13:14.260 We can make this happen.
00:13:15.900 Elon is right
00:13:16.700 that we're bankrupting our country,
00:13:18.340 and we need to do more
00:13:21.000 than the House bill does.
00:13:22.040 I think the Senate will do that.
00:13:23.100 What will happen,
00:13:24.540 the Senate will pass our bill,
00:13:26.700 I think, right before July 4th.
00:13:29.860 Now, when the Senate passes the bill,
00:13:31.820 it's probably not going to be done.
00:13:33.180 The likely outcome
00:13:34.180 after the Senate passes the bill
00:13:35.640 is it will go to conference
00:13:37.440 where the House and Senate
00:13:38.420 will negotiate back and forth.
00:13:40.160 The House will say,
00:13:41.260 we don't like some provisions
00:13:42.600 in this bill.
00:13:43.280 The Senate will say,
00:13:44.160 we don't like some provisions
00:13:45.320 in your bill,
00:13:45.980 and we'll reach a compromise.
00:13:47.100 My guess is
00:13:48.100 the final bill will be passed
00:13:50.920 at the end of July,
00:13:53.480 right before the August recess,
00:13:55.140 and sent to the president
00:13:56.220 to be signed
00:13:56.980 at the beginning of August.
00:13:58.240 I think that's likely.
00:13:59.040 There's another chance
00:13:59.960 when the Senate passes our bill,
00:14:02.560 maybe the House just says,
00:14:03.840 okay, we accept it
00:14:04.900 and we'll pass it.
00:14:06.580 That possibility is not zero,
00:14:08.740 but I think it's more likely
00:14:09.860 we'll have a conference committee
00:14:10.940 and reach some compromises.
00:14:13.480 I will say this, Ben.
00:14:16.320 2017, the last time
00:14:18.160 we passed big tax cuts,
00:14:20.080 I was here.
00:14:21.260 I spent hundreds of hours
00:14:23.780 negotiating those tax cuts.
00:14:25.340 One interesting dynamic,
00:14:28.020 if you look at the current
00:14:28.920 House of Representatives,
00:14:30.500 more than 60%
00:14:32.080 of the House Republicans
00:14:33.080 were not in Congress
00:14:35.900 in 2017
00:14:37.260 when we did this last time.
00:14:39.300 And so the back end,
00:14:40.980 it's a stunning number.
00:14:42.140 That is a huge number.
00:14:43.720 No one,
00:14:44.060 I wouldn't have guessed that.
00:14:45.820 Yeah, look,
00:14:46.260 there's been a lot of turnover
00:14:47.240 in Congress,
00:14:49.000 and so most of the House members
00:14:50.620 were not here.
00:14:51.920 What happened in 2017,
00:14:53.500 the House passed a good bill.
00:14:56.180 It went to the Senate,
00:14:57.680 and we made it much,
00:14:59.640 much better.
00:15:00.240 And then actually,
00:15:00.800 it went to conference committee,
00:15:01.940 and it became significantly better.
00:15:03.720 I'll give you a couple of examples.
00:15:04.900 Number one,
00:15:05.800 the House,
00:15:06.380 when they initially passed it,
00:15:07.640 did not repeal,
00:15:08.940 in 2017,
00:15:10.280 the Obamacare individual mandate.
00:15:12.000 The House conservatives
00:15:12.780 were all my buddies.
00:15:13.920 They said,
00:15:14.340 there's no chance
00:15:15.240 you Senate Republicans
00:15:16.220 will do this,
00:15:16.960 you guys.
00:15:17.600 Like all of the jellyfish
00:15:19.560 in the Senate,
00:15:20.160 they'll never do this.
00:15:21.540 Well,
00:15:21.780 I led the fight in the Senate
00:15:22.920 and said,
00:15:23.460 this Obamacare individual mandate,
00:15:25.220 it is wrong,
00:15:25.980 it is abusive,
00:15:26.740 it is unfair,
00:15:27.440 and we ended up unifying
00:15:29.620 Senate Republicans,
00:15:30.540 and we repealed it,
00:15:31.440 but the Senate added it.
00:15:32.660 That was a major,
00:15:34.380 major victory.
00:15:35.640 Another example,
00:15:37.040 the bill that passed
00:15:38.280 out of the House
00:15:38.900 initially in 2017
00:15:40.060 had big tax cuts
00:15:42.240 for C Corps,
00:15:43.240 for big,
00:15:43.700 big corporations,
00:15:45.200 but much smaller tax cuts
00:15:47.200 for pass-throughs
00:15:48.620 and S Corps,
00:15:49.260 which tend to be
00:15:49.880 small businesses.
00:15:51.120 And in the Senate,
00:15:51.840 we said,
00:15:52.160 that's not right.
00:15:52.880 We need to fight
00:15:53.480 for small businesses.
00:15:54.560 We improved that dramatically.
00:15:56.480 I think the same thing
00:15:57.260 is going to happen.
00:15:58.300 And so I was sitting
00:15:59.000 in the Oval saying,
00:16:00.100 number one,
00:16:01.300 here are three trillions
00:16:02.400 more in tax cuts
00:16:03.640 you can make.
00:16:04.580 And number two,
00:16:05.520 I was arguing in particular
00:16:06.680 the school choice provision
00:16:08.220 in the House bill.
00:16:10.860 We need to make it bigger,
00:16:12.240 we need to make it bolder,
00:16:13.260 we need to make it more effective.
