Verdict with Ted Cruz - June 28, 2025


Liberal Logic on Iran, Hegseth takes it to the Media & Screwing up the Iranian End Game Week In Review


Episode Stats

Misogynist Sentences

6

Hate Speech Sentences

56


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.620 Guaranteed human.
00:00:05.300 Welcome.
00:00:06.020 It is Verdict with Ted Cruz, Weekend Review.
00:00:08.620 Ben Ferguson with you.
00:00:09.640 And here are the big stories that we talked about this week that you may have missed.
00:00:13.000 First up, talk about liberal logic.
00:00:15.580 Since the attack on Iran, liberals are afraid of Iran's response to what Donald Trump is
00:00:21.580 doing, saying he could be starting World War III.
00:00:23.980 Yet they're not afraid of Iran actually getting a nuclear weapon.
00:00:27.560 We'll break that down for you.
00:00:28.820 Also, the DOD Secretary, Pete Hedseth, briefing, doing it directly to the media, calling them
00:00:36.180 out to their faces on their lies about the damage assessment.
00:00:40.520 And finally, the big question moving forward is, what's next?
00:00:44.840 And what can happen if we screw up the endgame?
00:00:48.080 It's the Weekend Review, and it starts right now.
00:00:51.220 Let's talk a little bit about the liberal logic that has been coming out of so many Democrats
00:00:55.060 since this attack took place.
00:00:56.860 And the people who seem to be obsessing over Iran's response, implying that their response
00:01:04.220 is Donald Trump's fault that they're going to respond, are the same idiots that were not afraid of Iran getting a nuclear weapon.
00:01:12.820 Can you explain that liberal logic, please?
00:01:15.580 Sadly, today's Democrat Party sides with every enemy of America.
00:01:20.140 They side on the other side.
00:01:21.660 Look, J.K. Rowling tweeted this weekend about this person, India Willoughby.
00:01:28.720 Now, I'll confess, I have no idea who India Willoughby is.
00:01:31.720 But J.K. Rowling tweeted,
00:01:33.480 India, a fan of women-hating, gay-hating, authoritarian regime, color me astonished.
00:01:39.660 So I went and Googled who is this India Willoughby person, and it turns out, according to Wikipedia,
00:01:45.920 quote, she is Britain's first transgender national television newsreader.
00:01:53.400 Now, pause for a second, Ben.
00:01:56.020 Iran murders transgender people.
00:01:59.760 They throw them off buildings.
00:02:01.100 If you are gay, they murder you.
00:02:04.320 And think about the mindset of a leftist who, this transgender newsreader in, I guess, the U.K.,
00:02:13.940 is like, even though the Ayatollah wants to murder me, I stand with the Ayatollah rather than America.
00:02:22.260 That is how messed up leftists are right now.
00:02:24.920 They're like, oh, homicidal, theocratic, women-oppressing, gay-murdering, torturing, genocidal lunatics.
00:02:35.340 Those are my people.
00:02:37.240 It doesn't make any sense to me.
00:02:39.160 And then you go back to also the quotes that people have been posting,
00:02:43.680 and I think it's really important that history reflect.
00:02:46.520 You go back to Bill Clinton, Senator, and he said that Iran couldn't get a nuclear weapon.
00:02:50.880 Hillary Clinton, when she was a senator, Secretary of State, and running for president, said Iran cannot get a nuclear weapon.
00:02:58.600 Barack Obama said that he cannot get a nuclear weapon.
00:03:02.480 You had Joe Biden that said they couldn't get a nuclear weapon.
00:03:05.820 And then they're at 60-plus percent, and Donald Trump stops them,
00:03:10.360 and then all of the left's like, you can't do that.
00:03:13.000 You're going to start World War III.
00:03:14.440 This is somehow your fault.
00:03:15.840 You're the aggressor.
00:03:16.720 And understand, the reason we are here is because of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
00:03:23.060 Barack Obama negotiated the disastrous Iran nuclear deal.
00:03:26.660 That flooded billions and billions of dollars into Iran.
00:03:30.900 Listen, remember, Obama literally flew $1.7 billion of cash, unmarked bills on a pallet to deliver to the Ayatollah.
00:03:38.700 That agreement set the stage for Iran to get nuclear weapons.
00:03:43.360 Donald Trump, when he came in as president.
00:03:45.260 Can we look at that deal for a second, and just now, in hindsight, what really was that deal?
00:03:50.960 Was that deal a, hey, I don't want to have to deal with you guys, so let's just, you kind of play nice with me,
00:03:56.580 and then I'll kick the can down the road to another administration?
00:03:59.540 Like, in hindsight, what was that?
00:04:01.640 Why did we do that deal?
00:04:03.480 It was radical ideology.
00:04:05.580 You know, when Barack Obama first became president,
00:04:08.180 he went and gave a speech at the University of Cairo in Egypt.
00:04:11.400 And in that speech, he said Iran has a right, and he used the word right, a right to nuclear technology.
00:04:20.020 Now, that is nutty.
00:04:21.460 That is, I'm familiar with the right to the pursuit of happiness.
00:04:25.300 I'm not familiar with a right to possess thermonuclear weapons.
00:04:29.280 And at the end of the day, I think Barack Obama and his entire team came in with an ideological view
00:04:36.660 that America's role in the world is fundamentally illegitimate, that we are colonial oppressors.
00:04:42.620 Look, as you know, my last book was Unwoke, How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America.
00:04:47.140 These are the cultural Marxists.
00:04:48.540 They view America as illegitimate, and therefore, they view that we have no business,
00:04:55.040 we have no right stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
00:04:58.960 Listen, the Obama-Iran nuclear deal would inevitably lead to Iran with nuclear weapons.
00:05:04.560 These guys are not idiots.
00:05:05.880 They knew that.
00:05:07.220 They're fine with that outcome because they believe America has no right to prevent it.
00:05:12.360 My view is, yes, we do.
00:05:13.960 If you've got a lunatic who's saying death to America,
00:05:16.740 and we have the power to stop him from getting nuclear weapons,
00:05:19.660 we will use that power because the commander-in-chief is not going to fail to protect America.
00:05:26.020 And I've got to say, by the way, the useful idiots across the globe.
00:05:29.400 Hey, you've got the Democrats today who are all chirping about,
00:05:32.500 how dare you act to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon?
