The Future of Verdict

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Verdicts with Ted Cruz. I'm Michael Nols, Senator. Excellent to see you in person. You are looking very good and awake and energetic for having been on a seventeen state bus tour. Well, I'm having a blast. So we're on day seven of the bus tour. We started in Texas. Tom Ball, Texas, which is just north of Houston, did a big rally with Wesley Hunt, who's going to be a new Congressman, a Republican elected from there, West Point graduate,

African American football player at West Point, great guy. We went from there down to the Rio Grand Valley. We did three rallies down in the Rio Grand Valley with three congressional candidates. We did rallies in McCallan, Harlan Jin and Laredo. All three congressional candidates all Republicans, all Hispanic women. I think all three are going to win, huge, packed out rallies down in South Texas. We went from there to New Mexico, did a big rally in New Mexico.

We went from New Mexico to Arizona. Did two rallies in Arizona. Seemed to sort of light up the internet. You know, I've seen bits and pieces from the tour, but your appearance in Arizona really seemed to explode very exciting candidates in Arizona. It was fantastic. So we did in New Mexico. We were with Vette Harold, who's running for reelection. She's fantastic. In New Mexico. In Arizona, we were with Eli Crane, who is a Navy seal. The

guy's a badass, smart, principled, he's a warrior. He's going to win defeat a Democrat. And then we did a rally with both Blake Masters and Kerry Lake. And I got to say that lit it up. She's going to be the next governor, and I think Masters has a real shot at winning that Senate race. And it was those events were packed. And now we're here in Las Vegas. We're doing a rally here tonight with Mark Robertson and Sam Peter's both running for the House here, both have

a real shot to beat Democrats and get elected. After Nevada, we go to Utah. Then we go to Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, back up to Michigan, back up to Wisconsin, and we close it out in Texas the day before the election. I'm exhausted just hearing that schedule. That's outright, And I do know we've been on the

road together many many times. I do know. Whatever stop you're at, whatever the event is, whether it's a verdict life or wherever, you are never the one to say, okay, we've all got to go home. I'm two tired guys. You stay up very very late, you keep on going well as long as you feed me with Scotch and cigars. I'm happy to go as long as you like. And I have to note a couple of milestones. Number one, this is your first time in Vegas. This is shockingly

I love gambling. I love, you know, staying out late and getting up to no good. This is my very first time. And I didn't realize they have slot machines in the airport. Oh yeah. And by the way, we are filming this studio is unique that we are filming in a studio where I guess they train show girls. Like I know, I went to the rest. That's why

it looks familiar. Yeah, Like there's there's you know, there's mirrors all along the walls and and you know, I kind of feel like we ought to be wearing sparklies or something. Well that could be. I guess that that's a thought for the for the next stage a Verdict. And actually, speaking of the next phase a Verdict, there is there is huge news that's come in and it's come in very very recently, and it's part of the

reason that I wanted to fly out here. It's really really good news and it's a little bit of bad news, but I think we should let the audience in on it. So here's the really really good news about Verdict. Has been a bootstrapped operation from the very beginning, starting in a basement in DC, you know, not on one of the major outlets or a major podcast or radio network, and just really bootstrapped in fun and largely independent. So an offer has come in from iHeartRadio to take this

show to a huge national audience. Now it's already obviously at a national audience on podcast, but on radio stations. On terrestrial radio, iHeart has a gigantic network. I Heart can fund the whole thing, yet fund production, dump a whole bunch of money into marketing. This is incredible. It will make this show sustainable, not just for the next few months, going going into the midterms, but for the next years. The only bad news is from the very beginnings.

