Verdict with Ted Cruz - June 19, 2025


BONUS POD： America Backs Trump as 70% Support No Nukes for Iran


Episode Stats


Length

13 minutes

Words per minute

187.6075

Word count

2,618

Sentence count

240

Harmful content

Toxicity

4

sentences flagged

Hate speech

15

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Donald Trump says Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Israel and the United States are moving closer to striking Iranian nuclear facilities. What does that mean for Iran and what will it mean for the rest of the world? Plus, a new poll shows that the majority of Americans agree with Donald Trump.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.660 Guaranteed human.
00:00:05.780 And I've been saying that for 20 years.
00:00:07.900 Very simply, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
00:00:10.940 I can't say that, right?
00:00:12.320 You don't seriously think I'm going to answer that question?
00:00:14.700 That means I've had it.
00:00:16.260 Okay, I've had it. I give up.
00:00:18.000 No more.
00:00:18.700 We're not looking for a ceasefire.
00:00:20.120 We're looking for a total, complete victory.
00:00:22.380 79% of adults agree on that.
00:00:24.180 They agree with Donald Trump.
00:00:25.100 Iran cannot get a nuclear weapon.
00:00:26.500 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:00:30.660 Good Thursday morning.
00:00:31.960 So nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update.
00:00:34.900 And we have a lot to talk about this morning,
00:00:36.960 including the latest rhetoric from the President of the United States of America
00:00:40.480 about a real possibility that the U.S. may get involved in airstrikes on Iran nuclear facilities.
00:00:46.860 We'll have Donald Trump's words for you on that in a moment.
00:00:49.740 We're also going to talk about Democrats,
00:00:51.900 who are now siding with the President as well,
00:00:54.280 and what they are saying.
00:00:55.820 And finally, there's a big myth that there's a big divide within the conservative movement
00:01:01.060 over what to do with Iran.
00:01:03.180 New polling numbers also show that is a lie.
00:01:06.760 In fact, the majority of conservatives stand overwhelmingly with Donald Trump.
00:01:12.020 It's the 47 Morning Update, and it starts right now.
00:01:15.560 Story number one.
00:01:16.740 We're getting new breaking news,
00:01:18.400 and this is moving very quickly with what's happening between Iran, Israel,
00:01:22.720 and now the United States of America,
00:01:24.380 with a new statement that has just come out from Donald Trump,
00:01:27.260 saying, quote,
00:01:27.940 We don't want a long-term war with Iran.
00:01:31.480 President Donald Trump making it clear that the administration is not looking for long-term war.
00:01:36.880 In a second statement,
00:01:38.340 Trump addressing concerns among members of the Make America Great Again base
00:01:42.460 that the United States would be pulled into a, quote,
00:01:45.360 long-term war while fielding a question from the media.
00:01:49.400 Take a listen to his own words outside of the White House.
00:01:52.760 Some of the people in the base don't want a long-term war.
00:01:54.980 They're afraid that we're going to get into a long-term war.
00:01:56.860 We're not looking for a long-term war.
00:01:57.960 We're looking, it's only, I only want one thing.
00:02:01.140 Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
00:02:02.880 That's it.
00:02:03.280 I'm not looking long-term, short-term.
00:02:04.980 And I've been saying that for 20 years.
00:02:06.820 I've been saying it as a civilian who got a lot of publicity.
00:02:09.520 People would cover it.
00:02:10.840 Very simply, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
00:02:14.480 It's not a question of anything else.
00:02:16.520 And if you did, you wouldn't have much of a country
00:02:18.900 because they would use it on us and they'd use it on other people
00:02:21.880 and they'd be a terror all over the world.
00:02:23.540 We're not looking for long-term war.
00:02:25.700 I only want one thing.
00:02:26.940 Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
00:02:29.460 That is it.
00:02:30.460 Very simply, he said in another interview,
00:02:32.980 Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.
00:02:34.920 It's not a question of anything else.
00:02:36.460 And if you did, you wouldn't have much of a country
00:02:39.640 because they would use it on us and use it on other people
00:02:42.860 and they'd be a terror all over the world.
00:02:45.700 Trump not only tweeted back in 2011
00:02:47.700 before he even entered the political world
00:02:49.960 that, quote, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon
00:02:52.180 and has been firm in his stance throughout his political career
00:02:55.840 and his presidential campaign in 2024.
00:02:59.120 If you go back to the doctrine of Donald Trump,
