After 48 years, will the United States see the end of a grievous error? Following the oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, our resident legal expert, Senator Ted Cruz, joins Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to discuss the fate of one of the worst decisions in Supreme Court history—Roe v. Wade. Where is abortion in the Constitution? What the are all of these penumbras and emanations? What about stare decisis? And, most importantly, do we actually think the conservative j...
Jan 09, 2022•52 min•Ep. 103
Senator Ted Cruz raises a glass with Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to ring in the new year and look back on the long, strange year that was 2021, an epilogue to the long, strange year that was 2020. Democrats tried to impeach Donald Trump for the second time, Britney Spears was freed from the confines of her conservatorship as Pope Fauci became the de facto conservator of all Americans, Joe Manchin shocked his own party when he said no to Build Back Broke, and… Michael became a bitcoin billion...
Jan 06, 2022•19 min•Ep. 102
Biden, Schumer, and the Democrats were one vote away from passing Build Back Broke, and then it all went up in flames. Joe Manchin said no to his own party. As the man in the middle of it all, Senator Ted Cruz joins Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to give the inside scoop on what happened. And because one victory isn’t enough, at the midnight hour, the Senator scored a second major victory against Schumer—let’s just say some major consequences for Russia are on now the docket. Now, the question ...
Dec 31, 2021•50 min•Ep. 101
Not only is it Christmas, but we’re celebrating the 100th episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz! Who would have thought that in 100 episodes, Senator Ted Cruz would not only beat Joe Rogan on the podcast charts, but also get upstaged by a cactus and a shag carpet? Starting things off light and cheery, the Senator joins Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to discuss BLM’s boycott of a “white Christmas” (no, not the song) and to recount the real story of St. Nick the brawler… You’ll just have to listen. Pl...
Dec 23, 2021•42 min•Ep. 100
As the Left kicks it into overdrive, spinning up new yarns about the January 6th “insurrection,” Senator Ted Cruz sits down with Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to discuss Liz Cheney’s “bombshell” text messages and figure out what the sham committee is actually after. Plus, after Kathy Hochul presumes to speak for God, the Supreme Court rejects a petition by New York healthcare workers for a religious exemption to vaccine diktats. And while Democrats rode their high horse this week, the Senator ...
Dec 18, 2021•45 min•Ep. 99
Putin is once again attempting to restore the Soviet Union and, according to experts, could be poised to roll tanks into Ukraine as early as January. Senator Ted Cruz joins Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to illustrate how the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a physical manifestation of Putin’s imperial ambitions and break down the concrete measures Joe Biden could, but won’t, take to prevent another American foreign policy disaster. Plus, in case you missed it, the Democratic plan to draft America’s d...
Dec 09, 2021•52 min•Ep. 98
Following the election excitement, Big Bird buzz, and courtroom chaos, Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles come together once again with Liz Wheeler for a special all-mailbag episode. Is Bill Maher becoming a conservative? Will Biden’s DOJ try to go after Kyle Rittenhouse? Does the government actually work the way Schoolhouse Rock tells us it does? And the most important question of all… Montecristo or Cohiba? To submit your mailbag questions for future episodes, become a Verdict+ subscriber to...
Dec 02, 2021•32 min•Ep. 97
The woke (read: miserable) Left has decided that Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on how terrible America is. Nonsense! Thanksgiving is a day for, well, thanksgiving. Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles are joined by Liz Wheeler for this special holiday episode. Together, the Audiocasting A-Team shares some quirky Turkey Day traditions, takes your silly and serious Thanksgiving-themed questions, and even tells the story of a little known Mayflower love triangle, putting Michael’s Yale literatur...
Nov 25, 2021•26 min•Ep. 96
The verdict is in on the most controversial case in the country. Everybody has an opinion about Kyle Rittenhouse this week, but how many of them are informed by fact? We could certainly point out a few that aren't. Senator Ted Cruz circles the wagons with Michael Knowles and Liz Wheeler to break down what actually happened in Kenosha, what the law says about the circumstances, and what the politics at play are. Plus, will Rittenhouse be the next owner of MSNBC or the Washington Post? -- Skip the...
Nov 25, 2021•37 min•Ep. 95
Will Senator Cruz be indicted for murder? You might be forgiven for thinking so if you witnessed his recent exchange with Biden’s DHS Secretary in a Senate hearing room. Today, the Senator joins Michael Knowles to answer some questions (unlike Mayorkas) about the incident in question. Namely, why don’t the Democrats care about the kids in Biden's cages? Plus, because 0-2 wasn’t enough of a beat down, our old pal Robert Francis “Beto" O’Rourke is running for Governor. P.S. Who’s joining us on Cru...