As much as I, you know, love this show, it's been my moonlighting job because my day job is over there at the Daily Wire, and I've been a very great loaned out by the Daily Wire to do this show, and because the Daily Wire is a different podcast network, and because I have a radio show on a different radio network. If Verdict is to move into this next very sustainable, exciting, energetic phase, it will have to be

without me as part of it. I certainly will be coming back around, maybe coming too a live events, coming around as a guest. But I think it is very, very important that this show remained sustainable. This show has never been about me. It is Verdict with Ted Cruz. It's been an amazing ride. We took it to number one of all the podcasts. Ted Cruise became a bigger podcaster than Joe Rogan and stayed there for a actually pretty decent period of time. And so I am really

very excited for this next phase with iHeart. And there's a great broadcaster from iHeart who's been in the business forever, who's been a friend of mine for many, many years, who is going to come on and fill this seat, and that would be Ben Ferguson. Should we bring Ben on? Ben? Can you come out here? All right? Welcome, good to see how are you two guys that usually get to hang out in Tennessee all the way in Vegas. Welcome

your your maiden voyage. As they say, it is a little strange, you know, to have senator from Texas, a broadcaster from Texas, a broadcaster from Tennessee who only ever sees you in Tennessee, in Tennis for some reason, we're in Nevada. It's it's a strange world of politics, that's right. So now, the last time Ben that I saw you, it's a little blurry. Actually it was about one in

the mornings. Involved there were cigars, maybe, angrybers, angry liberals and politic I remember we were at some honky tong down there in Nashville. But since then, and for the handful of people out there who might not know who you are, what have you been up to? So I've been hosting my radio show, syndicated show podcast and uh and in three boys, that's what I say. I shouldn't say it that way. I'll get in trouble with the wife. She's doing the majority of it and I'm paying some bills.

Is that a better way? That's good? And uh yeah, So I mean, man, I don't know why that's the case. I raised my daughters all on my own. That's a man has decades right there of experience. You gotta understand, I'm in real trouble because Heidi listens to this podcast. So that statement, my phone is going to ring while she do it. I already know how much that bill is going to cost and where you're going to end

up taking her. That's just that, that's that's gonna hurt. Yeah, that's gonna be worse than losing at the Roulette table this week. I canna promise you that. So I've just been doing that and doing a little more TV and getting to hang out with this guy, So that's been good. This is very exciting news also because you guys both live in the same town. Yeah, you live in Houston, so you know, I mean, obviously, this deal came up

relatively quickly. We're heading right into the midterm elections, so we wanted to make sure that this kind of the ink could dry, you know, as quickly as possible. Well, this thing for the podcast is just a big damn deal. Yeah. I Heeart Radio as a monster. It's got eight hundred and fifty stations across the country, and so this was something this was not something we were out looking for. But but they came and they saw what was happening

on this podcast. They saw the work at the incredible viewers and fans and and engaged viewers we have all over the country, and they said, listen, we want to take this podcast to the next level. We want to reach we want to promote it across our eight hundred and fifty stations, we want to promote it across our

podcast and listen. iHeart Is is the network that that work and built with Rush Limbaugh and and helped him build into the greatest ever h and that works with folks like like Hannity and Glenn Beck and Clay and back at Jesse Kelly, you know. And there's a coincidence. Actually, right before my show became syndicated to Teristra Radio nationwide, I got one last little opportunity to be on a different radio network. And it was when the president of

iHeart called me. It was in the last days of Rush Limbaugh's show, said, Michael, would you like to host Russia's show? And I said, Oh my gosh, this is a dream come true. I would love to, said, I've got this other radio contract. It's about to be inked in like three days, but yes, that would be That would be just the greatest thing in the world. And so I note the reach of iHeart is just phenomenal. It's gonna be fun. And I think you talked about

being a big deal. I think you're getting to expand it to three days a week, getting to talk more breaking news and having people not have to wait once a week to get it. And you wonder if it's you know, as it dated and when was it done. I mean, we're gonna be able to break news, talk about breaking news, and give people your point of view instantly. And I think that's so important now. People are hungry for that. I mean you've seen it, whether it's your

