Verdict with Ted Cruz - November 08, 2025


Who Elected Comrade Mamdani, How to Test Negative for Stupid & a Pilgrimage to Israel Week In Review


Episode Stats

Length

40 minutes

Words per Minute

176.46913

Word Count

7,159

Sentence Count

393


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.660 Guaranteed human.
00:00:05.380 Welcome, it is Verdict with Ted Cruz.
00:00:07.320 Weekend Review, Ben Ferguson with you,
00:00:09.240 and here are some big stories that you may have missed
00:00:11.200 that we talked about this week.
00:00:12.840 First up, the polling numbers are out,
00:00:15.760 and we now know a lot more about who voted
00:00:18.020 for communism in New York City.
00:00:20.700 What does it mean for the rest of the country?
00:00:22.660 We'll break it down for you.
00:00:24.420 Also, Senator Kennedy joined us to talk about his new book.
00:00:27.460 Who did he write it for, and what was the goal?
00:00:30.000 And finally, I just got back from Israel
00:00:33.460 with an incredible trip, and we'll give you those highlights.
00:00:36.760 It's the Weekend Review, and it starts right now.
00:00:40.420 All right, so let's break down the election.
00:00:42.900 It was a, quote, disaster.
00:00:45.400 The media was just thrilled of what happened on election night.
00:00:49.780 Mandani is the one, though, that I want to really focus on
00:00:52.500 for a second.
00:00:53.240 He is a communist.
00:00:54.560 He's a proud communist.
00:00:55.580 He went back to his core beliefs in his victory speech,
00:00:58.900 basically yelling at Donald Trump and saying,
00:01:01.000 we are a communist city.
00:01:02.640 The red apple literally now is red apple of communism.
00:01:07.440 Breaking this down, this seems to be a point
00:01:10.520 where Democrats are actually almost doubling down
00:01:13.020 on this type of extremism in their party.
00:01:15.240 I think this is actually going to grow
00:01:16.840 between now and the midterms,
00:01:18.140 and I want your reaction to what we learned.
00:01:20.100 Well, Comrade Mandani is the face
00:01:24.500 of the Democrat Party now, and I got to say,
00:01:26.900 the election results this week, they were a disaster.
00:01:31.120 They were an absolute blowout.
00:01:33.320 What is striking is several things.
00:01:35.220 Number one, turnout was exceptionally high
00:01:37.780 among the left-wing base, and that's a real warning sign
00:01:40.680 for next year, for the midterms.
00:01:43.720 The left showed up in massive numbers.
00:01:46.720 They're pissed.
00:01:47.920 They hate Donald Trump, and that anger is dangerous.
00:01:52.320 That anger is motivating.
00:01:55.020 And too many folks on the right,
00:01:57.100 too many kind of in the common sense middle, stayed home.
00:02:01.460 And I will tell you, if you look historically,
00:02:03.920 all right, let's go back to 2008.
00:02:05.780 2008, Barack Obama's elected.
00:02:08.260 As a result, a lot of folks on the right,
00:02:10.260 you and me included, were really unhappy.
00:02:11.920 We didn't like Barack Obama's policies.
00:02:13.840 We were pissed off.
00:02:14.660 2010 was a massive tidal wave year.
00:02:18.880 It was the Tea Party wave, and it was in large part
00:02:21.700 because those on the right were particularly energized
00:02:24.500 and angry.
00:02:26.380 Fast forward to 2012.
00:02:27.880 2012, Barack Obama is re-elected president.
00:02:30.680 And the reaction again, 2014 was another wave election,
00:02:34.380 a huge election.
00:02:35.360 We won nine Senate seats.
00:02:37.160 We retired Harry Reid as majority leader.
00:02:39.220 We won the biggest majority in the House since 1928.
00:02:42.600 And it was because, again, those on the right were angry.
00:02:46.380 They were energized.
00:02:47.320 They were contributing money.
00:02:48.320 They volunteered.
00:02:49.100 And those on the left were complacent.
00:02:50.460 By the way, fast forward to 2018.
00:02:53.520 Donald Trump had just been elected in 2016.
00:02:55.960 2018 was a very good Democrat year.
00:02:58.920 We lost a bunch of seats.
00:03:00.320 Why?
00:03:00.680 Because the left was really energized.
00:03:02.800 And folks on the right were a little bit complacent.
00:03:04.820 This week's election day suggests that we're in real danger
00:03:09.460 of that happening again in 2026, that the left,
00:03:12.380 I'll tell you on fundraising, the left is outraising the right
00:03:15.340 anywhere between 3 to 1 and 4 to 1.
00:03:18.620 That is really, really dangerous.
00:03:20.440 And the turnout, the turnout in Virginia,
00:03:22.940 the left showed up in much bigger numbers.
00:03:24.500 The turnout in New Jersey, the left showed up
00:03:25.980 in much bigger numbers.
00:03:26.800 The turnout in New York City, the left turned out
00:03:29.160 in much bigger numbers.
00:03:30.060 Now, Ben, I'll tell you one of the most interesting,
00:03:32.400 do you know what demographic was dominated
00:03:36.240 by the radical left wing on election day?
00:03:39.600 This is shocking because you and I,
00:03:42.420 we geek out on the political stuff and data after elections.
00:03:45.860 Young people in the Democratic Party
00:03:47.960 were really ready to go vote.
00:03:50.380 Yeah, but let me be more precise.
00:03:52.200 Young women.
00:03:54.180 And let me give you some stats.
00:03:55.800 In New York City, among young women, 18 to 29,
00:04:00.380 81%, 81% voted for Comrade Mamdani.
00:04:06.860 In New Jersey.
00:04:08.120 18 to 29, wow.
00:04:10.800 In New Jersey, among young women,
00:04:13.700 80% voted for Mikey Sherrill, the Democrat,
00:04:17.020 in New Jersey, of young women.
00:04:19.280 In Virginia, 78% of young women voted for Abigail Spanberger.
00:04:26.280 It was dominant.
00:04:27.420 And by the way, to give you a comparison,
00:04:29.640 because yes, young people went left,
00:04:31.520 but there was a big gender gap.
00:04:33.880 So, young women in New York, 81% for Mondami.
00:04:38.820 Young men, 64% for Mondami.
00:04:41.600 So, almost a 20-point gender gap.
00:04:44.320 How about New Jersey?
00:04:46.840 Young women, 80% for Mikey Sherrill.
00:04:49.680 54% of young men.
00:04:54.040 So, a 25, 26% gender gap in New Jersey.
00:04:58.940 How about Virginia?
00:05:00.640 78% for Spanberger of young women.
00:05:04.540 Just 56% of young men in Virginia.
00:05:08.680 So, we saw that this was a race where
00:05:11.380 the single most overwhelming demographic was young women,
00:05:15.420 which was so overwhelmingly lopsided
00:05:18.020 that it helped drive the results on Election Day.
00:05:22.900 When you think about this,
00:05:24.820 and then it goes back to,
00:05:26.120 okay, what was the messaging
00:05:27.560 that was connecting with young women
00:05:29.520 to have them come out in these numbers?
00:05:31.840 Or, was it not so much of a message?
00:05:34.240 And this is part of the breakdown
00:05:35.320 of trying to figure out
00:05:36.660 what you learned from an election
00:05:38.020 to make sure before the midterms
00:05:39.260 we can course-correct it.
00:05:40.860 Or, was it just that the left
00:05:43.740 and women in the Democratic Party
00:05:45.800 were so motivated compared to conservative women?
00:05:48.080 I call it the Trump slump.
00:05:49.800 You feel like your party's in power.
00:05:51.760 You feel like they're doing the things
00:05:53.160 that you asked them to do.
00:05:54.260 Complacency.
00:05:54.520 Donald Trump is putting in complacency.
00:05:56.840 But you feel comfortable
00:05:57.840 because you're like,
00:05:59.440 we just won an election.
00:06:01.040 Yeah, things are great.
00:06:02.100 Donald Trump's doing what he said
00:06:03.120 he was going to do.
00:06:04.020 So, when you look at it,
00:06:05.160 was it issue-based,
00:06:06.280 based on data that we've seen,
00:06:08.040 or was it more just the other side
00:06:10.020 that was so angry
00:06:10.960 that Donald Trump won
00:06:12.140 and they wanted to win so badly
00:06:14.100 to send a middle finger to the president
00:06:15.880 that they showed up in these record numbers
00:06:17.720 and they voted for their candidate?
00:06:19.700 Yeah, we don't have that data yet.
00:06:22.020 There will be time to break that out,
00:06:23.460 but we don't have it right now.
00:06:24.800 But I'll give you another aspect
00:06:26.200 in New York City.
00:06:27.700 So, there was a massive difference
00:06:29.940 based on whether you were
00:06:31.600 a long-time New Yorker
00:06:32.780 or you were new to the city.
00:06:35.540 So, if you're a New York voter
00:06:37.200 and you had been in New York City,
00:06:40.000 you'd lived in New York City
00:06:41.080 less than five years,
00:06:42.300 what percent of the people
00:06:43.200 who lived in New York City
00:06:44.180 less than five years
00:06:45.420 do you think voted for Comrade Mandani?
00:06:48.340 Got to be overwhelmingly high.
00:06:51.960 83%.
00:06:52.360 All right.
00:06:53.700 How about five to ten years?
00:06:54.880 What do you think five to ten years?
00:06:57.320 I would say it's probably still fairly high,
00:06:59.860 but not as high as that first group.
00:07:01.140 76%.
00:07:03.360 Okay, let's go ten years or more,
00:07:07.280 but not born in New York City.
00:07:08.880 What do you think the percentage is?
00:07:11.420 About 50%.
00:07:12.620 54%.
00:07:13.580 So, it drops from 76,
00:07:16.440 five to ten years,
00:07:17.320 to 54.
00:07:18.440 How about I was born in New York City,
00:07:20.760 which, by the way,
00:07:21.300 is 47% of the voters
00:07:22.620 were born in New York City.
00:07:23.600 What do you think,
00:07:24.420 what percent of the vote
00:07:25.580 do you think Mandani got
00:07:26.800 of people born in New York City?
