Verdict with Ted Cruz - April 22, 2025


BONUS POD： Trump Defends Hegseth, the Future of the Catholic Church plus Retail Giants Meet Trump


Episode Stats


Length

11 minutes

Words per minute

171.24113

Word count

2,036

Sentence count

118

Harmful content

Misogyny

1

sentences flagged

Hate speech

1

sentences flagged


Summary

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

Pete Hedseth, the man in charge of the Department of Defense, is facing mounting pressure amid reports that he shared sensitive military information in private signal chats with a reporter. Plus, Pope Francis has passed away, and now there are conservatives among the top candidates to be the next Pope. And finally, the president spent some quality time at the Easter Egg Roll at the White House with family and friends and made it very clear what the meaning of Easter is and why it's important to this country.

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.
00:00:02.500 Guaranteed human.
00:00:04.880 Easter is special, and it's one of our favorite days.
00:00:08.700 It's one of our favorite periods of time.
00:00:10.700 We're honoring Jesus Christ,
00:00:13.000 and we're going to honor Jesus Christ very powerfully
00:00:15.940 throughout our lives, all throughout our lives.
00:00:18.600 We're bringing religion back in America. 0.94
00:00:20.880 We're bringing a lot of things back,
00:00:22.480 but religion is coming back to America.
00:00:25.100 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:00:28.980 Good Tuesday morning.
00:00:30.300 It is the 47 Morning Update from Washington, D.C.
00:00:33.380 at the White House, and it's nice to have you with us.
00:00:36.820 We have three major stories for you,
00:00:38.760 including a big lie from the media
00:00:40.920 claiming that Donald Trump's looking to replace Pete Hedseth
00:00:44.760 at the Department of Defense.
00:00:47.180 Well, we've got the answer on that from the president himself,
00:00:50.720 and I'm going to give you a hint.
00:00:52.060 It's a big lie.
00:00:53.800 Also, Pope Francis has passed away,
00:00:56.780 and now there are conservatives that are among the top candidates
00:01:00.600 to be the next pope.
00:01:02.020 We'll break down what this could mean for the Catholic faith.
00:01:05.620 And finally, the president spent some quality time
00:01:07.940 at the Easter egg roll at the White House
00:01:09.800 with family and friends and made it very clear
00:01:12.420 what the meaning of Easter is
00:01:14.520 and why it's important to this country.
00:01:16.620 But he was also doing work for the American people
00:01:19.460 by meeting with retail CEOs,
00:01:21.960 talking about the tariffs,
00:01:23.260 and I'll give you the latest from those conversations.
00:01:25.760 It's the 47 Morning Update,
00:01:28.180 and it starts right now.
00:01:29.880 Story number one.
00:01:31.060 So apparently there's no better place to start a lie
00:01:33.460 than at the Easter egg roll
00:01:35.040 with all the kids having a grand time at the White House.
00:01:38.340 Full disclosure, I was there for it,
00:01:40.560 but the media was doing their thing,
00:01:42.740 including starting the nasty rumor
00:01:44.680 that Donald Trump had lost all confidence
00:01:47.620 and is looking to replace
00:01:49.160 the man in charge at the Pentagon, Pete Hedseth.
00:01:52.660 Now, the U.S. Secretary of Defense
00:01:54.360 and former Fox News host is, quote,
00:01:56.920 facing mounting pressure amid reports
00:01:59.760 that he's shared sensitive military information
00:02:01.880 in private signal chats.
00:02:03.940 You saw this get spun up a few weeks ago by the media.
00:02:07.300 Now in this news story at the Easter egg roll
00:02:09.980 that apparently his wife and brother
00:02:12.260 and a personal attorney were also on some of the chats.
00:02:16.480 This now is leading, quote,
00:02:18.440 a bipartisan attack, criticism, and speculation
00:02:22.120 about his, quote, unquote, potential dismissal.
00:02:26.480 Now, let's go back to the core of this controversy.
00:02:29.640 It began when it was revealed
00:02:31.020 that Hedseth had shared details
00:02:32.800 of a U.S. military operation in Yemen