00:16:14.960 That was the case
00:16:15.740 I was making directly
00:16:16.660 to the President
00:16:17.320 in the Oval Office
00:16:18.540 this week.
00:16:19.100 Canadian women
00:16:20.680 are looking for more,
00:16:22.020 more out of themselves,
00:16:23.080 their businesses,
00:16:24.020 their elected leaders,
00:16:24.980 and the world around them.
00:16:26.220 And that's why we're thrilled
00:16:27.160 to introduce
00:16:27.820 the Honest Talk podcast.
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00:16:51.320 Senator,
00:16:51.860 let's move to this
00:16:53.500 really,
00:16:54.620 I would say,
00:16:55.800 very shocking
00:16:57.900 and scary news
00:16:59.140 that not one
00:16:59.780 but two Chinese nationals
00:17:01.300 have been charged
00:17:02.820 by U.S. federal authorities
00:17:04.140 for allegedly smuggling
00:17:05.360 a dangerous
00:17:06.680 agricultural pathogen
00:17:08.420 into the United States
00:17:09.960 of America.
00:17:10.860 It is basically,
00:17:11.880 in layman's terms,
00:17:12.720 a fungus
00:17:13.740 that poses
00:17:15.100 a significant threat
00:17:16.340 to crops
00:17:17.460 such as wheat,
00:17:18.840 barley,
00:17:19.140 and rice.
00:17:20.380 It could cause
00:17:21.360 massive disease
00:17:22.400 and, in essence,
00:17:23.340 famine
00:17:23.940 on our agriculture
00:17:26.580 in this country.
00:17:28.180 And this was brought
00:17:28.980 in this country
00:17:29.660 and it just
00:17:30.300 screams
00:17:31.440 of another example
00:17:33.280 of why you don't
00:17:34.800 trust China
00:17:35.540 and why we have
00:17:36.740 to watch them
00:17:37.440 and protect ourselves.
00:17:38.620 It reminds,
00:17:39.600 I think,
00:17:39.740 a lot of people
00:17:40.260 of COVID-19
00:17:41.100 but this could
00:17:42.220 literally wreak havoc
00:17:43.580 on our entire
00:17:44.700 national security
00:17:45.800 from a basic
00:17:47.860 we-need-food-to-live
00:17:50.660 strategy
00:17:51.340 if it was
00:17:52.080 weaponized
00:17:52.800 against us.
00:17:54.140 Well,
00:17:54.700 this is a story,
00:17:55.520 unfortunately,
00:17:56.120 you're not going
00:17:56.520 to watch
00:17:56.960 on the corporate media,
00:17:58.280 ABC, NBC, CBS,
00:17:59.440 they're not going
00:17:59.800 to cover it.
00:18:00.900 But China
00:18:02.020 is our enemy
00:18:02.800 and China
00:18:04.200 is,
00:18:04.920 I think,
00:18:05.600 the greatest
00:18:06.060 geopolitical threat
00:18:07.020 we have
00:18:07.460 for the next
00:18:07.880 hundred years.
00:18:08.920 We saw with COVID
00:18:10.240 the incredible
00:18:10.960 threats
00:18:11.480 of a pathogen,
00:18:12.880 of a virus
00:18:13.520 that can do
00:18:15.480 enormous damage,
00:18:16.540 can destroy
00:18:17.020 trillions of dollars,
00:18:18.460 can take massive
00:18:19.880 toll in human life.
00:18:21.580 Well,
00:18:22.000 this story,
00:18:23.100 and I just want
00:18:23.800 to read to you
00:18:24.400 a tweet
00:18:24.820 from the director
00:18:25.580 of the FBI,
00:18:26.320 Kash Patel.
00:18:27.400 Here's what the FBI
00:18:28.380 director said,
00:18:29.700 quote,
00:18:30.920 New,
00:18:31.760 I can confirm
00:18:32.840 that the FBI
00:18:33.540 arrested a Chinese
00:18:34.760 national
00:18:35.260 within the United
00:18:36.900 States
00:18:37.440 who allegedly
00:18:38.820 smuggled
00:18:39.560 a dangerous
00:18:40.360 biological
00:18:40.880 pathogen
00:18:42.440 into the country.
00:18:44.180 The individual,
00:18:46.120 Yun-Quin Jian,
00:18:48.140 is alleged
00:18:48.900 to have smuggled
00:18:49.780 a dangerous
00:18:50.500 fungus
00:18:51.020 called
00:18:51.540 Fusarium
00:18:52.520 Graminarium,
00:18:55.340 which is an
00:18:56.080 agro-terrorism
00:18:57.380 agent
00:18:57.920 into the U.S.
00:18:59.720 to research
00:19:01.140 at the University
00:19:02.120 of Michigan,
00:19:03.160 where she works.
00:19:03.900 This fungus
00:19:05.660 can cause
00:19:06.620 a disease
00:19:07.120 called
00:19:07.780 head blight,
00:19:09.200 a disease
00:19:10.040 of wheat,
00:19:11.600 barley,
00:19:12.740 maize,
00:19:13.180 and rice,
00:19:14.040 causing
00:19:14.660 significant
00:19:15.380 health issues
00:19:16.080 in both
00:19:16.520 humans
00:19:16.960 and livestock.
00:19:18.860 It is
00:19:19.760 responsible
00:19:20.400 for billions
00:19:21.540 of dollars
00:19:22.240 in economic
00:19:22.840 losses
00:19:23.300 worldwide
00:19:23.860 each year.
