Verdict with Ted Cruz - May 22, 2024


Merrick Garland Personally Approved DEADLY Force for Mar-a-Lago Raid, plus Tony Blinken Decimated for Undermining Israel & Funding Iran


Episode Stats


Length

42 minutes

Words per minute

171.12325

Word count

7,206

Sentence count

527

Harmful content

Misogyny

2

sentences flagged

Toxicity

32

sentences flagged

Hate speech

10

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) takes aim at the Biden administration and the use of deadly force in a raid on Mar-a-Lago by the Secret Service and the Justice Department, and challenges them to explain why they authorized it.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.580 Guaranteed human.
00:00:05.280 Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you.
00:00:09.360 Senator, we have this show, and sometimes we have so much to talk about
00:00:13.980 that it's like, where do we even start?
00:00:16.300 And so tonight, this show is important because we're going to deal with a very important cross-examination
00:00:22.600 that you had today with Anthony Blinken, but we're also going to get to some other important news as well.
00:00:27.460 Well, this show is ultimately about arrogance and unaccountability of the Biden cabinet.
00:00:33.720 We're, number one, going to talk about the fact that Merrick Garland, the attorney general,
00:00:37.180 personally approved the use of deadly force in the raid of Mar-a-Lago.
00:00:42.680 He sent FBI agents in and he told them, if you need to unload your magazines, you do it.
00:00:49.420 It is astonishing. We're going to talk about that.
00:00:52.620 And secondly, we're going to talk about Tony Blinken, the secretary of state,
00:00:55.900 who testified before the Senate yesterday.
00:00:58.540 And he continues to admit nothing, to say that Biden has done nothing wrong on foreign policy,
00:01:07.120 to say the mess all across the world is not Biden's fault,
00:01:10.380 to say the fact that they are backing Hamas and undermining Israel, that's all hunky-dory. 0.87
00:01:15.960 I took the chance to cross-examine him, and I will say his position, I think, was utterly indefensible.
00:01:24.600 Yeah, it was incredible. We're going to play some of that for you in a moment.
00:01:27.640 With inflation still well above the Fed's target rate, you know what's happening with your dollar.
00:01:33.220 It's not buying near as much as it was before, certainly not as much as it was two or three years ago.
00:01:38.540 And that is why we're seeing gold yet again this week at another all-time high.
00:01:44.720 Many around the world are looking to gold and silver to protect their hard-earned dollars
00:01:50.820 as part of a diversified plan to protect your assets.
00:01:55.360 And that is exactly why I want you to know about Freedom Gold USA.
00:01:59.460 Now, here's the number one reason why I tell you to call Freedom Gold.
00:02:04.000 They'll never tell you to put all your money in gold and silver.
00:02:06.360 There's a lot of companies out there, that's exactly what they do.
00:02:09.280 That is not what they believe in, and that is not what they will tell you to do.
00:02:12.700 Their goal is to educate all of their clients about how to invest in precious metals
00:02:17.440 to diversify and protect your hard-earned dollars.
00:02:20.600 The second reason is this.
00:02:22.320 On average, Freedom Gold USA charges 25% to 30% less than most major gold and silver firms.
00:02:31.440 Simple terms, that means you get 25% to 30% more gold or silver in your account than you
00:02:38.900 will when you go to other places.
00:02:40.780 So if you're ready to look at gold and silver as a hedge against inflation, as a diversification
00:02:47.060 for your portfolio, call my friends at Freedom Gold USA.
00:02:51.700 They're online at freedomgoldusa.com slash verdict.
00:02:56.260 That's freedomgoldusa.com slash verdict.
00:02:59.660 Or give them a buzz at 1-800-655-8843.
00:03:04.320 That's 1-800-655-8843 or freedomgoldusa.com slash verdict.
00:03:13.100 Senator, when we go back to the Mar-a-Lago raid, there was outrage enough just on that happening.
00:03:19.800 Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would have witnessed the breaking news
00:03:25.880 that took place that said not only did the Biden administration and the Attorney General
00:03:31.940 Merrick Garland authorize this raid, but on top of that, they authorized the use of deadly force.
00:03:41.440 That's exactly right.
00:03:42.720 According to a filing that was unsealed this week, here's what it says.
00:03:48.340 According to an operations order produced in Discovery, the FBI believed its objective for the Mar-a-Lago raid
00:03:56.760 was to seize classified information, NDI, and U.S. government records as described in the search warrant.
00:04:04.360 The order contained a policy statement regarding use of deadly force, which stated, for example,
00:04:12.960 quote, law enforcement officers of the Department of Justice may use deadly force when necessary.
00:04:20.760 The agents planned to bring, quote, standard-issue weapons, ammo, handcuffs, and medium and large-sized bolt cutters,
00:04:30.380 but they were instructed to wear unmarked polo or collared shirts.
00:04:35.220 There's so many questions that I have right now.
00:04:39.800 One of them, Senator, is the fact that it's like, were you setting this up to be a disaster?
00:04:46.220 Because the Secret Service's job is to protect the President of the United States of America
00:04:51.280 and former presidents at all costs.
00:04:53.140 So if you send in the FBI and you give them this, hey, you've got authorized to use deadly force in this raid,
00:05:01.760 and the Secret Service there, whose job is to use deadly force to protect the former President of the United States of America,
00:05:08.200 why would Merrick Garland set up that disastrous situation to even be a possibility?
00:05:15.260 Well, and look, they were anticipating potential conflicts with Secret Service.
00:05:19.480 So another one of the documents released says,
00:05:22.080 Contingencies, should media be present at Mar-a-Lago?
00:05:25.820 All personnel will refer to MMOSC, and I don't know all these acronyms,
00:05:31.560 and adhere to FBI media policy as briefed.
