Verdict with Ted Cruz - BONUS POD： Holiday Spending to Break $1 Trillion as Democrats Push Economic Narrative

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.

00:00:02.500 Guaranteed Human.

00:00:05.680 We must now re-examine every single alien 0.99

00:00:08.960 who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden,

00:00:12.500 and we must take all necessary measures

00:00:14.540 to ensure the removal of any alien from any country 1.00

00:00:17.960 who does not belong here or add benefit to our country. 0.99

00:00:21.680 If they can't love our country, we don't want them.

00:00:24.240 America will never bend and never yield in the face of terror,

00:00:27.280 and at the same time, we will not be deterred

00:00:29.900 from the mission the service members were so nobly fulfilling.

00:00:34.500 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

00:00:38.380 Good Black Friday.

00:00:39.560 So nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update.

00:00:42.820 And we've got a big economic story for you,

00:00:45.300 and it deals with affordability and major changes

00:00:48.340 that have come under the Trump administration

00:00:50.780 in less than a year of being in office.

00:00:53.560 So why are the Democrats all about doom and gloom?

00:00:56.400 And what are the facts actually saying about prices?

00:00:59.900 Especially as so many are spending big bucks today.

00:01:02.880 And we've got the good news for you.

00:01:05.380 But first, did you see that gold just hit an all-time new high

00:01:09.260 of over $4,000 an ounce?

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00:01:23.120 they can answer that question for you.

00:01:25.180 You also may not be paying attention to the incredible gains

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00:01:31.860 And that's why I trust the guidance of the team at Kurt Elliott.

00:01:36.020 In fact, I literally just got a 100-ounce bar of silver the other day.

00:01:41.560 And the reason why is because after I talked to the team

00:01:44.400 at Kurt Elliott Precious Metals,

00:01:46.720 they let me understand exactly where I could have a big upside

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00:01:55.060 They have transparent pricing.

00:01:57.540 There are a lot of gold companies that you'll hear about

00:01:59.860 if you listen to talk radio or podcasts or watch TV.

00:02:03.640 But do they tell you how the pricing actually works?

00:02:07.600 Well, at Kurt Elliott, they're real simple.

00:02:10.260 Just 8% when you buy and zero commissions when you sell

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00:02:17.660 That is the other reason why I recommend them to all of you.

00:02:20.980 They also don't sell you, quote, rare coins or precious coins

00:02:24.900 that you pay insane markups on.

00:02:27.680 And then when you go to sell them, you find out

00:02:29.340 they're really not worth that much.

00:02:31.440 They are a bullion-only approach.

00:02:33.960 They focus on investment-grade metals.

00:02:36.940 No overpriced collectibles, no gimmicks.

00:02:40.200 That means you get more gold or silver for your money

00:02:43.460 at fair value when it's time for you to sell.

00:02:46.560 So if you're ready to find out if gold and silver is right for you

00:02:51.060 and your portfolio, then call them and get a plan.

00:02:55.660 You can visit them at KEPM.com slash Ben.

00:03:00.800 That's KEPM.com slash Ben.

00:03:04.920 Or 720-605-3900.

00:03:10.180 That's 720-605-3900.

00:03:14.720 Kirk Elliott, Precious Metals Online at KEPM.com.

00:03:20.600 It's the 47 Morning Update, and it starts right now.

00:03:24.220 Story number one.

00:03:25.400 There's a word that a lot of you may have heard.

00:03:28.260 Affordability.

00:03:29.120 It is the obsession word of the Democratic Party right now.

00:03:32.060 Well, something they never mentioned when Joe Biden was president

00:03:35.800 of the United States of America.

00:03:37.180 Instead, they lied to you and said that there was no such thing

00:03:39.680 as inflation, that it was transitory,

00:03:42.420 and that things were, quote, getting better,

00:03:44.280 and gas prices really weren't that bad.

00:03:47.000 Well, now they're wanting Americans to believe

00:03:50.140 that the economy is a disaster,

00:03:51.800 and they're trying to blame Donald Trump for everything.

00:03:54.860 So let's talk about the facts of where we were a year ago

00:03:58.560 compared to now specifically around Black Friday

00:04:01.880 and holiday travel.

00:04:05.140 For Thanksgiving travelers, there's a bit of good news.

00:04:08.540 Let me say that again.

00:04:09.620 A bit of good news for you at the pump.

00:04:12.860 Gas prices are holding steady.

00:04:15.560 A far cry from the sticker shock of recent years.

00:04:19.900 GasBuddy is now forecasting a national average

00:04:23.300 of $3.02 per gallon over the holiday,

00:04:27.200 matching, yes, a low price that we needed

00:04:31.540 desperately to help Americans.