00:07:28.160 I'm going to guess below 50%.
00:07:31.920 34%.
00:07:35.320 Cuomo got 45%.
00:07:37.040 So, Cuomo beat Mandani
00:07:38.880 by 11 points
00:07:40.720 among people born in New York,
00:07:42.320 but among people
00:07:43.480 who lived in New York
00:07:44.180 less than five years,
00:07:45.860 Mandani beat him 83% to 15%.
00:07:49.900 So, it is overwhelmingly...
00:07:52.120 Look...
00:07:52.160 There was a clear...
00:07:52.500 Yeah.
00:07:54.300 Clear what?
00:07:54.760 There was a clear rowing cry
00:07:55.960 from Mandani,
00:07:57.240 and he did this
00:07:58.100 in his campaigning.
00:07:59.160 He did it, by the way,
00:08:00.180 in his victory speech.
00:08:02.320 He said that New York City
00:08:03.840 is a city of immigrants.
00:08:05.920 In other words,
00:08:06.880 if you came here recently,
00:08:08.520 I'm your guy,
00:08:09.500 the establishment,
00:08:10.680 the old school,
00:08:11.420 the American citizen,
00:08:12.460 you're not a priority
00:08:13.320 in New York City anymore.
00:08:14.740 This reminds me
00:08:15.780 an awful lot
00:08:16.640 of what we were talking about
00:08:18.080 ten years ago
00:08:19.320 in major cities in the UK.
00:08:21.600 We are seeing a lot
00:08:22.660 of those same type of results
00:08:23.820 now in New York City.
00:08:24.860 Yeah, and by the way,
00:08:27.520 there's also
00:08:28.500 a significant
00:08:29.700 educational differential.
00:08:31.400 All right,
00:08:31.680 so if you're in New York
00:08:32.720 and you had an advanced degree,
00:08:34.020 what percent of the vote
00:08:34.820 do you think Mandani got?
00:08:37.360 Advanced degree.
00:08:38.380 I would say
00:08:39.140 maybe around 50% or below.
00:08:43.240 57%.
00:08:43.720 Advanced degree, 57%.
00:08:46.040 How about bachelor's degree?
00:08:48.200 Oh, gosh.
00:08:48.880 I'm going to go
00:08:49.460 maybe even lower?
00:08:51.520 57%.
00:08:51.920 So, advanced and bachelor's,
00:08:53.440 both tied at 57%.
00:08:53.860 How about associate's degree?
00:08:57.020 I would say higher.
00:09:01.100 45%.
00:09:01.580 By the way,
00:09:02.160 Cuomo got 48%.
00:09:03.240 So, if you had
00:09:03.580 an associate's degree,
00:09:04.840 Mandani lost.
00:09:06.560 How about some college
00:09:08.100 so you don't have
00:09:08.560 an associate's degree?
00:09:10.640 Mandani,
00:09:11.160 my gut is
00:09:12.640 it would go even higher.
00:09:14.380 But you're saying
00:09:15.200 I'm wrong.
00:09:15.980 You're wrong.
00:09:16.760 Some college,
00:09:17.640 Mandani 40%,
00:09:18.820 Cuomo 48%.
00:09:20.360 How about
00:09:21.120 high school graduate?
00:09:22.060 See, I would have
00:09:24.880 thought high school
00:09:25.400 graduate would be
00:09:25.880 70 plus percent
00:09:26.920 from Mandani.
00:09:27.540 Nope.
00:09:27.840 You're telling me
00:09:28.360 that's wrong.
00:09:28.940 This is breaking
00:09:30.320 the normal model.
00:09:31.780 Of high school graduates,
00:09:33.380 Mandani got 39%.
00:09:35.320 Cuomo got 47%.
00:09:37.340 And finally,
00:09:38.120 no high school degree.
00:09:39.020 So, didn't even
00:09:39.520 graduate high school.
00:09:42.260 I mean,
00:09:42.980 clearly based on
00:09:43.600 the trend now,
00:09:44.300 the majority vote
00:09:44.960 against Mandani
00:09:45.700 that didn't have
00:09:46.220 a high school degree.
00:09:46.820 So, no high school degree,
00:09:48.700 40% voted for Mandani,
00:09:51.360 49% for Cuomo.
00:09:53.520 So, Cuomo beat
00:09:54.420 Mandani by nine points.
00:09:56.640 So, who elected
00:09:57.840 Comrade Mandani?
00:09:59.720 It is the smarty-pants,
00:10:01.720 college-educated,
00:10:02.780 advanced degrees.
00:10:04.040 It is the rich
00:10:05.080 who elected Mandani.
00:10:06.460 By the way,
00:10:07.160 working class,
00:10:07.980 look, if you've got
00:10:08.620 a GED,
00:10:09.340 if you've got
00:10:09.740 a high school degree,
00:10:10.860 they're like,
00:10:11.420 we don't want
00:10:12.000 a socialist.
00:10:12.640 These people are nuts.
00:10:13.760 And it is the rich
00:10:17.220 New Yorkers
00:10:18.760 who,
00:10:21.320 look,
00:10:21.880 I'm not an armchair
00:10:22.620 psychologist,
00:10:23.500 but that is who elected.
00:10:25.060 So, this is the elitist,
00:10:25.300 this is the Soros's.
00:10:27.240 It is the Soros's.
00:10:28.640 By the way,
00:10:29.900 the same
00:10:31.320 Comrade Mandani
00:10:32.240 who said
00:10:32.640 we should have
00:10:33.220 no billionaires
00:10:34.140 also happily
00:10:36.040 tweeted out a picture,
00:10:37.300 actually Soros,
00:10:38.120 Alex Soros
00:10:38.860 tweeted out a picture,
00:10:40.260 so proud to be
00:10:41.340 a New Yorker.
00:10:42.040 The American dream
00:10:43.020 continues.
00:10:43.920 Congrats,
00:10:44.520 Mayor,
00:10:44.860 with a picture
00:10:45.360 of the two of them
00:10:45.980 together.
00:10:46.960 This is the same guy
00:10:47.980 who said
00:10:48.600 no billionaires,
00:10:51.080 well,
00:10:51.320 except for the billionaires
00:10:52.260 that funded
00:10:52.820 the communist takeover
00:10:53.920 of New York City.
00:10:55.700 Now,
00:10:56.020 if you want to hear
00:10:56.640 the rest of this
00:10:57.460 conversation,
00:10:58.180 you can go back
00:10:59.160 and listen to the
00:10:59.840 full podcast
00:11:00.740 from earlier this week.
00:11:02.700 Canadian women
00:11:03.460 are looking for more,
00:11:04.780 more to themselves,
00:11:05.840 their businesses,
00:11:06.780 their elected leaders,
00:11:07.760 and the world are open.
00:11:08.940 And that's why
00:11:09.420 we're thrilled to introduce
00:11:10.580 the Honest Talk podcast.
00:11:12.700 I'm Jennifer Stewart.
00:11:13.760 And I'm Catherine Clark.
00:11:14.840 And in this podcast,
00:11:16.280 we interview Canada's
00:11:17.220 most inspiring women.
00:11:18.900 Entrepreneurs,
00:11:19.540 artists,
00:11:20.220 athletes,
00:11:20.820 politicians,
00:11:21.560 and newsmakers,
00:11:22.420 all at different stages
00:11:23.460 of their journey.
00:11:24.620 So,
00:11:24.960 if you're looking to connect,
00:11:26.420 then we hope you'll join us.
00:11:27.820 Listen to the Honest Talk podcast
00:11:29.200 on iHeartRadio
00:11:30.220 or wherever you listen
00:11:31.180 to your podcasts.
00:11:33.780 Now on to story number two.
00:11:35.860 I know you've got
00:11:36.600 to run center soon,
00:11:37.740 but I want to ask you
00:11:38.700 one other question.
00:11:39.320 Sure, ask me anything you want.
00:11:41.320 And it goes back
00:11:42.940 to the book.
00:11:44.580 When you write this book
00:11:45.860 and you sit down
00:11:46.400 to do it,
00:11:47.100 who did you envision
00:11:47.980 reading it?
00:11:48.680 Is there some bigger purpose
00:11:50.240 where you're like,
00:11:50.920 I want to write this
00:11:51.720 for the future generation?
00:11:53.220 Was part of it just,
00:11:53.960 I want to just tell my story
00:11:55.320 and how I got to
00:11:56.120 where I am today?
00:11:56.840 What was it?
00:11:57.300 Here's what I did.
00:11:58.080 I sat down
00:11:58.700 with a handheld dictaphone
00:12:00.100 at my kitchen table
00:12:01.380 and I started dictating.
00:12:03.400 And I dictated.
00:12:04.120 I dictated,
00:12:05.540 I don't know how many hours,
00:12:07.480 hundreds of hours.
00:12:08.640 And then I had it transcribed
00:12:10.080 and then I put it together
00:12:11.900 and then I had an editor come in
00:12:14.280 who looked at it
00:12:15.220 and rearranged it.
00:12:16.460 And then I just started editing.
00:12:18.180 And I was speaking
00:12:19.020 to the same person
00:12:20.660 that Ted and I both speak to
00:12:22.560 when we do interviews.
00:12:23.660 Yep.
00:12:24.040 The average American.
00:12:25.180 And I tried to speak plainly.
00:12:29.120 I don't try to muddy the water
00:12:31.100 to make it look deep.
00:12:33.300 The American people
00:12:34.160 don't have time for that.
00:12:35.820 And I wanted them to understand
00:12:37.680 that if you get mad,
00:12:40.300 I can't help it.
00:12:41.660 I have the right to remain silent,
00:12:43.540 but God did not give me the ability.
00:12:46.280 And some people are going to like it
00:12:48.080 and some don't.
00:12:49.600 But that's what the American people
00:12:51.720 expect from their politicians today.
00:12:53.680 And it's one of the reasons
00:12:55.440 that Senator Schumer,
00:12:57.520 who Ted and I both know,
00:13:00.220 he's right now,
00:13:01.740 he's got 30% approval rating.
00:13:04.360 He's got a 60% disapproval rating.
00:13:07.440 The other 10% won't pause their video game
00:13:10.700 to answer the pollster's call.
