Verdict with Ted Cruz - March 19, 2026


BONUS POD： Newsom’s Gun Grab Backfires plus Day Two of SAA Fight-Republicans Take the Offensive

The Save America Act — FINALLY on the Floor of the Senate Liberal Hypocrisy! — from NY Gov Kathy Hochul to Texas Candidate James Talarico, Joe Kent to Liberal Icon Cesar Chavez

Episode Stats


Length

14 minutes

Words per minute

159.34

Word count

2,259

Sentence count

135

People

Also mentioned:
Gavin Newsom Donald Trump Ben Ferguson

Harmful content

Misogyny

2

sentences flagged

Hate speech

3

sentences flagged


Summary

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

California strikes back at an unconstitutional gun ad ban, Iran launches a missile that could reach the continental United States, and the IFCJ is on the ground in Israel responding to the ongoing crisis in the wake of Iran's nuclear tests.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Hate speech classifications generated with facebook/roberta-hate-speech-dynabench-r4-target .
00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.520 Guaranteed human.
00:00:04.800 I've heard some analysts say that Iran could have had a functioning intercontinental missile
00:00:10.160 to threaten the United States in as few as six months.
00:00:13.160 Would you agree with that assessment?
00:00:15.040 If left unimpeded, yes, Senator, they would have the ability to range missiles to the
00:00:21.900 continental U.S.
00:00:23.280 It's one of the reasons why degrading Iran's missile production capabilities that is taking 0.92
00:00:29.900 place right now in Operation Epic Fury is so important to our national security.
00:00:35.080 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:00:38.920 Good Thursday morning.
00:00:39.920 Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update.
00:00:42.540 And we've got two big stories for you.
00:00:44.460 First up, California forced to pay $1.3 million in legal fees after an unconstitutional gun
00:00:52.000 ad ban.
00:00:53.520 Yet another costly mistake by the Governor Newsom.
00:00:56.620 And in Washington, it's day three of the SAVE Act fight.
00:01:00.420 It's underway, and Republicans, well, they're fighting harder than ever for election integrity.
00:01:06.340 But before we get to that, I want to take a moment and ask you to help the people in Israel
00:01:11.220 with my friends at the IFCJ working right now on the ground for all those in need.
00:01:17.380 Having just come back from Israel, I want to paint you a picture.
00:01:20.420 It's midnight, sirens are blaring, and you have only seconds to grab your child and run.
00:01:27.520 Now imagine you're elderly.
00:01:29.220 Your legs don't work like they used to.
00:01:31.060 Getting downstairs feels impossible.
00:01:33.260 And after all of that, you end up in a bomb shelter for hours, even days, because you can't make the trek again.
00:01:40.220 This is what's happening across Israel as Operation Epic Fury continues.
00:01:45.260 Children are being traumatized.
00:01:46.980 Families are just exhausted and homes have been destroyed.
00:01:51.380 And that's why the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews is there on the ground,
00:01:56.660 bringing food, emergency equipment, care for those children and help for the elderly and
00:02:02.820 supplying the bomb shelters and medical centers for critically needed essentials.
00:02:07.300 If you've ever wondered what it looks like to stand for Israel and stand for good against
00:02:11.980 evil, this is it.
00:02:13.860 And that's why I'm asking you to now please act.
00:02:16.020 Give $45 right now to rush Life Saving Essentials to the Vulnerables Under Fire.
00:02:23.260 You can also call 888-488-IFCJ.
00:02:28.100 That's 888-488-IFCJ.
00:02:32.320 Join me and give and make a real difference.
00:02:35.160 Online at ifcj.org.
00:02:38.300 That's ifcj.org.
00:02:40.300 It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now.
00:02:43.900 Story number one.
00:02:45.000 With so much happening in Iran, and also so much happening with fraud and abuse in America,
00:02:50.580 there have been some stories that have been overlooked that need your attention.
00:02:54.780 One of them was a big victory for the Second Amendment in California.
00:03:00.800 Now, this was a case that no one was covering, and it should be covered,
00:03:06.360 because on Tuesday, California agreed to a settlement with the Second Amendment Foundation.
00:03:12.940 and the Firearms Policy Coalition, as well as many other plaintiffs.
00:03:17.820 And they are now going to pay the state of California over $1.3 million
00:03:23.800 to cover the plaintiff's attorney fees alone.
00:03:27.720 Now, this all is from a settlement that came from a lawsuit
00:03:31.920 that was filed against California's marketing firearms to minors law,
00:03:37.200 which crossed into First Amendment territory
00:03:39.520 by banning firearm advertisements.
00:03:43.980 Now, this is something that we were expected to see happen
00:03:47.100 all over the country in liberal states
00:03:49.020 if California would have gotten away with this. 0.79
00:03:51.700 What they're trying to do is bankrupt
00:03:53.400 and shut down as many gun stores as possible.
00:03:56.880 And it's a way to ban firearms.
00:03:59.180 And so they said that you can't market your firearm store
00:04:03.640 or your brand in California
00:04:05.520 because they said it was marketing to minors by default.
