Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who once made his name as a hard-right leader in the pre-Trump era, has reinvented himself in a way few could have predicted: as the most popular political podcaster in America. According to Politico, Cruz’s show, Verdict With Ted Cruz, now draws up to two million downloads a month—a staggering figure that not only eclipses competitors like California Governor Gavin Newsom but also positions Cruz as a pioneer in the changing political-media ecosystem.
It all started back in 2019, during the tumultuous days of President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Cruz, craving a platform to dig deep into constitutional law and the political drama of the moment, launched the podcast as a side project. “We started with zero listeners, and within a week, it skyrocketed to being the number one ranked podcast in the world,” Cruz marveled in a recent interview with Politico. The show’s immediate success surprised even its creators, and what began as a passion project quickly became a central piece of Cruz’s political identity.
Each week, sometimes as often as three times, Cruz and his co-host, conservative commentator Ben Ferguson, settle in—microphone in hand, a bottle of Bai flavored water nearby, and a list of topics curated by Cruz’s staff. The topics range from the day’s Senate gossip to the finer points of constitutional law, all delivered in an informal, conversational style that’s a far cry from the rigid talking points of cable news. “A good podcast feels like you’re sitting in a cafe having a cup of coffee and just talking across the table,” Cruz explained to Politico. “Compared to a television hit or a stump speech, it’s a different muscle.”
The episodes typically last 30–40 minutes, intentionally designed to fit into a listener’s commute or workout. But Cruz relishes the flexibility of the format: “If you have a topic with a lot to say, you can keep going, you can talk as long as you need to on a topic, and when you’re done, you can shut up.” The result is a show that’s both accessible and substantive, with Cruz often veering into detailed digressions—sometimes even bad impersonations—for a dedicated fan base that craves depth over soundbites.
What makes Verdict With Ted Cruz stand out isn’t just its numbers, though those are impressive. In July 2025, the podcast had nearly three and a half times as many downloads as Newsom’s, the next most popular among elected officials, according to Politico. It’s the way Cruz uses the show to offer what his team calls “a behind-the-scenes look at what’s really happening in Washington,” tackling issues “the mainstream media won’t cover or will cover with bias.” As a Cruz spokesperson put it, “That is why the podcast was launched and is its number one purpose.”
The show’s audience is as diverse as it is loyal. Cruz has noticed a distinct demographic split: older women often recognize him from Fox News, while younger men—think ponytails and tattoos—approach him to praise the podcast. “Because those guys aren’t watching cable news,” Cruz said. “But they are listening to podcasts.” The senator’s reach extends well beyond the traditional conservative base, tapping into a generation increasingly disengaged from legacy media.
This shift isn’t happening in a vacuum. The American media landscape in 2025 is more fragmented than ever, with the influence of local newspapers and even national cable news waning. The Des Moines Register and New Hampshire Union-Leader, once kingmakers in their states, have seen their circulations collapse. As campaigns adapt, the power of social media personalities and influencers is rising, especially on the right. “The audience share has just been chopped up, and so you have to work all these different angles to get all these different tribes that are being created,” former CNN pundit Rick Santorum told Politico.
This “battle of the influencers” has changed the way politicians campaign. Where retail politics once meant handshakes at diners and county fairs, today’s candidates must also be content creators, crafting videos and podcasts to reach far-flung audiences. As Alex De Grasse, a longtime aide to Rep. Elise Stefanik, put it, campaigns now need to “create content, distributing it to people directly, and the traditional press can be used in that lens to essentially just amplify whatever content you’re trying to move.”
Cruz has embraced this new reality wholeheartedly. Not only does his podcast give him a massive email list and near-universal name recognition among GOP faithful, but it also offers a platform to shape the political conversation outside the constraints of legacy media. He’s not shy about using it, either—whether criticizing rival podcasters like Tucker Carlson or weighing in on disputes with FCC chief Brendan Carr, as reported by CNN.
There’s little doubt that Cruz’s podcasting prowess could give him a head start if he decides to run for president in 2028. “Candidate Cruz doesn’t need to do much to win the endorsement of podcaster Cruz,” as Politico wryly observed. With Trump constitutionally barred from running again, Cruz enters the next cycle with a formidable digital infrastructure and a unique ability to connect with voters where they now spend most of their time: online.
It’s a model that other politicians are starting to notice. While Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jeff Jackson have built sizable followings on Instagram and TikTok, their party’s base still relies more heavily on traditional media and established powerbrokers. As one Democratic strategist told Politico, “Nobody’s going to base their vote off of who the Young Turks or Harry Sisson are supporting.” For now, the right has been quicker to embrace the influencer model, with figures like Charlie Kirk and Laura Loomer wielding outsized sway among Republican voters.
Yet, the broader trend is unmistakable: Americans of all stripes are spending more time online, and the cliche that campaigns should “meet voters where they are” now means meeting them on their phones, through podcasts and videos. The cornfields of Iowa may look nothing like the mill towns of New Hampshire, but when voters are scrolling, their screens are virtually identical.
As the 2028 election approaches, the question isn’t whether Cruz’s podcast will matter—it’s how much it will shape the race, and whether other politicians can catch up to the Texas senator’s head start in the new digital arena. For now, at least, the microphone belongs to Ted Cruz—and millions are tuning in.