00:05:35.380 Two, should F. POTUS, former President of the United States, arrive at Mar-a-Lago?
00:05:41.760 So, FBI, MMEM, and OSCs will be prepared to engage with F. POTUS and U.S. Secret Service security teams.
00:05:51.540 So, prepared to engage.
00:05:53.260 Should U.S. Secret Service provide resistance or interfere with FBI timeline or accesses,
00:06:02.020 FBI, MMEM will engage with, and it's blocked out, we don't know what it is,
00:06:07.000 and, blocked out, blocked out, will engage with U.S. Secret Service's point of contact
00:06:13.980 per existing liaison relationships.
00:06:17.780 Should Mar-a-Lago guest reception be unwilling to provide a list of occupied guest rooms,
00:06:24.960 FBI search team will knock on each guest room door to determine occupation status.
00:06:31.280 FBI will request a map, list of rooms, and skeleton key slash card for all rooms from Mar-a-Lago staff.
00:06:40.300 Five, an FBI MM slash TTA with lock-picking equipment will be on the scene.
00:06:47.620 So, they're anticipating Secret Service may actively resist the FBI,
00:06:52.020 and they're prepared to engage, and they're prepared to engage with an order that explicitly authorizes deadly force. 0.91
00:07:00.100 Like, what in the hell?
00:07:02.680 Let's remind people of Merrick Garland's own words.
00:07:06.240 He was very proud of this raid in August of 2022.
00:07:11.320 He went out there, Justice Department, you know, insignia behind him,
00:07:17.460 the Justice Department flag to his left, the American flag to his right,
00:07:22.020 and he told the world in a live report, everyone carried it, this.
00:07:28.200 There are, however, certain points I want you to know.
00:07:32.900 First, I personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant in this matter.
00:07:38.460 Second, the department does not take such a decision lightly.
00:07:44.480 Clearly not, Senator, because they were planning for the use of deadly force to possibly be used.
00:07:49.740 So, let me give a caveat, defending this in a tiny respect, and then let me take that caveat away.
00:07:57.120 The caveat I would give is this sort of authorization, an authorization of use of deadly force,
00:08:04.100 is standard when the FBI is exercising a search warrant.
00:08:07.560 Look, if you're exercising a search warrant in any context,
00:08:11.740 if you're going to a drug dealer's house or something else, there is a risk of armed resistance,
00:08:18.240 and so an authorization of deadly force is typical with a search warrant.
00:08:24.940 That's the caveat.
00:08:26.620 Now I'm going to take back every syllable of every word of what I just said. 0.98
00:08:29.480 Holy crap, this was the president of the United States. 1.00
00:08:33.760 Are you out of your mind? 0.99
00:08:36.160 Like, this is, and for Merrick Garland to say, I personally approved it.
00:08:43.480 The absolute hubris of this administration.
00:08:47.840 Listen, Merrick Garland is drunk with power.
00:08:49.900 He believes he should be on the Supreme Court, and he is engaged in a global revenge tour
00:08:55.980 against everyone he thinks who wronged him.
00:08:59.620 But is there no judgment on the part of the Attorney General?
00:09:04.480 Is there no judgment on the part of the Deputy Attorney General?
00:09:07.280 Is there no judgment on the part of any advisors anywhere at DOJ?
00:09:11.540 Is there no judgment on the part of the head of the FBI?
00:09:14.260 Is there no judgment on the part of anyone involved in this process to say, you know,
00:09:19.680 this guy was the President of the United States.
00:09:25.720 Secret Service is guarding him for a reason.
00:09:30.180 Yeah.
00:09:30.840 Maybe we should not be authorizing deadly force.
00:09:36.160 Like, can you imagine?
00:09:38.080 Listen.
00:09:39.240 Well, can I ask you this?
00:09:40.340 The chain of command, just for people to understand this.
00:09:42.480 Merrick Garland's over the FBI, but also, isn't he over the Secret Service as well?
00:09:48.200 Is that not under his, the DOJ?
00:09:50.120 No, no, actually, Secret Service reports, so they're in different silos.
00:09:55.620 So, but wouldn't he be talking or realizing that he's setting them up for a war?
00:10:01.780 You know, I don't know.
00:10:04.220 And listen, it is difficult to imagine.
00:10:06.800 Look, who knows what happens?
00:10:08.540 But the idea that, okay, if Secret Service resists, you guys go.
00:10:14.000 Like, there is no sense, and this reminds me, back at the beginning of Crossfire Hurricane.
00:10:21.300 Crossfire Hurricane, you remember, was the DOJ and FBI targeting the Trump campaign back when he was a candidate.
00:10:27.620 And they went after him, and they went in and wiretapped him, and they went after Carter Page,
00:10:31.660 and they created fraudulent documents that they used to get a warrant from the FISA court.
00:10:35.880 I mean, it was a grotesque abuse of power that the Department of Justice Inspector General detailed in very painstaking detail.
00:10:46.200 And the media gave cover because they said Donald Trump was crazy to imply that he was being spied on.
00:10:52.040 His campaign was being spied on. 1.00
00:10:53.320 They said he was a lunatic. 0.98
00:10:55.060 In fact, he was right the entire time. 0.97
00:10:56.560 He was exactly right.
00:10:57.920 But look, when you go back to the launch of Crossfire Hurricane, part of the problem,
00:11:03.280 and this goes to DOJ during Obama when this all started, and FBI during Obama,
00:11:09.460 there were no adults in the room.
00:11:11.620 Listen, there are circumstances you can imagine where a criminal investigation,
00:11:17.940 a search warrant, a prosecution has to be authorized against a high-level government official.
00:11:23.500 But especially when that high-level official is in the opposing party,
00:11:28.360 especially when that high-level official is the leading candidate for the opposing party
00:11:34.960 and the likely opponent for the sitting president.
00:11:38.040 When you're going after your political opposition,
00:11:41.160 the threshold for anything should be extraordinarily high.
00:11:46.760 And it wasn't at all. 0.79
00:11:50.920 Based on some ridiculous, half-baked oppo research paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign 0.85