00:13:13.040 And Chuck is polling.
00:13:14.780 He's polling right up there
00:13:16.460 with clubbing baby seals.
00:13:19.540 That's, I mean...
00:13:20.660 But to be fair,
00:13:21.620 he's still above chlamydia.
00:13:22.600 He's still above...
00:13:23.600 He's still above...
00:13:26.200 It's margin.
00:13:27.120 It's close.
00:13:28.220 But because Chuck's been here so long.
00:13:31.800 Ted, you know,
00:13:32.480 he's been here so long.
00:13:34.360 He sounds like Washington.
00:13:36.380 So I will say it's interesting.
00:13:38.160 You and I have a very similar process,
00:13:40.040 it sounds like,
00:13:40.760 for writing a book
00:13:41.380 because that's very much
00:13:42.700 the books I've written.
00:13:44.160 And some of it is,
00:13:44.960 it may be being a lawyer
00:13:45.940 and having written briefs,
00:13:47.080 that that process of recording
00:13:49.580 and telling stories.
00:13:51.160 In my books,
00:13:51.760 I just try to tell stories
00:13:52.820 because that's how people communicate.
00:13:54.200 I've read a couple of your books.
00:13:55.440 There's a difference
00:13:56.020 between you and me, though.
00:13:57.120 I've written one book.
00:13:58.280 Ted's written about a squillion.
00:14:00.240 Okay.
00:14:01.060 But it's hard.
00:14:02.360 I mean, I'm not...
00:14:02.920 It is.
00:14:03.220 It is a painful process.
00:14:06.480 You know, all right,
00:14:07.120 you're a kid.
00:14:07.920 When does the idea of being a lawyer,
00:14:09.360 what was it that made you say,
00:14:10.960 hey, I can do that,
00:14:12.500 I want to do that?
00:14:13.280 My dad was from a depression family
00:14:15.480 in Oklahoma.
00:14:16.780 He got a degree,
00:14:17.960 worked his way through college
00:14:18.920 in petroleum engineering,
00:14:20.500 came to Louisiana
00:14:21.160 to work in the oil fields,
00:14:22.700 married my mom.
00:14:24.160 I have three brothers.
00:14:26.080 From day one,
00:14:27.020 they drilled into us.
00:14:28.420 Education, education, education.
00:14:30.800 And it wasn't
00:14:32.080 where you're going to go to college.
00:14:35.040 It's...
00:14:35.260 Or when you're going to go to college.
00:14:36.580 It was where.
00:14:37.720 And that was drilled in from day one.
00:14:39.720 And I enjoyed college,
00:14:42.100 but I started thinking
00:14:43.420 about law school then.
00:14:45.020 But I stalled
00:14:46.780 and restalled to it
00:14:47.840 as long as I could.
00:14:49.220 I mean, I spent
00:14:49.840 four years in college
00:14:51.400 and then I went
00:14:52.640 three years in law school
00:14:53.940 and then I clerked
00:14:54.800 for a federal judge
00:14:56.500 and I tried to get
00:14:58.020 a Supreme Court clerkship.
00:14:59.360 I didn't.
00:15:00.340 You did.
00:15:02.480 And then I said,
00:15:03.400 well, I'm not ready
00:15:04.620 for the real world.
00:15:05.380 I'm going back to school.
00:15:06.340 I went back
00:15:06.800 and got another law degree
00:15:07.740 at Oxford.
00:15:08.300 Yep.
00:15:08.880 And then finally,
00:15:09.540 I had to...
00:15:10.540 You know, I had to...
00:15:11.360 I was out of money,
00:15:12.560 you know,
00:15:12.880 and I wanted to eat
00:15:13.740 and live indoors.
00:15:14.960 So I didn't want to live
00:15:16.480 in a refrigerator box
00:15:17.840 behind an outback.
00:15:18.880 So I had to go to work
00:15:19.820 for a living.
00:15:20.520 And Ben,
00:15:20.820 I know something
00:15:21.500 that I know you don't know.
00:15:23.080 I know the name
00:15:23.700 of his old law partner.
00:15:25.120 Who is that?
00:15:26.040 Who's that?
00:15:26.780 So he would practice
00:15:28.160 his name obviously
00:15:29.020 as John Kennedy
00:15:29.820 and his partner
00:15:30.600 was Jose Canseco.
00:15:32.160 And he'd walk in
00:15:32.840 and it'd be John Kennedy
00:15:33.680 and Jose Canseco
00:15:34.500 here to see you.
00:15:35.260 I told Ben that story.
00:15:35.640 That's a true story.
00:15:35.940 And they would double take?
00:15:37.840 One of my best friends,
00:15:39.160 I was in a,
00:15:39.840 for Louisiana,
00:15:40.540 a big law firm,
00:15:41.620 six to 80 lawyers.
00:15:42.640 And one of my good friends
00:15:43.580 was Jose Canseco.
00:15:45.020 And we'd go to meetings
00:15:46.240 and I'd say,
00:15:47.320 I'm John Kennedy,
00:15:48.020 this is Jose Canseco,
00:15:49.460 we're here to see so-and-so.
00:15:51.120 And they would say,
00:15:52.300 you're here to see security, sir.
00:15:56.000 True story.
00:15:57.140 All right.
00:15:57.480 So when did you get,
00:15:59.080 when did you get the idea
00:16:00.100 in your head
00:16:00.540 you wanted to run for office?
00:16:01.680 Was this something
00:16:02.240 like as a kid
00:16:03.100 you always wanted to do?
00:16:03.720 Oh, I always thought about it.
00:16:05.800 But I was practicing law,
00:16:08.160 earning a good living.
00:16:10.680 Louisiana politics was rough.
00:16:12.620 I mean, it was rough.
00:16:13.540 It was under,
00:16:13.820 it was under Governor Edwin Edwards.
00:16:16.960 I wasn't part of his clique.
00:16:18.840 Who has my favorite
00:16:20.360 political bumper sticker ever.
00:16:22.400 Yep.
00:16:22.740 And you know exactly
00:16:23.860 where I'm going.
00:16:24.420 Do you know,
00:16:24.780 do you know this, Ben?
00:16:25.480 I don't know if you know this.
00:16:26.460 I do, I do not.
00:16:27.460 So Edwin Edwards
00:16:28.540 is running for governor
00:16:29.520 against David Duke.
00:16:31.480 Now, David Duke
00:16:32.200 was a former
00:16:32.760 Grand Wizard
00:16:33.920 of the KKK.
00:16:35.560 Yeah, Grand Wizard, right?
00:16:37.060 But Edwin Edwards
00:16:37.860 was as corrupt,
00:16:39.440 he was as crooked
00:16:40.260 as a dog's hind leg.
00:16:41.800 See, I'm trying to do this
00:16:42.560 to keep up with John T.
00:16:43.240 That's pretty good, Tim.
00:16:44.700 And everyone knew
00:16:46.060 he was corrupt.
00:16:46.880 And so Edwin Edwards
00:16:47.960 bumper sticker said,
00:16:50.520 vote for the crook.
00:16:51.620 It matters.
00:16:52.540 That's right.
00:16:53.260 And if you're running
00:16:54.200 against a Klansman,
00:16:55.200 that was a winning slogan.
00:16:57.200 And then you know what?
00:16:58.000 He was indicted
00:16:59.080 and convicted
00:16:59.800 of embezzlement
00:17:00.640 or fraud or something.
00:17:01.760 The economy was doing
00:17:02.840 well in Louisiana.
00:17:04.040 I mean, this was,
00:17:05.020 having a colorful governor
00:17:06.260 was all fun and games.
00:17:08.040 He was a big,
00:17:09.740 he was very promiscuous.
00:17:11.840 He used to say,
00:17:14.060 I give,
00:17:16.040 they make,
00:17:17.140 how did he put it?
00:17:18.280 I,
00:17:18.560 when I give blood,
00:17:19.920 they use it
00:17:20.360 to make Viagra.
00:17:21.820 That was a,
00:17:22.720 that was a,
00:17:23.640 I always thought
00:17:24.480 that was a pretty good one.
00:17:25.980 And, and...
00:17:26.780 There's a bumper sticker
00:17:27.800 for you.
00:17:27.920 Okay, that's a line
00:17:28.600 they would have used
00:17:29.140 about Strom Thurmond too.
00:17:30.220 You and I didn't serve
00:17:30.960 with Strom Thurmond,
00:17:31.740 but by all accounts,
00:17:32.740 that would have described
00:17:33.780 him accurately.
00:17:34.400 And he was running
00:17:35.200 for governor,
00:17:35.940 I think his third time.
00:17:37.500 And he was way ahead
00:17:38.340 in the polls.
00:17:39.000 He was running
00:17:39.620 against the incumbent.
00:17:40.920 And the press asked him,
00:17:42.240 they said,
00:17:42.760 are you going to win
00:17:43.240 this race?
00:17:44.280 And he said,
00:17:44.740 well, let me put it this way.
00:17:46.240 The only way
00:17:46.880 I can lose this race
00:17:48.260 in the last week
00:17:50.040 is if I'm caught in bed
00:17:51.700 with a live girl
00:17:53.260 or a dead boy.
00:17:54.760 And I thought
00:17:56.340 that was pretty clever.
00:17:57.700 But eventually
00:17:58.800 his past caught up to him.
00:18:00.360 And we elected
00:18:01.100 a reform governor
00:18:02.100 named Buddy Romer.
00:18:03.620 He and I'd supported him.
00:18:05.460 He asked me
00:18:05.960 to leave my practice,
00:18:06.920 come to Baton Rouge.
00:18:08.060 And I liked it.
00:18:09.260 I was his legal counsel.
00:18:11.500 And I stayed
00:18:13.600 and then I ran for office
00:18:14.720 and got elected.
00:18:15.720 And I ran for the Senate
00:18:16.640 three times.
00:18:17.840 Took me three times
00:18:18.720 to get here.
00:18:20.000 And I thought
00:18:22.340 they left me for dead
00:18:23.580 for a few times
00:18:25.340 politically.
00:18:26.120 I switched parties
00:18:27.040 because the Democrat,
00:18:28.300 I couldn't,
00:18:28.980 I just couldn't be
00:18:29.740 a Democrat anymore.
