In this BONUS episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson take listeners through three fast‑moving, deeply charged stories: explosive allegations of FBI surveillance targeting Trump‑world figures, the dramatic contrast between two Olympic athletes competing for different countries, and new polling showing a steep decline in American pride—particularly among Democrats.
Allegations of FBI Spying: Susie Wiles, Kash Patel & a Political Dragnet
The show opens with what Senator Cruz calls yet another escalation in the Biden Administration’s “abuse of power,” pointing to new reporting that the FBI secretly obtained phone records belonging to:
Susie Wiles – then a senior Trump adviser and former campaign manager
Kash Patel – who is described as being spied on when he was still a private citizen
According to the episode, these subpoenas were issued as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations, and reportedly swept up far more than just a few political aides.
A Broad Dragnet Targeting Republicans
Senator Cruz notes that more than 20% of Republican Senators—including himself—had their records subpoenaed. He describes the scope as “a massive dragnet” aimed at Republicans aligned with Donald Trump. In his case, Cruz says investigators pulled his office’s main phone line, which fields calls from constituents about routine issues.
Questions About Attorney‑Client Privilege
One of the most jarring moments discussed is a report that Wiles had a phone call with her attorney recorded by the FBI—allegedly without her knowledge. Senator Cruz, speaking as a former DOJ official and practicing attorney, underscores how extraordinary and professionally catastrophic such a scenario would be for any lawyer who knowingly allowed it.
The Timeline and Its Implications
Ben Ferguson emphasizes timing: these alleged recordings took place during the period when Trump was deciding whether to run for president again. Because Wiles was a central architect of early campaign strategy, the hosts argue that listening to her phone calls would effectively reveal donor outreach, staffing decisions, and internal planning.
The discussion compares this to earlier controversies, including FBI actions in 2016 and the Steele dossier, and places the current reporting within what the hosts describe as a long‑standing pattern of political weaponization inside federal agencies.
2. A Tale of Two Olympians: Alyssa Liu vs. Eileen Gu
Shifting gears, the episode dives into the Winter Olympics and two athletes whose stories couldn’t be more different—at least in how the media and listeners responded.
Alyssa Liu: The Inspirational American Story
A large portion of the episode celebrates the emotional, patriotic, and deeply personal journey of Alyssa Liu, who won Olympic gold in women’s figure skating. Her father, Arthur Liu, fled China as a refugee after the Tiananmen Square massacre. Years later, according to the transcript, the FBI informed him that Chinese operatives were surveilling him and his daughter on U.S. soil before the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Despite intimidation, Alyssa:
trained relentlessly
briefly stepped away from skating to regroup
returned to competition
delivered a flawless gold‑winning performance
Senator Cruz highlights her joy on the ice and the powerful symbolism of a refugee family finding safety—and triumph—in America.
Eileen Gu: A Very Different Path
By contrast, skier Eileen Gu, also of Chinese heritage and raised in the United States, chose to compete for China after reportedly being offered significant financial incentives.
The hosts make clear they hold no animosity toward her—she is a young athlete who made a personal decision—but emphasize how the choice struck many fans differently than typical Olympic nationality decisions. Because Gu trained entirely in the U.S. and then competed for a geopolitical rival, the contrast with Liu’s story is sharp.
Still, Cruz reiterates that political preference or ideology doesn’t determine whether he cheers an American athlete. Even if Liu leans politically liberal, he says it makes no difference: “She competed for America, and I’m cheering for her.”
3. New Polling Reveals Declining American Pride—Driven by Democrats
In the final segment, the podcast examines a new Gallup poll that shows a dramatic drop in the number of Americans who say they are “very proud” to be American.
Across 25 Years: A Sharp Decline
The transcript cites the following comparisons:
2001
Republicans: 90% “very proud”
Democrats: 87%
Independents: 84%
2025
Republicans: 92%
Democrats: 36%
Independents: 53%
The largest decline is among Democrats, dropping from 87% to 36%.
The Interpretation
The hosts describe these numbers as “deeply concerning,” attributing the decline to ideological shifts, cultural narratives, and what they characterize as left‑leaning educational influences that teach students negative views about American history and values.
The episode concludes with a discussion of a recent State of the Union moment highlighted by Senator Cruz, where Democrats remained seated during an appeal to prioritize American citizens over undocumented immigrants. For the hosts, this moment epitomized broader cultural and political divisions over national pride.
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