Verdict with Ted Cruz - December 18, 2025


BONUS POD： Trump Outlines Vision for America’s Future w Economic Boom coming in 2026


Episode Stats

Length

12 minutes

Words per Minute

149.27931

Word Count

1,916

Sentence Count

109

Misogynist Sentences

1

Hate Speech Sentences

1


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:00:02.420 Guaranteed human.
00:00:05.600 So they can buy their own health insurance,
00:00:08.740 which will give far better benefits at much lower costs.
00:00:12.320 It will be far better health insurance.
00:00:15.100 Military service members will receive a special,
00:00:18.320 we call warrior dividend.
00:00:20.520 No tax on tips, no tax on overtime,
00:00:23.220 and no tax on social security for our great seniors.
00:00:27.060 You're listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.
00:00:31.300 Good Thursday morning.
00:00:32.400 It's nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update,
00:00:34.940 and we've got a great show for you this morning.
00:00:38.320 All thanks Donald Trump as he addressed the nation from the White House
00:00:42.520 with a Christmas and New Year's message
00:00:44.860 that should have every one of you excited.
00:00:47.760 He talked about lower prices, lower prices on gas,
00:00:51.700 lower prices on prescription drugs,
00:00:54.300 lower prices on housing,
00:00:55.860 And he also talked about the largest tax refund season of all time.
00:01:01.780 The president laying out what you can expect in 2026,
00:01:05.140 and much of it is what was passed in the Big Beautiful Bill,
00:01:08.580 that will now become a reality,
00:01:10.620 including no tax on tips,
00:01:12.960 or social security,
00:01:14.520 or overtime.
00:01:15.820 It's the 47 Morning Update,
00:01:17.700 and it starts right now.
00:01:19.400 Story number one.
00:01:20.500 President Donald Trump delivered a primetime address to the nation,
00:01:24.020 and in the nationally televised address,
00:01:26.580 the president presented a forward-looking and optimistic message
00:01:30.240 about the direction of the country
00:01:31.860 and the policies that his administration has pursued
00:01:35.040 over the last just 11 months,
00:01:37.120 to put it in perspective.
00:01:38.820 He emphasized that in the last year,
00:01:40.860 it has been a period of meaningful progress
00:01:43.700 and growing strength for the United States,
00:01:46.300 and that the best is yet to come
00:01:48.600 as the nation moves into 2026.
00:01:51.280 Now, you may ask yourself this question,
00:01:53.400 why?
00:01:54.360 Well, much of what the president has enacted
00:01:56.400 actually hasn't taken effect yet.
00:01:59.380 It starts in 2026.
00:02:01.840 No tax on tips, for example.
00:02:04.080 No tax on overtime.
00:02:05.980 And no tax on social security
00:02:07.620 for the majority of Americans.
00:02:09.440 We'll have a massive impact
00:02:11.940 for many Americans,
00:02:13.100 and how much money is in their bank accounts.
00:02:15.960 The president also talked about the incredible impact
00:02:19.080 of stopping immigration into this country,
00:02:22.220 illegal immigration,
00:02:23.700 and how it's now actually lowering home prices
00:02:26.540 and rental prices,
00:02:28.260 prices that are expected to come down even more in 2026,
00:02:32.520 which brings us to the key achievements
00:02:35.300 and the policy highlights
00:02:36.860 of economic growth in investment.
00:02:40.080 President Trump highlighted
00:02:41.400 the significant economic progress,
00:02:43.400 including what he described as a record level
00:02:45.740 of investment
00:02:46.640 that is flowing into the United States of America,
00:02:49.800 which he has tied to job creation and growth.
00:02:52.660 Much of this coming from the leverage with tariffs.
00:02:56.420 He framed the recent policies
00:02:57.880 as driving lower prices
00:02:59.500 and stronger wages for American families.
00:03:03.120 Trump referred to the current economic trajectory
00:03:05.520 as laying the groundwork
00:03:06.860 for what he casts
00:03:07.820 as the greatest economy in history.
00:03:10.640 He also did something that was truly incredible,
00:03:14.260 a Christmas present
