Bombshells: AG Bondi Accuses NY FBI Field Office of Deliberately Hiding Jeffrey Epstein Files plus NY Post Reports Trump's Attempted Assassin in Butler may have had an Accomplice

Summary

The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson – Episode Summary Release Date: February 28, 2025

Ben Ferguson, host of The 47 Morning Update, delves into two explosive news stories in this episode: Attorney General Pam Bondi's allegations against the New York FBI Field Office concerning the Jeffrey Epstein files, and the New York Post's report suggesting that Donald Trump's attempted assassin in Butler, Pennsylvania, may have had an accomplice. Additionally, Ferguson discusses the ongoing media campaign against Elon Musk and his Dogecoin (Doge) initiatives.

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I. Attorney General Pam Bondi Accuses NY FBI of Withholding Epstein Files

Overview: The episode opens with a significant development regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case. Attorney General Pam Bondi has publicly accused the New York FBI Field Office of deliberately hiding crucial files related to Epstein’s investigation.

Key Points:

• Release of Epstein Files:

  • Bondi's Letter: On February 27, 2025, Bondi sent a formal letter to FBI Director Cash Patel, demanding the release of all Epstein-related documents. The initial disclosure included approximately 200 pages containing flight logs, contact lists, and victim information. However, Bondi asserts that thousands more pages exist and were withheld.
    • Notable Quote: Bondi states, “Regardless of how such information was obtained, there will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access” (01:02).

• FBI's Response and Implications:

  • Bondi's letter suggests a severe breach within the FBI's New York office, indicating possible obstruction and lack of cooperation with the Department of Justice.
  • Senator Ted Cruz's Insight: Cruz reveals that participants, including Chad Prather, were unaware they would receive Epstein files, highlighting the unexpected nature of the release and subsequent accusations.
    • Notable Quote: “This is insane that this is our government right now, and there's that many people fighting against the will of the people who elected the President” (05:36).

• Potential Consequences for the FBI:

  • Ferguson emphasizes the unprecedented nature of this accusation, noting his extensive experience in law enforcement and the typical compliance of FBI agents with Department of Justice directives.
    • Notable Quote: “If the Attorney General says, I want to see something, you give it to the Attorney General” (09:12).
  • Cruz probes the legal ramifications, suggesting that while defiance may not constitute a direct crime, it likely results in termination.
    • Notable Quote: “I think the simplest explanation, the Simplest remedy would be termination” (11:10).

• Speculations on Withheld Information:

  • The discussion shifts to the nature of the withheld documents, with possibilities ranging from protecting high-profile individuals to involvement of intelligence operatives.
    • Notable Quote: “Jeffrey Epstein was very close to a number of Democrats, that he was very, very close to Bill Clinton” (13:06).

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II. New York Post Reports on Trump's Attempted Assassin

Overview: The episode transitions to a startling report from the New York Post, which claims that the individual who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, may have acted with an accomplice. Furthermore, the FBI is alleged to have suppressed information related to this incident.

Key Points:

• Assassination Attempt Details:

  • The New York Post article suggests that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old shooter, may not have acted alone.
    • Notable Quote: “We don’t think he acted alone. Hagman told the Post, ‘this took a lot of coordination’” (17:16).

• FBI's Involvement and Suppression Allegations:

  • Investigators reportedly faced obstruction from the FBI, hindering efforts to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
    • Notable Quote: “The FBI has obstructed efforts to solve the mystery” (17:47).
  • Cruz criticizes the lack of transparency and expresses frustration over limited public information.
    • Notable Quote: “The American people have a right to know if anyone else was involved” (17:47).

• Government's Response and Transparency Issues:

  • Bondi and Patel's roles are scrutinized, with Bondi emphasizing a commitment to transparency despite alleged internal opposition.
    • Notable Quote: “We are both committed to transparency for the American people” (01:02).

• Senator Cruz's Concerns:

  • Cruz highlights the broader issue of a "deep state rebellion," suggesting systemic problems within government institutions that undermine public trust.
    • Notable Quote: “Until you get that fixed, there’s going to be a lot of doubting in the America from the American people in these institutions” (22:58).