00:19:26.020 Evidence
00:19:26.640 also indicates
00:19:27.480 Jian had
00:19:28.140 expressed
00:19:28.740 loyalty
00:19:29.420 to the
00:19:30.580 Chinese
00:19:31.080 Communist
00:19:31.600 Party
00:19:32.060 and had
00:19:33.200 received
00:19:33.780 funding
00:19:34.420 from the
00:19:34.860 Chinese
00:19:35.180 government
00:19:35.620 for similar
00:19:36.900 work on
00:19:37.680 this pathogen
00:19:38.520 in China.
00:19:40.600 Jian's
00:19:41.060 boyfriend,
00:19:42.160 Zun-Yang Liu,
00:19:43.820 also charged
00:19:45.060 in the
00:19:45.420 complaint,
00:19:46.800 works at
00:19:47.360 a Chinese
00:19:47.840 university
00:19:48.520 where he
00:19:49.620 conducts
00:19:50.300 research
00:19:51.060 on the
00:19:51.960 same
00:19:52.540 pathogen.
00:19:54.200 Liu
00:19:54.500 is alleged
00:19:55.380 to have
00:19:55.800 first lied
00:19:56.500 that admitted
00:19:58.040 to also
00:19:59.460 smuggling
00:20:00.200 Fusarium
00:20:01.500 Graninarium
00:20:03.040 into
00:20:03.820 America
00:20:04.460 through the
00:20:05.760 Detroit
00:20:06.260 Metropolitan
00:20:07.040 Airport
00:20:07.580 so that
00:20:08.820 he too
00:20:09.400 could conduct
00:20:10.720 research
00:20:11.420 at the
00:20:12.200 University
00:20:12.620 of Michigan.
00:20:13.940 Both
00:20:14.600 individuals
00:20:15.160 have been
00:20:15.980 charged
00:20:16.320 with
00:20:16.520 conspiracy,
00:20:18.200 smuggling
00:20:18.520 goods into
00:20:19.100 the United
00:20:19.500 States,
00:20:20.760 false
00:20:21.000 statements,
00:20:22.420 and visa
00:20:22.820 fraud.
00:20:24.140 This case
00:20:24.920 is a
00:20:25.560 sobering
00:20:26.220 reminder
00:20:26.660 that the
00:20:27.100 CCP
00:20:27.520 is working
00:20:28.660 around
00:20:29.340 the
00:20:29.720 clock
00:20:30.160 to
00:20:30.940 deploy
00:20:31.280 operatives
00:20:31.960 and
00:20:32.280 researchers
00:20:32.840 to
00:20:33.880 infiltrate
00:20:34.740 American
00:20:35.240 institutions
00:20:35.920 and target
00:20:36.980 our
00:20:37.620 food
00:20:38.000 supply,
00:20:38.640 which would
00:20:39.740 have grave
00:20:40.620 consequences,
00:20:41.440 putting American
00:20:42.200 lives and
00:20:43.300 our economy
00:20:43.820 at serious
00:20:44.340 risk.
00:20:45.340 Your FBI
00:20:46.240 will continue
00:20:47.500 working tirelessly
00:20:48.500 to be on
00:20:48.980 guard against
00:20:49.520 it.
00:20:50.620 You go
00:20:51.740 through this,
00:20:52.640 and let's
00:20:53.300 unpack it and
00:20:54.300 just go back
00:20:55.060 a little bit
00:20:55.860 to paint
00:20:56.720 the broader
00:20:58.060 picture.
00:20:59.460 We've seen
00:21:00.280 China
00:21:00.880 financially
00:21:02.400 infiltrate
00:21:03.880 our
00:21:04.460 colleges,
00:21:05.600 our best
00:21:06.800 colleges.
00:21:07.880 We have
00:21:08.320 seen them
00:21:08.720 by influence.
00:21:09.620 We saw
00:21:09.880 this hell
00:21:10.240 with the
00:21:10.500 Biden
00:21:10.800 Institute,
00:21:11.560 for goodness
00:21:11.900 sakes.
00:21:12.640 We have
00:21:13.140 witnessed
00:21:13.620 the number
00:21:14.200 of Chinese
00:21:15.280 students that
00:21:15.920 we allow
00:21:16.360 to come
00:21:16.700 into this
00:21:17.100 country,
00:21:17.600 be trained
00:21:18.240 here,
00:21:18.520 have access
00:21:19.240 to R&D
00:21:20.300 here,
00:21:21.120 and then
00:21:22.240 we've
00:21:22.840 witnessed
00:21:23.100 what our
00:21:23.500 government
00:21:23.860 did under
00:21:24.380 Fauci,
00:21:24.920 with the
00:21:25.560 amount of
00:21:25.840 money we
00:21:26.100 were sending
00:21:26.560 to China
00:21:27.460 that was
00:21:28.660 doing a lot
00:21:29.180 of this
00:21:29.420 type of
00:21:29.840 research and
00:21:30.420 other things.
00:21:31.720 And we
00:21:32.140 shouldn't be
00:21:32.840 surprised that
00:21:34.560 this is
00:21:35.020 happening now,
00:21:35.800 but this
00:21:36.280 again goes
00:21:37.140 back to the
00:21:37.760 vulnerability.
