Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson – "Biden's Absurd Border Theatre"

Release Date: January 9, 2023

Hosted by Ben Ferguson, "The 47 Morning Update" delves into the pressing issue of the U.S. border crisis under President Joe Biden's administration. In the episode titled "Biden's Absurd Border Theatre," Ferguson engages in a robust discussion with Senator Ted Cruz, scrutinizing the Biden administration’s handling of illegal immigration, border security policies, and the political maneuvering surrounding these critical issues.

1. Introduction: Setting the Stage

The episode opens with Ben Ferguson highlighting President Biden’s recent visit to Texas, where the President acknowledged the problems at the southern border—an unprecedented move according to Cruz.

Key Quote:

• Host (00:00): "So the President actually came to Texas admitting there's a problem at the southern border."

2. Biden’s Visit to Texas: A Political Spectacle

Senator Ted Cruz criticizes Biden’s Texas visit as a mere political theater designed to create favorable optics rather than addressing the underlying issues.

Key Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz (00:34): "This is 100% politics. This is 100% optics. This is to get his lapdogs in the corporate media just to say, now the border's fine."
• Cruz (01:11): "He doesn't intend to fix the problem. He doesn't care."

Cruz argues that Biden’s actions are superficial, lacking genuine intent to implement solutions that address the crisis's root causes.

3. Analysis of the White House Border Policies

The discussion shifts to the Biden administration’s proposed measures to handle illegal immigration. Cruz dismantles these policies, labeling them ineffective and misleading.

Key Quotes:

• Host (02:52): "The White House plan to curb migrant crisis… Including points like new consequences for illegal immigration and use the CBP1 app to make asylum claims."
• Cruz (03:55): "The Democrats just wrote a law saying none of these resources can be used to secure the border."

Cruz emphasizes that despite the administration’s claims, substantial funding and resources are not genuinely allocated to enhance border security, undermining the purported plans.

4. Impact of Biden’s Policies on Illegal Immigration

Cruz highlights the direct correlation between Biden’s policies and the surge in illegal immigration, attributing the spike to administrative decisions taken since his inauguration.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (04:56): "Joe Biden won't acknowledge that. He won't intend to change anything."
• Host (13:00): "Where it was even worse. Which means you did it deliberately."

He points out that policies like halting border wall construction, reinstating catch-and-release, and ending the "remain in Mexico" policy have significantly exacerbated the situation, leading to unprecedented levels of undocumented crossings.

5. Geographic Focus: Rio Grande Valley vs. El Paso

Ferguson and Cruz discuss the strategic importance of the Rio Grande Valley, contrasting it with El Paso to illustrate the geographical challenges and the center of the crisis.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (07:42): "The Rio Grande Valley is the epicenter of the worst of this crisis."
• Host (09:30): "That's how far away he is from the epicenter of what he says he needs to see and look at now, ironically."

Cruz explains that the Rio Grande Valley bears the brunt of illegal crossings, with towns like Del Rio overwhelmed by daily influxes, starkly differing from the less-affected El Paso, which is still experiencing significant pressures.

6. Critique of Kamala Harris and Administration’s Leadership

The conversation turns to Vice President Kamala Harris’s role as the border czar, with Cruz condemning her inaction and symbolic gestures that fail to address real issues.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (09:37): "Kamala Harris was ostensibly named the border czar… she did absolutely nothing to address the problem."
• Host (19:22): "She has not been to the Rio Grande Valley… she made sure not to actually show any of the people suffering."

Cruz invites President Biden to visit the Rio Grande Valley and the “Biden cages,” arguing that firsthand observation of the crisis would compel the administration to take meaningful action.

7. Democratic Party Critique: Radicalism and Policy Failure

Cruz extends his critique to the broader Democratic Party, accusing it of being controlled by radical interest groups that hinder effective governance on multiple fronts, including immigration.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (13:00): "Today's Democrat Party is a collection of extreme interest groups on any given issue."
• Cruz (14:56): "It's on every issue. There's not a middle in the Democrat Party in Washington."

He asserts that radical elements within the party have set impractical agendas, leading to policies that exacerbate crises rather than resolve them.

8. The Cartel’s Role: Funding and Violence

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on how Biden’s policies have empowered drug cartels, transforming them into formidable criminal enterprises that control illegal immigration and trafficking.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (22:32): "Trafficking is a multibillion dollar global empire… the border is 100% secure on the southern side, which is you can’t cross the border without hiring the cartel."
• Cruz (23:35): "Joe Biden is putting foot soldiers, putting criminals, putting gang members in every city in America."

He argues that by dismantling previous immigration deterrents, the administration has inadvertently fortified cartels, leading to increased violence, human trafficking, and drug proliferation.

9. Biden Administration’s Responsibility and Failures

Cruz holds the Biden administration accountable for the rising crisis, citing specific policy changes and their dire consequences on national security and public safety.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (15:44): "They want to release people faster. They want to put in place the most efficient logistical network ever seen where you cross illegally."
• Cruz (25:02): "Nobody who gives a damn about humanity would put a single little boy or a single little girl in the custody of these cartels."

He details the human cost of the policies, including deaths, assaults, and the enslavement of minors, portraying the administration as indifferent to the suffering caused by its immigration stance.

10. Impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas: A Political Move

The episode concludes with a discussion on the potential impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, as a response to the administration’s border policies.

Key Quotes:

• Cruz (31:34): "I predict Alejandro Mayorkas will be impeached."
• Host (31:31): "But you do believe the House side will say this is enough to impeach?"
• Cruz (31:54): "Exactly."

Cruz anticipates that the House, controlled by Republicans, will move forward with impeachment proceedings, using the border crisis as a pivotal issue to demonstrate the administration's failures.

11. Conclusion: A Call for Accountability

Ferguson wraps up the episode by emphasizing the need for listeners to stay informed and engaged, encouraging subscriptions and continued following of the podcast for more in-depth political analysis.

Key Quote:

• Host (32:02): "Don't forget, hit that subscribe button and the auto download button because we do three shows a week… it'll save you and your family money."

Overall Insights:

• Political Optics vs. Substance: The Biden administration’s actions at the border are portrayed as superficial gestures lacking in genuine policy implementation.

• Policy Missteps: Immediate policy reversals from the Trump era, such as halting the border wall and ending the "remain in Mexico" policy, are criticized for contributing to the surge in illegal crossings.

• Cartel Empowerment: There is a strong emphasis on how current policies have inadvertently empowered drug cartels, leading to increased violence and human trafficking.

• Human Cost: The discussion underscores the severe humanitarian impact, including deaths and the enslavement of minors, attributing these outcomes to administrative negligence.

• Political Accountability: The potential impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas is highlighted as a means to hold the administration accountable for the border crisis.

Conclusion:

In "Biden's Absurd Border Theatre," Senator Ted Cruz, alongside Ben Ferguson, delivers a scathing critique of the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. border crisis. The episode underscores the perceived failures in policy implementation, the empowerment of criminal cartels, and the resultant humanitarian disasters. It calls for political accountability and urges listeners to stay informed and proactive in addressing what Cruz frames as a critical national security issue.