As the anti-ICE, pro-illegal immigration, and even pro-terrorist riots continue in Los Angeles, there's not merely questions and concerns over the ineffective state and local leadership--though that is the case thanks to LA Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Many want to know who is funding these riots, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). He already discussed at great length the riots over X as well as in Monday's episode of "The Verdict," and he's devoted another episode to the riots for Wednesday.
The question of the riots and who is funding these, not just in LA but across the country, came up early and often throughout Wednesday's episode. As co-host Ben Ferguson reminded from Monday's episode, these riots looked to be "clearly something that was premeditated and preplanned and was going to spread across the country." Sure enough, he and Cruz have been validated.
We are seeing riots for illegal aliens break out all across the country.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 11, 2025
These are not organic — they are paid for.
We explain on Verdict: https://t.co/xSQUCblCyd pic.twitter.com/8iwGle32Z5
Cruz laid out how as of the time the episode was recorded, "we have seen riots and protests for illegal immigration break out, not just in LA but in San Francisco, Santa Ana, Sacramento, in Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, in Seattle, in Portland, in Salt Lake City, in Detroit, in Hartford, Connecticut and Boston, in Philadelphia, in Atlanta, in Baltimore, in New York City, in Washington DC, in Tampa, in Jacksonville, in Raleigh, and in Louisville." It's certainly a long list, and one that led the senator to point out that "that is not simply organic. There is money, and by the way, we are seeing supplies arriving at these events."
We've seen this before, the senator also reminded. "This is the same agenda that was behind the Black Lives Matter and the Antifa riots across the country. They're paid for, whether it is George Soros or other anti-American leftists who hate this country, who want violence and are funding it and this is virtually every one of those cities is controlled by Democrats and, and the Democrats in those cities, in many instances, are complicit and are cheering them on and understand this is this is also openly embracing criminality," a point Cruz stressed as the episode featured news coverage of a tearful jewelry store owner reacting to his store being looted.
🚨 HEARTBREAKING: LA family-owned jewelry store owner, with tears in his eyes, after looters destroyed his family business:
— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) June 10, 2025
"Very bad... Why they come here?... I'm not a big guy. I'm not a big fish." pic.twitter.com/KuokCar794
Ferguson responded to the clip by mocking those Democrats and mainstream media who would claim the protests were mostly peaceful, with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) making quite the claims during a Tuesday press briefing as she insisted that there wasn't violence.
Later in the episode, just before a clip of Waters' remarks was played, Cruz noted "she may formally be the mayor of crazytown," as he reminded of how there have been tragically plenty instances of violence. He also referenced Bass, referring to her as "Comrade Bass" and calling her out for how she's blamed the Trump administration and blamed the "chaos" for the ICE raids and "the intervention of the federal government."
Shamefully but not surprisingly, Bass has continued to blame President Donald Trump.
🚨NEW—Maxine Waters: Don’t believe what you saw on camera. There wasn’t any violence. pic.twitter.com/qTVh4kxGnb
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 10, 2025
MAYOR KAREN BASS: "We need to stop the raids."
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 10, 2025
"This was chaos that was started by Washington, D.C." pic.twitter.com/OQS11FqZ5z
Even more tragic is how far-reaching these riots have been. "And by the way, where a lot of this looting was happening, this was not where there was actual protests! It's just full blown looting and riots!" Ferguson reminded.
The episode played still another clip, of a business owner calling out the rioters and their actions for being "so ridiculous," as he also pointed out that "this doesn't look like this is protesting for ICE or anything... just for looting the stores," which is not "for protest." That shop owner, Ferguson also pointed out, is "a legal immigrant who is criticizing the illegal immigrants and those who are looting," as "he is saying, 'I want law and order and I want there to be protection in LA!"
In addressing that point, Cruz took the opportunity to criticize Newsom. "Well, that's exactly right, and the citizens of LA and the citizens of California are being abandoned, and they're being abandoned deliberately by Gavin Newsom and by elected Democrats," he reminded. Newsom has focused much of his attention in going after the Trump administration, from suing over the National Guard being sent in and even filing an emergency motion, to trying to goad Tom Homan into arresting him.
After Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued on Monday and Newsom filed his motion on Tuesday, a judge that same day denied the motion, instead granting a hearing for Thursday. Homan has indicated it's not on the table at this time to have Newsom arrested, with the border czar also reminding CBS News that he's not even a prosecutor.