00:18:30.680 And they all got mad at me
00:18:32.140 and they tried to hurt me.
00:18:33.600 But the mistake they made,
00:18:35.520 they let me live.
00:18:37.720 They never should have
00:18:39.000 let me live.
00:18:39.940 So I won it
00:18:40.720 on the third time
00:18:41.640 and here we are.
00:18:42.660 We're having fun.
00:18:43.520 All right.
00:18:43.760 Biggest surprises
00:18:44.600 when you get to the Senate.
00:18:45.780 Biggest surprise upside
00:18:47.280 and biggest surprise downside.
00:18:50.440 Biggest surprise upside
00:18:52.160 you probably saw this.
00:18:54.920 I came in wanting
00:18:56.000 to gallop.
00:18:58.060 You can't gallop
00:18:59.260 in the Senate.
00:19:00.180 You have to inch along.
00:19:02.560 And at first
00:19:03.700 that frustrated me.
00:19:04.660 It still does.
00:19:05.980 But it's not
00:19:06.780 altogether bad
00:19:07.740 because after a while
00:19:08.740 you realize
00:19:09.400 the Senator's job
00:19:10.620 is not just
00:19:11.760 to advance
00:19:12.540 good ideas.
00:19:14.200 It's to kill
00:19:15.300 bad ideas.
00:19:16.460 and sometimes
00:19:18.260 killing the bad ideas
00:19:19.640 is more important
00:19:20.560 than advancing
00:19:21.680 the good ideas.
00:19:23.920 That has been
00:19:25.180 my biggest transformation
00:19:27.140 in the Senate.
00:19:28.700 But it's frustrating.
00:19:30.880 Senator McConnell
00:19:31.960 is your friend
00:19:32.720 and mine.
00:19:33.760 But Mitch
00:19:34.240 was the majority leader.
00:19:36.560 And I wasn't used
00:19:37.980 to taking orders
00:19:39.860 from another politician.
00:19:42.160 And Mitch and I
00:19:43.200 butted heads
00:19:44.080 a few times.
00:19:44.860 He butted heads
00:19:45.540 with you.
00:19:46.100 Oh yeah.
00:19:46.820 Mitch liked to run it
00:19:48.120 from the top down.
00:19:50.080 And I thought
00:19:51.300 I remember you
00:19:52.160 and I talked
00:19:52.820 when we passed
00:19:53.860 President Trump's
00:19:54.760 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
00:19:56.920 We passed it
00:19:57.900 through reconciliation.
00:19:59.860 And Ted
00:20:00.400 was an advocate
00:20:01.360 of doing a second bill.
00:20:03.380 Yep.
00:20:04.540 And it just took
00:20:06.000 a majority vote.
00:20:06.900 No Democrats.
00:20:08.440 And we
00:20:08.800 I backed him.
00:20:10.860 And Mitch
00:20:11.600 wouldn't do it.
00:20:12.820 And we left
00:20:13.940 so much good policy.
00:20:15.660 On the tape.
00:20:16.200 It remains the most
00:20:17.160 politically indefensible
00:20:18.160 decision I've ever seen.
00:20:19.200 And I hope
00:20:19.900 we don't do it
00:20:21.080 under Trump's
00:20:22.220 second term.
00:20:23.600 And actually
00:20:24.420 John brought that up
00:20:25.380 at lunch today.
00:20:26.460 Yeah.
00:20:26.960 Made that argument
00:20:27.960 and it's clearly
00:20:28.900 look
00:20:29.900 it is our best avenue
00:20:32.240 to win victories
00:20:32.980 and we should be
00:20:34.340 focused on winning victories.
00:20:35.580 Now that being said
00:20:36.220 we got a lot done
00:20:37.180 in that one big bill.
00:20:37.880 Well it's
00:20:38.340 sure.
00:20:39.400 But we get a second
00:20:40.340 bite at the apple.
00:20:41.220 Exactly.
00:20:41.760 And a third
00:20:42.460 if we want it.
00:20:43.000 And why not take it?
00:20:44.340 Yep.
00:20:44.820 Why not take it?
00:20:46.040 And we don't have to get
00:20:47.260 we don't have to get
00:20:48.380 Democratic votes.
00:20:49.500 Yep.
00:20:50.160 Because I'm
00:20:50.920 I'm
00:20:51.260 you know
00:20:52.660 I think
00:20:53.360 I want to thank
00:20:54.320 the best of people
00:20:55.240 but I just think
00:20:56.080 it's going to be hard
00:20:57.040 to negotiate anything
00:20:58.840 with the Democrats
00:20:59.680 from here on out.
00:21:00.420 They just hate Trump.
00:21:01.680 They're so extreme
00:21:02.820 right now.
00:21:03.320 They're just blinded
00:21:04.260 by their passion.
00:21:06.480 Yep.
00:21:07.140 Senator I'm going to
00:21:08.020 I'm afraid of hitmen
00:21:09.040 from Louisiana.
00:21:09.980 Your staff's telling me
00:21:10.880 we were supposed to
00:21:11.460 rap with you a few
00:21:12.160 minutes ago
00:21:12.680 so I want to hold up
00:21:13.560 the book again
00:21:14.180 so you can do that.
00:21:14.500 Oh man thanks.
00:21:15.380 Alright.
00:21:15.860 Alright.
00:21:16.020 So let me tell everyone again.
00:21:17.420 People know what to buy.
00:21:18.040 The book
00:21:18.420 is How to Test Negative
00:21:20.320 for Stupid
00:21:20.880 and Why Washington
00:21:22.020 Never Will.
00:21:22.780 It is by John Kennedy
00:21:24.000 not John F. Kennedy
00:21:25.140 but John Kennedy
00:21:26.660 the great United States
00:21:28.000 Senator.
00:21:28.980 The book is funny.
00:21:29.820 It is interesting.
00:21:30.900 It gives you stories
00:21:31.820 behind the scenes
00:21:32.820 of what's going on
00:21:33.800 in the U.S. Senate.
00:21:34.820 John Kennedy
00:21:35.380 rats out all his colleagues.
00:21:37.620 He makes them embarrassed.
00:21:38.760 He makes them curl up.
00:21:40.920 Curl up.
00:21:41.440 Chuck Schumer
00:21:42.080 curled up in a ball
00:21:43.080 in the closet
00:21:43.660 and cried like a little girl
00:21:45.180 when John Kennedy
00:21:46.460 wrote this book.
00:21:47.520 So you need to go to Amazon
00:21:48.760 and buy it
00:21:49.620 and I will say
00:21:51.480 as I said before
00:21:52.440 John Kennedy
00:21:53.140 is easily
00:21:55.260 one of my favorite colleagues.
00:21:56.860 He is funny as hell
00:21:59.240 and he is smart as hell.
00:22:01.520 A lot of people
00:22:02.180 don't realize
00:22:02.860 this man is dangerous
00:22:04.040 and has
00:22:04.600 you know
00:22:04.840 he's an Oxford
00:22:05.560 educated lawyer
00:22:06.520 and with a southern accent
00:22:08.800 particularly Yankees
00:22:09.960 underestimate
00:22:10.500 and be like
00:22:11.220 alright he's got
00:22:11.680 a southern accent
00:22:12.320 he can't be all that bright.
00:22:13.840 You can't accuse me
00:22:14.860 of being self-aware
00:22:15.920 not being self-aware.
00:22:17.320 I'm fully aware
00:22:18.040 that my voice
00:22:18.980 scares small children
00:22:21.120 and sets off car arms
00:22:22.760 but it's my voice.
00:22:24.280 But thank you
00:22:25.140 for having me Ted.
00:22:25.840 Thank you Ben.
00:22:26.580 And I'm going to close
00:22:28.180 I'm going to close
00:22:29.140 with my favorite
00:22:30.000 Kennedyism
00:22:30.720 which was
00:22:32.780 in a Judiciary Committee
00:22:34.260 hearing
00:22:34.720 John Kennedy
00:22:36.300 leaned forward
00:22:36.940 into the microphone
00:22:37.680 and he said
00:22:39.280 Christmas tree ornaments
00:22:41.700 and Jeffrey Epstein
00:22:43.520 two things you know
00:22:45.540 didn't hang themselves.
00:22:48.120 I love it.
00:22:49.220 And I was sitting there
00:22:50.060 going wait
00:22:50.600 this is at an open hearing
00:22:52.580 of the Senate Judiciary Committee
00:22:54.260 did he really say that?
00:22:56.300 It was
00:22:56.760 I did
00:22:57.360 it was true
00:22:58.260 I'd read that joke somewhere
00:23:00.080 it seemed like a good idea
00:23:01.760 at the time.
00:23:02.860 As before
00:23:03.840 if you want to hear
00:23:04.660 the rest of this conversation
00:23:05.900 on this topic
00:23:07.020 you can go back
00:23:07.900 and download the podcast
00:23:09.220 from early this week
00:23:10.060 to hear the entire thing.
00:23:12.180 Canadian women
00:23:13.020 are looking for more
00:23:14.080 more out of themselves
00:23:15.180 their businesses
00:23:16.000 their elected leaders
00:23:17.120 and the world around them.
00:23:18.540 And that's why
00:23:18.980 we're thrilled to introduce
00:23:20.140 the Honest Talk podcast.
00:23:22.260 I'm Jennifer Stewart
00:23:23.160 and I'm Katherine Clark
00:23:24.380 and in this podcast
00:23:25.460 we interview Canada's
00:23:26.780 most inspiring women
00:23:28.040 entrepreneurs
00:23:28.640 artists
00:23:29.520 athletes
00:23:30.180 politicians
00:23:30.820 and newsmakers
00:23:31.700 all at different stages
00:23:33.020 of their journey.
00:23:34.180 So if you're looking to connect
00:23:35.720 then we hope you'll join us.
00:23:37.400 Listen to the Honest Talk podcast
00:23:38.760 on iHeartRadio
00:23:39.760 or wherever you listen
00:23:40.740 to your podcasts.
00:23:43.080 I want to get back
00:23:44.260 to the big story
00:23:45.440 number three of the week
00:23:46.380 you may have missed.