00:05:35.580 We also had the Secretary of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres,
00:05:40.300 who put out a statement.
00:05:41.300 I'm going to read it to you.
00:05:42.080 I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today.
00:05:48.260 This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge
00:05:52.040 and a direct threat to international peace and security.
00:05:56.220 There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control
00:06:00.920 with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.
00:06:05.260 I call on member states to de-escalate
00:06:08.000 and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law.
00:06:13.520 At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos.
00:06:18.680 There is no military solution.
00:06:20.900 The only path forward is diplomacy.
00:06:23.480 The only hope is peace.
00:06:26.100 What a blithering idiot.
00:06:28.200 I'll tell you what I tweeted today.
00:06:29.780 I tweeted, of course, the UN sides with Iran.
00:06:34.320 Clown face emoji, clown face emoji, clown face emoji.
00:06:37.080 The only thing they couldn't decide is which chant they agree with more strongly.
00:06:44.720 Quote, death to Israel or, quote, death to America.
00:06:49.360 And then I asked a simple question.
00:06:51.760 Remind me again why we're paying their bills?
00:06:55.480 It's a fair question.
00:06:56.520 And you've got to wonder what's the point of being involved
00:06:58.880 if this is how insane they actually are.
00:07:01.920 So let's move to...
00:07:02.940 By the way, Ben, I also observed,
00:07:05.440 I think Tehran would make a lovely UN headquarters,
00:07:09.340 just located right there,
00:07:11.340 maybe on the smoldering ashes of Florida.
00:07:13.860 We can put the UN there,
00:07:15.600 and they can all get together with their anti-Israel hate
00:07:18.420 and their anti-American hate,
00:07:19.880 and they can sit there and glow radioactive
00:07:22.000 while they talk about developing nuclear weapons to bomb America.
00:07:27.680 At least it would be intellectually honest.
00:07:29.280 Like, where's the UN?
00:07:30.240 It's in Tehran.
00:07:30.980 Okay, that makes sense.
00:07:33.580 Look, that's who they...
00:07:35.480 This should not be complicated.
00:07:40.080 Iran, like...
00:07:42.480 Let me ask you, Ben, seriously,
00:07:43.780 put yourself in the head of the UN Secretary General.
00:07:47.480 How do you look at this and say,
00:07:49.120 where do I stand?
00:07:50.420 I know, with Iran.
00:07:51.760 Like, what thought process goes through your brain?
00:07:55.540 Yeah, what's the upside of doing that, and why?
00:07:57.760 And especially if you know what Iran just did
00:08:00.160 and how many terrorist organizations they've supported
00:08:02.440 that are just beyond, I mean, factually accurate.
00:08:06.880 Hamas, Hezbollah, and the UN's like,
00:08:08.620 we got you.
00:08:09.220 We're going to cover for you.
00:08:10.260 Don't worry.
00:08:10.960 We got your back.
00:08:11.860 It is...
00:08:12.580 And that's the reason why I think
00:08:13.940 it delegitimizes the United Nations
00:08:16.000 to the point where I just roll my eyes at them.
00:08:17.880 Now, I don't pay attention to what they say.
00:08:20.140 Final question, and this is what is next.
00:08:22.880 It's very clear there's a warning from this president.
00:08:25.960 Don't screw with us moving forward.
00:08:28.340 If Iran is dumb enough to retaliate against Americans
00:08:32.360 in the Middle East,
00:08:34.420 maybe even shutting down the Strait of Hormuz,
00:08:36.820 what is the president's obligation moving forward on that?
00:08:41.560 Well, one of the consequences of the bombing run
00:08:43.580 is the parliament in Iran did vote
00:08:45.520 to shut down the Straits of Hormuz.
00:08:47.380 Now, the parliament's not the decision maker.
00:08:49.820 At the end of the day, the Ayatollah's the decision maker.
00:08:52.000 So it's not clear if Iran is going to do so or not.
00:08:55.180 If it did so, it would impact America,
00:08:57.340 but it would impact China even more.
00:08:59.740 Roughly half of the oil that China uses
00:09:02.080 travels through the Straits of Hormuz.
00:09:04.120 A very small percentage of American oil
00:09:06.440 travels through there.
00:09:07.440 But that being said,
00:09:09.160 if the Straits of Hormuz were shut down,
00:09:11.440 it would impact America
00:09:12.560 because it would drive up global oil prices.
00:09:15.420 It would drive up gasoline prices at home.
00:09:17.520 And that would impact Americans.
00:09:19.020 I hope that doesn't happen.
00:09:21.080 I think if they try to shut down
00:09:22.700 those major trade routes and commerce routes,
00:09:25.360 I think we will see force to open them up
00:09:29.140 because Iran does not have the right
00:09:30.760 to shut down the ability of America
00:09:33.040 and the rest of the world
00:09:34.000 to engage in trade and commerce.
00:09:35.580 That is a possible escalation.
00:09:38.240 I think the most likely escalation
00:09:40.480 is going to be continued attacks
00:09:42.980 on civilians in Israel
00:09:44.380 because at the end of the day,
00:09:46.100 I think the Ayatollah and the Mullahs,
00:09:47.840 they hate the Jewish people.
00:09:50.320 And murdering innocent civilians
00:09:52.320 is something that they believe in.
00:09:56.060 I worry, as I said,
00:09:58.360 about the risk of terrorist attacks as well.
00:10:00.940 I think those are sadly the two most likely.
00:10:04.440 The people of Israel,
00:10:05.840 I know the government of Israel,
00:10:07.320 the Iron Dome,
00:10:08.400 they're working hard to protect their civilians.
00:10:10.540 America is assisting in that.
00:10:11.940 And here at home,
00:10:13.620 law enforcement and Homeland Security
00:10:15.780 and the Department of Justice
00:10:16.800 are all working hard
00:10:18.060 to intercept and stop
00:10:21.880 any terrorist attack before it occurs.
00:10:23.920 But understand these are dangerous times,
00:10:27.420 but they're dangerous times
00:10:28.540 because we have enemies
00:10:29.680 that wish to do harm to America.
00:10:32.160 And that's why the responsibility
00:10:33.680 that the president has
00:10:35.160 is so grave and serious.