00:21:39.000 If China
00:21:39.540 is sending
00:21:40.160 you money
00:21:40.700 and sending
00:21:41.860 billions of
00:21:43.160 dollars to
00:21:43.760 American
00:21:44.120 universities,
00:21:44.640 and then we
00:21:45.880 see this
00:21:46.320 type of
00:21:46.700 research and
00:21:47.480 the access
00:21:48.300 at these
00:21:49.000 research
00:21:49.440 institutes like
00:21:49.980 the University
00:21:50.440 of Michigan,
00:21:51.020 et cetera,
00:21:51.740 why isn't
00:21:52.540 there a
00:21:52.900 massive red
00:21:53.480 flag on
00:21:54.000 every dollar
00:21:54.620 now coming
00:21:55.120 in from
00:21:55.480 China after
00:21:56.220 seeing yet
00:21:56.840 again the
00:21:57.800 Chinese are
00:21:58.500 enemy and
00:21:59.060 they cannot
00:21:59.440 be trusted?
00:22:00.740 There's no
00:22:01.400 doubt there
00:22:01.860 should be.
00:22:02.660 And listen,
00:22:03.180 when I was
00:22:03.520 first elected
00:22:04.100 to the Senate
00:22:04.540 13 years
00:22:05.260 ago,
00:22:06.200 I was saying
00:22:07.460 then that
00:22:08.500 China is the
00:22:09.380 greatest threat
00:22:09.980 we have for
00:22:10.560 the next
00:22:10.920 hundred years.
00:22:12.340 I gotta tell
00:22:12.920 you, Ben,
00:22:13.220 at the time,
00:22:13.900 that was a
00:22:14.520 very lonely
00:22:15.340 view in the
00:22:15.900 United States
00:22:16.400 Senate.
00:22:17.540 Every Democrat
00:22:18.560 disagreed with
00:22:19.260 me, and
00:22:20.260 most of the
00:22:21.000 Republicans did
00:22:21.760 too.
00:22:22.000 They all
00:22:23.180 looked to
00:22:23.620 China and
00:22:24.060 they saw
00:22:24.420 nothing but
00:22:25.040 dollar signs
00:22:25.920 as far as
00:22:26.900 the eye could
00:22:27.580 see.
00:22:28.780 Now, COVID
00:22:29.400 changed that
00:22:30.140 for a lot
00:22:30.560 of people.
00:22:31.040 They realized
00:22:31.980 the mendacity,
00:22:33.420 the duplicity,
00:22:34.740 the damage
00:22:35.620 China causes.
00:22:37.460 China engages
00:22:38.280 in widespread
00:22:39.220 murder of its
00:22:40.180 citizens,
00:22:40.820 torture of its
00:22:41.420 citizens.
00:22:42.160 It has over a
00:22:43.080 million Uyghurs
00:22:43.860 in concentration
00:22:44.540 camps,
00:22:45.700 modern-day human
00:22:46.640 slavery,
00:22:47.540 organ harvesting,
00:22:48.400 but they
00:22:49.200 also engage
00:22:50.180 in massive
00:22:51.400 propaganda,
00:22:52.480 massive espionage
00:22:53.620 against the
00:22:54.060 United States,
00:22:55.320 massive theft
00:22:56.180 of intellectual
00:22:56.780 property.
00:22:58.400 They are
00:22:59.360 engaged in a
00:23:00.640 global battle
00:23:01.480 for world
00:23:03.060 domination.
00:23:03.900 Their objective,
00:23:04.680 which they've
00:23:05.100 told us,
00:23:05.600 they're very
00:23:05.980 explicit,
00:23:07.380 their objective
00:23:08.260 is to be the
00:23:08.920 dominant world
00:23:09.700 power and to
00:23:10.500 displace America,
00:23:12.100 and we need to
00:23:13.220 combat them on
00:23:14.160 the global stage.
00:23:15.260 China is engaged
00:23:16.180 in Africa,
00:23:16.860 in Latin America,
00:23:18.140 in the Middle
00:23:18.540 East,
00:23:18.960 in Asia,
00:23:19.540 every part of
00:23:20.200 the world,
00:23:21.040 China is trying
00:23:22.000 to become the
00:23:22.720 dominant world
00:23:23.320 power.
00:23:23.780 They are waging
00:23:24.680 a thousand-year
00:23:26.720 war.
00:23:28.340 And when it
00:23:29.180 comes to the
00:23:29.920 danger of
00:23:30.700 pathogens,
00:23:31.320 look,
00:23:31.560 you look at
00:23:32.060 COVID.
00:23:33.520 COVID,
00:23:34.340 it was clear
00:23:35.200 within the
00:23:35.740 first couple
00:23:36.300 of months
00:23:36.620 of this
00:23:36.920 pandemic,
00:23:38.060 that the
00:23:38.700 evidence
00:23:39.160 strongly
00:23:39.740 suggested
00:23:40.380 that the
00:23:41.460 virus escaped
00:23:42.500 from the
00:23:43.020 Wuhan Institute
00:23:43.820 of Virology
00:23:44.680 in Wuhan,
00:23:45.860 China.
00:23:46.080 We now
00:23:47.960 know that
00:23:49.040 the corporate
00:23:49.500 media suppressed
00:23:50.400 that story,
00:23:51.420 that Facebook
00:23:52.300 suppressed that
00:23:53.300 story at the
00:23:54.000 explicit request
00:23:55.000 of Dr.
00:23:55.980 Fauci.