00:23:47.740 So Ben
00:23:48.260 have you been to Israel before
00:23:49.500 or is this the first trip?
00:23:51.140 This is
00:23:51.480 this is my pilgrimage
00:23:52.440 very first time ever.
00:23:54.060 Well it is amazing.
00:23:55.440 I've been a number of times
00:23:56.680 to Israel
00:23:57.380 and it is a
00:23:58.460 breathtaking place.
00:24:00.400 It is a place
00:24:01.560 all of history
00:24:03.240 converges on.
00:24:04.580 It is the birthplace
00:24:06.100 of Christianity
00:24:07.340 is the birthplace
00:24:08.400 of Judaism.
00:24:10.120 In Israel
00:24:10.980 in Jerusalem
00:24:11.640 you walk down roads
00:24:13.620 the city of David
00:24:14.500 which is this
00:24:15.240 underground
00:24:16.120 archaeological
00:24:16.920 excavation
00:24:18.140 under Jerusalem
00:24:19.640 you walk down the road
00:24:21.100 from the pool of Shiloh
00:24:22.720 to the old
00:24:24.520 temple
00:24:25.340 where Jesus
00:24:27.040 most certainly
00:24:27.860 walked
00:24:28.420 and you walk
00:24:29.800 along it
00:24:30.400 and there are
00:24:31.560 platforms
00:24:32.180 that
00:24:33.460 a street preacher
00:24:35.280 an itinerant preacher
00:24:36.280 would stand
00:24:36.900 and preach on
00:24:37.620 and you stand
00:24:38.520 I've stood on
00:24:39.100 those platforms
00:24:39.800 and it takes
00:24:41.200 your breath away
00:24:41.920 that Jesus Christ
00:24:43.520 almost certainly
00:24:45.020 stood on this
00:24:46.140 particular piece
00:24:47.120 of stone
00:24:47.680 addressing
00:24:49.380 the crowd
00:24:50.360 of the Israelites
00:24:53.300 who were there
00:24:54.180 in Jerusalem
00:24:55.000 it is
00:24:55.520 the Sea of Galilee
00:24:56.740 you look at
00:24:58.460 you imagine
00:24:59.120 Jesus walking up
00:25:00.280 to Peter
00:25:01.220 walking up
00:25:01.800 to fishermen
00:25:02.260 and saying
00:25:02.940 follow me
00:25:04.320 and let me make you
00:25:05.100 fishers of men
00:25:05.860 and not just
00:25:06.980 fishermen
00:25:07.840 and it is
00:25:09.180 it's a beautiful place
00:25:10.780 it is a profound place
00:25:11.920 so tell me
00:25:12.920 when did you arrive
00:25:13.920 and what have you done
00:25:14.940 on the ground
00:25:15.380 in Israel?
00:25:15.800 so it arrived
00:25:16.840 on Monday
00:25:17.740 after a delayed flight
00:25:19.280 missed a flight
00:25:21.000 because of
00:25:21.540 actually the shutdown
00:25:22.380 is what we were told
00:25:23.180 and then we had
00:25:24.080 a time out
00:25:24.760 with the air traffic
00:25:26.900 controllers
00:25:27.420 and also the crew
00:25:28.620 on the plane
00:25:29.200 so we sat on the tarmac
00:25:30.220 for about five hours
00:25:31.360 in Houston
00:25:31.900 and then they said
00:25:33.300 you got to get off the plane
00:25:34.120 we've lost our crew
00:25:35.020 because of the rules
00:25:35.920 and this is a TSA
00:25:37.900 and it was at the very beginning
00:25:39.120 of kind of the breakdown
00:25:39.820 are you part of a broader group
00:25:41.320 or like what's the reason
00:25:43.180 for going to Israel?
00:25:43.960 yeah so I was asked
00:25:45.520 to come over
00:25:46.060 from the Israeli government
00:25:47.580 and also came
00:25:48.620 with the CEO
00:25:49.480 of IFCJ
00:25:50.340 the International Fellowship
00:25:51.280 of Christians and Jews
00:25:52.240 there is a Christian
00:25:54.780 leadership conference
00:25:56.780 happening here
00:25:57.460 as well at the same time
00:25:58.980 that is
00:26:00.100 it is one
00:26:01.080 that's been postponed
00:26:01.780 because of the war
00:26:02.680 and so I was asked
00:26:04.340 to speak at that
00:26:05.260 this is a conference
00:26:06.600 where Bibi is speaking
00:26:07.620 where you have
00:26:08.720 the mayor of Jerusalem
00:26:09.800 is speaking
00:26:10.280 you have the U.S. ambassador
00:26:11.720 Mike Huckabee as well
00:26:12.920 and it is bringing
00:26:14.820 Christians together
00:26:16.380 back to the Holy Land
00:26:18.000 but then what also
00:26:19.460 has happened
00:26:19.880 is they've set up
00:26:20.460 these incredible moments
00:26:21.900 and tours
00:26:22.400 where I've been able
00:26:23.040 to meet with
00:26:23.820 some of the victims
00:26:25.040 of the war
00:26:25.800 and go and see
00:26:27.960 where the war
00:26:29.260 is taking place
00:26:29.700 so yesterday
00:26:30.340 we actually went
00:26:31.220 to the border
00:26:31.920 with Syria
00:26:33.120 and with Lebanon
00:26:33.960 and went literally
00:26:35.240 to where we could see
00:26:36.660 Hezbollah
00:26:37.480 looking at us
00:26:39.120 and you met
00:26:40.760 with the parents
00:26:41.820 of the kids
00:26:42.640 who were killed
00:26:43.180 on the soccer field
00:26:43.960 tell us about that
00:26:45.160 yeah
00:26:45.600 so last night
00:26:47.400 I have
00:26:48.320 and I will try
00:26:49.120 not to get emotional
00:26:49.740 but it's hard not to
00:26:50.740 I was asked
00:26:52.260 to come in
00:26:52.880 to meet with
00:26:53.520 the families
00:26:54.360 some of the families
00:26:55.240 who children
00:26:55.980 there was 12 children
00:26:57.040 that were killed
00:26:57.680 while playing soccer
00:26:58.520 on a soccer field
00:26:59.260 it made international news
00:27:00.280 we covered it
00:27:01.040 on this show
00:27:01.640 and they asked me
00:27:03.580 if I would meet
00:27:04.440 with the families
00:27:05.260 and hear the family stories
00:27:06.860 and I was there
00:27:09.000 and the parents
00:27:10.020 were talking
00:27:10.620 of this was
00:27:11.760 one of the little girls
00:27:12.780 you can see
00:27:13.500 who died
00:27:14.240 and her mother
00:27:14.840 was the first one
00:27:15.620 to speak
00:27:16.080 and she was telling
00:27:18.400 they want to tell
00:27:19.440 the story
00:27:19.940 they were all
00:27:21.320 different ages
00:27:21.860 they were very young
00:27:22.740 to a 17 year old
00:27:24.200 if I remember correctly
00:27:25.200 some of it
00:27:26.600 was through translation
00:27:27.760 but you can kind of
00:27:28.600 see the different ages here
00:27:30.040 some of them
00:27:30.940 are obviously
00:27:31.920 most were younger
00:27:32.840 but you can see
00:27:33.520 there someone's
00:27:34.060 a little bit older
00:27:34.840 and junior high
00:27:36.100 you can see
00:27:36.500 that's one of the
00:27:37.000 oldest kids there
00:27:38.060 and that was
00:27:39.480 you know
00:27:39.860 it's incredible
00:27:40.700 but we sat there
00:27:41.740 and we were hearing
00:27:42.560 their stories
00:27:43.040 these kids
00:27:43.660 and at the very end
00:27:44.940 they said
00:27:45.240 they'd like to present me
00:27:46.660 with something
00:27:46.880 I didn't know
00:27:47.380 they were going to do this
00:27:48.360 and I put the picture
00:27:50.780 on social media
00:27:51.400 but the mother
00:27:51.980 of this young girl
00:27:53.480 said that they wanted
00:27:55.760 to give me something
00:27:56.540 and I didn't see the ball
00:27:57.980 before they brought it out
00:27:59.160 but these pictures
00:27:59.900 on this ball
00:28:00.520 so people understand
00:28:01.200 they're stickers
00:28:01.860 they're handmade
00:28:03.240 and they said
00:28:04.800 they wanted to say
00:28:05.800 thank you
00:28:06.400 for standing up
00:28:07.220 for their kids
00:28:07.900 and for telling
00:28:08.960 their story
00:28:09.540 to the world
00:28:10.280 because they
00:28:11.300 want people
00:28:12.340 to understand
00:28:12.920 what it's like
00:28:13.560 to live in Israel
00:28:14.420 and what was taken
00:28:15.780 from them
00:28:16.460 by the way
00:28:17.960 these were children
00:28:19.160 that were doing nothing
00:28:20.060 they were playing
00:28:20.900 on a soccer field
00:28:21.780 they were being kids
00:28:22.900 and suddenly
00:28:24.100 Hezbollah rocket
00:28:24.980 came over
00:28:25.540 and killed them all
00:28:26.740 yeah
00:28:27.360 and it was a
00:28:28.580 the way that they
00:28:29.620 described it was
00:28:30.660 they didn't care
00:28:31.920 who they killed
00:28:32.540 there was
00:28:33.880 there was a lot
00:28:34.660 of media spin
00:28:35.540 that well
00:28:36.000 this soccer field
