It is so fun to start verdict with good news.

And welcome.

It is verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you.

And Senator, we have got incredible news that a hostage coming out of Russia has been released.

This is incredible.

Yet another American hostage has come home.

Mark Fogel, who has been in Russian jail since 2021,

returned home to the United States this week. Thursday night, late Thursday night,

he was in the Oval Office with President Trump. This is a big victory bringing American hostages home.

It's a continuation of the Venezuelan hostages that were brought home the first week.

President Trump was back in office and the Hamas hostages, both Americans and Israelis that have been released since President Trump has been in office.

Yet another hostage release.

This is the consequence of a strong commander-in-chief who our enemies are afraid of.

That's a big victory for everyone.

On top of that, we also have yet more breaking news of USAID funding millions and millions of dollars that is going to terrorists,

that funded Hamas, that funded terrorists, that did enormous damage to U.S. national security

interest and put money in the pockets of those who were attempting to murder and succeeded in murdering

Israelis and Americans. And finally, today Elon Musk and Donald Trump were in the Oval Office

together. The president this week signed an executive order implementing Doge's recommendations,

and they detailed yet more incredible examples of abusive

waste fraud and abuse, including astonishingly enough people receiving Social Security benefits

who are allegedly 150 years old. Spoiler alert, they ain't 150. All of that on today's show. No doubt about it.

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