Senator Ted Cruz

Listen, I agree with your point at the outset, which is that we need to talk to each other. I worry that we are too polarized and tribalized, that the left only listens to left-wing media, the right listens to right-wing media. Anyone who disagrees, you scream at them. The sense of community that we used to have has been badly badly unraveled, you know, on social media.

If someone disagrees with you, you unfriend them. And we're all in this little echo chamber.

If someone disagrees with you, you unfriend them. And we're all in this little echo chamber.

But we're living in alternate realities. And so look, what y'all are doing is really important. I'm grateful for this podcast. We got to talk to each other. I do a podcast every week called Verdict with Ted Cruz. We've got about a million unique listeners that listen to the Verdict podcast. And we do it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every week, my podcast is beating CNN.

But we're living in alternate realities. And so look, what y'all are doing is really important. I'm grateful for this podcast. We got to talk to each other. I do a podcast every week called Verdict with Ted Cruz. We've got about a million unique listeners that listen to the Verdict podcast. And we do it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Every week, my podcast is beating CNN.

And I think the reason is the same reason people listen to you guys, because you're actually talking about issues and you're not just screaming at each other. It's not Jerry Springer, go grab a chair and fling it at somebody, but it's have a real and substantive conversation. And I'll tell you one of the things that I've done and enjoyed is I've taken the podcast on the road to college campuses.

And I think the reason is the same reason people listen to you guys, because you're actually talking about issues and you're not just screaming at each other. It's not Jerry Springer, go grab a chair and fling it at somebody, but it's have a real and substantive conversation. And I'll tell you one of the things that I've done and enjoyed is I've taken the podcast on the road to college campuses.

Well, for example, we did one at Yale a couple years ago and had about 700 students come out, and I didn't know how the reaction would be. And interestingly enough, about a third of the students were left of center. And I know that because it was right after Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed. And I made a reference to that. And about a third of the room began cheering.

Well, for example, we did one at Yale a couple years ago and had about 700 students come out, and I didn't know how the reaction would be. And interestingly enough, about a third of the students were left of center. And I know that because it was right after Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed. And I made a reference to that. And about a third of the room began cheering.

And I stopped and I said, hey, look, the fact that you're cheering at that shows that obviously we're coming from different places on the political spectrum. I said, I want to thank you especially for coming here. Because you may not agree with me on everything or even most things. But thank you for coming and being part of a conversation. And so we did about 90 minutes of all Q&A.

And I stopped and I said, hey, look, the fact that you're cheering at that shows that obviously we're coming from different places on the political spectrum. I said, I want to thank you especially for coming here. Because you may not agree with me on everything or even most things. But thank you for coming and being part of a conversation. And so we did about 90 minutes of all Q&A.

And we had a rule. We said, if you have a hostile question, if you have an antagonistic question, come to the front of the line. And we spent 90 minutes having a real conversation. Afterwards, I went out with an Orthodox rabbi on campus and we got a drink and he said, he said, Ted, you know, I've been working on Yale's campus. for decades.

And we had a rule. We said, if you have a hostile question, if you have an antagonistic question, come to the front of the line. And we spent 90 minutes having a real conversation. Afterwards, I went out with an Orthodox rabbi on campus and we got a drink and he said, he said, Ted, you know, I've been working on Yale's campus. for decades.

He said, this is the biggest group of students I've seen have a positive, civil, constructive conversation on conservative ideas, he said, in 20 years.

He said, this is the biggest group of students I've seen have a positive, civil, constructive conversation on conservative ideas, he said, in 20 years.

So, well, look, there are a lot of numbers that matter intensely. Let's start at one where you talked about low unemployment. As you know, that number can be deceptive because we also have among the lowest labor force participation we've ever had.

So, well, look, there are a lot of numbers that matter intensely. Let's start at one where you talked about low unemployment. As you know, that number can be deceptive because we also have among the lowest labor force participation we've ever had.

And so there are millions that have just dropped out of the labor force altogether. They're not measured in top-line unemployment, but it's still a real challenge. We have healthy young adults who should be working who are not working.

And so there are millions that have just dropped out of the labor force altogether. They're not measured in top-line unemployment, but it's still a real challenge. We have healthy young adults who should be working who are not working.

Look, I think it varies state by state, but I think when you have a welfare state where you get paid for not working, people end up not working. And the statistics are really crushing that if anyone doesn't work for a year, the odds of their going back to the workforce drop precipitously. That once someone gets the habit of dependency, I've said a bunch of times,