00:04:08.800 Now, the Ninth Circuit judge there, by the last name Lee, September 2023, majority opinion
00:04:17.380 against the law, he wrote, quote, the marketing firearms to minor law does not directly and
00:04:23.960 materially advance California's substantial interest in reducing gun violence and the
00:04:29.260 unlawful use of firearms by minors.
00:04:31.780 There was, in fact, no evidence in the record that a minor in California has ever unlawfully
00:04:37.680 bought a gun let alone because of an ad now translation what they were saying is they're
00:04:43.920 trying to shut down the second amendment and and this and doing it through advertising is they
00:04:49.020 were saying well you're marketing to kids and a great example of this would be like what we saw
00:04:53.080 with alcohol and tobacco when it was clear they were marketing to kids you remember joe camel
00:04:59.100 with with camel cigarettes and like and then you could like get points out of the packs and then
00:05:04.160 buy you know merchandise that was like joe camel like i remember having a joe camel hat uh and i
00:05:11.120 was not old enough to smoke i remember it being like cool to have that kind of stuff and they
00:05:15.600 were clearly marketing with cartoon characters like joe camel was a cartoon character they were
00:05:21.980 obviously marketing to kids so they got rid of that but they didn't say you couldn't advertise
00:05:26.540 in general well california was like no no you just can't advertise if we say that your advertisements
00:05:31.900 could make kids want to buy it, right?
00:05:35.540 Like, that's insane.
00:05:37.220 And it was a way for them to shut down the Second Amendment 0.99
00:05:39.940 and basically get rid of it in gun sales, in essence, in California.
00:05:45.180 When the judge looked at this, he said,
00:05:47.100 Look, this is absurd.
00:05:48.540 There is no evidence that a minor in California has ever gone out
00:05:52.640 and unlawfully bought a gun in a gun store,
00:05:55.100 and especially because of an ad they saw for a gun manufacturer or a gun store.
00:05:59.860 We also added this. California cannot straightjacket the First Amendment by, on the one hand, allowing minors to possess and use firearms and then, on the other hand, banning truthful advertisements about the lawful use of a firearm.
00:06:17.220 The First Amendment Policy Coalition went in and they fought this hard.
00:06:22.500 They fought it and everybody was talking about this like, well, it's California, they're probably going to lose.
00:06:27.340 Guess what?
00:06:28.080 They announced a settlement on X writing this.
00:06:30.800 After losing twice at the Ninth Circuit, you know they're very liberal, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is very, very liberal.
00:06:37.420 California has agreed that its minor firearm advertising ban violates the First Amendment.
00:06:44.580 And they will pay the plaintiffs the $1,381,749.72 for the attorney's fees.
00:06:54.740 The Second Amendment Foundation also posted this about the governor, Gavin Newsom, saying, quote,
00:07:00.680 Gavin Newsom passed a law to attack the First Amendment because he was mad about a .22 long rifle that was meant for junior shooters.
00:07:10.820 That little stunt has cost California taxpayers over a million dollars,
00:07:15.300 not including whatever California Department of Justice spent on their own lawyers.
00:07:21.040 $350,000 to SAF, $550,000 to CRPA Coalition of Plaintiffs in the same lawsuit,
00:07:28.820 and another $480,000 to the Safari Club International case on the same issues.
00:07:35.220 So this all stemmed from Gavin Newsom being angry that there are parents out there that could buy a .22 rifle that is meant for junior shooters.
00:07:44.120 By the way, I have one for all three of my kids, if I'm not mistaken, and I got a .22 rifle when I was a kid.
00:07:51.720 It's made smaller for you as a kid.
00:07:53.580 Now, does that mean I own the gun?
00:07:55.160 Yes, I own it for my kids.
00:07:56.400 My kids don't own that gun.
00:07:58.080 Is it their present?
00:07:59.200 Of course it is.
00:07:59.860 Is it in my possession?
00:08:00.980 Yes.
00:08:01.260 Is it locked up in my safe?
00:08:04.420 yes like if you're a sane human being you understand kids guns by the way a 410 shotgun
00:08:10.440 uh that my kid has that that is mine it's for him to use when we go hunting it is not they're
00:08:16.620 not advertising or marketing to him to go buy by himself and everyone knows this like this is
00:08:22.120 normal it's not sane and what Gavin Newsom did is he decided to lose his ever-loving mind and said
00:08:28.860 oh you're marketing to these kids and you're and you're advertising these kids and so we're going
00:08:33.820 to ban it so that you can't advertise at all in the state of California well that is now back
00:08:40.180 fired massively it took deep pockets by the way by these groups to be able to fight this thank
00:08:46.440 goodness they did and it's also I think sending a very clear message to any other state in the
00:08:50.660 country that's that's thinking about doing the same thing that California didn't California was
00:08:53.800 a test case that you will lose and this will be a failure so this is one of those stories I say
00:09:00.760 God bless America, and God bless those that have not been getting any media attention that actually did this.
00:09:06.640 Like, this is incredible, all right?