00:11:58.220 that contained the notorious P-tape and all that nonsense,
00:12:02.740 which has all been debunked.
00:12:03.880 We now know it was all made up.
00:12:05.480 But look, when the Hillary Clinton campaign pays over a million bucks to make up oppo research, 1.00
00:12:10.060 they come up with some creative stuff.
00:12:11.780 When you look at this, this is going to be, and it has to be, I would assume,
00:12:16.640 a major campaign issue, especially in the presidential campaign.
00:12:20.740 I can't imagine this not coming up with the presidential debates.
00:12:23.900 But there also seems to be panic right now in response to this.
00:12:29.140 Jim Comey went on MSNBC and said this.
00:12:34.680 Take a listen.
00:12:35.260 Are you concerned that it may get a test unlike any other if Donald Trump is re-elected?
00:12:42.020 I mean, when you think about a second Trump administration,
00:12:44.580 what do you think the implications would be for the FBI?
00:12:47.660 Oh, serious.
00:12:49.060 For the Justice Department and the FBI, because Trump is coming for those institutions.
00:12:53.600 He knows their power, and I think he has regrets that he didn't work hard enough
00:12:56.800 to corrupt them last time.
00:12:58.280 So he's coming for them, and that's a danger for all Americans. 0.97
00:13:02.100 He's going to put people in positions in those organizations.
00:13:05.260 He didn't have all-stars the last time.
00:13:07.300 He'll have the bottom of the barrel this time.
00:13:09.100 But people who will want to do his will, and that should worry every American.
00:13:13.320 This election matters because of a reason like that.
00:13:16.520 People have to participate.
00:13:18.620 You cannot sit on the sideline.
00:13:20.700 I don't care how you feel about Joe Biden.
00:13:22.440 You must vote for him because the consequences on the other side are too severe.
00:13:26.740 I don't care how you feel about Joe Biden.
00:13:28.900 You must vote for him.
00:13:29.880 That's the former FBI director saying that, Senator.
00:13:32.000 Well, and when he talks about corrupting the FBI, I will say, you know, listen, I would
00:13:37.720 admit Jim Comey as an expert witness in any trial on the planet on corrupting the FBI because
00:13:42.640 he was front and center.
00:13:43.960 He did exactly that.
00:13:45.400 He was the point person behind weaponizing the FBI.
00:13:48.840 Jim Comey is someone who fancies himself, I believe, to be J. Edgar Hoover.
00:13:52.920 He had delusions of power.
00:13:54.120 It is one of the gravest mistakes of the first term of the Trump presidency that Trump did
00:14:01.960 not fire Jim Comey on January 20th, 2017.
00:14:06.500 The first day in office, he should have said, thank you for your service to the nation.
00:14:09.800 Your services are no longer needed.
00:14:11.240 Nobody would have blinked.
00:14:12.260 But the White House foolishly thought they could get Comey to to to to be part of the 0.86
00:14:18.860 administration, to do his job, to not be a disloyal, power hungry snake. 0.68
00:14:24.700 And they were wrong.
00:14:26.980 He's continuing to do that.
00:14:28.820 And by the way, let's understand there's an enormous amount of CYA in Comey and that
00:14:33.660 he's very afraid if they have accountability at the FBI that his personal rear end is in
00:14:40.300 the sling.
00:14:40.760 And so that's he's like, please, please, please make sure you put people in power that
00:14:45.360 cover up for me and that continue the corruption of the FBI and continue weaponizing it to attack
00:14:49.460 their enemies, because that's what I did.
00:14:51.240 And I don't want to be held for account.
00:14:53.000 That's among the most self-interested testimony I've ever heard.
00:14:57.240 Final question on this.
00:14:58.840 Now, knowing what we know about the raid, is it warranted and justifiable if Donald Trump
00:15:06.540 is elected again for him to go in and thoroughly clean house in these institutions?
00:15:13.780 Warranted, justifiable and incredibly necessary.
00:15:17.040 What has happened is we have hardcore partisans who have corrupted these institutions from
00:15:24.160 the inside.
00:15:24.960 They occupy senior positions in the career bureaucracy.
00:15:28.420 And if Trump is reelected, and I hope and pray that he is, he needs to appoint serious, strong
00:15:36.020 leaders at DOJ, at the FBI and the rest of the alphabet soup of the administration to understand
00:15:41.240 what they're doing, who have the seriousness of purpose to go in and clean them out because
00:15:46.600 we need to restore the institution.
00:15:48.420 Listen, there are some, some Republicans, some conservatives that say things like abolish
00:15:53.880 the FBI.
00:15:54.980 I'm not in that camp.
00:15:57.140 Why?
00:15:57.740 Because the FBI is enormously important.
00:16:00.960 The FBI does hugely important things like finding and catching terrorists and stopping
00:16:06.060 them from killing Americans.
00:16:07.500 It does hugely important things like finding kidnappers and child predators and going after the mafia
00:16:13.700 and mobsters and going after Mexican drug cartels.
00:16:16.300 Like all of that is really damn important.
00:16:19.720 And, and, and I don't want to blow that up.
00:16:22.180 What I want to do is restore the integrity of the FBI and the DOJ by getting the partisans
00:16:28.960 out of office who have corrupted it.
00:16:31.380 As you know, Chris Ray, the current director of the FBI, I've known for 25 years.
00:16:36.580 Chris, interestingly, Chris is not a liberal.
00:16:39.840 He's a Republican.
00:16:41.000 He still considers himself a Republican to this day.
00:16:43.240 Chris's problem, I believe, is that he is a company man.
00:16:46.800 Now look, Donald Trump put him in that position.
00:16:48.480 He appointed him to that position.
00:16:50.620 Chris is a company man.
00:16:52.160 And he is, he and I have had screaming arguments on this, where he believes it is his job as
00:16:57.920 administrator of the FBI, director of the FBI, to, to defend the career leaders at the
00:17:04.220 FBI.
00:17:04.580 And I've told him, Chris, you are not defending the institution of the FBI.
00:17:08.320 If you support people who are corrupting it and destroying its integrity, what does it