00:23:56.380 I will tell
00:23:56.880 you,
00:23:57.080 this podcast,
00:23:58.440 Verdict with
00:23:58.920 Ted Cruz,
00:24:00.100 in March
00:24:01.720 and in
00:24:02.300 April
00:24:02.720 of
00:24:04.180 2020,
00:24:07.760 when COVID
00:24:09.080 was first
00:24:09.820 starting,
00:24:10.600 we laid out
00:24:11.580 the evidence
00:24:12.140 that this
00:24:12.600 came from
00:24:13.740 China,
00:24:14.280 from the
00:24:14.560 Wuhan Institute
00:24:15.180 of Virology
00:24:15.900 before you
00:24:16.800 could get
00:24:17.140 it practically
00:24:17.680 anywhere else.
00:24:19.780 China bears
00:24:21.440 enormous
00:24:22.320 responsibility
00:24:23.140 for what
00:24:23.840 happened
00:24:24.320 with COVID.
00:24:25.380 I think
00:24:25.620 the evidence
00:24:26.060 is overwhelming
00:24:26.780 that COVID
00:24:28.240 escaped from
00:24:29.280 a Chinese
00:24:29.720 government
00:24:30.080 lab.
00:24:30.980 I think
00:24:31.620 the evidence
00:24:32.140 is significant
00:24:33.140 that COVID
00:24:34.620 was actually
00:24:35.360 invented in
00:24:36.360 a Chinese
00:24:36.860 government
00:24:37.240 lab,
00:24:37.680 that they
00:24:37.940 took natural
00:24:39.060 viruses and
00:24:39.820 they altered
00:24:40.340 them using
00:24:41.000 gain-of-function
00:24:41.600 research.
00:24:42.300 That's not
00:24:43.000 as compelling
00:24:43.920 as the
00:24:45.040 fact that
00:24:45.480 it escaped
00:24:45.880 from a
00:24:46.220 government
00:24:46.480 lab,
00:24:46.840 but I
00:24:47.020 think
00:24:47.120 there's
00:24:47.320 a lot
00:24:47.660 of
00:24:47.780 evidence
00:24:48.060 of that.
00:24:48.720 By the
00:24:49.140 way,
00:24:49.400 there are
00:24:49.700 multiple
00:24:50.180 federal
00:24:50.600 agencies
00:24:51.040 that have
00:24:51.420 now
00:24:51.640 explicitly
00:24:52.120 concluded
00:24:52.740 that COVID
00:24:53.860 likely escaped
00:24:54.720 from a
00:24:55.020 Chinese
00:24:55.260 government
00:24:55.580 lab.
00:24:56.340 When COVID
00:24:57.020 escaped,
00:24:57.940 the Chinese
00:24:58.540 government
00:24:58.920 covered it
00:24:59.440 up,
00:24:59.720 they suppressed
00:25:00.260 the evidence,
00:25:00.920 they destroyed
00:25:01.500 the samples,
00:25:02.480 they did
00:25:02.820 everything they
00:25:03.660 could to
00:25:04.200 prevent
00:25:04.700 others from
00:25:06.040 understanding
00:25:06.580 the source
00:25:07.080 of this
00:25:07.360 virus,
00:25:08.340 and also
00:25:09.020 to frustrate
00:25:09.780 efforts to
00:25:10.380 stop the
00:25:10.920 spread of
00:25:11.260 this pandemic.
00:25:11.860 Now, put
00:25:12.980 that in the
00:25:13.360 context of
00:25:13.920 this story.
00:25:15.200 A dangerous
00:25:16.260 agro-terrorism
00:25:17.560 fungus that
00:25:19.340 could do
00:25:19.740 massive damage
00:25:20.940 to crops,
00:25:22.140 to livestock,
00:25:23.280 to human
00:25:24.040 beings in the
00:25:24.880 United States
00:25:25.560 being smuggled
00:25:26.280 in by not
00:25:26.920 one but
00:25:27.400 two Chinese
00:25:29.000 nationals,
00:25:30.180 being paid by
00:25:31.800 the Chinese
00:25:32.320 Communist Party.
00:25:33.840 Look, it is not
00:25:34.540 difficult to
00:25:35.280 imagine a
00:25:36.940 pathogen like
00:25:37.780 that being
00:25:38.240 released in the
00:25:39.020 United States
00:25:39.620 and doing
00:25:40.020 enormous damage.
00:25:41.680 And that's
00:25:42.460 the sort of
00:25:42.980 threat our
00:25:43.640 government, we
00:25:44.380 need to be
00:25:44.900 vigilant against
00:25:46.540 when it comes
00:25:47.100 to Communist
00:25:47.480 China.
00:25:48.420 Well, and it
00:25:48.980 goes back to,
00:25:50.020 again, some
00:25:50.680 of this evidence
00:25:51.400 that apparently
00:25:52.420 they've been
00:25:52.800 discussing the
00:25:53.440 plan to
00:25:53.880 smuggle these
00:25:54.520 biological
00:25:54.960 materials since
00:25:56.400 at least
00:25:56.920 2022.
00:25:58.940 The electronic
00:25:59.420 devices contain
00:26:00.400 documents expressing
00:26:01.480 lo of the
00:26:02.100 Chinese Communist
00:26:02.800 Party, the
00:26:03.540 CCP, and
00:26:04.860 detailing research
00:26:05.940 funded by the
00:26:06.720 Chinese government.
00:26:07.460 So the story
00:26:08.960 just keeps
00:26:09.560 repeating itself.