00:03:01.900 look at November the 4th, 2011.
00:03:04.800 His exact tweet,
00:03:06.000 Iran's quest for nuclear weapons is a major threat 1.00
00:03:08.860 to our nation's national security interests.
00:03:11.600 We cannot allow Iran to go nuclear.
00:03:14.540 That was before he was running for any office.
00:03:16.600 In fact, that's actually when he was a Democrat.
00:03:19.020 Trump notably gave Iran a 60-day deadline.
00:03:21.860 That expired on Thursday, June 12th,
00:03:24.580 to make a deal to end its nuclear program.
00:03:27.340 And then on Friday, Israel began striking Iranian nuclear sites,
00:03:31.100 military leaders, and refineries.
00:03:33.900 Trump declared Tuesday, quote,
00:03:35.760 we have complete and total control of the skies over Iran 0.54
00:03:38.860 and revealed his team knew the exact location of the leader of Iran.
00:03:43.660 When asked Wednesday if the U.S. was moving closer
00:03:46.480 to striking Iranian nuclear sites,
00:03:48.700 here is what Trump said about that.
00:03:50.280 About whether you are moving closer,
00:03:53.000 or you believe the U.S. is moving closer
00:03:54.560 to striking Iranian nuclear facilities.
00:03:57.200 Where's your mindset on that?
00:03:58.420 I can't say that, right?
00:03:59.500 You don't seriously think I'm going to answer that question.
00:04:01.780 Will you strike the Iranian nuclear component?
00:04:04.620 And what time exactly, sir?
00:04:06.160 Sir, would you strike it?
00:04:07.380 Would you please inform us so we can be there and watch?
00:04:09.800 I mean, you don't know that I'm going to even do it.
00:04:11.840 You don't know.
00:04:12.520 I may do it.
00:04:13.140 I may not do it.
00:04:14.020 I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.
00:04:15.360 But I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble,
00:04:18.980 and they want to negotiate.
00:04:20.400 And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before?
00:04:22.640 All this death and destruction.
00:04:24.400 Why didn't you negotiate?
00:04:25.080 I said to the people, why didn't you negotiate with me two weeks ago?
00:04:29.040 You could have done fine.
00:04:30.280 You would have had a country.
00:04:31.660 It's very sad to watch this.
00:04:33.500 I mean, I've never seen anything like it.
00:04:35.740 It's so, you know, everyone thought it was going to be the reverse.
00:04:38.000 I didn't.
00:04:38.380 I didn't think so.
00:04:39.080 And I was telling them, you've got to do something.
00:04:41.960 You've got to negotiate.
00:04:43.080 And at the end, last minute, they said, no, we're not going to do that.
00:04:45.880 And they got hit.
00:04:46.800 Remember 60 days?
00:04:48.020 And then came the 60.
00:04:49.680 61's going to become a very famous number.
00:04:51.580 That was one hell of a hit, that first hit.
00:04:53.960 That was one hell of a hit.
00:04:55.120 Not sustainable, to be honest.
00:04:56.920 That's where it ended.
00:04:58.160 It ended on the first night.
00:04:59.460 Yes.
00:04:59.680 Is it too late, though?
00:05:00.580 Do you think it's too late to now?
00:05:02.180 Really?
00:05:02.560 Nothing's too late.
00:05:03.500 President Trump making it clear, this is something that is on the table.
00:05:07.480 Which brings us to the latest breaking news and what is being reported just a moment ago
00:05:11.820 on Fox News Channel.
00:05:13.320 That Donald Trump has, in fact, approved attack plans against Iran.
00:05:18.620 Fox News alert.
00:05:19.500 The Ayatollah's gone into hiding.
00:05:21.100 He's believed to be holed up inside an underground bunker northeast of the capital.
00:05:25.240 This is a different kind of Iranian hostage crisis.
00:05:27.940 Khomeini can hide, but he can't run. 0.93
00:05:30.100 For the past 24 hours, Israel's been attacking the area around his underground lair. 0.87
00:05:34.520 But Khomeini, still talking tough, says Iran will not surrender to anyone.
00:05:39.940 And is warning that if America joins the fight and strikes, it'll result in irreparable 0.51
00:05:44.440 damage to the United States.
00:05:46.120 Is he bluffing?
00:05:46.920 We don't know.
00:05:47.540 Iranian proxies, which have been severely degraded, are threatening to commit acts of terror
00:05:52.360 against American troops and American ships in the region.
00:05:55.460 And American businesses are now bracing for cyber attacks.
00:05:58.700 Trump says, good luck with that.
00:06:00.160 We won't be bullied.
00:06:01.000 I was the hunted, and now I'm the hunter.
00:06:04.580 It's a big difference.
00:06:05.880 That means I've had it.
00:06:07.360 Okay, I've had it.
00:06:08.320 I give up.
00:06:09.100 I'm no more.
00:06:10.620 Then we go blow up all the nuclear stuff that's all over the place there.
00:06:15.860 Now, they had bad intentions.
00:06:17.340 You know, for 40 years, they've been saying death to America, death to Israel, death to
00:06:22.200 anybody else that they didn't like. 0.99