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III. Media Smear Campaign Against Elon Musk and Doge

Overview: In the latter part of the episode, Ferguson and Cruz discuss the escalating media campaign against Elon Musk, particularly targeting his involvement with Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency.

Key Points:

• Public Support for Musk vs. Media Criticism:

  • Recent polls indicate strong public approval for Musk’s initiatives, contrasting sharply with the adversarial stance of mainstream media outlets.
    • Notable Quote: “The majority of the American people love what Doge is doing” (24:33).

• Media's Targeted Attacks:

  • The media, including shows like The View, have launched personal attacks against Musk, questioning his loyalty and character.
    • Notable Quote: Joy Behar of The View accuses Musk of being a "foreign agent" and questions his allegiance (26:23).
  • Ferguson criticizes these attacks as baseless and indicative of a broader media strategy to undermine influential figures aligned with conservative politics.
    • Notable Quote: “The View was saying doesn’t say much about Elon Musk, but it says a lot about the media and the left” (27:18).

• Elon's Efforts to Combat Waste and Fraud:

  • Musk is actively working to improve government efficiency, particularly targeting wasteful spending and unutilized electronic subscriptions within federal agencies.
    • Notable Quote: “They’re going in and canceling the ones that aren’t used” (29:05).
  • His initiatives aim to streamline federal operations and address systemic inefficiencies, earning him public support even as media narratives attempt to discredit him.

• Cruz's Defense of Musk:

  • Senator Cruz applauds Musk's contributions and underscores the discrepancy between public support and media hostility.
    • Notable Quote: “The media propaganda against Musk so far has not been working against the President” (32:07).

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Conclusion

In this episode of The 47 Morning Update, Ben Ferguson provides a thorough analysis of two major controversies: Attorney General Pam Bondi's accusations against the New York FBI regarding the withholding of Jeffrey Epstein files, and the New York Post's report on the possible accomplice in Donald Trump's attempted assassination. Additionally, Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz discuss the media's aggressive campaign against Elon Musk and his cryptocurrency endeavors, highlighting a significant divide between public opinion and mainstream media narratives. The episode underscores themes of governmental transparency, media integrity, and political accountability, offering listeners unfiltered insights into pressing national issues.

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Notable Quotes:

• Pam Bondi's Letter to Cash Patel: “Regardless of how such information was obtained, there will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access” (01:02).
• Senator Ted Cruz on Government Transparency: “Until you get that fixed, there’s going to be a lot of doubting in the America from the American people in these institutions” (22:58).
• Ben Ferguson on Media Campaigns: “The View was saying doesn’t say much about Elon Musk, but it says a lot about the media and the left” (27:18).

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This summary provides an in-depth overview of the key discussions and insights shared during the episode, structured to offer clarity and comprehensive coverage for both regular listeners and those who have yet to tune in.

Transcript

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

Welcome. It is Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you as well. And Senator, it was a very big day Thursday as we got part one of the Epstein files that were released to the public by a lot of conservatives that were at the White House. And then Pam Bondi came out afterwards and dropped a bomb that was pretty much, hey, I may be the attorney general and Cash Patel may be the FBI director, but there are people in New York that are hiding documents from us that deal with Jeffrey Epstein.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, that's exactly right. And let me start by saying thank you to Pam Bondi for honoring the promises she made. I have been calling on the Department of Justice to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files. And she is working to do that. And so she released the first tranche of information today that was good, although a lot of the observers who saw the information were underwhelmed by what was in it. She released it to a group of conservative influencers online and gave them a binder with the information. And there were no big smoking guns in what came out. Initially, we do know that the new Jeffrey Epstein contact list included Alec Baldwin, Michael Jackson, and Mick Jagger. But it was for people who want to know who were Jeffrey Epstein's clients, who was complicit, and who is guilty as he was of sexually abusing teenage girls. There was relatively little information in the files that were released. But then there was a bombshell because Pam Bondi accused the New York FBI office of withholding significant parts of the Epstein files. That's a big, big deal. And she did so in a formal letter that she sent to Cash Patel. So she sent a letter on February 27th. I'm going to read you the entire letter because this letter is a big deal. February 27, 2025. Dear Director Patel, before you came into office, I requested the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein. In response to this request, I received approximately 200 pages of documents, which consisted primarily of flight logs, Epstein's list of contacts, and a list of victims names and phone numbers. I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents. Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI field office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein. Despite my repeated requests, the FBI never disclosed the existence of these files. When you and I spoke yesterday, you were just as surprised as I was to learn this new information. By 8am tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients. Regardless of how such information was obtained, there will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access. The Department of Justice will ensure that any public disclosure of these files will be done in a manner to protect the privacy of victims and in accordance with law, as I have done my entire career as a prosecutor. I am also directing you to conduct an immediate investigation into why my order to the FBI was not followed. You will deliver to me a comprehensive report of your findings and proposed personnel action within 14 days. I appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter. I know that we are both committed to transparency for the American people, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to serve our President and and our country. Sincerely, Pamela Bondi. Attorney General.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