00:10:37.200 And I will say,
00:10:38.260 listening to President Trump speak Saturday night,
00:10:40.760 I think there are times
00:10:42.220 where the weight of the job
00:10:43.560 really falls on his shoulders
00:10:46.040 and he feels it.
00:10:47.540 And I think Saturday night was one of them
00:10:49.420 because it was an incredibly consequential moment
00:10:54.100 in our nation's history
00:10:55.220 and a very positive moment
00:10:57.820 of the president standing up and saying,
00:10:59.920 my first responsibility is to defend America
00:11:02.640 and I will not shirk from that responsibility.
00:11:05.860 Now, if you want to hear
00:11:07.060 the rest of this conversation,
00:11:08.580 you can go back and listen
00:11:09.960 to the full podcast
00:11:11.160 from earlier this week.
00:11:12.980 Canadian women are looking for more,
00:11:15.180 more out of themselves,
00:11:16.260 their businesses,
00:11:17.200 their elected leaders
00:11:17.960 and the world around them.
00:11:19.380 And that's why we're thrilled
00:11:20.340 to introduce the Honest Talk podcast.
00:11:23.200 I'm Jennifer Stewart.
00:11:24.300 And I'm Catherine Clark.
00:11:25.500 And in this podcast,
00:11:26.580 we interview Canada's
00:11:27.620 most inspiring women,
00:11:29.120 entrepreneurs, artists,
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00:11:35.020 So if you're looking to connect,
00:11:36.820 then we hope you'll join us.
00:11:37.980 Listen to the Honest Talk podcast
00:11:39.620 on iHeartRadio
00:11:40.620 or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
00:11:44.040 Now on to story number two.
00:11:46.520 Senator, I want to play for everybody.
00:11:49.280 Pete had Seth at the Pentagon
00:11:51.400 briefing about how effective
00:11:54.480 this attack actually was
00:11:56.040 and saying it directly
00:11:57.320 to the media's face.
00:11:58.320 Take a listen.
00:11:59.720 Read some of the assessments
00:12:01.380 that have been provided
00:12:02.540 because whether it's fake news,
00:12:04.900 CNN, MSNBC or the New York Times,
00:12:09.040 there's been fawning coverage
00:12:10.620 of a preliminary assessment.
00:12:12.720 I've had a chance to read it.
00:12:13.880 Every outlet has breathlessly reported
00:12:16.920 on a preliminary assessment
00:12:18.540 from DIA.
00:12:20.420 I'm looking at it right now.
00:12:23.020 Again, it was preliminary
00:12:23.920 a day and a half
00:12:24.860 after the actual strike.
00:12:27.040 When it admits itself
00:12:28.660 in writing that it requires weeks
00:12:30.100 to accumulate the necessary data
00:12:31.580 to make such an assessment,
00:12:32.520 it's preliminary.
00:12:33.560 It points out
00:12:34.600 that it's not been coordinated
00:12:35.880 with the intelligence community
00:12:37.040 at all.
00:12:38.740 There's low confidence
00:12:39.860 in this particular report.
00:12:41.760 There's, it says in the report,
00:12:43.120 there are gaps in the information.
00:12:44.440 It says in the report,
00:12:45.920 multiple linchpin assumptions
00:12:48.140 are what this assessment,
00:12:50.240 a linchpin assumption,
00:12:51.100 you know what that is?
00:12:52.140 That means your entire premise
00:12:53.520 is predicated on a linchpin.
00:12:54.920 If you're wrong,
00:12:55.560 everything else is wrong.
00:12:57.220 And yet, still,
00:12:59.120 this report acknowledges
00:13:00.080 it's likely severe damage.
00:13:02.040 Again, this is preliminary,
00:13:03.280 but leaked because someone
00:13:05.580 had an agenda
00:13:06.120 to try to muddy the waters
00:13:07.180 and make it look like
00:13:07.820 this historic strike
00:13:09.160 wasn't successful.
00:13:10.720 I'm going to get to the chairman
00:13:11.420 in a moment
00:13:11.820 because he's going to lay out
00:13:12.820 the particulars for you
00:13:14.460 based on his professional
00:13:15.960 military experience.
00:13:16.980 But here's what other folks
00:13:17.840 are saying.
00:13:18.720 The DIA that put that report out
00:13:20.760 says that this is a preliminary
00:13:22.800 low confidence report
00:13:24.160 and will continue to be refined
00:13:25.940 as additional intelligence
00:13:27.360 becomes available.
00:13:29.260 How about the Israeli
00:13:31.280 Atomic Energy Commission?
00:13:33.240 The devastating U.S. strikes
00:13:34.560 on Fordow destroyed
00:13:36.020 the site's critical infrastructure
00:13:37.680 and rendered the enrichment
00:13:39.440 facility inoperable.
00:13:41.660 Have any of these quotes
00:13:42.640 made their way into
00:13:43.240 the New York Times
00:13:43.800 or the Washington Post?
00:13:45.700 MSNBC?
00:13:47.200 CNN?
00:13:48.520 Any of these quotes?
00:13:49.280 How about this one?
00:13:49.800 This is a new one.
00:13:50.460 From the U.N.,
00:13:51.180 the United Nations.
00:13:52.840 No friend of the United States
00:13:54.140 or certainly Israel often.
00:13:55.540 Here's the head
00:13:56.760 of the U.N.
00:13:57.760 Atomic Energy Agency
00:13:59.140 this morning.
00:14:00.440 Rafael Grossi.
00:14:02.000 U.S. and Israeli strikes
00:14:03.420 caused enormous damage
00:14:05.580 to Iran's nuclear sites.
00:14:08.560 Don't take my word for it.
00:14:09.780 How about the IDF's
00:14:10.740 chief of staff?
00:14:12.140 I can say here
00:14:12.960 that the assessment
00:14:13.660 is that we significantly
00:14:15.480 damaged the nuclear program
00:14:16.860 setting it back by years.
00:14:18.460 I repeat, years.
00:14:20.760 The Iranian foreign minister,
00:14:23.200 the spokesman,
00:14:23.880 our nuclear institutions
00:14:24.820 have been badly damaged,
00:14:26.120 that's for sure.
00:14:27.500 I'm sure that's
00:14:28.220 an understatement.
00:14:29.880 John Radcliffe,
00:14:31.180 the director of the CIA,
00:14:32.540 putting out a statement
00:14:33.340 just last night.