00:26:10.560 It is over
00:26:11.280 and over again
00:26:12.040 when we see
00:26:12.900 these things
00:26:13.320 happen, it's
00:26:13.960 directly tied to
00:26:15.200 the Chinese
00:26:15.600 Communist Party,
00:26:16.640 the Chinese
00:26:17.480 Communist
00:26:17.920 government, and
00:26:19.640 we should not
00:26:20.800 be surprised
00:26:22.540 this is happening.
00:26:23.800 Will there be
00:26:24.400 any reaction or
00:26:25.420 anything that
00:26:25.960 Congress can do
00:26:26.800 on this very
00:26:27.280 quickly?
00:26:28.260 Well, listen,
00:26:29.240 this has been an
00:26:29.960 area I've been
00:26:30.440 legislating for a
00:26:31.320 long time.
00:26:31.880 So, for example,
00:26:32.560 one of the very
00:26:33.120 first bills I
00:26:33.860 passed into law
00:26:34.660 dealt with
00:26:35.700 Confucius
00:26:36.300 Institutes.
00:26:36.800 Confucius
00:26:37.340 Institutes were
00:26:37.980 formed on
00:26:39.180 U.S.
00:26:39.780 universities all
00:26:40.460 across the
00:26:40.920 country, hundreds
00:26:41.460 of them, and
00:26:42.960 they were funded
00:26:43.760 by the Chinese
00:26:44.360 Communist Party.
00:26:45.280 They conducted
00:26:45.780 espionage and
00:26:46.780 propaganda.
00:26:48.100 I introduced
00:26:48.600 legislation to
00:26:49.640 cut off federal
00:26:50.640 funding to
00:26:51.220 universities that
00:26:51.880 have Confucius
00:26:52.500 Institutes, passed
00:26:54.000 it into law, and
00:26:55.280 as a result, we've
00:26:56.120 shut down most of
00:26:57.220 the Confucius
00:26:57.740 Institutes across
00:26:58.900 the country.
00:26:59.400 So we can fight
00:27:00.300 this, but we need
00:27:01.540 to be vigilant and
00:27:02.520 we need to fight.
00:27:03.360 All right, Senator,
00:27:04.000 I want to move on
00:27:04.640 to another story we
00:27:05.460 teased this earlier.
00:27:06.800 A Columbia
00:27:07.860 protester and
00:27:09.480 self-proclaimed
00:27:10.740 Jew hater had
00:27:12.840 direct links to
00:27:14.200 Hamas terror
00:27:15.020 cell.
00:27:15.500 Disturbing new
00:27:16.220 phone records
00:27:16.860 revealed that the
00:27:18.480 DOJ has come out
00:27:19.560 with another
00:27:20.660 example of we
00:27:22.020 were not doing a
00:27:23.120 good enough job
00:27:23.960 of protecting
00:27:25.060 America and
00:27:25.940 letting people in
00:27:26.800 that we did not
00:27:28.000 know exactly who
00:27:29.120 they were.
00:27:29.580 Well, today's
00:27:30.740 Democrat Party has
00:27:31.800 rallied around
00:27:32.680 defending the
00:27:33.420 anti-Semitic
00:27:34.100 protesters on
00:27:34.840 college campuses,
00:27:35.940 and the media
00:27:36.520 has as well.
00:27:37.900 And yet, the
00:27:38.660 viciousness, the
00:27:39.640 hatred, the
00:27:40.420 violence, and the
00:27:41.280 ties to terrorists
00:27:42.360 on these protests
00:27:43.920 are significant.
00:27:44.780 So this is a story
00:27:45.680 that broke just
00:27:46.400 this week, and I'm
00:27:48.560 reading now from the
00:27:49.380 New York Post.
00:27:50.260 Quote,
00:27:50.540 A Jew hater who
00:27:52.580 protested against
00:27:53.740 Israel on Columbia
00:27:54.680 University's campus
00:27:55.700 and contemplated
00:27:57.560 setting a student
00:27:59.180 on fire allegedly
00:28:01.800 had a direct link
00:28:03.340 to Hamas's deadly
00:28:05.380 Al-Qasam Brigade's
00:28:07.000 militant group.
00:28:08.260 The Post can
00:28:08.820 reveal.
00:28:10.160 Tarek Bazruk,
00:28:11.840 awaiting trial after
00:28:13.080 being indicted on
00:28:14.300 three federal hate
00:28:15.560 crimes against
00:28:16.860 Jewish people,
00:28:18.540 was, quote,
00:28:19.480 a member of a
00:28:20.540 chat group that
00:28:22.100 received regular
00:28:23.320 updates from
00:28:24.900 Abu Obidun,
00:28:27.320 the official
00:28:28.080 spokesperson for
00:28:29.840 the brigades,
00:28:31.020 according to
00:28:31.640 allegations in
00:28:32.520 federal documents.
00:28:34.140 The accusation is
00:28:35.200 the first evidence
00:28:36.060 of an agitator
00:28:36.980 receiving information
00:28:38.400 directly from
00:28:39.880 Hamas and taking
00:28:41.640 action during
00:28:42.580 protests on the
00:28:43.740 university campus.
00:28:45.880 Bazruk, 20,
00:28:48.140 who was not a
00:28:49.060 Columbia student
00:28:49.820 and many of the
00:28:50.600 people who were
00:28:51.120 conducting these
00:28:51.760 protests were not
00:28:52.700 students at the
00:28:53.360 universities, also
00:28:55.280 frequently wore the
00:28:56.480 green headband used
00:28:57.800 by Hamas terrorists
00:28:58.960 and boasted to
00:29:00.480 friends about having
00:29:01.400 relatives overseas who
00:29:03.360 were part of the
00:29:04.500 terror group,
00:29:05.780 prosecutors claim in a
00:29:07.000 letter filed with the
00:29:07.920 court.