00:17:13.440 tell you that half of America doesn't trust the institution anymore because you've been
00:17:17.900 so politicized and he has proven utterly incapable of seeing it and even less capable of taking
00:17:25.500 it on and stopping?
00:17:26.340 Canadian women are looking for more, more out of themselves, their businesses, their 1.00
00:17:31.280 elected leaders, and the world around them.
00:17:33.340 And that's why we're thrilled to introduce the Honest Talk podcast.
00:17:37.080 I'm Jennifer Stewart.
00:17:38.260 And I'm Catherine Clark.
00:17:39.480 And in this podcast, we interview Canada's most inspiring women.
00:17:43.240 Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, politicians, and newsmakers, all at different stages of their
00:17:48.360 journey.
00:17:48.980 So if you're looking to connect, then we hope you'll join us.
00:17:51.960 Listen to the Honest Talk podcast on iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
00:17:56.340 Yeah, you talk about accountability.
00:17:59.680 You also talked with Anthony Blinken, and I want to get into that in just a moment.
00:18:04.420 But before I do that, if you've got a cell phone and you're with Big Mobile, you may
00:18:08.340 not realize you're helping Democrats running for re-election right now.
00:18:12.920 You may not realize that you're helping Planned Parenthood.
00:18:16.240 You may not realize you're giving money to radical, extremist, liberal organizations.
00:18:20.480 Now, you don't know that when you're paying your bill, they're taking part of that bill
00:18:24.620 and they're giving major donations to the groups and organizations, including Planned
00:18:29.280 Parenthood that I just mentioned.
00:18:31.080 And that is why I want you to know about Patriot Mobile.
00:18:33.940 For more than a decade, Patriot Mobile has been America's only Christian conservative wireless
00:18:38.620 provider.
00:18:39.620 But there's a lot of reasons why people are like, well, I don't know if I want to change.
00:18:42.680 I need good service.
00:18:43.700 Well, guess what?
00:18:44.320 But you get the same exact service you used to right now because you're going to be on
00:18:47.780 the same towers that you're using right now when you switch to Patriot Mobile.
00:18:52.140 The number two reason why people don't switch, they say, I don't want to go into a store and
00:18:55.800 take up an entire day.
00:18:57.420 Well, with technology in 2024, you can switch over the phone and it's easy.
00:19:01.820 I did it the other day.
00:19:03.060 I had to switch over another line and it took no time at all.
00:19:07.260 And you get to keep your same cell phone number.
00:19:09.500 You get to keep your same phone you have right now in your hand, or you can upgrade
00:19:13.860 to a new phone.
00:19:15.580 Patriot Mobile, they offer you dependable nationwide coverage.
00:19:19.020 But then here's the best part.
00:19:20.820 They take 5% of your bill every month on average, and they give it back to organizations that
00:19:25.540 support free speech, religious freedom, the sanctity of life, the Second Amendment, and
00:19:31.000 they support our military veterans, our first responders, and our wounded warriors.
00:19:35.800 So when you pay your bill, you're standing up for what you believe in.
00:19:39.120 You're going to have a cell phone bill every month.
00:19:40.680 Why not give your money to a company that supports your values?
00:19:46.240 972-PATRIOT is the number to call to switch.
00:19:49.200 That's 972-PATRIOT.
00:19:51.540 972-PATRIOT or PatriotMobile.com slash verdict.
00:19:56.960 You'll get free activation when you use the offer code verdict as well.
00:20:00.760 Join me and make the switch today.
00:20:02.780 PatriotMobile.com slash verdict or 972-PATRIOT.
00:20:06.680 Senator, there was a remarkable moment today, and I'm privileged to get to see a lot of
00:20:12.560 what you do in Washington, and I get to listen to a lot of it, getting ready for this show.
00:20:18.120 But this was one of, I think, the highlights, and I mean this sincerely, of your career.
00:20:24.360 The cross-examination that you had today of the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken,
00:20:30.040 and I want to play it in its entirety for people, what you said, but set the stage for us of what
00:20:37.280 he was doing before you guys and what was happening.
00:20:41.400 Well, the Secretary of State came today to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
00:20:47.600 I'm on the Foreign Relations Committee, have been for years, and so as one of the members,
00:20:51.120 I took the opportunity to question him.
00:20:52.580 I'll tell you, most of the questioning was fairly quiet, was fairly tame.
00:20:57.360 People were not that exercised.
00:20:58.880 It had been a pretty quiet hearing.
00:21:02.180 Other than you had multiple pro-Hamas, anti-Israel protesters there.
00:21:07.600 I think there were at least four who were arrested.
00:21:10.740 One protester took a swing at a Capitol Police officer.
00:21:14.460 She was arrested.
00:21:15.200 I had several anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protesters chase me down the hall, screaming at me.
00:21:21.900 So the fireworks was coming from the radical left that was there, but Blinken's testimony
00:21:28.220 had been fairly quiet and sleepy, and I will say when it came my turn to question, I think
00:21:33.440 it's fair to say it was no longer quiet and sleepy.
00:21:36.140 Take a listen.
00:21:37.140 It's truly an incredible cross.
00:21:39.300 Here it is.
00:21:40.160 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:21:42.200 Senator.
00:21:42.720 Mr. Secretary, you have presided over the worst foreign policy disaster of modern times.
00:21:50.840 When Joe Biden became president, he inherited peace and prosperity in the world.
00:21:57.540 We now have two simultaneous wars waging, the worst war in Europe since World War II and the
00:22:03.180 worst war in the Middle East in 50 years.
00:22:06.180 Both, I believe, were caused by this administration's consistent weakness.
00:22:10.760 And indeed, your foreign policy is precisely backwards from what a rational American foreign
00:22:19.720 policy should be.