00:28:37.200 maybe wasn't
00:28:37.780 directly target
00:28:38.560 Hezbollah doesn't
00:28:39.240 care who they kill
00:28:39.960 they just want
00:28:40.440 to kill Jews
00:28:41.180 northern Israel
00:28:42.340 southern Israel
00:28:43.020 where's the
00:28:43.840 kibbutz you went to
00:28:44.660 the tip of
00:28:45.620 northern on the
00:28:46.760 opposite side
00:28:47.360 of where the attack
00:28:48.040 happened
00:28:48.360 the initial attack
00:28:49.300 happened October
00:28:49.940 the 7th
00:28:50.240 okay so right
00:28:50.740 by the Golan Heights
00:28:51.640 border with Lebanon
00:28:52.780 and Hezbollah
00:28:54.180 so if you're looking
00:28:55.260 at the map
00:28:55.740 this would be in Syria
00:28:56.640 Hezbollah
00:28:57.240 at the northern point
00:28:59.040 and they started us
00:29:00.400 there because they
00:29:01.080 said they wanted us
00:29:02.080 to understand
00:29:02.740 that the goal
00:29:03.480 was actually
00:29:05.060 to attack from both sides
00:29:06.360 for folks at home
00:29:07.480 to understand
00:29:08.140 so Israel
00:29:09.300 is a very small nation
00:29:10.780 it's about the size
00:29:11.880 of the state
00:29:12.440 of New Jersey
00:29:13.360 where October 7th
00:29:15.400 happened
00:29:15.700 was in the southern
00:29:16.940 part of Israel
00:29:17.760 it's right by the
00:29:18.540 Gaza Strip
00:29:19.140 the Gaza Strip
00:29:19.900 is along the Mediterranean
00:29:21.040 in the southern part
00:29:22.700 and Hamas
00:29:23.480 which is the
00:29:24.060 major terrorist
00:29:25.300 organization
00:29:25.960 in the Gaza Strip
00:29:27.120 entered into
00:29:28.580 southern Israel
00:29:29.340 and murdered
00:29:30.380 over 1200 Israelis
00:29:32.960 raped women
00:29:34.320 and little girls
00:29:35.220 took over 200
00:29:36.180 Israelis hostage
00:29:37.600 it was also
00:29:38.720 one of the worst
00:29:39.760 American terrorist
00:29:41.420 attacks ever
00:29:42.180 as we saw
00:29:42.720 dozens of Americans
00:29:43.900 murdered
00:29:44.840 dozens of Americans
00:29:45.860 taken hostage
00:29:46.620 now northern Israel
00:29:48.820 which is up
00:29:49.420 by Lebanon
00:29:49.960 and Syria
00:29:50.580 what you have up
00:29:52.020 there is Hezbollah
00:29:52.840 Hezbollah is a different
00:29:53.920 terrorist organization
00:29:55.000 both Hezbollah
00:29:55.920 and Hamas
00:29:56.680 their patron
00:29:58.280 is Iran
00:29:58.960 and Iran
00:29:59.540 funds over 90%
00:30:00.960 of Hamas's budget
00:30:02.820 Iran funds
00:30:03.880 over 90%
00:30:04.700 of Hezbollah's budget
00:30:05.600 when October 7th
00:30:07.960 first erupted
00:30:08.980 Israel quite rightly
00:30:10.760 declared
00:30:11.240 we are going to
00:30:12.040 utterly destroy Hamas
00:30:13.460 there was an
00:30:13.940 interesting period
00:30:14.840 that extended
00:30:15.600 for weeks
00:30:17.000 and then even
00:30:17.440 a couple of months
00:30:18.200 where it wasn't
00:30:18.940 clear
00:30:19.360 if Hamas
00:30:20.980 would be
00:30:21.300 or rather Hezbollah
00:30:22.380 would be drawn
00:30:22.880 into this
00:30:23.400 Hamas was the
00:30:24.540 aggressor on October 7th
00:30:26.520 and Hezbollah
00:30:27.340 had the opportunity
00:30:28.120 just to shut up
00:30:29.140 and not engage
00:30:30.560 and then Hezbollah
00:30:32.060 pretty quickly
00:30:32.680 decided
00:30:33.240 nope
00:30:33.620 we want to
00:30:34.860 raise our hand
00:30:35.520 we want to
00:30:36.080 engage
00:30:36.580 and began
00:30:37.460 just firing
00:30:38.900 rockets
00:30:39.660 a massive
00:30:40.620 barrage of rockets
00:30:41.700 into northern Israel
00:30:42.800 thousands
00:30:43.800 and the kids
00:30:45.500 in the soccer field
00:30:46.340 about 60%
00:30:46.360 I was told yesterday
00:30:47.240 by the US government
00:30:48.580 about 60%
00:30:49.460 of all the rockets
00:30:50.440 on hand
00:30:50.980 that Hezbollah
00:30:51.580 had in their arsenal
00:30:52.780 were shot
00:30:53.380 during this war
00:30:54.200 repeat that
00:30:55.640 that's a powerful
00:30:56.580 statement
00:30:56.960 60%
00:30:58.440 and as we had
00:30:59.560 our briefing
00:31:00.180 from the Israeli
00:31:00.900 government
00:31:01.360 we actually went
00:31:02.600 to this neighborhood
00:31:03.620 this kibbutz
00:31:04.320 and in this neighborhood
00:31:05.600 their sin
00:31:07.440 for being targeted
00:31:08.420 by Hezbollah
00:31:09.120 was that they
00:31:10.140 farm pink lady apples
00:31:12.240 that we eat
00:31:12.780 in the United States
00:31:13.380 of America
00:31:13.860 and by the way
00:31:15.180 much of northern Israel
00:31:16.360 was evacuated
00:31:17.800 because the rocket
00:31:19.100 attacks were so intense
00:31:20.480 that the Israelis
00:31:21.220 couldn't live there
00:31:21.940 anymore
00:31:22.240 because you couldn't
00:31:22.800 go into your own home
00:31:24.380 without risk
00:31:25.140 of rock blowing it up
00:31:26.780 and so
00:31:27.420 the amazing thing
00:31:29.140 is Hezbollah
00:31:29.820 literally volunteered
00:31:30.920 and said
00:31:31.220 hey we want to be
00:31:31.860 part of this
00:31:32.440 and then
00:31:33.620 the Israelis
00:31:34.640 carried out
00:31:35.400 the pager attack
00:31:38.100 which remains
00:31:39.280 one of the most
00:31:40.800 extraordinary
00:31:41.340 military and
00:31:42.420 intelligence operations
00:31:43.560 I think the world
00:31:44.480 has ever seen
00:31:45.180 where
00:31:46.320 I mean I've joked
00:31:47.300 but this is not a joke
00:31:48.440 if you wrote
00:31:50.360 the pager attack
00:31:51.960 as a script
00:31:53.560 to a movie
00:31:54.180 nobody in Hollywood
00:31:56.260 would buy it
00:31:57.180 if you wrote it
00:31:57.720 as a Jason Bourne movie
00:31:58.740 they'd say
00:31:59.080 this is ridiculous
00:32:00.440 you're telling me
00:32:01.860 Israel creates
00:32:03.040 a shell company
00:32:04.180 in Hong Kong
00:32:04.900 builds
00:32:06.760 pagers
00:32:07.320 years in advance
00:32:07.920 years in advance
00:32:09.600 makes them
00:32:10.600 heavy duty
00:32:11.480 kind of serious
00:32:12.640 hardcore pagers
00:32:13.600 and embeds
00:32:15.100 where the battery
00:32:15.780 would be
00:32:16.340 a tiny little
00:32:17.260 explosive
00:32:17.840 then gets
00:32:19.240 this shell
00:32:19.800 company
00:32:20.180 in Hong Kong
00:32:20.800 to sell
00:32:21.540 the pagers
00:32:22.160 to Hezbollah
00:32:23.480 like how the hell
00:32:24.220 do you do that
00:32:24.800 I don't know
00:32:25.300 how you sell
00:32:25.780 pagers to Hezbollah
00:32:26.580 but the Mossad
00:32:27.900 does
00:32:28.260 Israel does
00:32:29.240 sells them
00:32:30.880 to Hezbollah
00:32:31.840 and then
00:32:32.340 this remains
00:32:33.800 the single
00:32:34.420 most targeted
00:32:35.160 military and
00:32:36.020 intelligence attack
00:32:37.000 I think in history
00:32:37.840 because it was
00:32:38.560 Hezbollah leadership
00:32:39.980 that decided
00:32:40.780 okay
00:32:42.160 who is it
00:32:43.280 that gets
00:32:44.860 these pagers
00:32:45.440 I'm going to
00:32:46.960 give it to every
00:32:47.700 crazy ass
00:32:48.700 terrorist
00:32:49.220 we have
00:32:50.580 in Lebanon
00:32:51.080 the people
00:32:52.220 that I want
00:32:52.780 to be able
00:32:53.080 to page
00:32:53.540 and say
00:32:53.840 hey
00:32:54.140 would you
00:32:54.920 go blow
00:32:55.280 up a bus
00:32:55.800 would you
00:32:56.100 go blow
00:32:56.480 up a mall
00:32:57.520 would you
00:32:57.880 go murder
00:32:58.500 children
00:32:59.060 take this
00:33:00.100 pager
00:33:00.440 and then
00:33:01.740 Israel
00:33:02.340 in a
00:33:03.080 simultaneous
00:33:03.540 moment
00:33:04.220 detonated
00:33:05.060 all the
00:33:05.460 pagers
00:33:05.820 and took
00:33:07.060 out
00:33:07.440 every person
00:33:08.860 that was
00:33:09.200 injured
00:33:09.560 every person
00:33:10.280 that was
00:33:11.160 killed
00:33:11.600 with very
00:33:13.020 minor exceptions
00:33:13.940 of someone
00:33:14.380 who was really
00:33:14.940 close to a
00:33:15.580 terrorist
00:33:15.980 they were
00:33:17.720 personally
00:33:19.040 selected by
00:33:20.060 the leaders