00:29:10.220 While on Columbia's
00:29:11.760 campus during
00:29:12.400 protests in April
00:29:13.420 2024,
00:29:15.300 Bazruk allegedly
00:29:16.480 texted a pal saying
00:29:18.140 he lit a flare and
00:29:20.160 considered lighting
00:29:21.200 someone on fire but
00:29:23.980 that there were
00:29:24.620 quote, too many
00:29:25.520 people around him
00:29:26.560 for him to take on
00:29:28.100 otherwise he would
00:29:29.440 have quote,
00:29:30.780 hurted them.
00:29:33.060 Columbia University
00:29:34.080 says it has no
00:29:35.300 record of Bazruk
00:29:36.140 being on campus and
00:29:38.060 it wanted to be
00:29:38.900 clear that this
00:29:39.620 individual is not
00:29:40.520 affiliated with our
00:29:41.400 university in any
00:29:42.300 way, adding the
00:29:43.640 school strongly
00:29:44.520 condemns anti-semitism
00:29:45.920 and violence and we
00:29:46.740 are horrified by the
00:29:48.100 violence and hate
00:29:48.820 crimes described in
00:29:49.760 the indictment.
00:29:51.260 Bazruk, a U.S.
00:29:52.740 citizen born and
00:29:53.580 raised in New York,
00:29:54.740 was also arrested
00:29:56.000 next to the campus in
00:29:57.280 December 2024 for one
00:29:59.700 of the three attacks
00:30:00.720 against Jewish
00:30:01.740 peoples of which he
00:30:03.300 stands accused.
00:30:05.220 This is the kind of
00:30:06.800 violent hate and
00:30:08.300 violent hate tied to
00:30:09.880 terrorism that we've
00:30:11.840 seen erupting at
00:30:12.800 universities across the
00:30:13.780 country.
00:30:14.040 It's such a
00:30:15.320 concerning, I
00:30:16.680 think, thing now
00:30:17.720 because if you're a
00:30:18.600 Jewish student, do you
00:30:19.600 feel safe on any
00:30:20.440 college campus?
00:30:21.380 It's an honest
00:30:22.260 question that we
00:30:23.020 should ask.
00:30:23.900 If you are a
00:30:25.100 student on a
00:30:25.820 college campus now,
00:30:27.040 do you feel safe
00:30:28.160 and feel like the
00:30:29.100 campuses are going
00:30:30.620 to protect your
00:30:31.340 safety when they
00:30:32.360 allow these
00:30:32.860 protesters on
00:30:34.180 college campuses?
00:30:35.800 A guy that
00:30:36.560 refers himself as a
00:30:37.640 Jew hater, right,
00:30:39.000 who protests against
00:30:39.840 Israel on Columbia
00:30:40.940 University, so now
00:30:41.800 this is completely
00:30:43.060 infiltrated that the
00:30:44.080 best, you know,
00:30:45.460 quote, universities
00:30:46.820 that America has to
00:30:48.020 offer are actually
00:30:48.960 now becoming the
00:30:49.800 most radical and
00:30:51.620 yet there are still
00:30:52.880 people on the left
00:30:53.940 that are saying,
00:30:54.700 no, no, no, you
00:30:55.200 got to allow this to
00:30:55.940 happen no matter what.
00:30:56.920 You got to allow
00:30:57.340 these disturbances and
00:30:59.340 these takeovers and
00:31:00.440 the sit-ins and the
00:31:02.920 taking over of
00:31:03.600 buildings and the
00:31:04.660 attacking of Jews.
00:31:06.480 It goes back to the
00:31:07.880 anti-Semitism that is
00:31:09.180 festered on our
00:31:10.340 college campuses.
00:31:11.240 And that the
00:31:12.720 Democrats are
00:31:13.460 defending, by the
00:31:14.260 way, we have text
00:31:15.460 exchanges between
00:31:17.000 Chuck Schumer and
00:31:17.960 Columbia University
00:31:18.920 where Chuck Schumer
00:31:20.020 said, look, it's only
00:31:21.300 the Republicans who
00:31:22.100 are concerned about
00:31:22.900 this anti-Semitism.
00:31:24.680 We, the Democrats,
00:31:25.460 we're fine with it.
00:31:26.460 I mean, that is the
00:31:28.040 explicit position.
00:31:29.740 There is a pro-Hamas
00:31:31.300 wing of the
00:31:33.040 Democrat Party.
00:31:33.800 It is tragic.
00:31:34.680 That didn't used to
00:31:35.500 exist, but it is how
00:31:36.480 radicalized they've
00:31:37.860 gotten.
00:31:38.100 And this particular
00:31:39.480 individual who's
00:31:40.220 charged, according to
00:31:41.600 the Department of
00:31:42.120 Justice, he had a
00:31:42.900 picture of Obida, who
00:31:44.080 was the spokesperson
00:31:45.320 for Al-Qasam, the
00:31:47.400 military arm of
00:31:48.380 Hamas, and one of an
00:31:50.500 individual waving a
00:31:51.720 Hamas flag.
00:31:52.520 This was on his
00:31:53.140 phone.