00:14:34.600 CIA can confirm
00:14:35.820 that a body
00:14:36.460 of credible intelligence
00:14:37.540 indicates Iran's
00:14:39.180 nuclear program
00:14:40.020 has been severely damaged
00:14:41.820 by recent targeted strikes.
00:14:44.140 This includes
00:14:44.680 new intelligence
00:14:45.320 from a historically reliable,
00:14:47.600 very different
00:14:48.260 than preliminary assessment
00:14:49.880 with low confidence.
00:14:51.800 He's saying,
00:14:52.280 historically reliable
00:14:53.480 and accurate source
00:14:54.600 and method
00:14:55.080 that several key
00:14:56.440 Iranian nuclear facilities
00:14:57.740 were destroyed
00:14:59.480 and would have to be rebuilt
00:15:02.060 over the course of years.
00:15:04.780 You listen to all of that data
00:15:06.980 and I love how he laid it out.
00:15:08.720 He's not just saying
00:15:09.680 this is from our administration.
00:15:11.680 This is from people
00:15:12.600 that hate us.
00:15:13.280 This is from the UN.
00:15:14.040 This is from Iran.
00:15:15.120 Like, how the hell
00:15:16.340 did you guys go with this report
00:15:17.780 when it's so off from reality?
00:15:19.500 Look, I think the evidence
00:15:21.660 is indisputable.
00:15:23.820 And it's worth noting,
00:15:28.400 he said,
00:15:29.520 the Secretary of Defense
00:15:30.460 said in that press conference
00:15:31.660 that the Iranian
00:15:33.480 nuclear weapons program
00:15:34.780 has been set back years.
00:15:37.460 I can tell you
00:15:38.140 I spent an hour and a half
00:15:39.280 in a classified briefing.
00:15:40.920 I can't tell you
00:15:41.720 what was in that briefing.
00:15:43.240 But we heard nothing
00:15:44.440 that was inconsistent
00:15:45.780 with what the Secretary of Defense
00:15:47.440 said in that press conference,
00:15:49.800 which is that
00:15:50.580 this military attack
00:15:52.300 set Iran's nuclear program
00:15:54.200 back years.
00:15:55.940 It was incredibly effective.
00:15:58.440 And so that is cause
00:16:00.020 for celebration,
00:16:00.720 which is why the Democrats
00:16:02.060 don't want people
00:16:02.920 to know about it.
00:16:03.560 The media don't want people
00:16:04.460 to know about it.
00:16:05.620 But I have to say,
00:16:06.820 I mentioned at the outset
00:16:07.920 of this program,
00:16:08.620 we were going to discuss
00:16:09.740 what happened.
00:16:10.380 But every bit as importantly,
00:16:12.740 we're going to discuss
00:16:13.540 what's going to happen next.
00:16:15.920 And listen,
00:16:16.360 it's one thing to talk
00:16:17.400 about where the puck is today,
00:16:19.680 but you've got to look
00:16:20.580 at where the puck
00:16:21.160 is going to be tomorrow.
00:16:23.080 And where the puck
00:16:25.020 is going to be tomorrow,
00:16:26.200 there was a CNN report
00:16:27.440 that came out this week
00:16:29.240 that said,
00:16:29.780 quote,
00:16:30.580 the Trump admin
00:16:32.000 is considering offering Iran
00:16:33.920 a series of major benefits
00:16:35.960 to bring it back
00:16:37.380 to the negotiating table.
00:16:38.640 According to the report,
00:16:41.060 Washington is considering
00:16:42.360 helping Iran
00:16:43.400 establish a nuclear program
00:16:46.360 for the purpose
00:16:47.680 of producing civilian energy
00:16:49.600 at a cost of about
00:16:51.600 $30 billion,
00:16:54.320 easing sanctions
00:16:55.360 and unfreezing billions
00:16:57.580 of frozen Iranian dollars.
00:17:00.260 And I will tell you,
00:17:01.500 within the Trump administration
00:17:02.820 right now,
00:17:03.540 there is a battle.
00:17:04.480 There are voices
00:17:05.200 within the Trump administration.
00:17:06.340 These are the voices
00:17:07.300 that opposed the strike
00:17:09.280 on Iran,
00:17:09.960 that wanted to have
00:17:11.960 weakness and appeasement
00:17:13.220 towards Iran,
00:17:14.100 who are now saying,
00:17:15.660 well,
00:17:15.820 after the strike,
00:17:16.760 after victory,
00:17:18.080 we should flow
00:17:19.760 billions of dollars
00:17:21.100 to Iran.
00:17:21.960 We should let them
00:17:22.800 sell oil,
00:17:23.980 let them sell oil
00:17:24.900 to China.
00:17:25.740 We should let them
00:17:26.620 make billions.
00:17:27.880 And I got to tell you,
00:17:28.840 this is the same
00:17:29.800 failed approach
00:17:30.920 of Barack Obama
00:17:32.580 and Joe Biden.
00:17:34.040 we should,
00:17:35.700 under no circumstances,
00:17:37.220 allow the Ayatollah
00:17:38.660 who chants death
00:17:40.120 to America,
00:17:40.800 who has been actively
00:17:42.380 trying to murder
00:17:43.320 President Trump.
00:17:44.280 We should not let him
00:17:45.260 win a windfall
00:17:46.380 and get billions
00:17:48.080 of dollars to use
00:17:49.540 to wage war
00:17:50.340 against America.
00:17:51.460 How did we even
00:17:52.480 get to this point
00:17:53.500 where this was
00:17:54.480 a real possibility?
00:17:55.800 Where is this coming from?
00:17:57.740 Because it is shocking.
00:17:58.960 Like you said,
00:17:59.640 you don't want to do
00:18:00.100 the same thing
00:18:00.600 that was a failure
00:18:01.260 with the last administrations
00:18:03.620 where they're like,
00:18:04.180 hey,
00:18:04.460 here's billions of dollars,
00:18:05.800 we'll put it on a plane
00:18:06.660 and here's a bunch
00:18:08.020 of American money,
00:18:09.080 have a great day.
00:18:11.140 Listen,
00:18:11.680 there are voices
00:18:12.120 in the Republican Party
00:18:13.200 who have decided
00:18:14.020 to embrace isolationism,
00:18:15.880 who have decided
00:18:16.680 to say we should
00:18:17.740 withdraw from the world.
