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Ted Cruz: “Incumbents didn't want to be challenged [by upstart…”

Featuring: Ted Cruz, Republican | U.S. Senate, Texas

Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week

Published July 1, 2026 | Video Starts at 31:03

You can drive media like crazy. You have a fundraising apparatus. There are huge benefits to being an incumbent. Part of why Congress passed McCain Feingold is that Incumbents didn't want to be challenged [by upstart candidates]. They didn't want some upstart candidate to be able to run against them and beat them. (31:03–31:09)

CLAIM

Asserts that incumbents passed McCain Feingold to avoid challenges from new candidates.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Ted Cruz

“The Court overturned Humphrey's Executor [decision].”
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“Trump fired two FTC directors, commissioners rather, one of which was Rebecca Slaughter.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 05:23-05:35
“The Court by a vote of 5 to 4 held that Trump could not fire Lisa Cook, that the Federal Reserve was different.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 07:45-07:53
“There are 27 states that have protected girls sports and women's sports.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 18:05-18:10
“Most other countries on earth don't have [birthright citizenship] policy.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 34:27-34:27
“The President cannot fire a commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission [according to Humphrey's Executor].”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 03:48-03:58
“Humphrey's Executor was wrong the day it was decided 91 years ago.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 03:59-04:04
“The President has authority over the executive [branch] under the Constitution.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 05:06-05:12
“The consequence of these two decisions is Trump vs Cook, pure and true to the Constitution. Probably not.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 09:15-09:27
“I think there's a real possibility, in fact a likelihood that these so-called independent commissions will not have bipartisan commissions.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 09:54-10:07
“I think it is quite likely that when the Democrats are in charge, they will appoint to the independent commissions three commissioners from…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 10:42-10:54
“The Supreme Court has now made absolutely clear that we can protect women from men competing against them in sports.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 13:24-13:33
“The Supreme Court concluded that the laws in West Virginia and Idaho are constitutional.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 14:50-15:02
“The Supreme Court rejected that argument [by the RNC]... and upheld Mississippi's law allowing ballots to be received up to five days after…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 17:01-40:35
“The court here concluded nothing in Bostock requires biological males to compete in girls sports.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 17:49-17:58
“That means 23 states have not [protected girls and women's sports].”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 18:05-18:10
“27 states have now passed laws saying this is not acceptable [boys competing against girls, men against women in sports].”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 18:55-19:03
“Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented [in the Supreme Court case].”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 19:48-19:53
“Title 9 is the law that protects girls sports.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 21:04-21:08
“If the Democrats win, if they take the Senate, they want three [liberal judges] to become five to become more, who would strike down every…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 21:18-21:31
“If the Democrats take the Senate, my prediction is they will block every single judicial nomination for the next two years.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 22:01-22:10
“The court struck down those limits and said the RNC can spend as much money as it wants to support Republicans in elections.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 22:52-23:01
“The DNC can spend as much money as it wants to support Democrats in elections.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 23:00-23:06
“McCain Feingold was the big campaign finance law that John McCain and Russ Feingold championed that put major constraints on political…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 26:16-26:26
“One element of McCain Feingold is it limited the ability of a candidate to loan money to his or her own campaign and then pay yourself back.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 26:29-26:41
“McCain Feingold limited the ability to pay yourself back [from campaign loans].”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 28:57-29:02
“I won in FEC versus Ted Cruz for Senate.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 29:34-29:39
“McCain Feingold was passed by a bunch of incumbent politicians.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 30:42-30:47
“The decision in FEC versus Ted Cruz for Senate...underlay NRSC versus FEC.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 31:21-31:37
“Virtually all speech requires the expenditure of money.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 31:51-31:55
“Birthright citizenship...encourages illegal immigration.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 34:04-34:25
“The 14th Amendment says all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 35:06-35:22
“The court unfortunately ruled 5, 4 that the executive order is invalid and that the children of [illegal immigrants] born in the US Are US…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 36:45-37:01
“Justice Thomas dissent cited my brief twice in that dissent.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 38:15-38:20
“There's still some ambiguity on whether Congress could pass legislation defining subject to the jurisdiction thereof, to exclude the…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 38:27-38:41
“I would support, number one, a constitutional amendment to end birthright citizenship.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 38:57-39:03
“I would support, number two, legislation just to end birthright citizenship.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 39:02-39:08
“The laws in Mississippi say that absentee ballots have to be postmarked by election day and they can be received up to five days after…”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 39:31-39:42
“The Court has concluded federal law does not limit late received mail in ballots.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 40:43-40:51
“I'm an original sponsor of the Save America Act.”
Understanding the Historic Supreme Court Victories & Losses this Week | Uploaded July 1, 2026 | 41:32-41:35