This letter was incredible. And I actually talked to someone that you and I both know, Chad Prather. He was invited as one of the 15. He's a fellow Texan, that. That went to the White House, and I. As soon as he left, we actually talked on the phone and he said, Ben, he said, none of us that were invited up here knew we were going to get the Epstein files. Number one, we were actually brought up to the White House to talk about communications and we were going to meet with the Vice President. We didn't know we were going to be meeting with the people in the Cabinet. We didn't know we were going to be meeting with the President. We certainly didn't know we were going to be given these Epstein files. And he said there was two parts of this that the big mainstream media clearly didn't understand, or they were angry that we got the files before they did. And so they wanted to say today was a nothing burger. He said when they gave them to us, they said, look, there's really nothing new in here that you're going to find. This is why we're calling it part one. And then they said, what we want you to know is exactly the letter that you just read, which was, we don't have the majority of the intel that we've been demanding because there are bad actors in the deep state who are refusing to give it to us. In fact, what they said was even more shocking was Pam Bondi did an interview on, on with Waters last night on Fox. And she was talking about the, quote, 200 pages that she had. There was in essence, a whistleblower that saw the interview and said, I need to tell you right now that you're missing a lot of pages and they're not giving them to you from New York FBI. And that's how fast this all came about. So when you're the. Think about when you're the Attorney General of the United States of America, you're going on tv and only because you gave a page number which was about 10% of apparently what is actually out there, based on what the whistleblower said. This is insane that this is our government right now, and there's that many people fighting against the will of the people who elected the President, who had put Pam Bondi and Cash Patel into these positions.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, and from the letter, there may be audio and video recordings. There may be some issue that some of the materials were. Were seized illegally. I mean, there's a suggestion there that regardless of how it was accessed, I want it. But look, I gotta say, listen, I worked in the Department of Justice 25 years ago. I have been working in and around law enforcement for virtually my entire adult life. I have never seen something like this happen. So understand, the FBI reports to the Department of Justice. Cash Patel, his boss is Pam Bondi. The FBI is in the org chart reporting to the Department of Justice. So when the Attorney General orders the FBI, I want to see these files. In every instance I'm aware of, the FBI complies. Uh, they're supposed to be law enforcement. If the Attorney General says, I want to see something, you give it to the Attorney General. And look, presumably we will find out. And we'll find out, I guess, within two weeks. When. When Cash Patel prepares his report saying, here's. Here's what. What happened. But it is astonishing if you have rogue agents in the New York office of the FBI who are just defying the Attorney General, that. That is a level of. Of open warfare that I've never seen. And it really does indicate the need to clean house in a major way.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