00:18:19.340 You and I talked
00:18:20.000 previously on this podcast
00:18:21.120 about the interview
00:18:21.960 I did with Tucker Carlson.
00:18:24.200 I knew what that
00:18:25.120 was going to be.
00:18:25.840 I knew when I accepted
00:18:26.920 that interview
00:18:27.520 that Tucker was coming
00:18:28.460 after me,
00:18:29.040 that he was going
00:18:29.520 to do everything he can
00:18:30.780 to blast me.
00:18:32.220 And he and I spent
00:18:33.020 two hours.
00:18:34.000 It was a bloodbath.
00:18:36.900 We were pounding
00:18:37.560 the hell out of each other.
00:18:39.200 But every single thing
00:18:40.940 Tucker said about Iran
00:18:42.080 and Israel proved wrong.
00:18:43.520 Tucker said publicly,
00:18:45.000 if America strikes Iran,
00:18:48.600 we would be dragged
00:18:49.720 into World War III.
00:18:51.280 Thousands of Americans
00:18:52.380 would be killed.
00:18:53.480 And in World War III,
00:18:54.880 we would lose.
00:18:56.640 Now, Ben,
00:18:57.160 that wasn't slightly wrong.
00:18:58.560 It wasn't a little bit wrong.
00:18:59.700 It was totally,
00:19:01.000 catastrophically,
00:19:01.960 utterly false.
00:19:03.500 Tucker also argued
00:19:04.520 with me at great length.
00:19:06.140 It's not true
00:19:07.140 that Iran is trying
00:19:08.720 to murder Donald J. Trump.
00:19:11.340 Well, you know,
00:19:13.220 it's one thing
00:19:13.820 if you're a talk show host
00:19:15.640 and you can just kind of
00:19:16.520 yell into the microphone
00:19:17.480 and ignore facts.
00:19:19.260 But facts matter.
00:19:20.640 The truth matters.
00:19:22.160 It is an objective fact
00:19:24.100 that Iran has been
00:19:26.440 trying to murder
00:19:27.220 Donald J. Trump,
00:19:28.160 has been trying
00:19:28.740 to murder him
00:19:29.360 for several years.
00:19:31.200 And I pointed this out
00:19:32.280 in the interview.
00:19:32.720 I put it out afterwards.
00:19:33.700 I put out
00:19:34.280 the sealed indictment
00:19:36.300 from the Department of Justice
00:19:37.540 indicting Iranian hitmen
00:19:39.200 who were here
00:19:39.980 in the United States
00:19:40.760 trying to murder
00:19:41.520 Donald J. Trump.
00:19:42.880 I put out video
00:19:44.460 of President Trump
00:19:45.400 talking about
00:19:46.220 the Iranians
00:19:46.860 trying to murder him.
00:19:47.700 I put out video
00:19:48.600 of senior Iranian leaders
00:19:50.500 talking about
00:19:51.360 their intention
00:19:52.540 to murder Donald Trump.
00:19:53.840 I put out a video
00:19:55.380 that the IRGC put out,
00:19:57.380 an animated video
00:19:58.560 of an Iranian drone
00:20:00.380 murdering Donald Trump
00:20:02.200 on the golf course
00:20:03.480 at Mar-a-Lago.
00:20:04.540 And it is an objective fact.
00:20:06.900 And this is where,
00:20:08.080 again,
00:20:08.480 the sort of
00:20:09.220 isolationist rhetoric
00:20:10.260 is weird.
00:20:10.860 Because when I said
00:20:12.720 that Iran was trying
00:20:13.780 to murder
00:20:14.200 President Trump
00:20:15.460 and Tucker said,
00:20:16.920 I've never heard that.
00:20:18.480 And then he did
00:20:18.960 his kind of weird,
00:20:20.040 high-pitched cackle.
00:20:21.640 He then came back
00:20:23.960 with this bizarre statement.
00:20:26.260 Well, if that were true
00:20:28.000 that Iran were trying
00:20:29.080 to murder Donald J. Trump,
00:20:30.660 well, then we should
00:20:31.500 attack them immediately.
00:20:32.560 We should nuke them.
00:20:34.480 And I got to say,
00:20:35.620 I kind of wondered
00:20:36.380 if like Tucker Carlson's
00:20:38.080 old neocon,
00:20:39.580 to be clear,
00:20:40.240 Tucker Carlson was someone
00:20:41.480 who during the Iraq War
00:20:43.380 was a cheerleader
00:20:45.400 for the Iraq War.
00:20:46.420 He basically put on
00:20:47.340 a short skirt
00:20:48.020 and pom-poms.
00:20:49.620 I think the Iraq War
00:20:50.640 was a mistake.
00:20:51.420 I've been vocal
00:20:51.960 about that for years.
00:20:53.760 Tucker cheered it on.
00:20:55.440 It is loopy.
00:20:56.820 It is Froot Loops
00:20:57.980 to say you should
00:20:59.540 nuke Iran
00:21:00.360 because they're doing that.
00:21:01.640 No, the right thing
00:21:02.560 to do is what
00:21:03.740 President Trump did,
00:21:04.820 which is take out
00:21:05.720 their nuclear weapons
00:21:06.780 capability.
00:21:08.280 And I got to say,
00:21:10.900 Tucker's voice
00:21:11.760 and their allies
00:21:12.760 of Tucker
00:21:13.280 in the administration
00:21:14.300 who were desperately
00:21:16.280 trying to convince
00:21:17.240 the president,
00:21:18.500 do not attack
00:21:19.560 Iran,
00:21:20.720 do not take out
00:21:21.400 their nuclear weapons
00:21:22.160 capability,
00:21:22.840 do not support Israel,
00:21:24.320 abandon Israel.
00:21:25.940 They were wrong
00:21:26.820 and they lost this battle
00:21:28.460 but the second iteration
00:21:29.740 and this is coming
00:21:30.700 is they're now saying,
00:21:33.840 okay,
00:21:34.780 now that you've won,
00:21:36.220 give the Ayatollah
00:21:37.320 billions of dollars
00:21:38.360 because it works out
00:21:39.200 really well
00:21:39.740 when you give billions
00:21:41.000 of dollars
00:21:41.460 to a theocratic lunatic
00:21:42.700 who says they want
00:21:43.780 to murder you
00:21:44.500 and is still actively
00:21:45.840 trying to murder you.