00:31:54.160 And an Al-Qasam
00:31:55.380 brigade's meme, which
00:31:56.780 reads, quote,
00:31:58.320 By God, I would not
00:31:59.740 trade the Al-Qasam
00:32:00.900 brigades for the world
00:32:02.560 and everything in it.
00:32:04.080 May God be pleased with
00:32:05.340 them and allow them
00:32:06.220 to break the wicked
00:32:07.420 enemy through him.
00:32:10.020 Also included in his
00:32:11.300 phone are quotes from
00:32:12.460 text messages in which
00:32:14.540 Baruch, Basruc, rather,
00:32:16.960 allegedly identifies
00:32:18.320 himself as, quote, a
00:32:20.200 Jew hater, so that's his
00:32:21.640 term for himself, labels
00:32:23.820 Jews as, quote, worthless,
00:32:26.800 exhorted Allah to, quote,
00:32:29.280 get us rid of Jews, and
00:32:32.060 called an acquaintance an
00:32:33.860 effing Jew, and told a
00:32:37.400 friend to slap that B, and
00:32:39.720 he did not abbreviate B, in
00:32:42.200 reference to a woman with
00:32:43.420 an Israeli sticker on her
00:32:44.860 laptop, according to court
00:32:46.760 documents.
00:32:48.200 And understand, this
00:32:49.960 individual, there was a
00:32:52.820 real risk of violence.
00:32:55.100 He was, he kicked one
00:32:58.440 Jewish student, college
00:33:00.200 student, in the stomach.
00:33:01.240 In a text message, four
00:33:03.260 days later, he wrote
00:33:04.280 that, quote, if he ever
00:33:05.920 sees a Jewish person, he
00:33:07.440 is going to boom-boom
00:33:08.880 them.
00:33:09.980 He's accused of slugging a
00:33:12.040 Jewish Columbia University
00:33:13.200 student in the face while
00:33:15.040 ranting about Hitler and the
00:33:17.160 Nazis.
00:33:19.300 And he's been arrested a
00:33:20.780 total of six times for his
00:33:22.440 conduct at Israel and Gaza
00:33:24.160 protests, including multiple
00:33:26.080 assaults.
00:33:27.300 Law enforcement searched his
00:33:29.340 Manhattan apartment, and
00:33:31.040 found brass knuckles, four
00:33:33.320 knives, a taser, an airsoft
00:33:37.060 gun that looks identical to a
00:33:38.740 revolver, spent casings from
00:33:41.280 an actual firearm, and
00:33:43.360 $500,000 in cash.
00:33:47.060 An additional search turned up
00:33:49.700 another $250,000.
00:33:52.540 Now, Ben, who the hell has
00:33:55.380 $750,000 of cash in his
00:33:58.920 apartment, let me give you
00:33:59.740 one other fact, just to
00:34:00.920 color this.
00:34:02.220 Basruk, a 20-year-old, lives
00:34:04.880 with his parents.
00:34:06.680 He has said he has a net
00:34:08.000 worth of $3,000, and that
00:34:10.620 he's, quote, unemployed and
00:34:13.180 supported by his parents.
00:34:17.120 $750,000 in cash.
00:34:19.480 Yeah.
00:34:19.640 And the big question is, how
00:34:22.640 many more are out there like
00:34:23.940 them?
00:34:24.440 Final question on this.
00:34:26.120 Trump administration also
00:34:27.600 escalating pressure on
00:34:28.760 Colombia as the Department of
00:34:30.260 Education is questioning the
00:34:32.140 university's accreditation.
00:34:33.840 Is this the right way to start
00:34:35.200 dealing with these radical
00:34:36.020 universities?
00:34:37.160 Yes.
00:34:37.720 Yes.
00:34:38.260 Stand up to them.
00:34:39.100 The Trump administration is
00:34:40.160 doing exactly right.
00:34:42.020 These violent protests
00:34:43.840 occurred because radical
00:34:45.640 administrators, radical
00:34:46.860 faculty, they sided with the
00:34:48.900 pro-Hamas protesters.
00:34:50.800 And I am very glad.
00:34:52.860 Look, you ought to just ask
00:34:54.600 the question, why was nobody
00:34:56.240 arrested during the Biden
00:34:58.140 administration?
00:34:58.960 Why were none of the
00:34:59.560 protesters arrested?
00:35:00.860 Why were none of the funders
00:35:02.080 arrested?
00:35:02.880 Why were none of the
00:35:03.480 universities having their
00:35:04.760 funding suspended?
00:35:06.440 And it's because the
00:35:07.560 Democrats, they were cheering
00:35:09.340 on the protesters as well.
00:35:10.820 As always, thank you for
00:35:12.560 listening to Verdict with
00:35:13.960 Senator Ted Cruz.
00:35:15.020 Ben Ferguson with you.
00:35:15.940 Don't forget to download my
00:35:17.160 podcast.
00:35:17.780 And you can listen to my
00:35:18.620 podcast every other day.
00:35:19.600 You're not listening to
00:35:20.260 Verdict or each day when you
00:35:21.500 listen to Verdict afterwards.
00:35:22.880 I'd love to have you as a
00:35:24.180 listener to, again, the Ben
00:35:25.620 Ferguson podcast.
00:35:26.780 And the Senator and I will see
00:35:27.620 you back here for the weekend
00:35:29.320 review on Saturday morning.
00:35:31.720 This is an iHeart podcast.
00:35:34.580 Guaranteed human.
00:35:35.220 You.
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00:35:44.000 You.
00:35:44.280 You.