00:33:20.560 of Hezbollah
00:33:21.200 Hezbollah
00:33:22.140 decided which
00:33:23.140 terrorist died
00:33:23.940 and by the way
00:33:24.540 within a day
00:33:25.620 or two
00:33:26.000 there was a
00:33:27.040 second operation
00:33:27.840 where Hezbollah
00:33:28.400 was using
00:33:28.960 walkie-talkies
00:33:29.940 those blew up
00:33:31.500 and I'm going to
00:33:32.860 say
00:33:32.980 infiltrated
00:33:33.620 yeah they blew
00:33:34.260 those up as well
00:33:35.040 yeah by the end
00:33:36.340 of it I think
00:33:37.000 every Hezbollah
00:33:37.800 terrorist
00:33:38.200 every Hamas
00:33:38.900 terrorist
00:33:39.380 every Iran
00:33:40.620 IRGC
00:33:41.400 terrorist
00:33:41.840 like every time
00:33:42.800 a phone rang
00:33:43.720 they jumped
00:33:44.860 it was
00:33:46.100 extraordinary
00:33:46.760 and it was
00:33:47.400 a response
00:33:48.100 to so
00:33:48.800 what
00:33:49.580 Hezbollah
00:33:50.620 literally volunteered
00:33:51.600 and said
00:33:52.140 we want to be
00:33:52.820 decimated as bad
00:33:53.820 as Hamas
00:33:54.800 and Israel
00:33:55.880 said well
00:33:56.440 happy to oblige
00:33:57.300 yeah
00:33:58.140 and you go
00:33:59.060 back to this
00:33:59.520 neighborhood
00:33:59.840 and as we
00:34:00.980 went into
00:34:01.620 this neighborhood
00:34:02.200 which the
00:34:03.120 people have
00:34:03.960 a lot of
00:34:04.600 them have
00:34:04.840 still not
00:34:05.240 returned
00:34:05.680 some of
00:34:06.780 the farmers
00:34:07.200 are coming
00:34:07.620 there to
00:34:07.940 farm
00:34:08.340 but Hezbollah
00:34:09.780 knew the
00:34:10.300 houses that
00:34:10.880 they were
00:34:11.200 blowing up
00:34:11.940 in this
00:34:12.800 neighborhood
00:34:13.140 were farmers
00:34:14.040 they knew
00:34:15.200 that they
00:34:15.500 were families
00:34:16.240 and what
00:34:17.660 they did
00:34:18.460 to justify
00:34:19.580 their attacks
00:34:20.160 early on
00:34:20.620 was when
00:34:21.140 the people
00:34:21.580 had fled
00:34:22.260 the Israeli
00:34:23.700 military
00:34:24.280 would take
00:34:24.940 back in
00:34:25.880 the husband
00:34:27.380 of the home
00:34:28.160 to go get
00:34:28.700 some of their
00:34:29.120 belongings
00:34:29.600 before they
00:34:30.420 would flee
00:34:30.900 again
00:34:31.320 and they
00:34:32.180 justified
00:34:32.820 the military
00:34:33.740 walking in
00:34:34.340 the house
00:34:34.600 as the reason
00:34:35.060 to blow
00:34:35.360 the house
00:34:35.760 up
00:34:36.040 and so
00:34:36.720 I met
00:34:37.020 with a
00:34:37.300 farmer
00:34:37.600 who had
00:34:38.280 three children
00:34:38.940 the exact
00:34:39.540 same age
00:34:40.040 as my
00:34:40.440 kids
00:34:40.780 and he
00:34:42.120 was showing
00:34:42.940 us
00:34:43.400 his
00:34:44.180 neighborhood
00:34:44.560 and he
00:34:45.540 was talking
00:34:46.000 about how
00:34:46.400 I had to
00:34:46.900 come back
00:34:47.300 to tend
00:34:47.580 the fields
00:34:47.920 because this
00:34:48.300 is my
00:34:48.640 home
00:34:49.020 and I
00:34:49.460 was literally
00:34:50.040 under rocket
00:34:50.800 barrage
00:34:51.220 and would
00:34:51.560 come to
00:34:52.140 work
00:34:52.540 knowing that
00:34:53.760 Hezbollah
00:34:54.220 was targeting
00:34:55.080 the houses
00:34:56.100 and so
00:34:56.700 finally
00:34:57.080 after a few
00:34:58.140 days
00:34:58.540 the homeowner
00:34:59.660 said to the
00:35:00.280 military
00:35:00.580 don't go back
00:35:01.400 into my
00:35:01.740 house
00:35:02.040 because as
00:35:02.780 soon as
00:35:03.080 you go
00:35:03.400 in there
00:35:03.720 they blow
00:35:04.420 up my
00:35:04.760 home
00:35:05.120 and everything
00:35:06.060 is destroyed
00:35:06.640 we went
00:35:06.980 into a
00:35:07.300 home
00:35:07.600 the books
00:35:08.560 of the
00:35:08.860 children
00:35:09.140 were still
00:35:09.600 there
00:35:09.880 the stove
00:35:11.400 was still
00:35:11.960 there the
00:35:12.340 way it
00:35:12.560 was set
00:35:12.800 that morning
00:35:13.340 the one
00:35:14.720 of the
00:35:14.900 homeowners
00:35:15.240 offered me
00:35:16.180 a piece
00:35:16.740 of a
00:35:17.020 broken pot
00:35:17.900 of their
00:35:18.260 home
00:35:18.640 and a
00:35:19.240 burner
00:35:19.700 of the
00:35:20.380 stove
00:35:20.760 and said
00:35:22.540 take it
00:35:22.980 back
00:35:23.260 and a
00:35:23.680 piece
00:35:23.960 of their
00:35:24.220 tile
00:35:24.800 in their
00:35:25.540 children's
00:35:26.180 bathroom
00:35:26.560 I'll put
00:35:27.500 it on my
00:35:27.860 desk for
00:35:28.260 the rest
00:35:28.500 of my
00:35:28.740 life
00:35:29.060 but to
00:35:29.920 hear them
00:35:31.040 talk about
00:35:31.800 the brutality
00:35:33.140 of Hezbollah
00:35:33.880 knowing that
00:35:34.520 you're blowing
00:35:34.940 up a
00:35:35.320 farmer's
00:35:36.120 home
00:35:36.680 who has
00:35:37.460 never
00:35:37.920 bothered
00:35:38.300 you
00:35:38.520 in your
00:35:38.740 entire
00:35:39.080 life
00:35:39.420 for sport
00:35:40.240 it was
00:35:41.080 just for
00:35:41.680 sport
00:35:42.060 at that
00:35:42.380 point
00:35:42.580 it wasn't
00:35:42.960 even
00:35:43.200 killing
00:35:43.600 a person
00:35:44.100 they knew
00:35:45.400 that they
00:35:45.780 were gone
00:35:46.200 just pure
00:35:48.020 sport
00:35:48.440 and hatred
00:35:48.940 like we're
00:35:49.560 going to blow
00:35:49.940 up your
00:35:50.240 neighborhood
00:35:50.560 because you
00:35:51.340 are
00:35:51.880 Jewish
00:35:52.760 we know
00:35:53.820 you're not
00:35:54.160 there
00:35:54.480 we know
00:35:55.160 you have
00:35:55.480 fled
00:35:55.780 but we
00:35:56.440 want you
00:35:56.740 to come
00:35:57.040 back to
00:35:57.420 destruction
00:35:57.940 and ruins
00:35:58.640 so you've
00:36:00.040 been in
00:36:00.320 northern Israel
00:36:00.960 have you been
00:36:01.840 in Tel Aviv
00:36:02.440 have you been
00:36:02.900 in Jerusalem
00:36:03.400 where else
00:36:04.140 have you been
00:36:04.580 so been
00:36:06.960 in Tel Aviv
00:36:07.560 as well
00:36:08.080 which is
00:36:08.880 an incredible
00:36:09.480 city
00:36:09.840 I didn't
00:36:10.180 realize how
00:36:10.720 much it's
00:36:11.160 like New
00:36:12.140 York City
00:36:12.680 or a
00:36:13.040 very modern
00:36:14.180 nightlife
00:36:14.800 city
00:36:15.140 but one
00:36:16.520 other thing
00:36:16.820 I want to
00:36:17.140 mention about
00:36:17.600 this trip
00:36:18.080 so far
00:36:18.720 is I met
00:36:19.660 with the
00:36:20.120 mother
00:36:20.660 of one
00:36:22.100 of the
00:36:22.360 hostages
00:36:22.980 that was
00:36:23.380 taken
00:36:23.720 that became
00:36:24.340 unfortunately
00:36:25.200 she became
00:36:25.760 famous
00:36:26.220 if you
00:36:26.680 remember
00:36:27.000 the videos
00:36:27.500 that came
00:36:27.880 out
00:36:28.120 there is
00:36:29.000 a girl
00:36:29.420 that's
00:36:29.700 been
00:36:29.860 separated
00:36:30.420 from her
00:36:30.940 boyfriend
00:36:31.320 she is
00:36:31.960 in between
00:36:32.600 two
00:36:32.920 terraces
00:36:33.340 on a
00:36:33.860 motorcycle
00:36:34.420 and she's
00:36:35.580 reaching out
00:36:36.400 and screaming
00:36:37.340 for her
00:36:38.080 boyfriend
00:36:38.440 who is
00:36:39.360 being held
00:36:39.940 with his
00:36:40.380 arms behind
00:36:40.740 his back
00:36:41.020 by two
00:36:41.440 terraces
00:36:41.800 and they're
00:36:42.180 separating
00:36:42.640 them
00:36:42.920 and that
00:36:43.840 video just
00:36:44.440 went viral
00:36:45.040 early on
00:36:45.740 in the
00:36:45.980 moments
00:36:46.560 after
00:36:47.040 he was
00:36:47.900 held
00:36:48.160 underground
00:36:48.740 for two
00:36:49.620 years
00:36:49.920 without
00:36:50.140 seeing
00:36:50.500 sunlight
00:36:51.200 and
00:36:52.520 was
00:36:52.960 starved
00:36:53.580 he was
00:36:54.500 returned
00:36:55.000 they just
00:36:55.840 reunited
00:36:56.760 you may have
00:36:57.440 seen that
00:36:57.740 video of them
00:36:58.260 in the
00:36:58.460 hospital
00:36:58.860 finally getting
00:36:59.660 to see
00:36:59.920 each other
00:37:00.260 again
00:37:00.520 and hugging
00:37:00.920 and falling
00:37:01.460 backwards
00:37:01.860 as they