00:21:46.840 That is incredibly foolish
00:21:48.740 and so I'm urging
00:21:50.800 the president,
00:21:51.700 don't listen
00:21:52.380 to those voices.
00:21:53.380 They were wrong before
00:21:54.400 and they're wrong now.
00:21:56.160 Do not send billions
00:21:57.620 of dollars
00:21:58.180 to the Ayatollah.
00:21:59.420 As before,
00:22:00.500 if you want to hear
00:22:01.180 the rest of this conversation
00:22:02.400 on this topic,
00:22:03.680 you can go back
00:22:04.420 and download the podcast
00:22:05.720 from earlier this week
00:22:06.560 to hear the entire thing.
00:22:08.680 Canadian women
00:22:09.460 are looking for more.
00:22:10.780 More out of themselves,
00:22:11.840 their businesses,
00:22:12.780 their elected leaders,
00:22:13.740 and the world around them.
00:22:14.780 And that's why
00:22:15.420 we're thrilled
00:22:15.920 to introduce
00:22:16.580 the Honest Talk Podcast.
00:22:18.700 I'm Jennifer Stewart.
00:22:19.880 And I'm Catherine Clark.
00:22:21.100 And in this podcast,
00:22:22.180 we interview
00:22:22.720 Canada's most inspiring women,
00:22:24.720 entrepreneurs,
00:22:25.560 artists,
00:22:26.220 athletes,
00:22:26.840 politicians,
00:22:27.480 and newsmakers,
00:22:28.400 all at different stages
00:22:29.460 of their journey.
00:22:30.600 So if you're looking
00:22:31.620 to connect,
00:22:32.420 then we hope you'll join us.
00:22:33.840 Listen to the Honest Talk Podcast
00:22:35.060 on iHeartRadio
00:22:36.200 or wherever you listen
00:22:37.180 to your podcasts.
00:22:39.540 I want to get back
00:22:40.760 to the big story
00:22:41.960 number three of the week
00:22:42.900 you may have missed.
00:22:43.660 Where things are going now
00:22:45.740 and how we could
00:22:47.480 screw up the endgame
00:22:49.120 here with Iran
00:22:49.980 with some in this country
00:22:51.800 saying,
00:22:52.380 well,
00:22:52.520 maybe we should appease
00:22:53.500 them a little bit.
00:22:54.460 Doesn't make a lot of sense.
00:22:56.180 Yet that's where we are.
00:22:57.520 And Senator,
00:22:57.960 you had this to say
00:22:58.900 on Hannity's show
00:22:59.780 about as well.
00:23:01.060 Something else, Sean.
00:23:02.640 There are voices
00:23:03.800 in the administration
00:23:04.660 now that the president
00:23:06.080 has scored
00:23:06.660 an historic victory
00:23:07.740 who are urging,
00:23:09.520 let's cut a deal,
00:23:10.340 let's let Iran sell oils,
00:23:11.820 let's lift all the sanctions,
00:23:12.960 let's make this a victory
00:23:14.740 for the Ayatollah.
00:23:16.240 Understand this,
00:23:17.320 Ayatollah still hates America,
00:23:18.980 he chanced death to America,
00:23:20.380 and he's been trying
00:23:21.340 to murder Donald Trump.
00:23:23.080 And so,
00:23:23.760 it would be a catastrophic mistake
00:23:25.800 to flood billions of dollars
00:23:27.620 into Iran.
00:23:29.420 I agree with you.
00:23:31.040 What if they use a proxy
00:23:32.520 to attack Israel?
00:23:33.620 Does that end the ceasefire?
00:23:34.780 Because I would imagine
00:23:35.620 that's the next plan.
00:23:38.040 Real quick.
00:23:38.540 You know,
00:23:39.500 I will tell you
00:23:40.120 one of the best indications
00:23:41.400 of how successful
00:23:42.260 this attack was,
00:23:43.600 within hours,
00:23:44.700 Iran was rushing
00:23:45.840 to have a ceasefire.
00:23:47.020 That's because
00:23:47.620 they are utterly decimated
00:23:49.320 and weakened,
00:23:49.980 and that's why
00:23:50.440 they wanted a ceasefire.
00:23:51.880 But don't think
00:23:52.780 for a minute
00:23:53.280 they suddenly love America
00:23:54.700 or love Israel.
00:23:55.560 They still hate us.
00:23:56.820 They are still our enemy,
00:23:57.820 but we have taken away
00:23:59.240 their ability
00:23:59.820 to murder Americans.
00:24:01.180 If they use a proxy
00:24:02.460 to attack Israel,
00:24:04.120 are they to blame?
00:24:04.760 Of course they are.
00:24:07.980 The proxies,
00:24:08.720 Hezbollah and Hamas,
00:24:09.980 work for Iran.
00:24:11.260 They pay for them
00:24:12.080 and they control them.
00:24:13.980 All right,
00:24:14.340 Senator Ted Cruz,
00:24:15.220 we always appreciate
00:24:15.920 your time, Senator.
00:24:16.800 Thank you.
00:24:17.580 Strong close there, Senator,
00:24:19.060 and it's the truth.
00:24:20.400 This is what people
00:24:21.280 are trying to do now.
00:24:23.600 It absolutely is,
00:24:24.840 and I'll tell you
00:24:25.320 one point that I made
00:24:26.220 on Hannity
00:24:26.680 that I think is powerful.
00:24:28.400 We started this show
00:24:29.760 by talking about
00:24:30.640 how the Democrats
00:24:31.600 and the media
00:24:32.060 are trying to claim
00:24:32.920 the attack
00:24:33.900 was not effective.
00:24:35.760 If that were true,
00:24:37.740 why did Iran
00:24:39.080 immediately want
00:24:40.640 a ceasefire?
00:24:42.360 Look, Iran has been
00:24:43.560 at war with Israel
00:24:44.840 for years.
00:24:45.700 They have been
00:24:46.040 lobbying missiles.
00:24:47.220 They have been
00:24:47.780 funding Hamas
00:24:48.660 and Hezbollah.
00:24:49.300 Understand,
00:24:50.340 Hamas,
00:24:51.160 more than 90%
00:24:52.420 of Hamas' budget
00:24:53.440 comes from Iran.
