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Midway through his stump speech at a recent campaign rally, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz did something unusual: He asked the audience to take out their cell phones and text an automated number that would respond with a link to download his thrice-weekly podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz.”
Cruz had recorded his latest episode at midnight, several hours before the Friday morning rally, after Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a speech accepting her party’s presidential nomination. Cruz proudly recited the episode title for the crowd: “Kamala’s Speech: Vapid, Radical, Disconnected from Reality and Dangerous as Hell.”
“Now, why do I do the podcast? I do the podcast to equip and arm you, to give you the information you need,” Cruz told the dozens of rallygoers packed into a bar in downtown Georgetown. “It does not cost a penny, but when you subscribe, it’ll magically appear on your phone about 5 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It takes about a half hour to listen to, and it’s designed to give you the information, the facts.”
The campaign trail plug was only the latest reminder of how Cruz’s popular podcast has become an integral part of the Texas junior Republican senator’s life — and a tool in his effort to win reelection this fall. The show has helped Cruz reach new audiences and solidify his status as a leading…
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