00:03:15.320 that men and women in the military
00:03:16.640 will never forget.
00:03:18.620 As part of his holiday season message,
00:03:21.520 he announced a one-time 1776,
00:03:25.820 that's right, 1,776,
00:03:29.580 warrior dividend check
00:03:31.580 to honor and support U.S. service members
00:03:34.840 that have been under attack by the left
00:03:37.260 for many years.
00:03:38.640 I want you to listen to the president
00:03:40.360 in his own words on this incredible moment.
00:03:42.920 Along with the just-passed
00:03:45.400 one big, beautiful bill,
00:03:47.300 tonight I am also proud to announce
00:03:49.720 that more than 1,450,000,
00:03:53.980 think of this,
00:03:55.040 1,450,000 military service members
00:04:00.020 will receive a special,
00:04:01.880 we call Warrior Dividend,
00:04:04.360 before Christmas,
00:04:05.400 a Warrior Dividend,
00:04:06.800 in honor of our nation's founding in 1776.
00:04:11.400 We are sending every soldier
00:04:13.200 $1,776.
00:04:18.100 Think of that.
00:04:19.620 And the checks are already on the way.
00:04:22.740 Nobody understood that one
00:04:24.860 until about 30 minutes ago.
00:04:26.940 Not only was the president
00:04:28.500 celebrating our men and women in military,
00:04:30.600 but he also said that you,
00:04:32.860 as an American,
00:04:33.520 have something to celebrate
00:04:34.540 coming next spring.
00:04:36.800 Next spring, he says,
00:04:37.820 is projected to be
00:04:38.620 the largest tax refund season
00:04:40.600 of all time.
00:04:42.920 Here's the president
00:04:43.720 in his own words.
00:04:45.320 Next year,
00:04:46.480 you will also see
00:04:47.540 the results of the largest tax cuts
00:04:49.860 in American history
00:04:50.920 that were really accomplished
00:04:53.260 through our great,
00:04:54.880 big, beautiful bill,
00:04:56.300 perhaps the most sweeping legislation
00:04:57.600 ever passed in Congress.
00:05:00.040 We wrapped 12 different bills
00:05:02.720 up into one beautiful bill.
00:05:04.760 That includes
00:05:05.480 no tax on tips,
00:05:07.320 no tax on overtime,
00:05:08.720 and no tax on Social Security
00:05:10.960 for our great seniors.
00:05:13.540 Under these cuts,
00:05:14.860 many families will be saving
00:05:16.540 between $11,000
00:05:18.640 and $20,000 a year.
00:05:21.360 And next spring is projected
00:05:22.920 to be the largest tax refund season
00:05:25.200 of all time.
00:05:26.840 Not only does the president know
00:05:28.440 that you need more money
00:05:29.400 in your pocket,
00:05:30.360 and the left has been taking
00:05:31.480 far too much of it
00:05:32.880 and wasting it for far too long,
00:05:34.880 but he also talked about health care,
00:05:37.220 which is actually a very important point
00:05:39.180 for many Americans.
00:05:40.560 He promised future reductions
00:05:42.760 in drug prices
00:05:44.240 and improvements in affordability
00:05:46.540 for health care
00:05:47.320 as part of the upcoming year's agenda.
00:05:50.360 I'm also taking on
00:05:52.000 the gigantic health insurance companies
00:05:54.700 that have gotten rich
00:05:56.180 on billions of dollars of money
00:05:58.220 that should go directly to the people.
00:06:00.480 The money should go to the people.
00:06:02.360 That's you.
00:06:03.280 So they can buy
00:06:04.160 their own health insurance,
00:06:05.960 which will give far better benefits
00:06:08.040 at much lower costs.
00:06:09.680 It will be far better health insurance.
00:06:13.020 The current Unaffordable Care Act
00:06:14.820 was created to make insurance companies rich.
00:06:18.080 It was bad health care
00:06:19.380 at much too higher costs.
00:06:21.280 And you see that now
00:06:22.540 in the steep increase in premiums
00:06:24.620 being demanded by the Democrats,
00:06:26.240 and they are demanding those increases,
00:06:28.400 and it's their fault.
00:06:30.040 It is not the Republicans' fault.
00:06:32.100 It's the Democrats' fault.
00:06:34.200 It's the Unaffordable Care Act,
00:06:36.160 and everybody knew it.
00:06:37.980 Again, I want the money
00:06:39.140 to go directly to the people
00:06:40.760 so you can buy your own health care.
00:06:42.820 You'll get much better health care