00:22:21.600 To our friends and allies, this administration has consistently undermined, weakened, and attacked
00:22:29.200 them.
00:22:29.400 And to our enemies, this administration has shown constant appeasement and indeed has flowed
00:22:36.460 billions of dollars to the enemies of America who want to kill us.
00:22:43.100 Senator Barrasso asked you about Ibram Raisi.
00:22:47.740 Your State Department put out a statement sending condolences for his death.
00:22:54.100 Mr. Secretary, is the world better today now that Raisi is dead?
00:23:01.220 Given the horrible acts that he engaged in both as a judge and as president, to the extent
00:23:08.180 he can no longer engage in them, yes, the Iranian people are probably better off. 1.00
00:23:11.320 You didn't say that in your statement, did you?
00:23:13.420 I believe that we did.
00:23:16.080 And certainly our spokesperson—
00:23:17.080 Today, the United Nations is flying their flag at half-staff to mourn the death.
00:23:23.300 Would you agree that it is utterly disgraceful for the United Nations to be mourning the death
00:23:27.820 of the butcher of Tehran?
00:23:29.680 We're certainly not mourning his death, as I said.
00:23:32.160 Would you agree it's disgraceful for the UN to be?
00:23:35.360 I'll look at what they've done.
00:23:36.720 We certainly would not do that.
00:23:37.800 That what they've done is flown the flag at half-staff.
00:23:41.680 Is that disgraceful?
00:23:42.700 We wouldn't do that.
00:23:44.000 We would certainly find that—
00:23:45.220 And I would note that's the absence of American leadership.
00:23:48.020 All right, let's shift.
00:23:49.720 The Washington Post on May 11th wrote an article.
00:23:52.660 I'm going to read the opening paragraph.
00:23:54.100 The Biden administration working urgently to stave off a full-scale Israeli invasion of Rafa
00:23:58.440 is offering Israel valuable assistance in an effort to persuade it to hold back,
00:24:02.640 including sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders
00:24:07.780 and find the group's hidden tunnels, according to four people familiar with the U.S. offers.
00:24:13.280 Is that paragraph accurate?
00:24:15.440 Exactly the opposite.
00:24:16.840 First of all, no one has done more to defend Israel than Joe Biden.
00:24:20.520 Is that paragraph accurate?
00:24:21.280 No, let me finish, if I may, please.
00:24:23.260 He was there right after—
00:24:24.660 I'm not interested in a campaign speech.
00:24:26.620 I have limited time.
00:24:28.180 Is the paragraph in the Washington Post accurate?
00:24:30.140 As you read it, no.
00:24:32.100 To the contrary, we're providing everything we possibly can to Israel to help them find—
00:24:36.400 So the four sources that briefed the Post and, by the way, briefed multiple other media outlets,
00:24:40.480 they were lying?
00:24:41.660 Absolutely.
00:24:43.040 So, all right, so that—
00:24:45.380 Does the administration—
00:24:46.960 Did the administration offer to provide the locations of senior Hamas leaders to Israel
00:24:50.920 if they didn't invade Rafa?
00:24:51.960 That's, again, totally misleading and wrong.
00:24:57.220 Here's what we've said, and here's what we're doing.
00:24:59.880 We have said that there is a better way to deal with the challenge that—
00:25:03.260 I'm not interested in the speech.
00:25:04.760 You don't want to hear my answer.
00:25:05.680 Did you offer the location of senior Hamas officials if they didn't invade Rafa?
00:25:10.180 That's a yes or no.
00:25:11.240 No.
00:25:11.820 If we had the locations, of course we'd provide them, irrespective.
00:25:15.580 So this statement, you're saying the Post got it totally wrong, it is utterly false,
00:25:20.400 and anyone who said to the contrary was lying and perjuring themselves if they were under
00:25:24.880 that statement is incorrect.
00:25:26.060 We have done, we'll continue to do everything we can to, if we can do it, develop the information
00:25:31.000 and share the information.
00:25:32.320 I wish we had it.
00:25:33.200 Does the administration have intelligence on the locations of Hamas officials that you
00:25:37.300 have not shared with Israel?
00:25:38.820 No.
00:25:39.820 Does the administration have the locations of Hamas terror tunnels that you have not shared
00:25:43.840 with Israel?
00:25:44.460 No.
00:25:45.620 Okay.
00:25:46.100 So then your position is that this story is an utter and complete lie.
00:25:49.980 As you've read it to me, Senator, it is not accurate.
00:25:54.880 And we're not interested in playing word games.
00:25:57.580 I've asked you very directly.
00:25:59.540 I have not—
00:26:00.020 So you're saying there's not a single Hamas leader that you know about that you or the
00:26:04.580 administration has offered will tell you where they are if you don't invade Rafa.
00:26:07.800 That is correct.
00:26:08.600 What have you offered them not to invade Rafa?
00:26:10.540 We've offered them nothing not to invade Rafa except a plan to deal more effectively with 0.90
00:26:15.380 Rafa.
00:26:16.380 Okay, so your testimony under oath is you've offered them nothing not to invade Rafa.
00:26:20.760 I find that very hard to believe, but I just want to understand what your testimony is.
00:26:24.280 I'll be very clear.
00:26:26.000 We have told them and we've been engaged in a long conversation with them about the most
00:26:31.320 effective way to deal with the problem we agree must be dealt with. 0.94
00:26:34.020 They are quite aware you disagree with their plan to kill the Hamas terrorists because
00:26:38.800 you and the president have vocally said it.
00:26:41.140 And to be clear, your State Department on the morning of October 7th sent out a tweet
00:26:45.800 telling Israel not to engage in military retaliation.
00:26:49.020 I called you out at three in the morning and you deleted that tweet.
00:26:52.220 The next day, you personally on October 8th sent a tweet saying you'd spoken with a Turkish
00:26:56.780 foreign minister and Israel should not retaliate.
00:26:59.400 From the very beginning, the Biden administration is consistently at every stage told Israel.
00:27:04.740 And by the way, when I called your tweet out, you deleted it again.
00:27:07.560 At every stage, you have been telling Israel, do not kill the terrorists.