There was also another aspect of this, and again, this is coming from Chad, and he was meeting right, with the President and the Vice President and these other cabinet members, Pambani, Caspertel, and he said they were also. The letter has been basically just completely misconstrued as if there's some sort of disagreement or wedge between Pam Bondi and Cash Patel. But when you understand the backstory, he said their lockstep. She's giving this letter out to give him the power to then go get the answers from the demands. And yet the media was reporting this tonight all over the place, like, oh, there's a big rift between the Attorney General and the FBI Director. That is also not the case at all. Another lie.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. And I think that's very clear from the letter where it says, when you and I spoke yesterday, you were just as surprised as I was to learn this new information. And so Cash Patel has just been confirmed. As you know, I went to Cash Patel's swearing in at the White House last week. He's brand new on the job. He has a mandate to restore integrity to the FBI. And I guess the whistleblower, whoever the source was, contacted the Attorney General directly, and she's the one, the Attorney General, who told Cash Patel about this documents. I am sure he is pissed off at what the New York field office apparently did. And I fully expect he will get to the bottom of it. And I expect they're gonna make the results of that public. I think we're all gonna know exactly who's responsible and why.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Let me ask about accountability here, because you would understand this the law more than I certainly do. And that is, if you've been directed by the FBI director or the Attorney General to turn over documents and you work in the government, you deliberately hide those documents and do not turn them over. Are you committing a crime or is it basically, worst case scenario, you lose your job and they fire you for insubordination.

[Ben Ferguson]

Likely the latter. There's not anything it would. There's not an immediate crime that comes to mind. It's just defying your boss. I suppose you could try to characterize it as obstruction of justice, but I think the simplest explanation, the Simplest remedy would be termination. And I expect any FBI agent that deliberately disobeyed a direct order from the Attorney general, I expect anyone involved in that to be terminated.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It's an incredible story, and I think one of the things that we should make clear is there's clearly significant information. We've been told that Pam Bondi has said that there is video, there is audio, there's a lot of recordings.

[Ben Ferguson]

We don't. We don't know that. At least the letter doesn't say that. It just says, deliver the full and complete files, including audio and video recordings. And look, lawyers tend to be pretty broad. She may not know that they're audio and video recordings. She may. She may. There may be or there may not be, but she. But she hasn't definitively said that there are audio and video recordings.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, you're absolutely right. That's what the letter said. But what's interesting is from the people that were in the meeting, they were told that this was, in essence, the tip of the iceberg, that they do have audio and video recordings that apparently have been withheld from the New York office. And that's part of the reason why, I think you're seeing the demand come out this way, is that there must be a lot that the deep state doesn't want us to see. Which goes back to my final question for you, Senator, on this. Why is it they don't want us to see this? Is this because they're trying to protect people in the political world? What would be the reason you wouldn't want to know or for everyone to see what it is they're desperately trying to hide from not only us, but literally from the Attorney General and the FBI director.

[Ben Ferguson]

So, look, I don't know. I can only speculate. It may be that they want to protect people whose misconduct or criminal conduct is suggested or demonstrated in the files. I don't know that, but that certainly could be a reason. We do know that Jeffrey Epstein was very close to a number of Democrats, that he was very, very close to Bill Clinton. Bizarrely enough, Jeffrey Epstein had a painting in. In his. His New York townhouse of. Of Bill Clinton in a dress, wearing pumps. It was really bizarre.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

A blue dress, right?

[Ben Ferguson]

A blue dress, yes.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah. And a lot of people make. They believe that was clearly the painting in reference to Monica Lewinsky in the blue dress. And, and you got to think to put that up and hang it in your. In your home and have that relationship. It's like, well, you must feel pretty powerful to be able to do that.

[Ben Ferguson]

So we don't know. It may be, you know, the reference to regardless how the information was accessed. That may mean some information was acquired illegally. That's a possibility. It may be. Look, there's speculation that Jeffrey Epstein worked with intelligence operatives either from the United States or other nations. I don't know that to be the case, but that there's a host of things that could be in there. And that's one of the reasons why I think the Department of Justice should have released this a long time ago. Because without the information, all people are left to do is speculate.