podcast or mine or radio. I mean people want to go around the mainstream media to the people they trust. And there's a lot of Americans that are going to be introduced, I think because they're going to hear this promotion. Oh, Ted's got this podcast. I'm in. I want to hear this on a regular basis and make it a part of their day. And I'm excited to get to expand that with you and reach more people and hopefully ultimately, which is what you and I we started. We talked

about this in Nashville. You and I do this because we want to change hearts and minds. You do what you do for the same exact reason, and the more people we can have listened to what we believe in, why we believe in it, why it makes sense logically. It's been my life goal, my mission field as politics. I've said that for years. I started when as twelve, as you know, and started in TV bill O'Reilly when I'm seventeen, and that's my mission field. And I look

at where we're going as a country. I mentioned earlier, I've got twin boys or three, and I've got a six year old, and I'm terrified of where we're headed. And that's kind of given me my second win in my career. I think to say, Okay, are we going to leave this place better than it was when I got to grow up? And right now it's not right.

If you looked at the clock and you look at the issues, and you look at what's happening, but there's also some things exciting that's happening, and that is you're seeing parents are getting involved in their school boards. You see police officers are now getting the backing again from society with crime that's out of control. You have people that are starting to understand like this deficit that we have right now is a massive problem. And you see

people dealing with inflation the highest in our lifetime. And so these are I think, a palliative issues that if we can hear from the center more often, it's gonna change more hearts and minds. And so that's why I'm super excited to get to partner with you and do this and to keep the torch going that you guys started, because when you started during impeachment, it was unbelievable and

you guys. I don't know if everyone knows this, but the story of how y'all started this and at what time of night you started it, Like when you said you were moonlighting, you weren't lying earlier during the first impeachment, right which impeachment we're talking about, But when you guys started this, and I remember listening and thinking, this is something that's missing from the market, and that was a conversation that was missing, and being obviously a fan of yours,

I remember the first time I ever had you on my show when I was hosting in Dallas, when you were running the impossible campaign, yep, against the richest guy that do hurt. You can't you can't touch him, you can't. You know, this is an election that's already tied up, it's done, and you came out of nowhere and proved all the experts wrong. And that's you know, From that moment on, I was hooked. Well, I will say this, it's interesting that you use the phrase hearts and minds.

As both of you guys know, I'm obsessed with what we got to do as conservatives is we have to connect with people's hearts and minds. We've got to reach beyond the people watching Fox News. We got to reach young people, We got to reach Hispanics and African Americans and suburban moms. And it has been amazing. You know, looking back, it's been two and a half years since we started this podcast. We started it, as you just noted, Ben, it was on the very first day the first impeachment trial.

We're on the Senate floor till midnight, one in the morning, jumped in a truck and headed over to a basement studio. It was dingy. I think we had this same craps right, and and it just started like walking off the Senate floor, let's talk about it. And it went from a standing start with zero viewers, zero downloads two within days, we shot to the top of the charts. And I remember, I remember that first night. We're sitting down there. I've

never done a podcast. We know how to do this, and we're talking about it, and we were talking about what would success look like, and we talked about, okay, if we could break into the top hundred. Ye that, by the way, to this day is still an amazing accomplishment if you even get there, yep, yeah, that that would have I think we were speaking, not even realistically. We were we were thinking that's actually that would be an ambitious goal. Yep. And then what was it? Four

days later? And then we like boom into the top hundred, and then we're in the top ten, and then we climbed ten, nine, eight, four three. We're sitting there going, holy crap, could you imagine if we get and then boom number one as we kicked Joe Rogan out of the out of the spot. I mean, it was it was crazy. And we've done now, we've done one hundred

and forty five shows. We've had over fifty million downloads of this podcast, and every single week we beat CNN's morning show, right, And so that has been that's always been the mission, Right, that's what you get as your bonus structure. You get to beat CNN every week. That'll make you wake up and do the shows. Right. But but now with with with iHeart stepping in to distribute and promote, the reach is going to be that much broader. And I think that's really exciting because this was always