00:27:12.400 And that has been from day one.
00:27:14.700 Senator, I was in Israel five days after October 7th.
00:27:17.240 I've been there seven times since.
00:27:18.960 No one, starting with President Biden, has done more to make sure they have what they need
00:27:22.880 to defend themselves from Hamas to deal with the threat that Hamas poses.
00:27:26.560 With all due respect, that is simply wrong. 0.94
00:27:29.400 That is ludicrous.
00:27:31.100 Why have you cut off weapons to Israel then?
00:27:33.380 We have not cut off weapons to Israel.
00:27:34.700 In fact, as you know well, starting many years ago, President Biden was at the heart of the
00:27:41.100 MOU that led to Israel having a 10-year guaranteed supply of assistance.
00:27:46.020 When you became Secretary of State, how much oil was Iran selling a day?
00:27:52.940 I'll have to come back to you on any numbers.
00:27:54.420 I don't have the numbers.
00:27:55.080 You don't know.
00:27:56.140 It doesn't surprise me you don't know.
00:27:57.440 It was about 300,000.
00:27:58.560 How much oil is Iran selling today?
00:28:00.940 We have applied sanctions against more than 200 entities that are engaged in petrochemicals.
00:28:06.160 How much oil?
00:28:06.900 You can tell me.
00:28:07.680 I'm sure you know.
00:28:07.840 Don't filibuster.
00:28:09.140 I'm not filibustering.
00:28:09.920 How much oil are they selling today?
00:28:11.820 Do you know?
00:28:12.160 You tell me.
00:28:13.900 Apparently, you don't know.
00:28:15.000 So you don't know how much they were selling.
00:28:16.180 It was 300,000.
00:28:17.200 Today, they're selling about 2 million barrels a day.
00:28:20.040 Let me ask you.
00:28:21.160 And given the sanctions, given the export controls, given the other controls we put on,
00:28:24.960 the cost of doing that, the evasion that they have to engage in, which we're trying to cut off.
00:28:29.280 We've made about $80 billion.
00:28:30.700 Let me ask you another question.
00:28:31.820 I'm running out of time, so I'm not interested in speeches.
00:28:34.540 Let me ask you this.
00:28:35.460 How many ghost fleet ships did Iran have in November 2020?
00:28:42.480 We have sanctioned more than 200 of those.
00:28:45.240 It's a question.
00:28:45.480 I'm not—how many did they have?
00:28:47.640 The total number.
00:28:48.560 I can't tell you what it had in 2021.
00:28:50.180 I'll come back to you with that, but we have—
00:28:51.500 The number was about 70.
00:28:53.280 Yeah.
00:28:53.440 How many did they have today?
00:28:54.380 We blocked about 50 of them.
00:28:55.920 Okay, let's see how effective you are.
00:28:57.380 How many do they have today?
00:28:58.440 As I said, we blocked about 50 of them.
00:28:59.840 How many do they have today?
00:29:00.740 You tell me.
00:29:02.000 I'm sure you—
00:29:02.300 They have about over 400.
00:29:04.000 Look, this administration desperately wants a new Iran deal.
00:29:08.880 You have been showering cash on Iran from day one. 0.74
00:29:12.620 And understand, the $6 billion you were asked about is the tip of the iceberg.
00:29:16.720 By refusing to enforce oil sanctions, we have seen Iran's oil sales go from 300,000 barrels a day
00:29:23.860 when you got into office to over 2 million barrels a day today.
00:29:27.660 That's $80 billion.
00:29:28.780 90% of Hamas's funding comes from Iran in a very real sense.
00:29:34.740 This administration, you and President Biden, funded the October 7th attacks by flowing $100
00:29:41.260 billion to a homicidal, genocidal regime that funded those attacks.
00:29:46.500 That statement is profoundly wrong.
00:29:48.180 Why?
00:29:48.440 I'm not even going to humor it.
00:29:51.540 I think it's a disgraceful statement.
00:29:53.080 Why?
00:29:53.900 We have gone at Iran repeatedly with more than 600 sanctions applied against different persons.
00:29:59.400 Then why are they selling 2 million barrels a day as compared to 300,000?
00:30:02.480 They are working hard to do what they can to get around the sanctions.
00:30:05.680 So just the prior administration had tools you didn't have, they were more effective,
00:30:09.880 or maybe they just weren't desperate to cut a deal with Iran.
00:30:12.700 And we continue every single day to go at them.
00:30:15.540 You are refusing to address the facts.
00:30:17.220 I'm not.
00:30:18.800 Then why are they selling 2 million barrels a day?
00:30:20.760 Because they're determined to try to do that.
00:30:22.420 We're determined to cut them all.
00:30:23.280 They weren't determined when Trump was president?
00:30:24.820 They were determined.
00:30:26.360 And of course, unfortunately, we also had their nuclear program in a box.
00:30:31.040 No fissile material being produced.
00:30:32.580 Okay, you're not answering the question.
00:30:33.740 You're filibustering another topic.
00:30:34.740 I'm not filibustering.
00:30:35.560 You got the last word.
00:30:36.420 You get the last word.
00:30:37.640 Really?
00:30:37.780 You funded our enemies and you undermine our friends.
00:30:43.860 And the world is much, much more dangerous as a result of Americans that are greater jeopardy because of it. 1.00
00:30:51.580 In fact, we brought more countries together.
00:30:54.300 We have stronger allies, stronger partnerships, stronger engagement from countries around the world to deal with a very dangerous world than we had.
00:31:00.860 We were alone.
00:31:02.020 We aren't anymore.
00:31:02.960 And America is leading those efforts.
00:31:04.460 Remember the Abraham Accords? 0.94
00:31:06.020 I do.
00:31:07.200 Let me just.
00:31:08.720 I love, Senator, the way that you did that because it was needed.
00:31:12.880 And it's not just me that's saying this.
00:31:16.900 Mark Dubowitz, who is a guy who is actually sanctioned by Iran and Russia, the CEO of FDD, he said,
00:31:25.200 in my 20 years in Washington, I've never seen a more withering and effective cross-examination by a senator of an administration official than this one.
00:31:36.900 He's absolutely right.
00:31:39.020 And it's sad that Anthony Blinken can sit there and straight up lie.
00:31:44.200 And one of the lies he told, and I want to get your reaction to it, is he said that we haven't withheld any weapons. 0.92
00:31:50.780 Well, the White House says he's a liar.
