Texas Sen. Ted Cruz mentioned with ABC Information President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for his administration’s Cupboard, the continued border disaster and President Biden’s choice to pardon his son, Hunter.
Cruz, a Republican, acknowledged on Tuesday that following a convention together with his fellow Senate Republicans, all of Trump’s nominees for federal authorities positions will probably be confirmed.
ABC Information spoke with Cruz about Trump’s controversial Cupboard picks.
ABC Information’ Linsey Davis spoke with Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz about President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for his administrative cupboard, the border disaster and the pardoning of Hunter Biden.
ABC Information
ABC NEWS: We’re joined now by Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz. He is additionally the incoming chair of the Commerce Committee. Senator, thanks a lot on your time tonight.
CRUZ: Linsey, nice to be with you. Thanks for having me.
ABC NEWS: You have stated that you simply anticipate all of President-elect Trump’s picks to get confirmed. With regard to Pete Hegseth, particularly, the nominee for secretary of protection. Simply right now, as , a number of sources advised ABC Information that Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke in regards to the secretary of protection job amid the allegations swirling round him. Does that offer you pause that Hegseth might not finally be confirmed?
CRUZ: Effectively, hear, that’ll be a call finally that President Trump has to make. I’ll say Pete Hegseth, he is a adorned fight veteran. He served our nation. He is been deployed a number of occasions. He spent a lifetime combating for our servicemen and girls, combating to defend our veterans.
And I do suppose he has a transparent imaginative and prescient for bringing the Protection Division again to its core mission, for bringing it again to supporting the struggle fighters, for specializing in making ready and being able to defeat the enemy if obligatory, and for shifting in a method from a political agenda that detracts from its core mission.
I feel all of that’s essential. I feel that is, all of that may be a precedence for President Trump, and I feel it is a precedence for this nation. Finally, President Trump’s going to make the choice as to which nominees he places ahead.
ABC NEWS: Let’s speak about Kash Patel, in fact, Trump’s decide for FBI director. You have referred to as him a really robust nominee. When Trump talked about making him deputy director in 2020, then-Legal professional Basic Invoice Barr opposed the transfer a lot he stated it could solely occur, quote, “over my lifeless physique.”
Patel has talked positively in regards to the QAnon conspiracy concept. Up to now, you stated that he would shut down FBI headquarters. In his e book, you made an inventory of members of the Deep State he needs to go after. Do any of this stuff concern you in any respect?
CRUZ: Effectively, hear, I will say a few issues. No. 1, should you take a look at Kash Patel’s background, he is been a senior intelligence staffer on Capitol Hill. He is been a senior intelligence staffer within the White Home. He has been the chief of workers on the Division of Protection. He is been the deputy director of nationwide intelligence. He is somebody with deep background, along with being a federal public defender and likewise a prosecutor.
So he brings a deep background to the job. However secondly, I’ll say the world and, particularly, the FBI and the Division of Justice are very, very completely different right now than they have been again in 2020 when Invoice Barr was lawyer common. And what we have seen for 4 years, tragically, has been the politicization and the weaponization of the Division of Justice and the FBI.
And far of the criticism that’s being directed at Kash Patel, it isn’t that he is not certified for the job, however fairly precisely the alternative, is that his detractors are afraid he’ll truly do what he’s dedicated to doing, which is to scrub out the political corruption that sadly has carried out actual injury to the FBI.
ABC NEWS: In your podcast, “The Verdict with Ted Cruz,” you referred to as the Hunter Biden pardon an absolute abuse of energy. [President Joe] Biden, in fact, had repeatedly stated that he wouldn’t pardon Hunter Biden. Then he did precisely that. Then again, Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner, his former chief of workers, Steve Bannon, amongst others.
He is additionally implied he might pardon Jan. 6 defendants. After all, presidents have lengthy had this proper. However in your estimation, at what level does a pardon develop into an absolute abuse of energy, as you name it?
CRUZ: Effectively, hear, one of many clear methods it turns into an abuse of energy the place as right here Joe Biden and the White Home lied about it for a yr. Joe Biden repeatedly appeared in TV cameras and stated, I can’t pardon Hunter Biden. No, no, no. Karine Jean-Pierre, the White Home press secretary, repeatedly stated, no, no, no, zero probability of this taking place. And as you famous on my podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” I predicted a yr in the past, in January of this yr, I stated in December of 2024, Joe Biden goes to pardon Hunter Biden.
I put the percentages of that taking place at 100%. And I stated then and I nonetheless consider now Joe Biden was mendacity when he stated that, Karine Jean-Pierre was mendacity after they stated that. They knew they have been mendacity and everybody listening to them knew they have been mendacity. And I feel that may be a actual downside if you find yourself mendacity to the American individuals.
In my opinion, this pardon for Hunter Biden, in fact, it’s a father caring for his son. However I feel at its coronary heart it’s about Joe Biden defending Joe Biden and never wanting investigation into affect peddling and promoting favors that that Joe Biden and his household have made tens of tens of millions of {dollars} through the years doing precisely that.
ABC NEWS: Let’s flip to a difficulty that many have referred to as a disaster on the southern border. You your self are from an immigrant household. You spent plenty of time taking a look at this subject, which, as , has plagued our nation for many years. People have spoken loud and clear. They need the present system to be mounted. Why do we have now so many individuals attempting to enter the southern border? And what’s your resolution on Day One to assist clear up this disaster?
CRUZ: Effectively, I feel you are precisely proper that this election, I do not suppose there was a single subject that was extra necessary on this election than securing our border. Ought to we have now a mandate from the voters to safe the border? Now, you requested, how can we do this? This is the excellent news: We all know methods to do it as a result of we did it earlier than. When President Trump was president earlier than I labored hand in hand with him to safe the border.
And we achieved unimaginable successes within the remaining yr of Trump’s presidency. We achieved the bottom charge of unlawful immigration in 45 years. We now have carried out it earlier than. We’ll do it once more. How did this disaster occur? This disaster was deliberate. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris triggered the border disaster by three selections they made the very first week in workplace.
No. 1, they instantly halted development of the border wall. No. 2, they reinstated the disastrous coverage of catch and launch. And No. 3, they pulled out of the extremely profitable Stay in Mexico settlement. And the end result was we immediately went from the bottom charge of unlawful immigration in 45 years to the best charge within the historical past of our nation.
Twelve million individuals have are available illegally below Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. This is the excellent news, Linsey. The whole lot carried out via unilateral govt motion may be undone via unilateral govt motion. So I consider on Day One, on Jan. 20 of subsequent yr, President Trump will reverse these three selections. He’ll resume development of the border wall. He’ll finish catch and launch. And he’ll transfer to reinstate the Stay in Mexico settlement.
And here is my prediction: We’ll see the numbers plummet and it will not take a yr. It will not take six months. The numbers will plummet by January and February of subsequent yr. After which Congress will observe it up by legislating and offering severe funding to safe the border and to maintain our group secure.
ABC NEWS: Sen. Ted Cruz, have much more questions for you, however we’re out of time. I hope you come again on the present with us.
CRUZ: I stay up for it.
ABC NEWS: Thanks.