about really equipping our listeners. If you're gonna battle to save the country, if you're gonna take on the cultural Marxist if you're going to take on the socialist and the people coming at everything that built America, you need the tools, you need the information you need to know what's going on. And the vision of this podcast was always We're gonna give you as much of those tools as possible so that you're prepared and you know the inside story. And so I couldn't be more excited about

this next step. It is sad, you know, Michael, you and I didn't know each other very well when we started RUM. We have become very close friends. We are remaining very close friends. You know. I will note you know when you started, you were, you know, an uptight, young whipper snapper. Yea. And for one hundred and fifth podcast, I'll just say right now, we're in Vegas, and for

the first time ever, Michael Jules is not wearing socks skin. Yeah, And I will tell you so when we cut, when Ben was walking out of here, we cut the camera scene, and I will tell you Michael was adjusting his uh, adjusting his micro proceeded to undo his belt. I'm like, Michael, Ben's coming, do not drop your pants on the podcast set. I was told this is Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas. I know that was okay that You're right, No, it's true.

I have now loosened up, apparently to the point of political scandal, but it has been really I mean, the show, to your point, has really grown and it's loosened and it's changed, and we've gone on the road and we've done all these great things. And it's so important too to continue to hit new and new audiences. And so you know, we've cultivated this really, really large, wonderful group of listeners. And now moving over to with the show moving over to a different platform, that's going to give

us new listeners. With the show moving to terrestrial radio in some cases, that's going to give you an entirely new Democrat. And Michael, I'll make a promise to you right now that that even though neither Ben nor I went there, we will continue to make fun of you. You know, I'm really easily that's not going to end.

That's going to be a consistent That's part of my bonus structure they gave me was that I get to make fun of Yale on a regular vasis The first time I ever went I went to Harvard Kenny School right after the OZ four election. Yeah, and I walked if. They asked me to speak, and I worked on the Bush campaign. They were doing a retrospect of that campaign. I walked up there. It's a big room of people,

and I walked up. I was younger, and I just didn't say anything, and the room was just kind of quiet, and I didn't say anything, just kind of looked around and got to the point where on purpose it was a little awkward, and I leaned down. I was like, I just want to savor the moment. There's no chance in hell I could have gotten into this place, and

now you're paying me to speak, and the laughing. I was like, I may never get to come back, but I'm going to enjoy this moment right here, right now, where the ivy leaguers jokes on you and I got paid. That is magnificent. It was fun. Well, you know, to this point, before we go I mean, before we sort of let people go in, there will be a whole new phase of verdict. I do have to ask you, guys. We've got the United States Senator here, been on the

campaign trail constantly. We've got a lecturer at Harvard Kennedy's School for that's right, where do we stand thirty two days out from the elections. I still think it's going to be an historical election. I think we're gonna retake the Senate. I think we're gonna retake the House. But you still think we're gonna retake the Senate. I put the odds of the House at north of ninety percent, and I think there's a real chance we have a

big majority in the House thirty forty fifty seats. The Senate, I'd put the odds at about sixty five thirty five. It's not a great map, and if I were to predict my prediction right now, is we end up with fifty three Republicans. Okay, because previously you had said sixty forty. I've gone back and forth between sixty forty and sixty five thirty five. A month ago, two months ago, I was at sixty five thirty five. A month ago, I was at sixty forty, and I'm back to sixty five

thirty five. So it it did turn a little bit south about a month ago, and I think the momentum has turned again. I think we're gonna win win a bunch of seats. This bus tour is designed to do that, Ben, what do you think. I tend to agree with you on this. I think that you're seeing a really last minute shift, and I've noticed it on my show with callers. There is a real level of stress with the American people right now, with the economy. I just was in California.

