Verdict with Ted Cruz - February 24, 2026


BONUS POD： A Preview of President Trump’s Biggest Speech Yet—SOTU 2026


Episode Stats

Length

10 minutes

Words per Minute

160.34433

Word Count

1,664

Sentence Count

97

Hate Speech Sentences

1


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.580 Guaranteed Human.
00:00:04.980 Tom Holman, Kristi Noem, our people, they've been incredible, the job they've done.
00:00:10.580 And they take nothing but abuse, but, you know, they're sort of pretty hardened to that, I think.
00:00:15.700 Because they know they're doing the right thing.
00:00:17.720 It just amazes me that there's not more support out there.
00:00:21.060 It's just, we actually have a silent support.
00:00:24.300 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:00:28.140 It's State of the Union Day in America.
00:00:30.620 Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update.
00:00:33.360 And Donald Trump is aiming to sell his first-year successes in a crucial address to Congress ahead of the midterms.
00:00:41.480 So what is the president going to talk about?
00:00:43.560 And what are the accomplishments that the media doesn't want you to know about?
00:00:47.860 I'll break it all down for you right now, live from Washington, D.C.
00:00:51.440 It's the 47 Morning Update, and it starts right now.
00:00:54.740 Story number one.
00:00:55.860 As I am here in Washington, D.C. for the State of the Union, one of the fun things that happens before the State of the Union is the briefings that you receive.
00:01:03.620 And I had the opportunity to sit down for breakfast with Speaker Mike Johnson.
00:01:08.320 Mike Johnson talked a lot about what had been accomplished in the last year under the leadership of President Trump,
00:01:14.420 especially having a one-vote majority in the House and a slim majority in the Senate.
00:01:21.740 What they've been able to do is truly unbelievable.
00:01:24.380 But the president has got to convince Americans on Tuesday night of one major thing,
00:01:30.100 that you're better off now because he's in office than if he wasn't in office.
00:01:35.400 And that means, come the midterms, if you want the Trump Doctrine of America First to continue,
00:01:41.260 you've got to stand up and support and show up to vote for conservative candidates that Trump has endorsed.
00:01:48.520 Now, a lot of people are asking, what is going to be in the State of the Union?
00:01:52.540 That's exactly the question that I asked Speaker Johnson,
00:01:55.740 as well as the Treasury Secretary Scott Besson on Sunday as I was meeting with him.
00:02:00.500 And here's what I have for you.
00:02:03.780 Number one, the president's going to be talking about the economy and jobs.
00:02:08.160 Donald Trump will put economic performance front and center,
00:02:11.940 calling the U.S. economy strong, booming, and growing better than before.
00:02:16.240 He's expected to highlight his tax cuts, his wage increases,
00:02:21.080 also consumer price trends, as well as American job growth.
00:02:25.300 He'll also frame much of his agenda around continued economic expansion.
00:02:30.500 And lower costs for Americans.
00:02:32.840 Part of that comes from no tax on tips and no tax on overtime
00:02:36.740 that has just become a reality in this country.
00:02:40.600 The president will also spend a significant amount of time talking about your safety.
00:02:45.460 That includes the major issue of border security and immigration.
00:02:49.360 Border security and immigration control
00:02:51.600 is going to be a large part of the focus of the president's words.
00:02:56.900 Trump is likely to tout the reduction in illegal crossings,
00:02:59.660 which have virtually gone to zero,
00:03:02.220 as well as stricter enforcement policies,
00:03:04.840 while arguing that his approach protects American jobs
00:03:07.920 and also national security.
00:03:10.540 Oddly enough, with the recent cartel explosion of violence in Mexico,
00:03:15.400 there may be no better time for the president
00:03:17.680 to remind the American people
00:03:19.060 of what our secure borders are now keeping out.
00:03:22.900 And then he'll talk about trade and tariffs.
00:03:27.120 He is expected to defend his aggressive tariff strategy,
00:03:30.740 which clearly has worked significantly,
00:03:33.320 promoting American manufacturing and trade fairness.
00:03:37.000 Despite his recent challenges at the Supreme Court,