00:06:44.500 at a much lower price.
00:06:46.380 The only losers
00:06:47.260 will be insurance companies
00:06:48.600 that have gotten rich
00:06:50.220 and the Democrat Party,
00:06:51.520 which is totally controlled
00:06:52.600 by those same insurance companies.
00:06:54.600 They will not be happy,
00:06:56.580 but that's okay with me
00:06:57.780 because you, the people,
00:06:58.940 are finally going to be getting
00:07:00.380 great health care
00:07:01.380 at a lower cost.
00:07:02.740 Not only will you be getting
00:07:04.120 great health care
00:07:04.980 at a lower cost,
00:07:06.200 the number one donor
00:07:07.380 to the Democrats in Congress
00:07:08.960 have literally been
00:07:10.360 the health care industry.
00:07:11.980 The president then moved
00:07:13.380 from that issue
00:07:14.540 to another one,
00:07:16.220 immigration and border security.
00:07:17.860 President Trump
00:07:18.940 touting enhanced
00:07:19.660 border enforcement
00:07:20.680 and immigration control
00:07:22.500 as part of his administration's
00:07:24.280 accomplishments.
00:07:25.620 Our border was open,
00:07:27.180 and because of this,
00:07:28.240 our country was being invaded
00:07:29.600 by an army of 25 million people,
00:07:33.200 many who came from prisons
00:07:34.700 and jails,
00:07:35.580 mental institutions,
00:07:36.920 and insane asylums.
00:07:39.060 They were drug dealers,
00:07:40.680 gang members,
00:07:41.700 and even 11,888 murderers,
00:07:45.080 more than 50% of whom killed
00:07:47.840 more than one person.
00:07:49.800 This is what the Biden administration
00:07:51.860 allowed to happen to our country,
00:07:54.100 and it can never be allowed
00:07:56.260 to happen again.
00:07:57.920 We had men playing in women's sports,
00:08:00.980 transgender for everybody,
00:08:03.200 crime at record levels,
00:08:04.940 with law enforcement,
00:08:06.300 and words such as that
00:08:08.480 just absolutely forbidden.
00:08:10.360 We had the worst trade deals
00:08:13.040 ever made,
00:08:13.800 and our country was laughed at
00:08:15.380 from all over the world,
00:08:16.840 but they're not laughing anymore.
00:08:19.840 Over the past 11 months,
00:08:21.760 we have brought more positive change
00:08:24.280 to Washington
00:08:24.960 than any administration
00:08:27.220 in American history.
00:08:29.040 There's never been anything like it,
00:08:31.860 and I think most would agree.
00:08:33.520 I was elected in a landslide
00:08:36.040 winning the popular vote
00:08:37.480 and all seven swing states
00:08:39.800 and everything else
00:08:41.120 with a mandate
00:08:43.020 to take on a sick and corrupt system
00:08:46.140 that really just took the wealth
00:08:50.120 from people
00:08:50.720 and crushed the dreams
00:08:52.000 of the American people.
00:08:53.820 For the last four years,
00:08:55.560 the United States was ruled
00:08:57.060 by politicians
00:08:57.940 who fought only for insiders,
00:09:00.980 illegal aliens,
00:09:01.800 career criminals,
00:09:03.620 corporate lobbyists,
00:09:04.680 prisoners, terrorists,
00:09:06.100 and above all,
00:09:06.820 foreign nations
00:09:07.640 which took advantage of us
00:09:09.800 at levels never seen before.
00:09:12.180 They flooded your cities
00:09:13.700 and towns
00:09:14.420 with illegal aliens.
00:09:16.040 They decimated
00:09:17.240 your hard-earned savings.
00:09:18.960 They indoctrinated your children
00:09:20.780 with hate for America.
00:09:22.920 Really, I mean,
00:09:24.400 they just released
00:09:25.320 a level of violent felons
00:09:27.200 that we had never seen
00:09:28.880 to prey on innocent.
00:09:29.940 They caused war.
00:09:32.620 They caused mayhem.
00:09:33.960 They caused a horrible situation
00:09:36.040 all over the globe.
00:09:37.840 But now you have a president
00:09:39.280 who fights for the law-abiding,
00:09:41.560 hard-working people
00:09:42.460 of our country,
00:09:43.620 the ones who make this nation run,
00:09:46.180 who make this nation work.
00:09:48.540 And not only did the president
00:09:49.620 talk about immigration
00:09:50.800 and border security,
00:09:52.120 he also talked about
00:09:53.220 foreign policy
00:09:54.020 and peace efforts.