00:02:35.460 in a private signal chat.
00:02:37.660 One of those chats included apparently a reporter.
00:02:41.660 We know that that Atlantic journalist
00:02:43.320 was very excited to tell all the details
00:02:46.400 to anyone that would sit down and interview him.
00:02:48.820 They were hoping that would undermine the present
00:02:50.760 and make the American people lose faith
00:02:53.000 in Donald Trump and Pete at the Pentagon.
00:02:55.940 Well, it didn't work.
00:02:57.160 In fact, the American people were impressed
00:02:58.840 they were killing terrorists
00:03:00.040 and they weren't too worried about,
00:03:02.100 well, the Mean Girls Club.
00:03:03.480 So fast forward to the Easter egg roll
00:03:05.500 and now there's a new controversy
00:03:07.040 that his brother and his personal attorney, his wife,
00:03:09.700 may have been on one of those signal chats as well.
00:03:12.400 And apparently this is a huge rift
00:03:15.100 between the president and Pete
00:03:16.680 and now there's a potential dismissal.
00:03:19.260 Well, guess what?
00:03:20.100 It's all a lie.
00:03:21.180 How do we know?
00:03:22.040 The president of the United States of America
00:03:23.620 was asked about the man he put in charge of the Pentagon
00:03:26.160 at the Easter egg roll.
00:03:28.320 Yes, you're gonna hear families being normal,
00:03:30.660 having fun, kids laughing.
00:03:32.560 You're gonna hear music in the background and tubas
00:03:35.100 and then you're gonna hear the president
00:03:36.740 roll his eyes and laugh at the media.
00:03:39.120 Here's what it sounded like in real time.
00:03:42.400 Do you hear me bumping?
00:03:44.100 Oh, no.
00:03:45.120 President Trump, it's on the ground.
00:03:46.180 Why do you even ask a question?
00:03:48.140 There was a new report this weekend
00:03:49.740 that he used in a separate chat
00:03:51.520 that included some family members.
00:03:52.780 It's just all, it's all, uh,
00:03:56.520 it's the same old stuff from the media.
00:03:59.020 That's an old one.
00:04:00.220 Try finding something new.
00:04:01.500 I love how the president says at the very end,
00:04:04.740 it's just the same old stuff from the media.
00:04:07.040 That's an old one.
00:04:08.340 Try something new.
00:04:09.740 He's absolutely right.
00:04:11.200 The media trying to regurgitate a story
00:04:12.920 that failed a few weeks ago
00:04:14.420 to try to gin it back up again
00:04:16.160 and act like there's a new controversy.
00:04:18.260 And if you go to the beginning
00:04:19.080 of what the reporter said,
00:04:20.180 he said, quote,
00:04:20.820 do you remain confident in Pete Hedseth?
00:04:23.280 What did Donald Trump say?
00:04:24.960 Oh, totally.
00:04:25.920 Why do you even ask a question like that?
00:04:28.900 So, if you want to know
00:04:30.140 what the fact checkers need to do,
00:04:31.660 they need to rate this new story
00:04:33.240 as nothing but false.
00:04:34.540 But don't worry, they won't,
00:04:35.840 because let's be honest,
00:04:37.200 it's the liberal media doing everything they can
00:04:39.340 to undermine Donald Trump
00:04:40.620 and, yet again, failing at that job.
00:04:42.960 Next, story number two.
00:04:44.720 In the wake of Pope Francis' passing on Easter Monday,
00:04:48.120 the Catholic Church will begin the process
00:04:50.480 of selecting the next Bishop of Rome,
00:04:53.200 thereby setting the future course of the Church
00:04:55.740 and its 1.3 billion followers.
00:04:59.420 Now, how does this work?
00:05:00.720 Within 15 to 20 days of the death of the Pope,
00:05:03.680 a conclave of the College of Cardinals
00:05:06.600 will be convened within the Sistine Chapel
00:05:09.080 in the Vatican,
00:05:10.080 where they will hold a secret ballot vote
00:05:12.220 to elect the next leader of the Catholic faith.
00:05:16.200 Now, during his 12 years at the helm of the Church,
00:05:19.140 Pope Francis played a heavy focus
00:05:21.300 on social justice issues,
00:05:23.520 such as tolerance towards the LGBTQ plus community,
00:05:28.060 as well as activating and advocating
00:05:30.520 for climate change in the Church,
00:05:32.500 as well as advocating for mass migration
