Verdict with Ted Cruz

Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton! If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too.

Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton discuss COVID-19 accountability, government decision-making, and the long-term historical assessment of public health leadership. Clay and Buck examined the extent of Fauci’s influence over national pandemic policy, arguing that state shutdowns, masking policies, and other mitigation measures reflected his recommendations. They contrasted Fauci’s approach with governors who resisted prolonged lockdowns, particularly Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while also discussing how red-state leadership during the pandemic may be viewed by future historians. Senator Rand Paul’s years-long effort to investigate Fauci and challenge COVID-era narratives was also highlighted as a significant part of the conversation.

An extended interview with U.S. Senator Eric Schmidt of Missouri. The interview began with discussion of the Sophie Cunningham controversy and broader questions surrounding women’s sports and public reaction to gender-related debates. Senator Schmidt criticized the treatment of young fans attending sporting events and suggested sports organizations should focus on growing and supporting their audiences rather than alienating them.

The conversation then shifted to college sports and NIL reform, with Schmidt providing an update on ongoing negotiations surrounding proposed federal legislation affecting college athletics. Topics included Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules, transfer portal concerns, athlete eligibility, conference governance, revenue sharing, media rights, and efforts to bring greater stability to college football and college sports overall. Schmidt described conversations with leaders from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 and discussed ongoing efforts to build consensus around a national framework for collegiate athletics.

Clay and Buck continued discussing the controversy surrounding women’s sports and biological males competing in women’s athletics, revisiting arguments from earlier in the program. The hosts humorously speculated about a hypothetical basketball game featuring conservative media personalities competing against WNBA players and debated which well-known political and media figures would make up their roster. While presented largely as entertainment, the conversation tied back into their broader discussion about athletic competition, competitive fairness, and the ongoing national debate over gender and sports.

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The episode opens with a discussion of reports and images from Spain showing large numbers of migrants entering the country from Morocco. Sen. Cruz argues that Europe is facing the consequences of immigration policies similar to those previously debated in the United States, while Ben Ferguson compares the situation to past scenes at the U.S. southern border.
The conversation then shifts to Anthony Fauci’s congressional appearance, where he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer questions from lawmakers. The hosts examine what legal protections a presidential pardon may or may not provide, debate the significance of congressional contempt proceedings, and revisit disputes over COVID-era policies, including school closures and pandemic messaging.
Topics Covered:
Migration from Morocco into Spain and the political response
Comparisons between Spain’s migration challenges and the U.S. southern border
Anthony Fauci’s Fifth Amendment invocation before Congress
Congressional contempt proceedings and legal accountability debates
COVID-19 school closures and public policy disputes
Presidential pardons, immunity questions, and Department of Justice enforcement discussions
According to Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson, the immigration developments in Spain and Anthony Fauci’s congressional testimony reflect larger debates over government responsibility, transparency, and public trust. Their discussion centers on whether political leaders and public officials should face greater accountability for controversial decisions and policies.
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IN this episode Dr. Anthony Fauci’s appearance before a Senate hearing became the focus of intense scrutiny after he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights rather than answer lawmakers’ questions about COVID-era policies, decision-making, and government transparency. The hearing also featured disputes between committee members, attorneys, and witnesses, highlighting the ongoing political and public debate surrounding the pandemic response.Supporters and critics viewed the proceedings through very different lenses. Some lawmakers argued that the hearing was a necessary examination of decisions that affected schools, businesses, churches, travel, and everyday life during the pandemic. Others characterized the hearing as politically motivated and defended Fauci’s public service record.
Also in this Ben discusses exchanges with senators including Rand Paul, Rick Scott, Josh Hawley, Joni Ernst, Ashley Moody, and Bernie Moreno, and the broader debate over accountability, transparency, and the long-term consequences of COVID-19 policies. They also examine reactions from President Donald Trump, media commentary defending Fauci, and continuing disagreements over school closures, distancing guidelines, vaccine messaging, and government authority during public health emergencies.Topics Covered:
Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment during Senate questioning
Questions from senators regarding COVID-19 policies and government decision-making
Debate over school closures, distancing guidelines, and public health restrictions
Discussion of transparency, accountability, and congressional oversight
Reactions from President Donald Trump and members of Congress
Media coverage and competing interpretations of Fauci’s legacy
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1. Zohran Mamdani and his New York City DSA Policies
A city database published names and addresses of owners of certain high-value properties.
The hosts characterize this as "doxxing" and argue it could expose property owners to harassment or threats.
Mamdani's proposal for city-run grocery stores selling goods below typical market prices is criticized as a socialist or communist policy.
Ted and Ben argue that government-run stores could: Undercut private grocery stores and bodegas.
Reduce competition.
Lead to shortages and inefficiencies.

