Verdict with Ted Cruz - BONUS POD： Trump Defends Hegseth, the Future of the Catholic Church plus Retail Giants Meet Trump

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.

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

Summary

Transcript