00:05:35.260 and what some regard it as a split
00:05:37.840 from the Church doctrine.
00:05:39.880 Well, now, this could be a big change,
00:05:42.900 as there are several conservatives
00:05:44.580 that are apparently in the running
00:05:46.220 to take over in the new role.
00:05:48.680 Now, President Donald Trump
00:05:50.060 has publicly expressed his condolences
00:05:52.660 following the death of Pope Francis
00:05:54.280 and confirmed that he and the First Lady,
00:05:56.680 Melania Trump, will attend the funeral in Rome.
00:05:59.800 In a true social post, Trump said,
00:06:02.520 rest in peace, Pope Francis.
00:06:04.140 May God bless him and all who loved him.
00:06:06.880 Later that day, he added,
00:06:08.280 Melania and I will be going to the funeral
00:06:10.380 of Pope Francis in Rome.
00:06:12.400 We look forward to being there.
00:06:14.060 At the White House Easter Egg Roll,
00:06:15.640 Trump described Pope Francis as a very good man
00:06:18.100 who loved, loved, loved the world,
00:06:20.480 and he especially loved people
00:06:21.880 that were having a hard time.
00:06:24.300 He also ordered that all U.S. federal
00:06:27.260 and military flags be flown at half-staff
00:06:29.760 until sunset on the day of the Pope's internment.
00:06:33.620 Now, Pope Francis, as I mentioned,
00:06:35.500 passed away at the age of 88
00:06:37.160 due to complications from a stroke and heart failure.
00:06:40.540 His funeral is expected to take place
00:06:42.340 at St. Peter's Square within the next week,
00:06:45.120 following then a nine-day mourning period.
00:06:48.240 Despite past ideological differences,
00:06:50.780 particularly over the issue of immigration policies,
00:06:53.480 Trump's tributes have emphasized respect
00:06:56.140 for Pope Francis' compassion and global influence.
00:06:59.720 What we also know is this could be a new day
00:07:02.260 for the Catholic Church,
00:07:04.020 as now many in the church say it's time to bring
00:07:06.860 someone who is back to the more traditional values,
00:07:10.780 and there are several individuals on that list
00:07:13.700 that are currently apparently in the running.
00:07:16.420 Currently, one of the favorites is a 67-year-old Tangle,
00:07:20.020 would perhaps best represent a continuity papacy,
00:07:23.820 having been described as the Asian Pope Francis.
00:07:26.800 If elected, the Filipino Cardinal would become
00:07:29.600 the first pope chosen from Asia,
00:07:32.180 after Francis became the first pope from South America.
00:07:36.060 Now, the question is, what will the church do
00:07:39.220 when it comes to listening to the people?
00:07:41.480 There are many out there that are saying it's time
00:07:44.080 for the people in the faith to be listened to
00:07:47.200 much more than they have in the past.
00:07:49.400 And so now, with social media
00:07:51.100 and so many other ways for people
00:07:52.760 to make their voices heard,
00:07:54.340 the question becomes, will the Vatican listen
00:07:57.020 to what the people around the world
00:07:59.680 in the Catholic faith say they want
00:08:01.900 from their next pope?
00:08:03.060 And finally, story number three.
00:08:04.920 Monday was a very big day at the White House,
00:08:07.020 not just because it was the Easter egg roll,
00:08:08.920 but Donald Trump also met with major U.S. retailers
00:08:12.280 to discuss tariffs.
00:08:13.980 This time, the president sat down
00:08:16.060 with major retailers, including Walmart,
00:08:18.920 Home Depot, Lowe's, and Target
00:08:21.040 to discuss the broad-based tariffs
00:08:23.000 likely to raise the cost of everyday goods
00:08:25.820 that they import.
00:08:27.520 Now, big U.S. chains like Walmart and Target,
00:08:30.060 they rely heavily on imported goods.
00:08:32.860 And tariffs, including the 145% levies on China,
00:08:36.440 are expected, they claim, to add strain
00:08:39.080 on Americans already burdened by prolonged inflation.
00:08:43.380 That is obviously their talking point
00:08:45.660 as they want everything to go back
00:08:47.220 to cheap Chinese goods,
00:08:49.160 regardless of what it means for American workers.
00:08:51.980 Now, this meeting was important,