00:31:52.820 Here's Jean-Pierre on the 15th.
00:31:54.540 And we have said that it is one pause, one pause on these bombs, one package, one shipment.
00:32:00.960 And that is obviously connected to Rafa and the potential what could happen in Rafa.
00:32:07.480 And we've been very clear about that.
00:32:09.440 So who's lying, Senator, the White House or Blinken?
00:32:11.840 Or is the White House calling Blinken out for his lie?
00:32:15.200 Well, listen, Blinken is spinning like crazy.
00:32:17.820 And understand, when Joe Biden went on TV and threatened to cut off the weapons, that surprised the administration.
00:32:22.580 They didn't know that he was going to freelance like that.
00:32:24.740 And so they're trying to do cleanup on that. 0.99
00:32:26.420 But they're still holding the damn weapons. 0.99
00:32:28.020 They're not sending them. 0.99
00:32:28.940 So they're trying to spend – they're sending them out.
00:32:32.500 We sent other weapons.
00:32:33.740 It's just the current shipment that we're threatening.
00:32:36.980 I've got to say, so look, the first part of that cross-examination, when I was focused on the Washington Post story,
00:32:42.220 and you and I covered this in a pod, I don't know, about a week or two ago,
00:32:46.660 Yeah.
00:32:47.260 The most damning conclusion of that story, that they were offering intelligence on where senior Hamas officials were
00:32:55.600 and where Hamas terror tunnels were in exchange for not going into Rafa,
00:32:59.280 is the necessary implication that they had that information.
00:33:02.300 They knew where the senior Hamas leaders were, and they were not telling Israel.
00:33:05.280 Now, I will say Blinken gave a categorical denial.
00:33:08.140 And maybe, maybe he's right.
00:33:10.640 I do not know.
00:33:12.120 I know that that story appeared in multiple media outlets simultaneously,
00:33:15.540 so someone was deliberately and directly putting it forward.
00:33:19.920 And if Blinken was lying, then he perjured himself, because he was under oath,
00:33:26.260 and he was unequivocal in what he said.
00:33:28.120 He said they didn't offer Israel anything, not to enter Rafa.
00:33:32.100 Now, I think the chances that Blinken is not telling the truth there are very, very high.
00:33:39.300 But, you know, these issues have a way of, over time, the truth comes out.
00:33:44.500 And, Senator, look, there's – people that don't understand how leaks work in Washington,
00:33:48.040 I think it's important so you understand, there sometimes are leaks that come out
00:33:52.120 that is like one person that's genuinely leaking something.
00:33:56.320 Then there's other strategic leaks that are done on purpose where you can't use their names.
00:34:01.600 And, look, I've been a part of that where they're like, hey, will you go to this reporter
00:34:05.500 and this – and then three other people go to other reporters.
00:34:08.380 And then they say, hey, we want to get this message out there for – in a few days from now,
00:34:12.000 we want to let them know this is coming down the pipeline.
00:34:14.340 When you have four people, it's organized.
00:34:16.460 It's an administration's decision to send people out to give a heads up on something
00:34:21.780 and to get it in the newspaper, to get it in print, which is exactly what you were quoting.
00:34:27.620 No, that's exactly right.
00:34:28.920 Anytime you have four people that are going to multiple outlets – it wasn't just the Washington Post.
00:34:35.060 I quoted the Post, but I think it was Reuters.
00:34:37.180 It was several places.
00:34:38.680 There's a decision, and someone has made a decision.
00:34:41.000 We want to drive this story.
00:34:43.100 And when four people are going, you're sending, okay, you, you, you, and you.
00:34:46.820 You guys go talk and push that story.
00:34:49.680 So somebody pushed that story.
00:34:51.460 And those four people who pushed it – by the way, the reporters know who those four people are.
00:34:57.040 And they now know that one or the other is directly lying.
00:35:01.820 Either the four people who talked to them were lying to them, or Tony Blinken just committed perjury.
00:35:07.420 One or the other has to be the case.
00:35:09.800 So that in time, there may be real consequences to Blinken's testimony on that.
00:35:17.100 The rest of it, though – listen, I've got to say, when we got into, for example, the Iranian oil,
00:35:22.520 I found it stunning that the Secretary of State didn't know, didn't care.
00:35:29.220 How much oil are they selling?
00:35:30.380 Oh, I don't know.
00:35:31.240 How much were they selling?
00:35:32.300 I don't know.
00:35:32.740 How much are they now?
00:35:33.580 I don't know.
00:35:34.320 How many ships were in the ghost fleece before?
00:35:36.380 I don't know.
00:35:36.820 How many ships are there now?
00:35:38.080 I don't know. 0.68
00:35:38.700 It's because they don't give a damn. 0.92
00:35:40.000 They don't care. 0.72
00:35:40.540 It's like when he looked at you and he goes, you tell me.
00:35:42.720 I'm like, you're the Secretary of State.
00:35:44.600 You're the one that's supposed to be up on all of this information on the sanctions.
00:35:48.160 He should know more than you should know on this.
00:35:50.340 Am I right?
00:35:50.900 If he cared, he does not care.
00:35:54.440 The overwhelming foreign policy objective of Joe Biden and this entire administration,
00:36:00.580 and sadly, most of the Democrats in Congress, is continuing to appease Iran and enter a new Iran nuclear deal,
00:36:08.260 even while Iran is trying to murder Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State.
00:36:12.680 Raisi, who Blinken just put out a statement commemorating and commiserating his death,
00:36:21.360 Raisi was trying to murder Blinken's predecessor and, like, was trying to murder him two days ago.
00:36:28.360 It is stunning.
00:36:30.760 And so because they desperately want to deal with Iran, he doesn't care how much oil there. 0.84
00:36:37.220 By the way, this is the same administration that's doing everything they can to cut off oil and gas production and sales in the United States.
00:36:43.820 This is the same Joe Biden that halted new permits to export LNG.
00:36:47.620 So if it's Americans selling oil and gas, they know who's doing it.