Nov 18, 2021•46 min•Ep. 94
The media and the Democrats are in a frenzy as Senator Ted Cruz takes on the muppets that are destroying America. The Senator has faced a lot of tough opponents during his years in the public eye, but has he finally found his match in Big Bird? Senator Cruz joins Michael Knowles to illuminate the dark ominous forces controlling these puppets (seriously) and discuss why we’re allowing the Left to circumvent parents like this. Plus, the Democrats reveal their glaring hypocrisy as they fly hundreds...
Nov 11, 2021•47 min•Ep. 93
This week, in what could reasonably be called the greatest day for Republicans in recent memory, the nation watched as we claimed major victories in Virginia. Among them, Glenn Youngkin soundly defeated Terry McAullife. Now, Senator Ted Cruz joins Michael Knowles to answer what should be the most important question of the week: how did Youngkin win, and how can we do it again? And, back by popular demand, the Senator and Michael officially welcome Liz Wheeler to the show with an extended mailbag...
Nov 06, 2021•45 min•Ep. 92
We survived UW-Madison’s arbitrary mask mandate in Madison, WI. Michael finally passed gym class at Texas A&M. Now, Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles are live from the swamp at Catholic University. In the thrilling season finale of the Verdict with Ted Cruz YAF campus tour, the Senator and Michael get back to the heart of Verdict with a one-of-a-kind, never-seen-before, all-mailbag live episode. You have questions, they have answers. Some people will like the answers, some people won’t. O...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 91
Howdy, y’all! Senator Ted Cruz is back home where he and his trusty cactus belong. And Michael Knowles? Well, he’s still looking for his cowboy hat and boots. Tonight, the podcasting pair is live from the maskless, open, free state of Texas and it’s going to be one hell of a ride. Following an unforgettable kickoff of the Verdict LIVE tour with Young America’s Foundation, the Senator and Michael are fired up and ready to tackle the hottest cultural issues, hottest political issues, and let’s be ...
Oct 18, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 90
On the heels of the University of Wisconsin-Madison selectively enforcing their COVID “policy” requiring speakers to wear masks, Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles say enough is enough. Now, they are UW-Madison adjacent and going live on the first stop of the 2021 Young America's Foundation campus tour. Tonight, the Senator and Michael bring… wait for it… something OTHER than the campus-mandated leftist views to hundreds of thousands of people across America. If there’s one thing we have to sa...
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 89
The fight to raise the debt ceiling is at the center of Washington politics as Biden and his minions demand we spend every more, increasing the colossal 28 TRILLION dollars that is already our national debt. Because virtually nobody, even Michael Knowles, can keep up with this mess, Senator Cruz steps away from the chambers to answer the most pressing questions. What is the debt ceiling? Why does it matter? What happens if the United States defaults on its debt? One thing is certain, Washington ...
Oct 08, 2021•47 min•Ep. 88
Our enemies are emboldened. Our allies are dispirited. And Americans? We’re horrified. Joe Biden now owns the worst foreign policy catastrophe in a generation, and Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles are here to break down the shocking decisions that an overly political Biden White House has made over the last month, the deadly consequences that followed, and the fallout that is still yet to come. Plus, the Senator and Michael share never-before-heard personal stories in the wake of the anniver...
Sep 17, 2021•52 min•Ep. 87
Spending, taxes, and inflation, oh my! Will Congress ram through Bernie’s batty and bloated budget? As it sits, the radical bill will raise taxes by the trillions, drive up our cost of living, and authorize over $4 trillion in government spending. Senator Cruz and Michael Knowles arrive in the studio to lay out a possible roadmap for blocking this no good, terrible, very bad idea. Plus, Michael opens the mailbag, and some disturbing questions fall out. Is there a robot uprising in our future? Le...
Aug 30, 2021•34 min•Ep. 86
Biden’s bungled Afghanistan exit has become such a catastrophe that even the liberal media is beginning to question the Commander in Chief's competence. As American foreign policy collapses before our very eyes, Senator Ted Cruz joins Michael Knowles for a sobering dive into what went wrong, what can still be done, and what America’s place on the international stage will be under Biden and beyond. The eyes of the world are upon us now—especially the eyes of China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Hama...
Aug 26, 2021•30 min•Ep. 85
We do not like green eggs and ham, and we certainly do not like absolute power. First, the CDC flip-flops on mask rules. Then, Pelosi says she’s going to throw maskless staffers in jail. Following a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week for liberty, science, and common sense, Senator Ted Cruz joins Michael Knowles to break down the CDC’s big credibility problem and take us inside the Senate to understand what the heck is going on in real time. Plus—shocker!—the multi-trillion dollar infrast...