00:37:02.200 hug on
00:37:02.580 the hospital
00:37:03.460 bed
00:37:03.880 and the
00:37:04.760 mother was
00:37:05.220 telling the
00:37:05.820 story of
00:37:06.640 her son
00:37:07.260 and the
00:37:08.920 trauma
00:37:09.380 the way that
00:37:10.740 they were
00:37:11.060 mentally tortured
00:37:11.900 and lied to
00:37:12.680 that there was
00:37:13.380 destruction of all
00:37:14.340 of Israel
00:37:15.300 been destroyed
00:37:16.120 that they were
00:37:17.860 told that their
00:37:18.540 loved ones had
00:37:19.120 been killed
00:37:19.700 their family
00:37:20.220 members had
00:37:20.680 been murdered
00:37:21.200 that no one
00:37:22.280 had survived
00:37:22.900 that they were
00:37:23.960 going to die
00:37:24.720 that they were
00:37:25.140 going to dig
00:37:25.660 their own
00:37:26.060 graves
00:37:26.300 some of them
00:37:26.640 did
00:37:26.840 to see
00:37:28.480 the torment
00:37:29.220 and I think
00:37:29.860 that's one of
00:37:30.340 the things I
00:37:30.800 will forever
00:37:31.800 remember from
00:37:32.520 this trip
00:37:32.960 and I'm
00:37:33.240 grateful for
00:37:33.920 it is
00:37:34.240 when we
00:37:34.960 talk about
00:37:35.600 what this
00:37:36.080 is like
00:37:36.560 the psychological
00:37:38.000 warfare
00:37:38.700 senator
00:37:39.160 and the
00:37:40.240 evil of
00:37:41.000 Hamas
00:37:41.680 and Hezbollah
00:37:43.160 has no
00:37:44.020 ends
00:37:44.400 whether it's
00:37:45.300 blowing up
00:37:45.840 farmers homes
00:37:46.640 for sport
00:37:47.300 whether it is
00:37:47.900 killing children
00:37:48.800 is that the
00:37:49.540 soccer ball
00:37:50.140 and seeing
00:37:51.580 these kids
00:37:52.160 who were
00:37:52.480 their only crime
00:37:53.480 was being
00:37:53.820 Jewish and
00:37:54.320 playing sports
00:37:55.060 that's it
00:37:55.800 psychopath
00:37:56.680 terrorists
00:37:58.720 kill civilians
00:37:59.960 are the
00:38:00.940 embodiment of
00:38:01.680 evil
00:38:01.920 and sadly
00:38:02.960 we live in
00:38:03.460 a world
00:38:03.860 where evil
00:38:04.680 is plentiful
00:38:06.400 it's incredible
00:38:07.300 so today
00:38:08.400 I'm going to
00:38:08.740 be leaving
00:38:09.140 with the
00:38:09.540 government
00:38:10.140 and going
00:38:10.620 down to
00:38:11.100 the side
00:38:11.480 of the
00:38:11.820 attack
00:38:12.300 at the
00:38:12.580 festival
00:38:12.940 and I'm
00:38:13.960 going to
00:38:14.100 be meeting
00:38:14.460 with some
00:38:14.880 of the
00:38:15.060 hostages
00:38:15.480 there
00:38:15.800 I'm going
00:38:16.800 to hopefully
00:38:17.260 tell those
00:38:17.780 stories as
00:38:18.340 well
00:38:18.640 in one of
00:38:19.360 our next
00:38:19.680 episodes
00:38:20.160 because it's
00:38:21.120 just telling
00:38:21.880 their stories
00:38:22.440 and letting
00:38:23.200 people understand
00:38:23.860 what happened
00:38:24.480 that day
00:38:24.920 and going
00:38:25.740 to go
00:38:25.900 to the
00:38:26.080 kibbutz
00:38:26.420 that were
00:38:26.640 attacked
00:38:26.920 there
00:38:27.160 and tour
00:38:28.120 the homes
00:38:28.640 of the
00:38:29.420 children
00:38:29.940 that were
00:38:30.400 murdered
00:38:31.040 in their
00:38:31.420 cribs
00:38:31.820 I'm going
00:38:32.900 to meet
00:38:33.140 with the
00:38:33.460 families
00:38:33.800 of the
00:38:34.320 elderly
00:38:34.640 that were
00:38:34.960 killed
00:38:35.220 including
00:38:35.600 holocaust
00:38:36.120 survivors
00:38:36.400 I met
00:38:36.640 with some
00:38:36.920 holocaust
00:38:37.380 survivors
00:38:37.800 that were
00:38:38.180 had to
00:38:39.220 are homeless
00:38:39.980 in essence
00:38:40.480 and had
00:38:40.800 to move
00:38:41.080 to Jerusalem
00:38:41.700 to survive
00:38:42.480 the war
00:38:43.040 I met
00:38:43.860 with them
00:38:44.140 as well
00:38:44.540 incredible
00:38:45.020 story
00:38:45.420 so we'll
00:38:45.700 have more
00:38:46.080 of that
00:38:46.320 I promise
00:38:46.740 you coming
00:38:47.220 up in
00:38:47.580 other episodes
00:38:48.380 but I
00:38:49.200 want to
00:38:49.640 say to
00:38:49.940 everyone that
00:38:50.920 is listening
00:38:51.360 if you
00:38:51.820 are a
00:38:52.160 person
00:38:52.480 of faith
00:38:53.020 the
00:38:54.360 pilgrimage
00:38:55.440 to come
00:38:56.180 here
00:38:56.420 and to
00:38:56.800 see
00:38:57.220 I think
00:38:58.100 the hope
00:38:58.620 of our
00:38:58.980 faith
00:38:59.320 in
00:38:59.760 Christianity
00:39:00.260 to walk
00:39:01.340 where Jesus
00:39:01.700 walked
00:39:02.060 to walk
00:39:02.540 where he
00:39:02.860 carried
00:39:03.140 the cross
00:39:03.680 I did
00:39:04.020 that
00:39:04.260 the first
00:39:05.200 day I
00:39:05.480 was here
00:39:05.880 and to
00:39:07.300 be able
00:39:07.920 to just
00:39:08.360 see the
00:39:08.880 Sea of
00:39:09.140 Galilee
00:39:09.600 and witness
00:39:10.220 where so
00:39:11.480 much of
00:39:11.900 our
00:39:12.020 biblical
00:39:12.240 80%
00:39:12.740 of the
00:39:13.000 biblical
00:39:13.260 history
00:39:13.780 in the
00:39:15.280 Bible
00:39:15.880 with Jesus
00:39:16.440 I got
00:39:17.080 to witness
00:39:17.420 from standing
00:39:17.860 in one
00:39:18.260 place
00:39:18.760 and it
00:39:20.780 spread to
00:39:21.220 the world
00:39:21.600 where they
00:39:22.300 believe
00:39:22.780 Jesus
00:39:23.160 was
00:39:23.460 crucified
00:39:23.980 where they
00:39:24.580 believe
00:39:24.840 he was
00:39:25.120 buried
00:39:25.520 and where
00:39:26.700 he rose
00:39:27.220 again
00:39:27.660 in heaven
00:39:28.220 I got
00:39:28.820 to go
00:39:29.040 to the
00:39:29.220 tomb
00:39:29.380 yeah
00:39:29.620 I mean
00:39:30.820 standing
00:39:31.800 in the
00:39:32.160 tomb
00:39:32.560 look as
00:39:33.780 a believer
00:39:34.200 it takes
00:39:35.500 your breath
00:39:35.880 away
00:39:36.160 the
00:39:37.380 as I
00:39:38.940 described
00:39:39.340 it to
00:39:39.780 family
00:39:40.640 in a
00:39:41.020 text
00:39:41.280 I said
00:39:41.660 the
00:39:41.920 level
00:39:43.060 of
00:39:43.420 feeling
00:39:43.960 I would
00:39:44.340 say
00:39:44.480 the Holy
00:39:44.780 Spirit
00:39:45.160 in these
00:39:45.760 places
00:39:46.080 is something
00:39:46.820 I've never
00:39:47.200 felt before
00:39:47.800 the second
00:39:49.000 closest I've
00:39:49.560 ever felt
00:39:50.000 to that
00:39:50.320 type of
00:39:50.680 spiritual
00:39:51.160 gathering
00:39:52.260 of Christians
00:39:52.700 was honestly
00:39:53.240 Charlie Kirk's
00:39:53.860 memorial
00:39:54.180 and it
00:39:56.260 was incredible
00:39:56.920 two of the
00:39:59.160 biggest
00:39:59.660 spiritual
00:40:00.160 moments
00:40:00.520 in my
00:40:00.840 life
00:40:01.100 have
00:40:01.240 happened
00:40:01.500 in the
00:40:01.700 last 60
00:40:02.200 days
00:40:02.500 both
00:40:03.020 in a
00:40:03.500 weird way
00:40:03.840 around
00:40:04.080 tragedy
00:40:04.540 which
00:40:05.320 also is
00:40:05.860 why
00:40:06.100 I think
00:40:06.540 it's
00:40:06.780 incredible
00:40:07.100 when you're
00:40:07.520 Christian
00:40:07.840 that you
00:40:08.160 know
00:40:08.320 that God
00:40:08.680 is still
00:40:09.000 a God
00:40:09.220 of hope
00:40:09.620 Amen
00:40:10.620 As always
00:40:11.700 thank you
00:40:12.560 for listening
00:40:13.180 to Verdict
00:40:13.980 with Senator
00:40:14.400 Ted Cruz
00:40:15.060 Ben Ferguson
00:40:15.780 with you
00:40:16.080 don't forget
00:40:16.560 to download
00:40:17.000 my podcast
00:40:17.820 and you can
00:40:18.360 listen to
00:40:18.660 my podcast
00:40:19.200 every other
00:40:19.580 day you're
00:40:19.880 not listening
00:40:20.320 to Verdict
00:40:20.680 or each
00:40:21.320 day when
00:40:21.620 you listen
00:40:21.900 to Verdict
00:40:22.180 afterwards
00:40:22.760 I'd love
00:40:23.620 to have
00:40:23.960 you as
00:40:24.260 a listener
00:40:24.600 to again
00:40:25.480 the Ben
00:40:25.820 Ferguson
00:40:26.180 podcast
00:40:26.660 and we
00:40:27.100 will see
00:40:27.440 you back
00:40:27.940 here on
00:40:28.680 Monday
00:40:28.960 morning
00:40:29.340 this is
00:40:30.040 an
00:40:30.180 iHeart
00:40:30.520 podcast
00:40:31.100 guaranteed
00:40:32.600 human
00:40:33.080 you