They expand into broader concerns about socialism, communism, and the direction of the Democratic Party.
Political Analysis of the Democratic Party
The influence of progressive and democratic socialist politicians.
Figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, and Gavin Newsom.
Predictions about future Democratic leadership and elections.
Concerns that more progressive candidates could gain greater influence within the party.
2. Anthony Fauci and COVID-19
Fauci privately acknowledged influencing school closures and lockdown decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His private notes allegedly contradict some of his later public statements and congressional testimony.
He knew early that the Wuhan seafood market might not have been the original source of COVID-19.
He attempted to protect himself and his reputation regarding questions about: School closures.
Lockdowns.
The origins of COVID-19.
Gain-of-function research.

Ted and Bedn characterize Fauci as:
A narcissist.
Media-focused.
Dishonest in his public communications during the pandemic.
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Meet my friends, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton! If you love Verdict, the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show might also be in your audio wheelhouse. Politics, news analysis, and some pop culture and comedy thrown in too.

Here’s a sample episode recapping four takeaways. Give the guys a listen and then follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Clay Travis and Buck Sexton discuss the growing controversy surrounding newly released excerpts from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s personal diary ahead of a scheduled congressional appearance. Clay and Buck devoted extensive time to discussing revelations they believe contradict Fauci’s public statements during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hosts examined claims involving mask mandates, social distancing policies, natural immunity, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, transmission rates, and fatality estimates. They debated whether Fauci would invoke the Fifth Amendment during upcoming testimony before Congress and discussed the legal and reputational consequences he could face. The conversation also explored allegations that Fauci privately expressed concerns different from the positions he publicly promoted during the pandemic, leading the hosts to argue that the disclosures could significantly reshape public perceptions of the government’s COVID response and the media’s coverage of pandemic-era public health policies.

Clay and Buck conduct an extended interview with journalist and author Alex Berenson, who discussed the contents of Fauci’s diary and its potential impact on the historical understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic. Berenson expressed surprise not only that Fauci maintained such extensive personal records but also that the material allegedly revealed a level of narcissism, self-importance, and hostility toward critics that surpassed even his expectations. The conversation examined claims that Fauci’s private writings contradicted several of his public positions on COVID-19, including discussions surrounding vaccine effectiveness, hospitalization rates, natural immunity, pandemic mitigation strategies, and the origins of the virus. Berenson argued that portions of the diary suggest Fauci privately recognized shortcomings in COVID vaccines and other public health claims while publicly maintaining different messaging.

Clay and Buck also returned to the ongoing controversy surrounding Dr. Anthony Fauci’s 1,100-page diary and his scheduled congressional testimony before Senator Rand Paul’s committee. Clay and Buck previewed the upcoming hearing and debated whether Fauci would invoke the Fifth Amendment or aggressively defend his pandemic record. They argued that newly disclosed diary entries have intensified scrutiny over COVID-19 policies and placed renewed focus on inconsistencies between public statements and private assessments. The discussion repeatedly emphasized the broader themes of government accountability, pandemic transparency, and public trust in health institutions.

An extended media analysis segment examined how news organizations covered Fauci during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hosts played a montage of television personalities and journalists praising Fauci and portraying him as a trusted national figure. Clay and Buck argued that many media outlets acted more as advocates than skeptics during the pandemic and suggested that current revelations may force a reassessment of how journalists covered public health guidance, lockdown policies, vaccines, masking recommendations, and government decision-making during the COVID era.

Make sure you never miss a second of the show by subscribing to the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton show podcast wherever you get your podcasts! ihr.fm/3InlkL8

For the latest updates from Clay and Buck: https://www.clayandbuck.com/

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