00:09:09.600 And I love that there are people that are brave enough to fight these wars the way that they just did.
00:09:14.980 Gavin Newsom getting slapped on the hand hard.
00:09:18.320 This is a victory for the Second Amendment. 0.96
00:09:20.460 It's also a victory for First Amendment right of free speech as well, and I wanted you to know about it.
00:09:26.400 Now, story number two.
00:09:27.460 Day two has already happened of the SAVE Act fight in the United States Senate.
00:09:32.280 And make no mistake about it, it's exactly the fight President Donald Trump wanted.
00:09:37.740 After forcing the bill into the Senate floor, Republicans have now moved into full debate mode.
00:09:43.480 And that alone is a major victory.
00:09:45.940 Why, you may ask?
00:09:47.060 Well, because for the first time in a long time, election integrity is not being whispered about.
00:09:54.000 It's being debated front and center on the Senate floor, and it is heated.
00:09:59.380 And today, the pressure turned up dramatically.
00:10:02.720 President Trump is not sitting on the sidelines either.
00:10:05.940 He is leading this charge.
00:10:08.140 He made it crystal clear to Republicans in Washington, this is our defining moment.
00:10:13.600 This is not just another bill, another issue, another thing that you should talk about and move on from.
00:10:20.540 The president made it clear saying this is about the future of American elections.
00:10:26.320 Now, behind the scenes, we also know the White House is going into overdrive.
00:10:30.240 In fact, President Trump himself is working the phones, talking to lawmakers, and making it known that this legislation is his first priority.
00:10:40.940 It's not optional, as how it was described by one at the White House, who told me the president is willing to sit down with any Republican he needs to
00:10:48.840 to explain to them exactly how important this moment is.
00:10:53.360 Now, the message coming from the White House is simple and also powerful.
00:10:57.820 Only American citizens should decide American elections. 0.92
00:11:02.660 It's not a radical idea at all.
00:11:04.180 In fact, the polling numbers show that overwhelmingly the majority of Americans,
00:11:09.280 whether you're Republican, Democrat, or Independent,
00:11:11.780 support that exact language that the president used,
00:11:15.040 saying only American citizens should decide American elections.
00:11:20.840 And Republicans, they're finally stepping up.
00:11:23.800 On day two, GOP leaders are not backing down.
00:11:27.740 Thank goodness.
00:11:28.860 They're even going on offense.
00:11:30.760 And they're using this debate to draw one of the clearest contrasts we've seen in years
00:11:35.160 between the two parties.
00:11:37.680 Republicans are saying this is common sense,
00:11:40.560 requiring proof of citizenship,
00:11:42.260 and requiring voter ID to protect the integrity of the ballot box.
00:11:48.000 That's it.
00:11:48.860 The clearest talking points we've seen on an issue in a very long time.
00:11:52.960 And what's happening today is just as important politically as it is legislatively.
00:11:58.460 Republicans are now forcing every Democrat in Washington
00:12:01.780 to take a position on the record in front of the American people.
00:12:08.200 Now, because the Republicans are unified and pushing forward,
00:12:11.660 you guessed it, Democrats are doing the exact same thing.
00:12:15.660 They're lining up in total opposition.
00:12:18.760 Every single Democrat is digging in, trying to block this bill,
00:12:23.720 refusing to support these voter integrity measures altogether.
00:12:27.720 And Republicans are making sure that voters see that contrast loud and clear going into the midterms.
00:12:34.600 Even before a final vote, Republicans have already achieved something significant.
00:12:39.560 They've made election integrity one of the biggest issues in the country again.
00:12:43.640 They've taken it out of the shadows and put it right at the center of the national conversation,
00:12:48.920 thanks to President Trump.
00:12:50.740 And that's not by accident.
00:12:52.720 This was President Trump's strategy all along.
00:12:55.720 This is about defining the future of our elections.
00:12:58.460 It's also about defining the next election.
00:13:02.040 And tonight, as day three comes at us, the reality is clear.
00:13:07.120 President Trump has turned the SAVE Act into a national showdown.
00:13:11.760 Republicans finally are unified.
00:13:14.680 They're even energized on the floor of the Senate and finally on offense.
00:13:20.400 And Democrats are being forced to defend their impossible position in front of the American people,
00:13:27.180 that they want people from outside the country who are not American citizens to vote in our elections.
00:13:34.280 Now, to be clear, this fight is far from over.
00:13:37.860 In fact, it's just getting started.
00:13:39.720 The one thing that is already clear, the battle over election integrity is now front and center in America, and it's not going away anytime soon.
00:13:50.300 Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:13:54.420 Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now.
00:13:59.420 And for more in-depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson podcast, and we will see you back here tomorrow.
00:14:07.300 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:14:09.820 Guaranteed human.