The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode Date: August 21, 2025
Main Theme:
Ben Ferguson unpacks two major breaking stories: chaos sparked at the Department of Justice (DOJ) over President Biden’s last-minute pardons, and fresh voter registration data indicating massive losses for Democrats and changing the upcoming electoral landscape.

1. Biden’s Last-Minute Pardons & DOJ Turmoil

[03:45 - 13:07]

Key Points & Insights

• Deliberate Defiance of DOJ Warnings:
  Ben reports new evidence that former President Joe Biden “deliberately and purposely ignored the Department of Justice's warning over legally flawed auto pen pardons” issued in his final hours (03:47).
• Sweeping & Ambiguous Clemency:
  Biden approved three auto-pen signed clemency warrants on January 17th, covering nearly 2,500 inmates. DOJ officials, particularly Bradley Weinsheimer (then Associate Deputy Attorney General), immediately raised alarms over the "vague" language, saying some orders were so indiscriminate they “could not be lawfully even carried out.”
• Risk of Releasing Violent Offenders:
  DOJ’s internal review found that White House claims the clemency was restricted to “non-violent drug offenders” were "untrue or at least misleading” (08:37). Among those released:
  • Russell McIntosh—killed a woman and her two-year-old child during a drug crime.
  • Stephen Fowler—tortured an informant with a butane torch.
  • Anderson, a Gangster Disciples member, implicated in multiple murders and kidnappings.
• Internal DOJ Frustration:
  Weinsheimer’s January 18th communications to the White House and Pardon Attorney explicitly called for “a direct statement or direction from President Biden as to the meaning of the warrant language” (06:41), warning that in its absence, the department could misread or wrongly apply the pardons.
• White House Messaging vs. Reality:
  Despite warnings, the White House publicly described the commutations as “relief for non-violent drug offenses” and claimed the action was the “largest clemency action in U.S. history.”
• Auto Pen Defense by Biden:
  In a July New York Times interview, Biden maintained he personally made all decisions and using the auto pen for signatures was merely practical, dismissing claims that aides misused the tool as “ridiculous and false.”
• Notable DOJ Insider:
  Weinsheimer, previously seen as a nonpolitical, career ethics lawyer, had been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats; his final months saw him moved to a sanctuary cities task force before taking a buyout instead of the reassignment (11:56).
• Ongoing Investigation:
  The Oversight Project continues to seek further records. The recently released emails came from Ed Martin, Trump’s appointee as US Pardon Attorney, now also head of the DOJ anti-weaponization group (12:51).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the ambiguous language of pardons:
  “I think the language is highly problematic...We will need a statement or direction from President Biden.” — DOJ Associate Deputy AG Bradley Weinsheimer, quoted by Ben Ferguson [06:41]
• Challenging the ‘nonviolent’ claim:
  “You should stop saying that because it is untrue or at least misleading…Even in that number, we identified violent offenders, including those who committed acts of violence during the offense.” — quoting Weinsheimer to the White House [08:25]
• On Biden’s defense:
  “Biden insisted he personally made all clemency decisions, calling Republican claims that aides misused the auto pen ridiculous and ‘false’.” — Ben Ferguson [10:53]
• Summing up the crisis:
  “…not only did Joe Biden ignore his own Department of Justice warnings over his legally flawed auto pen pardons, but they just didn’t care and they were giving them out to people that were violent criminals, not nonviolent offenders as the White House claimed…” — Ben Ferguson [12:51]

2. Democrats’ Voter Registration Crisis & Internal Scramble

[13:07 - 16:43]

Key Points & Insights

• Democratic Voter Exodus:
  A new study reveals Democrats are “losing the registration race in all 30 states that track party affiliation”—with 4.5 million voters leaving the party since 2020 (13:13).
• GOP Gains Among Key Groups:
  Trump and the GOP made historic gains "among men, younger voters and Latinos," flipping registration trends for the first time since 2018 (14:01).
• NYT Report & Data:
  The New York Times, using L2’s nonpartisan data, confirms the Democratic loss in every tracked state, describing it as a "deep political hole" for Democrats.
• Democratic Strategy Floundering:
  The magnitude of the shift is so severe that:
  • The party’s usual strategies can’t counteract the trend.
  • Party leaders are left “panicked” and uncertain how to recover (14:38).
• Potential Tactics:
  Ben speculates Democrats may “gerrymander,” count illegal immigrants in the census, and/or push amnesty to bolster their electoral prospects.
• Identity and Message Crisis:
  Democrats are depicted as lacking unity, with confusion over “who’s running the Democratic Party” and “what do they stand for,” further alienating their base (15:14).
• Contrast with Trump’s Messaging:
  Ben points out Trump’s consistent message on “putting Americans first,” “securing the border,” and “law and order” directly appealed to voters, partially explaining Democratic losses.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the shocking trend:
  “Democrats are losing registration race in all 30 states that track party affiliation. In fact, 4.5 million voters have disappeared from the Democratic Party.” — Ben Ferguson [13:13]
• On the existential threat:
  “A deep political hole that could take years for Democrats to climb out from.” — Ben Ferguson, citing NYT report [14:22]
• Linking voter loss to party identity:
  “Who is actually running the Democratic Party? What do they stand for? And why are they so against the American people and putting illegal immigrants ahead?” — Ben Ferguson [15:14]
• On Trump’s effect:
  “…Donald Trump was a messenger that the American people wanted. He talked about putting Americans first instead of illegal immigrants. He talked about securing the border...That’s exactly why the Democrats are in so much trouble with no end in sight.” — Ben Ferguson [15:51]

3. Conclusion

[16:43]
Ben encourages listeners to subscribe for daily updates and follow his main podcast for more in-depth coverage.

Segment Timestamps

• [03:45] Start of main content, Biden’s final pardons overview
• [06:41] Bradley Weinsheimer’s warning email highlighted
• [08:25] Details on violent offenders among those pardoned
• [10:53] Biden’s public defense in NYT interview
• [11:56] Weinsheimer’s resignation amid DOJ shakeup
• [13:07] Transition to voter registration story
• [13:13] Democratic registration losses quantified
• [14:38] Discussion of failed Democratic strategies
• [15:51] Trump’s messaging and impact summarized
• [16:43] Episode close

Tone & Language

• Direct, combative, and sharply critical of the Biden White House and Democratic Party.
• Fact-heavy, with regular citation of internal communications and media analysis.
• Ben Ferguson’s Style: Blunt, engaging listeners with rhetorical questions and strong framing.

This summary delivers an in-depth breakdown, major themes, and the significant political implications discussed in this episode.