00:04:33.660 And we also now know that there's other things

00:04:36.880 that are really exciting.

00:04:38.820 Thanksgiving gas prices,

00:04:40.200 this is the lowest we've had since the pandemic,

00:04:42.760 when the national average hit $3.39 a gallon in 2021

00:04:47.860 and $3.56 a gallon in 2022.

00:04:53.280 Gas prices are coming down.

00:04:56.100 And for many drivers,

00:04:57.080 the national stability is showing up locally as well.

00:05:00.480 Nearly 30 states now boast average prices

00:05:04.200 of under $3 a gallon.

00:05:08.320 From Colorado to New Hampshire to Georgia,

00:05:10.980 according to AAA.

00:05:12.680 Oklahoma tops the list with an average

00:05:15.240 of just $2.50 a gallon.

00:05:18.440 That is a welcome number 0.76

00:05:20.000 on many gas stations signs for consumers.

00:05:24.100 Now, at the other end of the spectrum,

00:05:26.140 where liberals are in charge,

00:05:27.760 you've still got pain at the pump

00:05:29.360 with over-regulation and taxation.

00:05:32.680 Let me give you an example of that.

00:05:34.580 California is now topping the list

00:05:36.860 as the most expensive state

00:05:39.760 when it comes to buying a gallon of gasoline.

00:05:42.820 When you look at Oklahoma,

00:05:44.200 a conservative state

00:05:45.540 with not a lot of regulation

00:05:47.280 to make prices skyrocket

00:05:49.300 in certain blends,

00:05:50.260 they demand to protect the environment,

00:05:52.860 right, because of global warming.

00:05:54.860 Well, compare it to what they're paying

00:05:56.920 in California.

00:05:58.360 It is $4.63 per gallon

00:06:02.580 compared to just $2.50 a gallon

00:06:04.480 in Oklahoma.

00:06:06.540 Hawaii is actually cheaper,

00:06:09.140 and that's not something you hear about

00:06:11.020 very often as Hawaii

00:06:12.700 is one of the most expensive places

00:06:14.660 to just get gasoline, too.

00:06:16.840 It is now less expensive

00:06:18.200 to buy a gallon of gas in Hawaii

00:06:20.480 than it is with all the regulations

00:06:22.860 on gasoline in California.

00:06:25.620 Hawaii at $4.47 a gallon

00:06:28.400 compared to $4.63 in California.

00:06:31.460 Washington State,

00:06:32.580 another liberal bastion of,

00:06:34.680 well, socialism,

00:06:35.580 they now are at $4.18 a gallon.

00:06:40.960 And rounding out the top 10

00:06:42.580 are Nevada at $3.84 a gallon,

00:06:45.440 Alaska at $3.75 a gallon,

00:06:48.180 Arizona at $3.37 a gallon,

00:06:50.740 and three states tied at $3.29,

00:06:53.820 Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Illinois.

00:06:57.060 Meanwhile,

00:06:57.860 the most affordable gas

00:06:58.980 can be found in conservative states.

00:07:01.760 Oklahoma at $2.57 a gallon,

00:07:05.720 Mississippi at $2.61 a gallon,

00:07:08.280 and Louisiana at $2.65 a gallon.

00:07:11.000 Those states then follow

00:07:12.340 other conservative states.

00:07:14.120 Tennessee at $2.66 a gallon,

00:07:16.860 Arkansas at $2.67 a gallon,

00:07:19.440 Texas at $2.70 a gallon,

00:07:22.060 Kansas at $2.71,

00:07:24.080 Missouri at $2.73,

00:07:25.860 Alabama at $2.73,

00:07:27.400 and Kentucky at $2.74 a gallon.

00:07:30.400 You notice the trend here.

00:07:32.540 Where there are conservative states,

00:07:34.180 there are lower prices.

00:07:35.780 And when you have

00:07:36.280 the most radical liberals,

00:07:38.140 where at what are their prices?

00:07:39.540 Almost double what is being paid

00:07:42.080 in conservative states.

00:07:44.320 AAA anticipates that

00:07:46.040 nearly 82 million Americans

00:07:48.100 will journey at least 50 miles from home

00:07:51.820 over the Thanksgiving holiday.

00:07:53.820 1.6 million more than last year,

00:07:57.240 marking a record high

00:07:58.900 for Thanksgiving travel.

00:08:01.100 Now the revelation comes

00:08:02.240 that the Trump administration

00:08:03.300 is pushing ahead

00:08:04.480 on energy dominance,

00:08:06.220 independence.

00:08:07.340 It's a key pillar

00:08:08.200 of President Donald Trump's

00:08:09.240 economic and national security agenda.