You're seeing six dollars seven dollars gallon gas, new records. You see a present that is just draining our strategical reserves, and there's no way to not talk about now how low they're going to be come election day. You see what OPEC has just done, and you're starting to see

the housing market switching very quickly. We just sold a house, for example, in the real estate agent said, you're lucky you got out when you did, because because I think if we if this fell through and we went right back on tomorrow, it's a desert, he said, it is. We've not seen anything like this, he said, since oh eight. And I think people are feeling that stress. And I think the closer, unfortunately, and I hate this, but the closer we get to election day, it's getting worse, not better.

And I don't think the President can do anything at this point, or the Democrats somehow commits you. Oh, no, really, it's gonna be okay. Oh, it's gonna be fine. I really think people are feeling it now. Small businesses are feeling I'm a small business owner. We're seeing it. We lost money for the first time ever last month in our restaurant. Food costs skyrocketed, labor costs are up, and people are feeling it and we'd never experienced it before.

The count call and they're like, hey, you guys lost six thousand, six hundred dollars. Well, and when you hear that and you see it and then you start saying, what do we do to fix it? I think that's the conversation America's having. So I agree with you. I think the Senate is definitely, in my opinion, I think it's more than I think it's probably even more optimistic than you are on that because I think people are having these conversations right now, and I think that's going

to be the only blessing disguises. We're going to get a change in leadership, and we're gonna get to go back to fiscal responsibility and go back to what was working, and people are willing to listen listen to that idea now well, and when you talk to candidates. So we're here in Nevada. I think Nevada presents the number one best pickup opportunity for Republicans in the Senate. Adam Laxalt. Adam is a terrific guy. He's a close friend. He

was attorney general here in Nevada. His grandfather was Paul Laxalt, who was the governor and senator from Nevada. As a legend in this state. He was Reagan's best friend in the Senate. His grandfather was. And Adam is pretty consistently running three or four points ahead and the polls that's been for about a month. He's been there. And it's interesting, whether you talk to him or congressional candidates all across the country, the Democrats everywhere have just gone all in

an abortion. Every ad they're running is abortion, abortion, abortion, abortion. And I've been been pointing out, I said, look, of course they are. What else did they have to talk about? Imagine for a second, God forbid? All right, Ben, you wake up tomorrow. You're Catherine Cortez Masto's campaign manager. Yeah, Now she's the incumbent Democrat from Nevada. What are you going to talk about? You can't talk about the economy because the economy has gone to crap under Biden. Inflation

is horrible. By the way, Nevada has the second worst inflation of any state in the Union. Gas prices are through the roof, mortgages have tripled. You certainly can't talk crime, murder rates, carjacking rates, all the crime rates of skyrocket are under the Democrats. And you sure as hell can't talk about immigration because the Southern borders at the worst spot in sixty two years. What you're going to talk for in policy? Isn't it great we surrendered to the Taliban?

Isn't it great that all of our enemies are going well? Isn't it great that we have the first major war in Europe since World War friggin two? All of this happened under Joe Biden. So if you're a Democrat, what do you talk about rather than fearmonger on abortion and screaming abortion, abortion, abortion. But look, I think people care about kitchen table issues and what affects their family, what affects literally putting the food on their family, as people

are having a hard time paying the grocery. The CNN and Mint of this yesterday they said, you know, I forget which commentator was on CNN said, you know, I'm really surprised that abortion consistently ranks so low in people's priorities. And if you've been paying attention to public opinion polls for the last um thirty years, you would know that is the case of both both pro abortion and pro life.

How does it watch show thirty? You know, it's an impressive tie there, But you know, it's just not even if your were all very pro life obviously we've maybe do vote on abortion. We are kind of outside the norm, you know, And the same is true for people who

support abortion. It's just people vote on the economy, they vote on safety, the vote on crime, they vote on education, they vote on all these things that as you say, Senator, the Democrats are just completely dead in the water on and so there's just a limit to what they can

message it. There was a joke that happened, and you may remember after Donald Trump left office it was like I could really use two fifty gallon gas and a mean tweet right about now there is when that came out, that first one kind of hit and it turned into all the issues, like you know, I really wish I could. I could use some police officers right now and a mean tweet. It is so all encompassing of this election right now, and there's there's ideology and then there's reality.