00:06:24.180 They were bullies. 0.93
00:06:26.860 They were schoolyard bullies.
00:06:28.420 And now they're not bullies anymore.
00:06:31.540 Trump's been meeting in the Situation Room with his national security team.
00:06:34.720 Head of Central Command, Army General Eric Carilla, they call him the guerrilla, has been
00:06:39.300 instrumental in the war planning.
00:06:40.960 The Pentagon's sending in their new state-of-the-art supercarrier, the USS Gerald Ford, and amassing
00:06:47.020 a tremendous amount of assets in the area.
00:06:49.300 Today, Trump had lunch with Pakistan's army chief.
00:06:52.560 Pakistan borders Iran.
00:06:54.140 Seems like something's about to happen.
00:06:55.860 And this is just breaking.
00:06:56.860 The Wall Street Journal is reporting Trump privately approved attack plans against Iran.
00:07:02.020 Now, we don't know what these plans entail, but we're told they include U.S. airstrikes,
00:07:06.600 unsure if that includes bunker busters.
00:07:08.740 Remember, the latest version of the bunker buster has never been used on the battlefield.
00:07:13.380 It's only been tested.
00:07:14.580 Axios reports that Trump has been quizzing his generals.
00:07:17.580 Are they sure if he uses them, they'll be 100% effective?
00:07:21.300 The generals say yes, but Trump's not completely convinced.
00:07:24.200 Caroline Levitt says all options remain on the table.
00:07:27.620 Trump's been waiting on giving the final order, seeing if the Iranians give up and surrender
00:07:32.160 their nuke program peacefully.
00:07:33.840 Sources in D.C. say Trump's out of patience and Iran's up against the clock.
00:07:38.360 I believe that unless Iran surrenders in the next 48 hours, the United States, in conjunction 0.86
00:07:42.840 with Israel, will engage in military action.
00:07:45.200 Trump says the Iranians want to fly all the way to the White House to negotiate an end
00:07:49.660 to this.
00:07:50.180 But he says it's too late.
00:07:51.400 He doesn't appear to be open to long, drawn-out negotiations where he gets strung along like
00:07:56.220 last time.
00:07:56.920 We're not looking for a ceasefire.
00:07:58.600 We're looking for a total, complete victory.
00:08:01.380 Again, you know what the victory is.
00:08:03.760 No nuclear weapon.
00:08:04.840 Trump's made a decision.
00:08:06.300 Iran's nuclear program is gone.
00:08:09.060 The person who ultimately decides that is the Ayatollah.
00:08:12.700 He can either let us do it peacefully or we'll do it violently.
00:08:16.080 But either way, the outcome of this war is this.
00:08:18.220 The Iranians will never be able to acquire a nuclear weapon. 0.69
00:08:21.080 Now, the second part of this story is this.
00:08:23.600 Will the supreme leader of Iran come to the negotiating table and actually stop the nuclear
00:08:29.640 program?
00:08:30.660 They may be wanting to send people to the White House, but here's what the actual Ayatollah
00:08:34.680 says.
00:08:35.300 He has a stark warning directed both at the U.S. and Israel.
00:08:40.080 In fact, he declared today the battle begins, stating there would be, quote, no mercy for
00:08:45.600 the terrorist Zionist regime of Israel.
00:08:48.500 He also criticized the U.S. President Trump, calls for Iran's unconditional surrender, asserting
00:08:53.860 that Iran will never, quote, unquote, surrender, and that any U.S. military action would cause
00:08:59.080 irreparable damage.
00:09:01.000 Iran's UN ambassador echoed that.
00:09:03.440 Any direct U.S. involvement alongside Israel would trigger their own firm response.
00:09:09.720 Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman went further warning the U.S. intervention could spark an
00:09:14.840 all-out war across the entire region.
00:09:18.500 Now, let me say one other thing that's very interesting about all this is what's happening
00:09:22.940 within the Democratic Party.
00:09:24.860 Many Democrats are staying silent on this, but some are willing to stand up and stand on the
00:09:30.600 issue, actually backing Donald Trump and saying we need to go even further.
00:09:35.300 Insert Democratic Senator John Fetterman.
00:09:38.600 Here's what he had to say on Fox News Channel with Bill Hemmer.
00:09:41.760 Say show no mercy.
00:09:43.300 And if you have to take the Supreme Leader out, do it.
00:09:46.000 Explain your position now, sir.
00:09:47.500 Yeah, 100 percent.
00:09:48.660 Yeah, I think they should have targeted him.
00:09:50.520 Absolutely gone.
00:09:51.560 Taken him out.
00:09:52.320 I think the way Israel operates, they just take out the leadership just like they did 1.00
00:09:57.480 with Hezbollah, and they've already done that with the Iranian leadership, just took
00:10:01.860 them out even laying in their beds, and they didn't take down the whole building.
00:10:05.060 They actually targeted where they lay in bed, and now they eliminated the military ones 0.98
00:10:10.540 and the nuclear ones.