00:24:54.860 Hezbollah,
00:24:55.740 more than 90%
00:24:57.060 of Hezbollah's budget
00:24:58.020 comes from Iran.
00:24:59.860 Iran,
00:25:00.520 when the Ayatollah
00:25:01.280 chants death to America
00:25:02.460 and death to Israel,
00:25:03.260 he means it.
00:25:04.540 They have spent
00:25:05.180 millions and millions
00:25:06.240 of dollars.
00:25:06.880 They have killed
00:25:07.380 thousands of American
00:25:09.080 servicemen and women.
00:25:10.280 They have been
00:25:10.600 the leading state
00:25:11.320 sponsor of terrorism
00:25:12.400 for decades.
00:25:14.820 And after this,
00:25:16.600 look,
00:25:17.100 Iran has had
00:25:17.720 a really rough year.
00:25:18.760 October 7th,
00:25:19.640 they funded October 7th,
00:25:21.600 and since October 7th,
00:25:23.220 Hamas has been
00:25:23.920 utterly decimated.
00:25:24.960 Hezbollah has been
00:25:26.060 utterly decimated.
00:25:27.180 Bashar Assad,
00:25:28.040 who was their puppet
00:25:28.680 leader in Syria,
00:25:30.120 he has fallen.
00:25:31.020 The Houthis,
00:25:31.840 who they were funding,
00:25:32.980 who were attacking
00:25:33.740 American ships
00:25:34.640 and shipping through
00:25:35.340 the Suez Canal,
00:25:36.680 they are badly degraded.
00:25:38.300 And now,
00:25:39.860 Iran,
00:25:40.540 when they were on the verge
00:25:41.560 of acquiring nuclear weapons,
00:25:42.880 look,
00:25:43.260 if you're the Ayatollah
00:25:44.380 and you're weak
00:25:45.160 and you're collapsing,
00:25:46.540 getting a nuclear weapon
00:25:47.680 is your Hail Mary.
00:25:48.660 It's the one chance
00:25:49.520 to say,
00:25:49.900 okay,
00:25:50.340 we're relevant,
00:25:51.460 we're strong,
00:25:52.200 and then Israel
00:25:53.220 devastatingly takes out
00:25:55.800 their military capability,
00:25:57.860 their air defenses.
00:25:58.820 Because the entire course
00:26:00.800 of this war,
00:26:01.380 the 12-day war,
00:26:03.000 Iran had no control
00:26:04.260 over their air defenses.
00:26:05.320 Israel had total superiority
00:26:06.780 than the United States
00:26:07.780 when we went in
00:26:08.380 and did our bombing run.
00:26:10.020 Iran could not
00:26:10.960 defend themselves,
00:26:12.240 and then America comes in.
00:26:14.560 I think Iran believed
00:26:15.700 they could talk,
00:26:16.540 talk,
00:26:16.800 talk,
00:26:17.100 and avoid
00:26:18.100 any real consequences.
00:26:19.340 I think they felt
00:26:19.980 that Forda was deep enough
00:26:21.280 under a mountain,
00:26:21.880 there was nothing
00:26:22.320 they could do about it,
00:26:23.580 and that America
00:26:24.580 would never use
00:26:26.000 bunker buster bombs
00:26:26.980 against them.
00:26:27.440 And by the way,
00:26:28.520 Joe Biden never would have.
00:26:29.700 The Democrats never would have.
00:26:31.260 But Donald J. Trump,
00:26:32.520 he's not an isolationist,
00:26:33.780 he's not weak,
00:26:35.320 he's not interested
00:26:36.260 in a prolonged war.
00:26:37.680 Note,
00:26:38.000 we did not invade Iran,
00:26:39.460 we did not send boots
00:26:40.440 on the ground,
00:26:41.400 we're not going there
00:26:42.500 trying to turn them
00:26:43.400 into a democratic utopia,
00:26:44.760 we're not trying to turn
00:26:45.520 them into Switzerland.
00:26:47.180 The objective of the mission
00:26:49.080 was very,
00:26:49.940 very focused.
00:26:51.380 It was to stop Iran
00:26:53.100 from having nuclear weapons capability.
00:26:55.300 And by the way,
00:26:55.740 the reason I went
00:26:57.500 on Tucker Carlson
00:26:58.520 just a week ago
00:26:59.400 was to make clear
00:27:01.080 that President Trump
00:27:02.400 is right
00:27:03.240 and Tucker Carlson
00:27:04.900 was wrong.
00:27:05.640 And I think,
00:27:06.640 I was unhappy
00:27:08.140 with Tucker
00:27:08.620 because he's been
00:27:09.240 attacking President Trump.
00:27:11.220 He said that
00:27:12.100 President Trump
00:27:12.740 was complicit
00:27:13.820 in the attack
00:27:15.600 on Iran.
00:27:16.340 He claimed,
00:27:17.520 amazingly enough,
00:27:19.240 that Donald Trump
00:27:20.260 was not America first,
00:27:22.160 that if you attack Iran,
00:27:24.080 you're not America first.
00:27:25.760 And President Trump
00:27:26.500 quite rightly came back
00:27:27.540 and said,
00:27:27.880 look,
00:27:28.500 I invented the damn term
00:27:30.220 and what I say
00:27:32.620 is what America first is.
00:27:34.520 And he said to Tucker,
00:27:35.900 he said,
00:27:36.400 look,
00:27:36.600 if you want Iran
00:27:37.440 to have a nuclear weapon,
00:27:38.620 that ain't America first
00:27:39.860 because these lunatics
00:27:40.960 want to kill us.
00:27:42.740 President Trump
00:27:43.380 is exactly right.
00:27:45.800 And this has been,
00:27:47.360 I'll tell you,
00:27:48.220 I texted him this week
00:27:49.520 and I told him,
00:27:50.940 Mr. President,
00:27:52.560 this past week
00:27:53.920 has been the single
00:27:55.660 finest leadership
00:27:56.960 you have had
00:27:58.440 the entire time
00:27:59.540 and I'm incredibly proud
00:28:01.240 of the job
00:28:02.260 you're doing
00:28:02.600 as Commander-in-Chief.
00:28:04.040 You know,
00:28:04.760 one of the compare
00:28:05.440 and contrasts
00:28:06.200 that you talk about
00:28:07.080 with this administration
00:28:08.520 in the past
00:28:09.360 was brought up
00:28:10.120 at the White House
00:28:10.600 press briefing room.