00:09:55.480 He underscored
00:09:56.100 diplomatic progress,
00:09:56.940 including his administration's role
00:09:59.380 in brokering stability
00:10:00.940 in regions of conflict
00:10:02.300 and reducing global tensions.
00:10:04.380 These diplomatic themes
00:10:06.120 fed into broader messaging
00:10:08.000 about America's renewed
00:10:09.100 international leadership
00:10:10.340 and also what it means
00:10:11.640 about security at home.
00:10:13.500 Throughout the speech,
00:10:14.440 the president framed the future
00:10:15.580 with optimism,
00:10:16.920 previewing initiatives
00:10:17.880 he intends to pursue in 2026,
00:10:20.860 including lower drug costs
00:10:22.460 through the Trump-Rx program,
00:10:24.280 broad tax cuts aimed at benefiting
00:10:26.540 working American families,
00:10:29.240 expanded energy production
00:10:30.920 to reduce costs for consumers,
00:10:33.540 continued efforts
00:10:34.440 to address housing affordability
00:10:36.420 and rent relief,
00:10:38.060 and commitment to appointing
00:10:39.820 a Federal Reserve chair
00:10:41.400 who's focused on lower interest rates
00:10:43.960 to support economic expansion.
00:10:46.260 Which brings us to one thing
00:10:48.120 that many Americans are going to love.
00:10:50.040 The president also announcing
00:10:51.260 some of the most aggressive
00:10:52.560 housing reforms
00:10:53.760 so that more Americans
00:10:55.480 can get in the game,
00:10:57.000 can own a house,
00:10:58.320 and not have to wait
00:10:59.260 till they're much older
00:11:00.240 to be first-time home buyers.
00:11:02.780 In the new year,
00:11:03.840 I will announce
00:11:04.520 some of the most aggressive
00:11:06.200 housing reform plans
00:11:07.520 in American history.
00:11:09.360 A major factor
00:11:10.140 in driving up housing costs
00:11:11.640 was the colossal border invasion.
00:11:14.320 We have never been invaded.
00:11:15.840 This is the worst thing
00:11:17.380 that, frankly, in my opinion,
00:11:20.020 the worst thing
00:11:20.720 that the Biden administration
00:11:21.960 did to our country
00:11:23.160 is the invasion at the border.
00:11:25.680 The last administration
00:11:26.900 and their allies in Congress
00:11:28.520 brought in millions
00:11:29.640 and millions of migrants
00:11:31.080 and gave them
00:11:31.880 taxpayer-funded housing
00:11:33.260 while your rent
00:11:34.380 and housing costs skyrocketed.
00:11:36.240 So there it is.
00:11:37.320 The president of the United States
00:11:38.340 making it very clear
00:11:40.560 that he believes
00:11:41.540 that this next year
00:11:42.360 is actually going to be
00:11:43.440 the best year
00:11:45.500 in our history
00:11:46.640 when it comes to our economy.
00:11:48.700 And this address,
00:11:49.840 not only did he spotlight
00:11:50.840 our men and women in uniform,
00:11:52.440 but also making it clear
00:11:53.680 we're going back
00:11:54.660 to law and order.
00:11:56.320 He wants a Fed chair
00:11:57.360 that will back
00:11:58.420 lower interest rates.
00:11:59.880 He wants to keep
00:12:00.540 the focus on the economy.
00:12:02.240 And also,
00:12:03.200 he did not bring up
00:12:04.260 Venezuela.
00:12:05.340 Why?
00:12:06.060 Because clearly
00:12:06.780 that's not the focal point
00:12:08.400 of the administration.
00:12:09.840 He said,
00:12:10.200 we're bringing the economy
00:12:11.040 back from ruin
00:12:12.060 and the economy on prices
00:12:14.520 is going to be ease for you.
00:12:17.100 So there is the president.
00:12:18.700 He said,
00:12:19.140 America,
00:12:19.820 you're going to feel relief
00:12:21.260 in a bountiful 2026.
00:12:24.240 And that is this president's
00:12:25.940 Christmas present
00:12:26.720 to every American.
00:12:28.620 Thank you for listening
00:12:29.620 to the 47 Morning Update
00:12:31.320 with Ben Ferguson.
00:12:33.040 Please make sure
00:12:33.880 you hit subscribe
00:12:34.800 wherever you're listening
00:12:36.260 to this podcast right now.
00:12:38.320 And for more in-depth news,
00:12:40.040 also subscribe
00:12:40.820 to the Ben Ferguson podcast
00:12:42.360 and we will see you
00:12:43.700 back here tomorrow.
00:12:46.280 This is an iHeart Podcast.
00:12:49.160 Guaranteed Human.