On the Ground with President Bukele in El Salvador plus Cracker Barrel Surrenders

Aug 27, 2025

A congressional delegation visits El Salvador, witnessing the major safety improvements under President Bukele, including a staggering drop in crime rates and effective gang crackdowns. The discussion contrasts these successes with U.S. cities struggling under progressive policies. Additionally, the backlash against Cracker Barrel's recent rebranding decisions is mocked, showcasing consumer revolt against perceived 'woke' strategies, similar to other brands facing financial backlash.

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ANECDOTE

On-The-Ground Visit To El Salvador

Ted Cruz describes arriving in El Salvador and meeting U.S. sailors, Marines, and embassy staff to assess on-the-ground changes.
Every American he spoke with praised safety improvements and Bukele's leadership change.

INSIGHT

Massive Drop In El Salvador Homicides

Cruz highlights a dramatic national turnaround: murders fell from 100 to 1.9 per 100,000 between 2015 and 2024.
He attributes the shift to aggressive arrests of gang members and building a massive prison to remove gangs from power.

ANECDOTE

Justice Minister On Gang Crackdown

The justice minister told Cruz El Salvador arrested over 80,000 gang members and built a prison designed for up to 40,000 gang members.
He also relayed that gang initiation required extreme killings, illustrating gang brutality and scale.

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Cruz’s Visit to El Salvador
- Cruz is in El Salvador meeting with President Nayib Bukele, government officials, U.S. military, and embassy staff.
- He describes dramatic changes in safety under Bukele’s leadership—highlighting the crackdown on gangs, mass arrests of MS-13 members, and construction of a mega-prison.
- Cruz emphasizes the murder rate dropping from the highest in the world (100 per 100,000 in 2015) to 1.9 per 100,000 in 2024, a 98% decrease.
- He contrasts Bukele’s tough-on-crime approach with U.S. cities that, in his view, are paralyzed by progressive policies.
- Cruz stresses that security improvements are also prompting reverse migration: Salvadorans in the U.S. are reportedly returning home.
MS-13 and U.S. Politics
- They discuss Kamar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13 member from Maryland involved in human trafficking and domestic abuse, who is facing deportation.
- Cruz criticizes Democrats, particularly Senator Chris Van Hollen, for being sympathetic to such individuals instead of supporting law and order.
- This segment is framed as an example of Democrats prioritizing criminals over public safety.
Cracker Barrel & “Go Woke, Go Broke”
- Cruz and Ferguson mock Cracker Barrel’s recent rebranding decisions, claiming the company abandoned its traditional customer base for “woke” marketing strategies.
- They compare the backlash to similar situations with Bud Light and Target, noting plummeting stock prices and customer revolt.
- Cruz highlights investor warnings that leadership ignored, framing the reversal as a victory for conservative consumer pushback.

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