Aug 05, 2021•52 min•Ep. 84
From Jack Dorsey’s bans on major publications to Mark Zuckerberg’s bidding for Jen Psaki, how did Big Tech grab the reins of our American political system? All too familiar with the work of the censorship czars, the New York Post's Sohrab Ahmari joins Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles in the studio to uncover the roots of Big Tech's quest to quash opposing voices and to break down the legal (and political) fights we will face in the days ahead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...
Jul 27, 2021•31 min•Ep. 83
An oppressed people attempts to flee the clutches of tyranny. Perhaps in solidarity, Texas Democrats also attempt to throw off the chains that bind them (to responsibility) by stocking up on cold ones and hopping a private jet to Washington. Senator Ted Cruz, who might know a little something about Cuba and Texas, sits down with Michael Knowles to discuss the cause of libertad, the Democrats' double standard on the border, and—how could they not?—Scarface. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
Jul 23, 2021•26 min•Ep. 82
Oops! We did it again. Senator Ted Cruz and co-host Michael Knowles are here to adjudicate the defining legal issues of our republic, so obviously first on the docket is the plight of Britney Spears. Putting his expansive legal experience to work, the Senator breaks down exactly how the pop princess has been deprived of her rights through a toxic conservatorship. Plus, Biden’s DOJ sues Georgia over its voting protections, Congress discusses a new voting law named after John Lewis, and the highes...
Jul 06, 2021•40 min•Ep. 81
While concerned parents storm school board meetings to demand an end to Critical Race Theory in the classroom, leftists manage the mental gymnastics of simultaneously denying it exists and defending it. This week, the man who most prominently sounded the alarm bells over this dangerous ideology, Christopher Rufo, joins Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles. Together, the trio explores where CRT originated, how it metastasized, and what the light at the end of the tunnel could be—if there is one. ...
Jul 01, 2021•39 min•Ep. 80
Showdowns over religious liberty, adoption, and Obamacare are going down at the Supreme Court. Luckily, our intrepid co-host is quite the expert in this area—and not just because he wrote a book about it! Senator Ted Cruz joins Michael Knowles to break down why we always seem to be one vote away on the most crucial SCOTUS cases and what's behind this divide on the Court. Plus, given a magic wand, which constitutional amendment should we repeal? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...
Jun 22, 2021•37 min•Ep. 79
Critical Race Theory. Censorship. Socialism. Second Wave Feminism. Wokeism. This is what you get when Michael Knowles is in the hot seat! Interchanging armchairs for the day, Senator Ted Cruz interviews Michael on the dangerous fruits of political correctness that are springing up throughout our society. Going even deeper, Michael reveals where this cultural rot started and how we might yet be able to counteract it. (Spoiler alert: this story starts all the way back in the 1930s.) Oh yeah, and M...
Jun 17, 2021•37 min•Ep. 78
Having just returned stateside, Senator Ted Cruz has a lot to report about his time in Israel. The Senator sits down with Michael Knowles to break down what's happening with the revolt in Israel. Will there be a new government, and, if so, what happens to Bibi Netanyahu? Plus, the pair walks through the ATF's new rules on guns, Fauci's bombshell emails, Twitter's sudden "support" of free speech, and the Democrats' latest power grab. Buckle up, this one's going to be a wild ride! Learn more about...
Jun 09, 2021•40 min•Ep. 77
How did 2 weeks turn into 14 months? Steve Deace joins Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles to break down what Fauci and his army of unelected bureaucrats have been up to. Plus, the D.C. duo drops the conversation from the upper to the lower chamber in order to shed some light on the House Conference Chair saga and what it signals about the future of politics in America, a future that decidedly does not include The Artist Formerly Known As Price Harry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...
May 27, 2021•25 min•Ep. 76
Hamas is firing rockets into the state of Israel, Israel is fighting back to ensure its survival, and—like a madman—Senator Ted Cruz is headed right into the middle of it all. For the moment though, the Senator is safe and sound with co-host Michael Knowles in Washington. Together on this episode, the two wonkish wordsmiths break down the Mideast conflict in its entirety—what’s at play today and how we got here, what changed since the Trump years, and—the real question—why so many Democrats are ...
May 20, 2021•29 min•Ep. 75
Reaching into the ever-overstuffed mailbag, Senator Ted Cruz and Michael Knowles dive deep on the burning questions of the day including some suspicious circumstances in Wuhan, the future of the Hyde Amendment in a Democrat-controlled Congress, and what we can expect the economy to do over the next 6 months. Plus, an answer to the most urgent question—how is Michael's Dogecoin portfolio doing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Verdic...
May 17, 2021•19 min•Ep. 74