00:28:12.300 Carolyn Levitt,
00:28:13.120 I think,
00:28:13.540 did a great job
00:28:14.500 of explaining
00:28:15.100 the difference
00:28:15.940 very much like
00:28:17.060 you just described it.
00:28:17.980 and here's what she said
00:28:19.340 to the press
00:28:19.960 about the real story here.
00:28:21.900 The Iranian regime
00:28:22.820 was weeks away
00:28:23.900 from being able
00:28:24.600 to produce
00:28:25.100 a nuclear weapon
00:28:26.020 that would threaten
00:28:26.740 the entire world
00:28:27.800 before President Trump
00:28:29.340 took this decisive action
00:28:31.000 on Saturday night
00:28:31.900 to obliterate
00:28:32.760 their nuclear capabilities.
00:28:35.000 The contrast
00:28:35.720 in leadership
00:28:36.340 could not be more clear.
00:28:38.120 Barack Obama
00:28:38.780 and Joe Biden
00:28:39.540 sent pallets of cash,
00:28:41.480 American taxpayer dollars,
00:28:43.400 in a failed attempt
00:28:44.280 to buy the Iranian regime's
00:28:45.880 compliance
00:28:46.300 with a weak
00:28:47.120 and ineffective deal.
00:28:49.220 President Trump
00:28:50.000 sent a fleet
00:28:50.940 of American warplanes
00:28:52.220 to destroy Iran's ability
00:28:53.940 to produce
00:28:54.620 a nuclear weapon.
00:28:56.160 The United States
00:28:57.040 and the entire world
00:28:58.040 are safer
00:28:58.760 because of this
00:28:59.600 president's decisiveness.
00:29:01.560 Despite agenda-driven leaks
00:29:03.260 by the fake news media
00:29:04.640 aimed at undermining
00:29:06.100 this incredible accomplishment
00:29:07.460 achieved by President Trump
00:29:08.840 and our brave fighter pilots,
00:29:10.900 there is broad consensus
00:29:12.140 emerging already
00:29:13.180 that Iran's nuclear capabilities
00:29:15.400 were indeed destroyed.
00:29:17.800 The United States,
00:29:19.060 Israel,
00:29:19.660 the United Nations,
00:29:20.500 and even Iran
00:29:21.400 all agree
00:29:22.140 they can no longer build
00:29:23.820 a nuclear weapon.
00:29:25.500 So why did the president
00:29:27.740 immediately turn
00:29:28.620 to obliterating
00:29:29.460 after the Iranian nuclear threat?
00:29:32.120 Securing peace.
00:29:33.340 Within 48 hours
00:29:34.900 of the devastating strike,
00:29:36.600 President Trump
00:29:37.180 and his team
00:29:37.800 brokered a historic ceasefire
00:29:39.380 between Israel and Iran
00:29:41.120 and officially ended
00:29:42.560 the 12-day war.
00:29:44.380 The Middle East
00:29:45.180 is now shifting away
00:29:46.500 from chaos and bloodshed
00:29:47.940 and moving toward
00:29:48.640 the beginning stages
00:29:49.640 of a new era
00:29:50.820 of peace and stability
00:29:52.620 that President Trump
00:29:53.920 has long called on them
00:29:55.060 to achieve.
00:29:56.180 This was unthinkable
00:29:57.140 at this time last week.
00:29:59.120 And this is what
00:29:59.740 peace through strength
00:30:00.660 looks like.
00:30:01.780 I mean,
00:30:02.880 it's just laying it out
00:30:04.240 right to their faces, right?
00:30:05.660 This is what the president said.
00:30:07.760 This is what he believed.
00:30:08.780 This is what he was going to do.
00:30:10.320 We're not back down.
00:30:10.980 And she also said something else
00:30:12.380 that also the DOD
00:30:13.720 said several different ways.
00:30:17.100 How dare you not
00:30:18.420 just give some accolades
00:30:20.660 to the men and women
00:30:21.300 that risked their lives
00:30:22.060 to pull this off
00:30:22.820 and did it flawlessly?
00:30:24.920 Look,
00:30:25.560 peace through strength
00:30:26.560 is exactly what this is.
00:30:28.280 And the left,
00:30:29.140 they have a bizarre view
00:30:30.720 that weakness and appeasement
00:30:32.940 somehow avoids war.
00:30:34.700 Listen,
00:30:35.080 if you look through history,
00:30:36.800 the opposite is true.
00:30:38.860 Weakness and appeasement
00:30:40.120 encourages our enemies.
00:30:41.860 They engage in more hostilities.
00:30:43.880 You get more war.
00:30:45.180 I have joked,
00:30:46.200 but there is a reason
00:30:47.480 nobody goes and studies
00:30:49.160 at the Neville Chamberlain
00:30:50.980 School of Foreign Affairs.
00:30:53.660 Appeasement doesn't work.
00:30:56.340 Donald J. Trump
00:30:57.240 is a strong commander-in-chief,
00:30:58.980 just like Ronald Reagan was.
00:31:00.700 And I'll tell you,
00:31:01.540 your family and my family,
00:31:02.960 all of our families,
00:31:03.780 are safer
00:31:04.440 because President Trump
00:31:05.980 acted decisively
00:31:07.000 to take out
00:31:07.800 Iran's nuclear weapons capability.
00:31:10.000 As always,
00:31:11.380 thank you for listening
00:31:12.560 to Verdict
00:31:13.380 with Senator Ted Cruz,
00:31:14.600 Ben Ferguson with you.
00:31:15.520 Don't forget to download
00:31:16.400 my podcast
00:31:17.200 and you can listen
00:31:17.940 to my podcast
00:31:18.580 every other day
00:31:19.120 you're not listening
00:31:19.700 to Verdict
00:31:20.080 or each day
00:31:20.880 when you listen
00:31:21.280 to Verdict afterwards.
00:31:22.560 I'd love to have you
00:31:23.500 as a listener
00:31:23.980 to, again,
00:31:24.940 the Ben Ferguson podcast
00:31:26.060 and we will see you
00:31:26.980 back here
00:31:27.600 on Monday morning.
00:31:28.720 This is an iHeart podcast.
00:31:32.520 Guaranteed human.