After delivering his speech at the rally to stop the Iran deal in Washington D.C. last week, Senator Ted Cruz spent a few minutes backstage speaking candidly with Glenn about the dangerous deal.
"I thought he was very clear and well-spoken and very determined," Glenn said. "He knows the answer to this, and it's an unconventional answer."
Glenn described what Senator Cruz had to say as a real solution, "fighting fire with flamethrowers" - which is apparently another way to say "really, really good."
Listen to the behind-the-scenes conversation or read the transcript below.
Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.
GLENN: I got up this morning, and I heard there was -- there were only going to be 2,000 people, and I thought -- and that's what they -- and that was, like, maybe there is obviously many more than that and many more -- thousands watching across. This is quite a collection of voices.
TED: It is an amazing assemblage of pro-Israel groups, massive security groups, Tea Party groups, of just Americans who want to protect us. I mean, this should be an issue and it is an issue that cuts across party lines. It cuts across ethic lines. It cuts across racial lines.
GLENN: Anything that can get me and Donald Trump to speak at the same place.
TED: But, you know, we all share in common that we breathe and drink water, and we don't want our children murdered by homicidal jihadists who have pledged to do so.
GLENN: So the press and the White House has said that this is a pro-war rally. What -- what is the alternative besides war? I think war is the worst option that we have.
TED: No doubt, but the Obama/Clinton foreign policy begins from the premise that the way you avoid war is through appeasement. And so their approach has been weakness and appeasement to every enemy of America, whether it's Putin and Russia, whether Castro and Cuba, or whether it's Khomeini and Iran.
I think they're exactly wrong. I think it increases the chances of war. I think we are repeating Munich in 1938, but, you know, anyone who wants to protect our nation -- the worst thing to do if you want to avoid war is giving a hundred billion dollars to a theocratic homicidal lunatic who pledges to kill us.
I'm reminded, Glenn, of an editorial cartoon that I think actually captures this whole issue beautifully. It shows the Ayatollah Khamenei saying, "Death to every American." And then it has John Kerry saying, "Can we meet you halfway?" There is no middle ground with a theocratic zealot whose only object is to murder people.
GLENN: I just talked to some Kurds just a few minutes ago, and they said, "Where are we? Where are we? Why won't this administration -- why won't Congress help us?"
TED: It is utterly indefensible. When it comes to defeating ISIS, we need a commander-in-chief who declares the object "We will destroy ISIS altogether." We need to use overwhelming air power. You know, back in the first Persian Gulf War we had about 1100 air strikes a day. Right now today we have between 15 and 30 air strikes a day. It's basically a photop of foreign policy. A bomb here, a missile here. It's why it's ineffective.
But third, what you just noted, the Kurds are our boots on the ground. They're fighting ISIS. They're actually fighting the Iranians at the same time.
GLENN: Right.
TED: They are -- they're Peshmerga. Their fighting soldiers are long-time American allies. We should be arming the Kurds, but the Obama Administration, for political reasons, doesn't want to do so. It makes no sense whatsoever, and we need a commander-in-chief that actually defends our national security interest instead of trying to earn favor in the leftest faculty lounges at universities across the --
GLENN: Do you know -- do you know -- does this treatise force us to defend Iran if -- if Israel goes to --
TED: So there is a provision of this agreement that says the signatories will defend the Iranian nuclear facilities against efforts of sabotage. And the only person that would sabotage those are Israel. So the signatories are signing a commitment that they will effectively stand with Iran over Israel. It is striking. And 42 Democrats, apparently, are fine with that.
Now, Glenn, one thing that I mentioned out there that I think is very important for people to know. There is a way to stop this deal, and two people have the ability to do so, Speaker Boehner leader McConnell, if they simply stood up and announced, "We're going to follow federal law through the Corker-Cardin Review Act." The review clock doesn't start until the full deal is submitted to Congress.
Obama hasn't submit the full deal. He left out the two side agreements. Under Corker-Cordin, until the review clock expires, it is illegal for Obama to list sanctions.
GLENN: So when -- but when has anything illegal stopped either the people in the House, the Senate, or the White House?
TED: You are exactly right. So let's -- let's play the game theory forward. Here is what I think should happen. First, McConnell and Boehner should announce, under Corker-Cardin, the clock hasn't started because he hasn't submitted the deal, so it is illegal for him to list sanctions.
Number two, I think Republican leadership and the Senate should bring this deal up in the treatise and vote it down in the treatise. It will demonstrate overwhelming opposition. It will not get anywhere near the two-thirds it needs to be ratified.
But number three, you're right. If we look at the last six and a half years, we can anticipate that President Obama will ignore federal law and say, "I'm lifting sanctions anyway."
That's why what I said on that stage, I believe, was a very important message. It was directed at the CEOs and the boards of directors and the general counsels of every bank and every financial institution that is holding the billions of dollars.
And it is that -- even if Obama ignores federal law, that does not immunize you from civil and criminal liability. And if you violate Corker-Cardin in the Iran sanctions legislation, you will be sued by private actors for billions of dollars, and you will be liable, because President Obama can't give you a get-out-of-jail-free card for ignoring federal law.
But number two, when there is a subsequent president, to any bank that willfully violates federal law and sends billions of dollars to a terrorist, Ayatollah, that bank faces criminal prosecution as well. And you know how you stop this is all the banks say, "You know what, we're not going out on this limb with Obama because we don't lose our livelihood" --
GLENN: Do they have the courage to do that after they've accepted all of the bailouts?
TED: Well, I can tell you I have advised major CEOs in litigation, and when they look at the law, their general counsel and their outside counsel will tell them, whatever Obama says, this will all remain on the books, and we can be sued under it and pay billions of dollars.
GLENN: How do the American people get that word out? How do they help? Just spread that word?
TED: Just spread the word. I -- you know, we're trying to do it right now. I'd say there are few things more potent than TheBlaze for getting the word out.
GLENN: Yeah. Well, we'll get it out. Thank you.
TED: Thank you, Glenn. God bless you.
GLENN: God bless you.