The episode also played a clip of Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco calling out state Democrats, as he's been doing at great length over X when it comes to the riots. He indicated he was "appalled that we are at this point in society where people come out and think that this is okay, and then it makes it 100 times worse when you have politicians that are encouraging it, that are not calling it what it is, which is criminal activity, the lying to all of us, lying to the media, and purposefully using the word 'peaceful.'"
In addition to highlighting the violence involved, Bianco specifically went after Newsom.
"Governor Newsom needs to put his phone down, go sit in his house behind the comfort of his TV screen and a couch, and be quiet, because he is doing nothing but fueling this process. He needs to stay out of the way of law enforcement, he knows nothing about this, he knows absolutely nothing about the enforcement of law, he despises the enforcement of law, and he has encouraged... he's enabled this lawless act that is going on right now, this has been years in the making that he has encouraged," the sheriff candidly shared. "So, quite frankly, I don't care what he says, he says everything in a disingenuous manner for his own personal, political gain, and we are suffering the consequences."
Bianco is running for governor as a Republican in California, as Cruz pointed out and the sheriff has shared over X.
California Sheriff @ChadBianco tells @GavinNewsom to go home and "be quiet" after Democrats blame President @realDonaldTrump for anti-ICE unrest. pic.twitter.com/4NEQ8RgZkI
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 10, 2025
Join #TeamBianco at https://t.co/ekrUiCMt3J. Let’s fix California together.
— Sheriff Chad Bianco (@ChadBianco) June 10, 2025
Later still in the segment, Cruz himself went further after Newsom, in addition to the other Democrats mentioned above like Bass and Waters.
"What is Gavin Newsom doing? Is he protecting the people of California? No, instead, he's suing President Trump to stop the president from protecting the people of California," Cruz reminded.
As one of the many problematic posts from his X account that Newsom has put out there, he not only on Sunday called on the Trump administration to rescind what he says is "their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to my command," but he even claimed that there hasn't been a problem. "We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty and flaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California," his post also read.
I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) June 8, 2025
We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while… pic.twitter.com/SYIy81SZdH
After reading the post, Cruz summarized the governor's warped sense of priorities when it comes to what he's upset about.
"So, Gavin Newsom is not upset that that illegal immigrants have flooded into this country for the last four years across open borders. He's not upset that murderers and rapists and child molesters and gang bangers have been released. He's not upset that Californians are being murdered, are being violently assaulted by illegal immigrants. None of that dismays him. He's not upset at the looting! He's not standing with the poor small business owners and shop owners whose stores were destroyed by the violent crime. None of that upsets him!" Cruz shared.
"Instead, Gavin Newsom’s problem is, damn it, number one, Trump is arresting illegals, and we're the Democrats! We're the party of illegals. And number two, even worse, Trump is sending in federal officers, sending in the National Guard to keep communities safe, to protect families, to protect homes. That is unacceptable, because if there's one thing the Democrats stand for beyond illegal Immigrations and crime, it is preventing the police from doing their job, preventing them from keeping you safe. I think that really sums up the lunacy of where the left is today," Cruz stressed for emphasis to mock Cruz.
Ferguson and Cruz unfortunately both believe that the unrest will "continue to grow," which brings us back to Cruz's original concern. "And let me say we started by saying this went where we predicted, that this spreads nationally, that we see these protests and these riots in cities across the country, and I think we need to follow the money," Cruz reminded Ferguson, as he had a message for the Trump administration from there.
"And that's certainly what I am urging the president, urging the Department of Justice to do, is follow the money, and anyone who is funding this, this is just like the antisemitic protests on college campuses. By the way, I suspect it's the same people who funded the antisemitic protests, who funded the Antifa and Black Lives Matter riots, it is the same radicals who hate America," Cruz offered. "Many of them are openly Marxist. Black Lives Matter is openly Marxist. They're rabidly anti-Israel, they're rabidly anti-capitalism, they're rabidly anti-police, they're rabidly anti-law and order. They're rabidly pro-criminal. They're rabidly pro-violence, but we need to follow the money and prosecute anyone who is funding riots across this country. And I hope that's exactly what the Trump administration does."
Cruz isn't the only one concerned with how these rioters are being funded. On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) sent a letter to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) demanding answers as to if they supported the riots.
🚨NEW — Senator @HawleyMO is launching an investigation into the “Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights” pertaining to their alleged role in funding violent riots across Los Angeles!
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 11, 2025
PRESERVE YOUR RECORDS! pic.twitter.com/78OXlkPnhd
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