00:03:40.620 trade policy will be framed as part of building
00:03:43.120 his national economic strength for all Americans.
00:03:47.160 Foreign policy and national security will be one and one,
00:03:51.600 I'm being told from Speaker Johnson as well,
00:03:54.040 as the president will likely touch on not only foreign policy,
00:03:57.640 but global positioning and national security,
00:04:01.100 especially concerning tensions in the Middle East
00:04:03.420 and strategic competition with global rivals,
00:04:06.940 including China and Russia,
00:04:09.400 and using international developments
00:04:11.420 as evidence of American strength.
00:04:14.180 There's also expected to be emphasis
00:04:16.760 on crime reduction in this country.
00:04:19.980 The president making it clear
00:04:21.420 that even if you're in a liberal city,
00:04:22.940 you deserve to be safe.
00:04:24.780 The president has done a significant amount
00:04:26.300 to reduce crime in places like Washington, D.C.
00:04:29.260 and Memphis, Tennessee, St. Louis, Chicago,
00:04:32.740 and the list continues to grow.
00:04:35.300 There's also going to be discussions about healthcare
00:04:38.460 and the proposals,
00:04:40.100 as well as prescription drug affordability
00:04:42.600 and new initiatives to lower costs for families.
00:04:46.460 Republican leaders want focus on affordability issues
00:04:49.700 that voters care about the most.
00:04:53.340 Now, Trump's speech will also serve
00:04:55.320 as a clear message on the midterms,
00:04:57.860 which I mentioned a moment ago.
00:04:59.560 The president understands that essentially
00:05:03.060 this is a rallying narrative for Republicans
00:05:06.860 and reminding voters of what is on the ballot
00:05:10.380 come this November.
00:05:12.940 As early voting has already started
00:05:14.740 in many of the primaries,
00:05:16.160 it's clear that Americans are thinking
00:05:17.860 about all of these things.
00:05:19.600 And what the president has to do
00:05:20.980 is remind voters of his priorities
00:05:23.000 and the framing of what happens
00:05:24.940 if Republicans lose the House or the Senate.
00:05:28.480 Now, there are also just the big accomplishments
00:05:31.260 that the president will be able to talk about.
00:05:33.660 Much of this, the media refuses to discuss.
00:05:36.760 Real GDP growth has surged.
00:05:40.100 Jobs has also outpaced the gains in 2025
00:05:43.460 with strong job report coming in.
00:05:46.600 Blue collar wages saw significant increases
00:05:49.640 and workers' real earnings have also grown.
00:05:53.980 The president also can tout his real tax reform
00:05:57.320 with the Trump tax cuts,
00:05:59.260 making those earlier cuts permanent.
00:06:01.780 Creating Trump accounts for newborns
00:06:03.920 will also be something the president will talk about,
00:06:06.020 setting up the next generation
00:06:07.840 for financial success in a major way.
00:06:11.420 And having those Trump accounts
00:06:13.600 actually have real deposits put in them day one.
00:06:17.020 The president will also talk about
00:06:18.520 what's about to happen for so many Americans
00:06:20.600 that work for TIPS
00:06:21.740 and those that work in overtime.
00:06:24.360 That was a policy agenda item
00:06:26.800 that started, yes, last year.
00:06:28.980 But after it was passed,
00:06:30.500 it didn't actually get enacted until this year,
00:06:33.100 meaning now is the first time
00:06:35.000 people are really seeing the difference
00:06:36.580 in their paychecks.
00:06:38.400 And then there's regulatory changes
00:06:40.240 that are aimed at supporting economic activity
00:06:42.680 and innovation.
00:06:43.940 Some of those are going to make cars
00:06:45.640 actually cheaper for Americans.
00:06:48.020 The president touting that
00:06:49.120 that automatic on-off start on your car.
00:06:51.960 That was bureaucrats just making
00:06:53.800 the cost of your car go up
00:06:55.560 and it also did serious damage
00:06:57.680 to your engine over the long term.
00:06:59.500 Well, that's no longer a mandate
00:07:01.720 under the Trump administration.
00:07:03.880 The president's saying regulations
00:07:05.160 are killing American jobs
00:07:07.200 and also making Americans
00:07:08.740 have to pay way too much
00:07:10.140 for basic things like a car.
00:07:12.960 Then the president will obviously talk
00:07:15.100 about the success of the southern border.
00:07:17.140 What the president was able to do