00:08:54.480 and it adds to what we have seen
00:08:56.300 over the last several weeks
00:08:58.260 as prominent CEOs have expressed support
00:09:00.980 for President Donald Trump's economic policies,
00:09:03.680 highlighting potential benefits
00:09:05.360 for their industries as well in the long term.
00:09:08.520 The CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase
00:09:10.360 has acknowledged the strategic use of tariffs
00:09:12.760 as economic tools,
00:09:14.320 stating that if they are slightly inflammatory,
00:09:17.700 but beneficial for national security,
00:09:19.980 then it's acceptable.
00:09:21.380 The CEO of Goldman Sachs
00:09:22.960 noted that the business community
00:09:24.420 understands the administration's engagement
00:09:26.980 and appreciates the efforts
00:09:28.880 to involve them in policy discussions,
00:09:31.480 which is exactly why the president decided
00:09:33.500 to bring in companies like Lowe's
00:09:35.500 and Walmart and Home Depot and Target.
00:09:37.620 The CEO of Bank of America
00:09:39.220 also highlighted that favorable regulatory changes
00:09:42.360 under Trump's administration
00:09:43.780 could provide companies with the certainty
00:09:45.760 to be more aggressive
00:09:46.780 as interest rates decrease.
00:09:49.580 Additionally, as you know,
00:09:51.080 tech leaders like Elon Musk,
00:09:52.980 Mark Zuckerberg,
00:09:54.080 and Jeff Bezos
00:09:54.880 have showed interest in engaging
00:09:56.720 with Trump's administration,
00:09:58.880 drawing to his pro-growth agenda
00:10:00.680 and favorable economic policies,
00:10:02.980 such as tax cuts
00:10:04.080 and major issues of deregulation.
00:10:06.900 Now, these developments indicate a trend
00:10:09.780 among corporate leaders
00:10:11.060 to align with President Trump's economic policies,
00:10:14.140 focusing on potential benefits,
00:10:16.040 such as tax reductions, deregulation,
00:10:18.780 and increased capital investment.
00:10:21.040 Now, as for these new companies
00:10:22.600 that have come to the table,
00:10:23.780 like Walmart and Home Depot,
00:10:25.580 one of the things the president's made clear,
00:10:27.660 things are going to change.
00:10:29.440 It may not be what's best
00:10:30.580 for your company in the short term,
00:10:32.400 but it's what's best for Americans
00:10:34.060 in the long term,
00:10:35.480 including American workers.
00:10:36.880 He's also making it clear to these companies
00:10:39.620 that Liberation Day included
00:10:42.120 allowing American workers
00:10:43.820 to get back into manufacturing.
00:10:46.200 And that's exactly what the message needed to be
00:10:48.340 to so many of these companies
00:10:50.080 that were relying on cheap goods
00:10:52.140 and cheap labor in China. 0.99
00:10:54.440 Trump's tariff policies
00:10:55.780 have obviously sent ripples
00:10:57.540 across numerous industries around the world.
00:11:00.400 And the president said
00:11:01.260 that was all part of the strategy.
00:11:03.280 Now, U.S. stocks are going up and down
00:11:05.820 as many are expecting,
00:11:07.240 with benchmark 10-year Treasury notes
00:11:09.080 and the U.S. dollar
00:11:09.860 also coming under some pressure.
00:11:12.520 But the president made it clear
00:11:13.800 this is short-term for a massive shift
00:11:16.620 in how this country works
00:11:17.980 when it comes to importing goods
00:11:19.740 from countries,
00:11:20.640 especially that are adversaries
00:11:22.340 to the United States of America.
00:11:24.400 And having these important conversations
00:11:26.000 at the White House
00:11:26.680 clearly means that the conversation
00:11:28.580 is moving forward
00:11:30.120 and getting closer to resolution.
00:11:32.600 Thank you for listening
00:11:33.360 to the 47 Morning Update
00:11:35.060 with Ben Ferguson.
00:11:36.720 Please make sure you hit subscribe
00:11:38.560 wherever you're listening
00:11:40.020 to this podcast right now.
00:11:42.060 And for more in-depth news,
00:11:43.740 also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast
00:11:46.080 and we will see you back here tomorrow.
00:11:49.720 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:11:52.400 Guaranteed Human.