00:36:50.700 They want to stop it. 0.97
00:36:52.000 But if it's a homicidal religious theocrat who hates Israel, who hates America, who chants death to America, death to Israel, 0.97
00:37:01.860 he can sell as much oil as he wants. 0.98
00:37:03.720 What, you know, what's a hundred billion dollars to a psychopath who wants to murder us all?
00:37:08.580 Yeah, great point.
00:37:09.440 I want to talk to you real quick about how I start my morning, and that is with a premium cup of coffee for my friends at Blackout Coffee.
00:37:16.460 And if you've not tried Blackout Coffee, you've got to do it.
00:37:20.120 And I'm going to save you 20% right now.
00:37:22.260 Now, let me explain to you why I love Blackout Coffee.
00:37:24.640 It's not just an average cup of coffee.
00:37:26.420 It is a premium cup of coffee, and it is different.
00:37:30.020 It tastes different.
00:37:32.120 And there are a lot of woke coffee companies out there.
00:37:34.520 When I said that, you probably thought of two or three different brands instantly that are liberal woke coffee companies.
00:37:40.620 That's the other reason why I want you to try Blackout Coffee, because they are 100% committed as a company to conservative values.
00:37:49.140 From sourcing of the beans to the roasting process, customer support, and shipping, they embody true American values, and they accept no compromise on taste or premium quality.
00:38:02.020 Now, I get up every morning and go on the radio at 7 a.m.
00:38:04.700 I've got to be awake.
00:38:05.840 I've got to be alert.
00:38:06.900 I want to do a great show, and part of my routine is a great cup of coffee.
00:38:12.080 I get it every day from Blackout Coffee.
00:38:14.060 But look, try it, and I'm going to save you money.
00:38:16.160 Go to blackoutcoffee.com slash verdict.
00:38:20.300 That's blackoutcoffee.com slash verdict.
00:38:23.200 And use the coupon code verdict for 20% off your first order.
00:38:28.240 And you'll try it, and you'll understand why I use it and have it every single day.
00:38:33.320 Blackoutcoffee.com slash verdict.
00:38:35.060 Be awake, not woke.
00:38:37.140 That's blackoutcoffee.com slash verdict.
00:38:39.440 Promo code verdict for 20% off your first order.
00:38:42.940 Senator, one other question I do want to ask you about, and that involves some of Anthony
00:38:49.680 Blinken, but just a broader shock.
00:38:52.260 The Biden administration issued condolences to Iran.
00:38:57.320 You were just talking about the Iranian order, oil.
00:38:59.860 And the Biden State Department sent official condolences for the Iranian president, who is known as the Butcher of Tehran.
00:39:11.780 And yet the U.S. is offering official condolences, and they say this is standard protocol.
00:39:17.380 Since when?
00:39:18.140 Well, look, as I asked on Twitter, only slightly tongue-in-cheek, I said, you know, you should have seen the condolence letter the State Department put out when Adolf Hitler died.
00:39:30.760 But, like, we don't mourn the loss of mass murderers.
00:39:35.340 Understand, Raisi was a mass murderer.
00:39:38.260 By the way, he murdered children in his own country. 0.75
00:39:40.180 He was in charge of making the morals police in Iran even stricter.
00:39:46.220 You know the groups that we see online, things like Queers for Palestine? 0.99
00:39:49.720 Raisi is the guy in charge of murdering homosexuals. 0.99
00:39:52.320 He's the one that takes you to the top of a tall building. 0.99
00:39:54.740 Or actually, his goons are, to be fair.
00:39:56.360 It's probably not him personally.
00:39:58.140 But his goons take you to the top of a tall building and throw you off. 0.98
00:40:00.780 He's the one that if a woman removes her head covering and that is in charge of administering the beatings and whipping and capital punishment, he is a monster.
00:40:16.060 By the way, he is also directly responsible for the murders of hundreds of U.S. servicemen and women.
00:40:22.320 He is directly responsible for October 7th for the murder of 1,200 Israelis. 0.58
00:40:26.420 He is directly responsible for leading this viciously anti-Semitic, hateful regime.
00:40:34.920 The world should celebrate that Raisi is dead, but this administration is not celebrating.
00:40:43.400 And to be clear, the United Nations flew their flags at half-staff.
00:40:47.360 That's what you do when you commemorate the loss of a world leader.
00:40:50.540 That's what you do when you commemorate the loss of someone who is to be revered, who is to be admired. 0.95
00:40:56.420 And in this United Nations, they are such vicious anti-Semites. 0.74
00:41:00.900 Raisi fits the bill. 0.88
00:41:02.500 Yeah, I mean, I wonder if these guys were in charge when we killed Osama bin Laden.
00:41:07.380 Would they have then sent condolences to al-Qaeda?
00:41:10.120 And notice Blinken didn't condemn what the U.S. did.
00:41:13.200 I mean, I gave him the opportunity.
00:41:14.640 He's like, well, well, I need to know the context.
00:41:17.000 What context?
00:41:17.840 Flag?
00:41:18.620 Pole?
00:41:19.300 Halfway up.
00:41:20.220 Okay, you got all the context.
00:41:21.760 Good or bad, you agree?
00:41:23.020 I don't know.
00:41:24.640 I don't know.
00:41:25.120 I don't know.
00:41:25.480 So, look, I mean, that's, he doesn't want to condemn it.
00:41:28.400 Why?
00:41:28.820 Because he agrees with it.
00:41:30.200 Great point.
00:41:30.960 By the way, for everyone listening, we are going to be covering the Trump trial later this week.
00:41:34.640 I can promise you that.
00:41:36.120 So if you're looking for that, it's coming.
00:41:38.480 And don't forget, we do this show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
00:41:42.040 Make sure that you hit that subscribe auto-download button.
00:41:45.260 And if there's breaking news in between, there seems to be a lot of breaking news lately,
00:41:48.640 make sure you grab my podcast.
00:41:50.200 I'll keep you up to date on those in-between days.
00:41:52.620 I do a show every morning, Ben Ferguson podcast.
00:41:55.080 You can grab it as well and listen on those in-between days.
00:41:58.140 And the senator and I will see you back here in just a couple of days.
00:42:03.080 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:42:05.980 Guaranteed human.