00:08:12.000 And while Thanksgiving marks

00:08:13.260 the year's busiest travel stretch,

00:08:16.140 it isn't the only time

00:08:17.340 drivers have caught a break.

00:08:19.180 This Labor Day,

00:08:20.100 motorists saw the lowest gas prices

00:08:22.020 in a half a decade.

00:08:24.220 So this is not just

00:08:25.280 one blip on the map.

00:08:26.880 It's a clear trend

00:08:28.140 because of the President

00:08:29.920 of the United States of America

00:08:31.200 putting Americans first. 0.99

00:08:33.000 Which also brings us

00:08:34.620 to what's about to happen

00:08:35.960 with U.S. holiday spending.

00:08:38.160 How do Americans actually feel

00:08:40.300 about the economy

00:08:41.360 and where we are right now?

00:08:44.080 U.S. holiday spending,

00:08:45.800 we're now being told,

00:08:46.980 is expected to top $1 trillion

00:08:51.640 for the first time ever.

00:08:56.140 I want you to take a listen

00:08:57.140 to what they had to say

00:08:58.200 about the holidays

00:08:59.560 and shopping patterns this year

00:09:01.940 on Fox Business Channel.

00:09:03.840 Despite concerns

00:09:04.660 about the economy,

00:09:05.940 people are still looking to spend.

00:09:07.600 Jerry Willis has the numbers.

00:09:09.400 She joins us now.

00:09:10.480 Hey, Jerry.

00:09:11.380 Yeah, you know,

00:09:12.680 it's interesting.

00:09:13.980 Everybody asking

00:09:14.680 just how generous

00:09:15.460 American consumers

00:09:16.300 will be this holiday season.

00:09:18.360 It's a question

00:09:18.900 still under debate.

00:09:20.520 Both Pricewaterhouse

00:09:21.480 and Deloitte surveys

00:09:22.460 of consumers showing

00:09:23.520 Americans tightening 0.97

00:09:24.680 their purse strings

00:09:25.760 with declines of anywhere

00:09:27.080 from 5 to 10 percent.

00:09:29.120 Gen Z, the most cautious, 1.00

00:09:30.640 saying they plan to spend

00:09:31.940 23 percent less than last year.

00:09:35.280 But the National Retail Federation

00:09:37.380 sees sales rising 2.9 to 3.4 percent,

00:09:41.320 breaking through the $1 trillion mark

00:09:43.980 for the first time ever.

00:09:45.940 Now, meanwhile,

00:09:46.460 the big discounters

00:09:47.240 like Walmart, TJ Maxx,

00:09:48.780 showing strong early results.

00:09:50.900 But what can consumers expect

00:09:52.680 as they hit the malls

00:09:53.740 and fire up their web browsers

00:09:55.200 this holiday season?

00:09:57.580 One retail consultant says

00:09:59.120 potential price hikes loom

00:10:00.760 with the elimination

00:10:01.680 of the de minimis tariff,

00:10:03.180 which allowed goods

00:10:04.360 under $1,000 from offshore

00:10:06.260 to enter the U.S. duty-free.

00:10:08.420 She says it could cause

00:10:10.100 sticker shock for some consumers.

00:10:12.620 Listen.

00:10:12.860 You need to buy now

00:10:14.280 because we don't know

00:10:15.540 what's going to happen.

00:10:16.480 Tariffs could go up

00:10:17.320 at any point,

00:10:18.780 in which case

00:10:19.740 those prices will get passed on.

00:10:21.920 The price increase

00:10:22.560 will immediately get passed on

00:10:24.040 to the consumer.

00:10:25.540 Now, travel snafus

00:10:26.600 could also make it difficult

00:10:27.680 to get your presents

00:10:28.580 delivered on time.

00:10:29.680 So Herzog is also recommending

00:10:31.860 shipping presents early,

00:10:33.560 by December 17th at the least.

00:10:35.920 Plus, the best prices,

00:10:38.420 that is,

00:10:38.700 on big-ticket electronics

00:10:39.940 will be available

00:10:40.780 after the holiday season,

00:10:42.860 January 5th and later.

00:10:45.200 Bottom line,

00:10:45.980 if you want to save money

00:10:47.040 this holiday season,

00:10:48.260 make a list,

00:10:49.660 stick to it,

00:10:50.680 and start early.

00:10:52.820 Now, this is also happening

00:10:54.440 as we're seeing something else

00:10:55.960 that's going to make you

00:10:56.780 very happy,

00:10:57.560 and that is,

00:10:58.400 Thanksgiving meal costs

00:10:59.560 have declined

00:11:00.180 to the lowest level

00:11:01.340 in four years.