And it's easy to be a liberal and to seeing these Kumbaya moments and the you know, defund the police and what do we want dead cops? And when do we want them now? Until you see the crime come back, until you see the interest rate skyrocket, until you see the unemployment numbers, and when these things start to happen, it goes back to that mentality, right. I could really use some of what we used to have, and I

think that's the opportunity here. And if if, if, and you've seen them on the road, I think the Republicans are focused now. Conservatives are focused on these issues and talking about them, and that's going to be a huge difference on election day. So I was in Arizona yesterday. We're in Nevada today, Las Vegas. Driving over to the studio, I pulled up Drudge on my phone. Two stories on Drudge right now. A professor at University of Arizona shot and killed on campus. I'm like, crap, we were there

yesterday and today Thursday morning. It's Thursday afternoon right now, Thursday morning. There was a mass stabbing in front of the Wind Casino here in Las Vegas. Not at two in the morning, Thursday friggin morning. Yeah, like you will talking about one. You want to talk about real crap, like like people you know, what was it Northern California. You had some lunatic with a samurai sword cut a

woman's head off. Yeah, right right. That is a real threat to people when they look around their towns, in their cities, they say, you know, crime is up, police protection is down. There has been defunding of the police abroad, as you mentioned, the first major war in Europe since World War Two. There is a lot of uncertainty out there. I think personal security, national securities is really going to be at the forefront. If you're ranking things to be

worried about in America. It used to be beheading didn't make the list. Yeah, and now are mass stabbings. Yeah, and now you have these things there are certing to happen in broad daylight in this country. But where were they saying defund the police Las Vegas. Yes, you had people campaigning off of it. I mean, you look at California and look at the crime there. You look at even in Memphis, Tennessee, a place that is a was defund the police, and you saw this horrific murder of

this of this runner Liza Fletcher there. Yeah, and you see that happen. And now you see what the changes. You have the governor that had to come down to step in just to talk to the people because you had a liberal Democratic mayor there. You have a liberal city council that still is refusing to fund the police.

They are literally twelve hundred police officers down from where there's supposed to be a sound like Memphis, which is the second most angerous city in America, and they are refusing to even change things as simple as saying, okay, to get more cops, you can live outside of the county. You can live right across in Mississippi or Arkansas, you

know where Memphis is. And the Democrats on the city counts they are saying, no, you have to live here, and they're saying, we can't recruit enough police officers with these ridiculous, arbitrary ideas that you guys have put on us. And people are starting to realize this is now life and death. And you know, Michael ben insists that they know how to make barbecue at Memphis. I just it's true.

I believe it. Yeah. Well, the speaking of all these places around the country, the tour is going to continue on. The show is going to continue on. I think there's going to be a ton of energy behind it. I cannot wait to see this next phase. It's going to be amazing. I cannot wait to come back and visit wherever somewhere around the country, here or there. It's going to be wonderful. It's in excellent hands with mister Benkburg, It's in pretty good hands with the Senator Tech. That's good.

That's good. It's gonna be wonderful. Guys. I can't wait. And so for the last time from this chair, it has been truly one of the great pleasures and honors and privileges of my life to start the show with you, Senator. I'm getting choked up. I'm getting mushy. Michael, You're a gentleman and a scholar, and the kindest thing I know how to say about you is Yale did not fully screw you up. That's how sweet night. Listen, It's really time with the Verdict. It's it's really wonderful. Cannot wait

to see the next steps. For the last time from this chair, I'm Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. This episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, Freedom and Security Pack, a political action committee dedicated to supporting conservative causes, organization, and candidates across the country. In twenty twenty two, Job's Freedom and Security Pack plans to donate to conservative candidates running for Congress and help the Republican Party across the nation.