Barbarians at the Gate—the Deranged plans of the Marxists Taking over the Dems, plus What’s the “W” Stand for in WNBA?

August 10, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The DSA's Open Agenda: Envy, Destruction, and the War on Israel

The Democratic Socialists of America are not hiding what they want. In a recent interview, DSA national co-chair Doria Lisa Avila Chevalier was asked what she meant by "taxing the hell out of millionaires." She could not give a number. When pressed, she explained that the goal is not a specific tax rate—it is to eliminate millionaires entirely. "We don't want to depend on the existence of millionaires," she said, "because that means people are still getting exploited." Senator Ted Cruz argues this reveals the core of the communist worldview: envy and destruction, not policy.

The Logic of Seizure

The DSA co-chair's inability to name a tax rate is not incompetence—it is ideological consistency. Under her framework, the state decides what it needs, and it takes that amount from productive citizens. There is no upper bound. If the state needs more, it takes more. This is not abstract theory. Cruz points to the Soviet Union, communist China, North Korea, Venezuela, and Castro's Cuba as real-world examples. In Cuba, the government seized sugar plantations and cigar manufacturers. The result was starvation and poverty—except for the Communist Party leaders, who became billionaires.

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What you'll learn

1 Verdict with Ted Cruz – Episode Outline
2 Timestamped Outline
3 (00:35) **Opening & Guest Introduction** - Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz preview the episode's topics: the DSA's radical takeover of the Democrat Party, and the WNBA's transgender crisis
4 (04:38) **DSA Co-Chair on Taxing Millionaires** - The DSA co-chair is confronted about her vague proposal to "tax the hell out of millionaires"
5 (06:59) **The Marxist Framework: Destroying Success** - Cruz explains the incoherence and historical pattern of communist economic policy
6 (09:04) **Cuba Story: Indoctrinating Children** - Cruz shares his grandmother's firsthand account of communist indoctrination in Castro's Cuba
7 (11:03) **DSA Co-Chair Defends Hamas Rally Attendance** - The DSA co-chair is questioned about supporting a candidate who attended an October 8th pro-Hamas rally

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Ted Cruz Clay Travis Royce White

Show Notes

In this episode of Verdict with Ted Cruz, Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson analyze the rise of democratic socialism within Democratic politics, debate anti-Israel activism on the left, examine comments from AOC and other progressive figures, and discuss the growing controversy over gender eligibility rules in women’s sports and the WNBA.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their growing influence inside the Democratic Party take center stage in this episode, alongside a heated debate over gender eligibility in women’s sports. Senator Ted Cruz and Ben Ferguson examine comments from a DSA leader on taxation, socialism, Israel, and the future direction of the political left. They discuss a recent interview with a DSA co-chair, focusing on the organization’s views on wealth, capitalism, and Israel. Cruz argues that the movement’s policies reflect a broader ideological shift within progressive politics and raises concerns about the DSA’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conversation then turns to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, progressive media figures, and the struggle for influence among younger voters inside the modern Democratic coalition. Cruz and Ferguson debate whether increasingly radical political rhetoric is becoming mainstream within parts of the left. The second half of the episode focuses on women’s sports and a new controversy involving former NBA players publicly declaring interest in WNBA eligibility under current gender identity policies. The hosts discuss fairness in competition, reactions from sports leaders, comments from President Donald Trump, and the broader national debate surrounding transgender participation in athletics.

Topics Covered:

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and its policy agenda
Taxation, socialism, and critiques of capitalism
Israel, Hamas, and debate over a one-state solution
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and progressive political coalitions
WNBA eligibility rules and transgender athlete controversies
Clay Travis, Enes Freedom, and fairness in women’s sports

The Bottom Line: Senator Cruz argues that the DSA represents a growing ideological force within the Democratic Party and contends that its positions on capitalism and Israel are increasingly influential. He and Ferguson also argue that women’s sports organizations will face mounting pressure to clarify eligibility standards as the transgender athlete debate continues.

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