00:07:18.220 in the first year is truly unbelievable.
00:07:20.560 With the major immigration crackdown
00:07:22.460 and self-deportations now
00:07:24.080 into the millions and millions
00:07:25.600 of illegals that have left on their own.
00:07:27.840 We also know that the president
00:07:30.240 is also tightening asylum rules
00:07:32.140 and deportations are expected
00:07:34.500 to be at a record high this year as well.
00:07:37.440 Now, implementation of high tariffs
00:07:39.500 on imported goods
00:07:40.700 to protect U.S. manufacturing
00:07:42.300 and reduce trade deficits
00:07:44.280 that is generating substantial tariff revenue,
00:07:47.720 something the president will talk about,
00:07:50.040 even though the Supreme Court
00:07:51.600 struck down part of what
00:07:52.960 he was actually able to accomplish.
00:07:55.260 Foreign policy and security,
00:07:57.220 the increased sanctions
00:07:58.840 that the president has put
00:07:59.640 on many rogue regimes
00:08:01.360 and strategic designations
00:08:03.420 against hostile enemies
00:08:04.700 and foreign policy actions
00:08:06.760 demonstrating America resolve,
00:08:08.580 including declaring the narcos,
00:08:11.780 narco-terrorists,
00:08:12.940 which means that then America
00:08:14.340 can go after them in different ways.
00:08:16.740 There's also affordability.
00:08:18.360 As part of the speech,
00:08:19.260 I was told by Speaker Johnson,
00:08:21.500 initiatives aimed at lowering
00:08:22.760 prescription drug costs,
00:08:24.080 the president will be touting as well,
00:08:26.000 and reforming health care financing
00:08:28.340 will be another part
00:08:29.420 of what you can expect in the speech.
00:08:31.860 Now, all of this also goes back
00:08:33.400 to what Donald Trump has said,
00:08:35.080 and that is that our government
00:08:36.400 just got way too big.
00:08:38.440 Previous administrations
00:08:39.760 had mass amounts of regulations
00:08:41.420 across climate,
00:08:43.120 DEI,
00:08:44.160 and other areas.
00:08:45.560 The president will tout
00:08:46.340 the dismantling or reshaping
00:08:47.940 of federal agency priorities,
00:08:49.720 not to be about DEI hires,
00:08:51.780 but to be about what is best
00:08:53.040 for the American people
00:08:54.300 and the workforce
00:08:55.380 to do it in our government.
00:08:57.560 Now, there will be,
00:08:58.500 no doubt,
00:08:59.300 a celebration of the policies
00:09:00.960 that the president argues
00:09:02.180 have strengthened the economy
00:09:03.600 as well as national security.
00:09:05.800 There will be a political message
00:09:07.620 aimed at Republican voters,
00:09:09.860 trying to inspire them
00:09:11.000 to get out and vote in the midterms.
00:09:12.900 The president will talk about
00:09:13.900 that midterm convention as well
00:09:15.820 to celebrate the candidates
00:09:17.480 before Election Day.
00:09:19.380 And then there will be
00:09:20.640 a real effort from President Trump
00:09:22.620 to appeal to Americans
00:09:24.540 on cost of living,
00:09:26.680 jobs,
00:09:27.700 and national sovereignty issues.
00:09:29.900 At the same time,
00:09:31.500 it's very important to note
00:09:33.040 that public opinion polls
00:09:34.500 are showing skepticism
00:09:35.920 among some Americans
00:09:37.580 about President Trump's performance,
00:09:40.120 especially on inflation,
00:09:41.540 which they went down faster,
00:09:43.140 even on the issue of tariffs
00:09:44.720 and foreign relations.
00:09:46.600 The president is going to have
00:09:47.660 to make sure he connects
00:09:48.680 on those issues as well.
00:09:51.180 This is exactly what
00:09:52.660 the president of the United States
00:09:53.660 of America
00:09:54.180 is going to be focusing on.
00:09:56.280 And it's so important
00:09:57.280 that every American understand
00:09:58.600 what already has been done,
00:10:00.820 but where we're going moving forward.
00:10:02.660 Thank you for listening
00:10:03.420 to the 47 Morning Update
00:10:05.140 with Ben Ferguson.
00:10:06.780 Please make sure you hit subscribe
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00:10:10.080 to this podcast right now.
00:10:11.720 And for more in-depth news,
00:10:13.900 also subscribe
00:10:14.660 to the Ben Ferguson Podcast,
00:10:16.140 and we will see you
00:10:17.460 back here tomorrow.
00:10:19.320 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:10:21.860 Guaranteed human.