00:10:11.880 That's magnificent, and the precision which they've done that, and I don't know why they
00:10:16.120 would have left the leader out.
00:10:17.860 But what comes after that, if that reality were to take place, Senator?
00:10:22.860 Well, I think the reality is that you have a nation that just is in a position where they
00:10:28.240 have to be held accountable for what they've done.
00:10:30.280 They are the ones that built and created the proxies, like Hamas and Hezbollah, and put 0.97
00:10:35.320 our whole region in this kinds of chaos.
00:10:38.180 And now they clearly have nuclear ambitions, and now I think it's entirely, I'm not sure if
00:10:42.660 I might have been the only one, constantly calling them to just take this facility out and
00:10:47.580 to use the B-2 and those gigantic bunker buster ones and partner up with Israel what they've 0.81
00:10:55.240 done. 0.94
00:10:55.680 Fetterman saying, I call on Israel to eliminate the supreme leader without mercy. 0.96
00:11:00.820 So, that brings us to the latest point where we are now.
00:11:04.420 Is there a very good chance that Donald Trump could, in fact, order that we attack Iran's 0.98
00:11:09.160 nuclear sites with those bunker-busting bombs?
00:11:11.500 The answer is yes.
00:11:12.880 Would there be bipartisan support?
00:11:14.760 Clearly, John Fetterman says he will join others in the Republican Party advocating for
00:11:20.380 this.
00:11:20.880 Which brings me to my final point.
00:11:22.900 What do the American people think about the president's stance?
00:11:26.360 Well, apparently, in new polling, America stands overwhelmingly with Donald Trump and Israel 0.56
00:11:32.500 by staggeringly large numbers.
00:11:35.360 Nearly 70% of Americans say U.S. airstrikes to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions are appropriate.
00:11:42.240 And the best part about it is, who had to report it?
00:11:45.620 CNN.
00:11:46.520 Listen carefully.
00:11:47.520 And overall, I feel like there's more support for Donald Trump's positions than is comically
00:11:50.940 acknowledged.
00:11:51.520 Oppose Iran getting a nuclear weapon.
00:11:53.140 I mean, look at this.
00:11:54.060 79% of adults agree on that.
00:11:55.880 They agree with Donald Trump.
00:11:56.820 Iran cannot get a nuclear weapon.
00:11:58.360 83% of Republicans.
00:11:59.980 79% of Independents.
00:12:01.720 79% of Democrats.
00:12:02.980 When you get 79% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans agreeing on anything, you know that that position
00:12:08.520 is the very clear majority in this country.
00:12:10.980 And so the American public is with Donald Trump.
00:12:13.040 They definitely oppose Iran getting nuclear weapons.
00:12:16.220 So this is a nuance here.
00:12:17.320 But, you know, Trump and Netanyahu both arguing that Iran is close to being capable of making
00:12:22.380 a nuclear weapon.
00:12:23.180 If that is the case, what is the feeling of Americans as to whether the United States should
00:12:27.260 get involved in this conflict?
00:12:28.880 Right.
00:12:29.280 If you buy Donald Trump's theory of the case, and I think that's important to note, this
00:12:32.680 is polling from April.
00:12:34.760 If Iran's trying to make a nuclear weapon, look at this.
00:12:37.160 Overall, you get the slight plurality.
00:12:38.940 I mean, it's within the margin of error, but the slight plurality of Americans actually
00:12:42.020 favor U.S. airstrikes compared to 47% opposing it.
00:12:45.320 Now, here's the other nugget I'll note, right?
00:12:46.940 There's been a lot of talk online and on social media and in podcasts of a divide within
00:12:51.740 the Republican ranks.
00:12:52.680 But here on this question, if Iran's trying to make a nuclear weapon, look at that.
00:12:55.780 69% of Republicans, the clear vast majority of Republicans, favor U.S. airstrikes on Iran
00:13:01.520 on their nuclear facilities.
00:13:02.900 No doubt, President Trump has the support of the American people in overwhelming and
00:13:07.620 staggering numbers.
00:13:08.760 And for anyone out there that's trying to tell you there's some massive divide within
00:13:12.520 MAGA country, they're just wrong. 1.00
00:13:14.940 Basically, 70% of the GOP favor U.S. airstrikes.
00:13:20.700 This is a major number on such a, quote, controversial issue.
00:13:25.100 So there may actually be just propagandists out there, just like Tucker Carlson, who are
00:13:30.160 trying to act like there's some big divide, when clearly the Republican Party is standing
00:13:34.780 with Donald Trump.
00:13:36.060 Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:13:40.240 Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now.
00:13:45.440 And for more in-depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson podcast, and we will see you
00:13:50.900 back here tomorrow.
00:13:51.760 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:13:56.500 Guaranteed human.