00:11:03.180 Another example

00:11:04.060 of affordability

00:11:05.120 the Democrats

00:11:05.840 are trying to say

00:11:06.380 is terrible,

00:11:07.360 and actually,

00:11:08.040 it's running yet again

00:11:08.980 in the right direction.

00:11:10.760 The cost of a traditional

00:11:11.980 Thanksgiving meal

00:11:12.800 down sharply,

00:11:14.060 falling to the lowest price

00:11:15.320 since 2021,

00:11:17.060 according to the

00:11:17.880 American Farm Bureau.

00:11:19.740 The Farm Bureau's

00:11:20.480 40th annual survey

00:11:21.500 found that a classic

00:11:22.560 Thanksgiving dinner

00:11:23.420 for 10 people

00:11:24.340 will cost $55.18.

00:11:26.320 That is down 5%

00:11:28.080 from last year.

00:11:29.840 Since 1986,

00:11:31.500 volunteers across

00:11:32.340 all 50 states

00:11:33.380 in Puerto Rico

00:11:34.040 have been organized

00:11:35.680 by the American Farm Bureau

00:11:36.980 to record local prices

00:11:38.420 for turkey,

00:11:39.760 cube stuffing,

00:11:40.960 sweet potatoes,

00:11:42.120 dinner rolls,

00:11:42.840 frozen peas,

00:11:43.700 fresh cranberries,

00:11:44.700 celery,

00:11:45.240 carrots,

00:11:45.760 pumpkin pie mix,

00:11:47.280 and crust,

00:11:48.180 whipping cream,

00:11:49.460 and whole milk.

00:11:50.980 Prices soared

00:11:51.760 during the presidency

00:11:52.480 of Joe Biden,

00:11:53.740 with inflation rising

00:11:55.000 to the worst pace

00:11:55.900 in 40 years.

00:11:57.300 The price of a classic

00:11:58.240 Thanksgiving meal

00:11:59.000 surged 14%

00:12:00.320 in 2021 alone.

00:12:02.440 Biden's first year

00:12:03.260 in office.

00:12:04.040 Then hitting a record

00:12:04.900 high of 53.31.

00:12:07.200 Despite the administration's

00:12:08.620 insistence

00:12:09.240 that the price increases

00:12:10.360 were transitory

00:12:11.420 or the result

00:12:12.480 of a temporary

00:12:13.180 supply shock

00:12:14.120 the following year,

00:12:15.280 what came to be called

00:12:16.500 Bidenflation 0.80

00:12:17.220 was even worse.

00:12:18.540 The price of a

00:12:19.160 Thanksgiving meal

00:12:19.800 jumped another 20%

00:12:21.560 to a skyrocketing

00:12:23.420 $6,405.

00:12:26.200 By Biden's final

00:12:27.120 Thanksgiving,

00:12:27.920 the price of a

00:12:28.540 traditional family

00:12:29.240 holiday meal

00:12:29.780 was 24% higher

00:12:31.240 than it was

00:12:31.780 when he took office.

00:12:33.080 Yes,

00:12:33.680 almost a 25%

00:12:35.480 increase.

00:12:37.020 This year's

00:12:37.500 decline was driven

00:12:38.460 by a sharp fall

00:12:39.280 in the price

00:12:39.760 of turkey.

00:12:40.860 A 16-pound turkey

00:12:42.080 will cost an average

00:12:42.840 of $21.50.

00:12:44.340 That is down

00:12:45.020 16%

00:12:46.200 from Joe Biden's

00:12:47.820 final year

00:12:49.240 in office.

00:12:50.720 So,

00:12:51.280 is the economy

00:12:52.480 getting better?

00:12:53.520 Yes.

00:12:54.260 Is pricing

00:12:54.820 getting better

00:12:55.360 for you?

00:12:56.140 Yes.

00:12:57.020 And is this something

00:12:57.620 we should all

00:12:58.100 be excited about?

00:12:58.980 You better believe it.

00:13:00.180 Thank you for listening

00:13:01.100 to the 47 Morning Update

00:13:02.900 with Ben Ferguson.

00:13:04.500 Please make sure

00:13:05.360 you hit subscribe

00:13:06.300 wherever you're listening

00:13:07.760 to this podcast

00:13:08.580 right now.

00:13:09.780 And for more

00:13:10.300 in-depth news,

00:13:11.500 also subscribe

00:13:12.320 to the Ben Ferguson

00:13:13.320 podcast,

00:13:14.220 and we will see you

00:13:15.180 back here tomorrow.

00:13:16.020 This is an iHeart podcast.

00:13:20.720 Guaranteed human.

Verdict with Ted Cruz - November 28, 2025

BONUS POD： Holiday Spending to Break $1 Trillion as Democrats Push Economic Narrative

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