Episode Details

Super Bowl Fallout, California’s Tax Shock, and the Political Storm Behind the Headlines

In the latest episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Senator Ted Cruz and co‑host Ben Ferguson deliver a wide‑ranging post–Super Bowl breakdown that moves from halftime‑show controversies to the deeper political and economic issues unfolding across the country.

Full transcript:

1. Super Bowl Culture and the Emotional Story Overshadowing the Game

Senator Cruz opens by sharing that he caught only part of the game because he was mid‑flight, though he later watched clips of Bad Bunny’s halftime show. While acknowledging disagreements with the artist’s politics, he largely dismisses the cultural outrage surrounding the performance.

The conversation takes a heartfelt turn as Cruz discusses the recent loss of his Thea Sonia. He recounts her resistance to Fidel Castro, her time in prison, and her fierce dedication to freedom. Her story provides a meaningful emotional anchor to an episode otherwise focused on policy.

Transcript:

2. California’s Super Bowl Tax Trap: Athletes Lose Big

Ferguson then shifts to what he argues is the real outrage: California’s aggressive taxation of Super Bowl participants.

A key example discussed:

• Sam Darnold’s Super Bowl bonus if he won: $178,000
• California tax liability: $249,000
• Net result: He loses $71,000 by playing in the state.
• If he had lost the game, he would have taken home an even smaller bonus and still owed California hundreds of thousands of dollars—resulting in a six‑figure loss.

Cruz and Ferguson argue that California’s 14.6% effective top rate, combined with federal taxes, creates a system designed to punish earners. They note that performers, comedians, and athletes are increasingly avoiding California altogether.

Texas, by contrast, takes zero income tax from Super Bowl participants—one of many reasons, they argue, that the state continues attracting economic opportunity.

Transcript:

3. “Follow the DEI Money”: Inside Mellon’s Academic Revolution

Cruz and Ferguson then move to an investigative discussion about the Mellon Foundation, citing a Wall Street Journal analysis of how Mellon has reshaped its grantmaking around DEI‑driven academic initiatives.

Examples highlighted in the episode include:

• $5 million to UVA for doctoral fellows in areas such as “transfeminisms” and “gender‑queer life writing.”
• $8 million to UC Santa Cruz for a “Visualizing Abolition” program focused on eliminating prisons.
• Major faculty‑pipeline funding across universities in Michigan, Texas, and California.

Cruz argues that Mell