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

There was another shocking headline that also came out today and that deals with the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The headline from the New York Post is quote, would be Trump assassin may have had an accomplice and data shows as investigators say FBI suppressed info. I wouldn't believe that headline if I wouldn't have just had the conversation with you for the last 10 minutes that we just had about the FBI covering up Epstein information as well.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well this is a stunning article. I do not know if it is true but, but, but if there is evidence that the attempted assassin, the man who shot Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania had an accomplice or multiple accomplices, that would be a big damn deal. And you know I gotta say it has been a long time. It has been 229 days since President Trump was shot at that rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and yet we know next to nothing about the shooter. It's almost as if it just dropped into a memory hole and disappeared. And I wanna read some of this article from the New York Post because it has some interesting information in it. It's not clear what's true or not, but let me read from the New York Post. Quote, it's been almost nine months since a seemingly mild matter 20 year old attempted to assassinate then Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a rally in Butler and we still have no good reason why. Sources told the Post the FBI has obstructed efforts to solve the mystery of why Thomas Matthew Crooks, who left no manifesto, did what he did. It's left local law enforcement as well as Crooks, his former friends, classmates and teachers frustrated. Those who may know Crooks parents Matthew and Mary have refused all interviews and remain in their small three bedroom home sealed off from the world like hermits. Neighbors say they only leave the house at 3am to buy groceries. Quote, by the way, why do we know nothing about that guy in Butler? Elon Musk yelled out to the audience at CPAC last week before warning that FBI Director Cash Patel is going to get to the bottom of it. A veteran private investigator from Erie, Pennsylvania who was hired shortly after the fateful July 13 event at Butler Farm to look into crooks by a private client. Told the Post he believes a, quote, criminal network was operating with him at the time of the assassination attempt, is still in existence and still wants to kill President Trump. Doug Hageman, whose team of six other investigators have been working the case for months and have interviewed more than 100 people, said they also conducted extensive geofencing analysis of cell phones and tablets not belonging to crooks that were found with him at his home, at the rifle range, where he took target practice at the rally, and at Bethel Park High School, where he graduated in 2022. Quote, we don't think he acted alone. Hagman told the Post, quote, this took a lot of coordination. In my view, Crooks was handled by more than one individual and he was used for this assassination attempt. And I wouldn't preclude the possibility that there were people at the rally itself helping him. Hageman said one of the electronic devices geolocated with crooks at several different places at the time of the shooting is still pinging today at Bethel Park High School. Look, I don't know if this is true or not. I don't know any background about this private investigator, and I don't know if his allegations are right or not. But it is frustrating that the American people. Look, I'm on the Senate Judiciary Committee. I have no information that isn't public about who this would be assassin was, what his motivation was, what evidence there is of anyone else being involved. And I'll tell you, when I sat down with both Kash Patel and with Pam Bondi when they were preparing for their confirmation, I had an extensive conversation with both of them about the need for transparency. That when you've had four years of both the Department of Justice and the FBI politicized and weaponized, the result is that people don't trust the FBI. I mean, this article in the Post repeatedly argues that the FBI is obstructing efforts to get to the bottom of what happened. That that's infuriating if true. And it is very much my hope that we'll see Pam Bondi and Kash Patel make significant information about this assassination attempt public. The American people have a right to know, have a right to know if anyone else was involved with this. And I don't know if the FBI, if they didn't put a priority on it. I don't know if they didn't investigate. I don't. I guess it is possible this kid acted alone, but the absolute dearth of information is frustrating and infuriating well, and.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

It goes back to the point that I think Pam Bondi made at the White House with many of these conservatives, which is, we're doing everything we can now to be transparent, but there is still a very deep state rebellion and they are hell bent on not letting the American people know what's going on. They're above us. They think they're more important than they don't believe. They have to play by the rules. They don't have to be transparent. And until you get that fixed, there's going to be a lot of doubting in the America from the American people in these institutions.

[Ben Ferguson]

I think that's exactly right. You know, the article says that Hageman, this private investigator, said that he was personally escorted to the Butler county line and told to leave twice during the course of his team's investigation. The people who did so were either federal agents or some type of, of private security. And so look, and I actually, I can understand an FBI investigation that they would be frustrated with having a private investigator interviewing the same people. So, so, so that actually, the fact that the FBI was telling this guy, you know, buzz off, that's not shocking to me. But I don't know what investigation the FBI conducted. I certainly don't know the results of the investigation. They have made anything public to the American people. And I think the FBI's attitude has, has been in recent years, they don't know the publican answer. You don't get to know anything if they don't want to tell you.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, great point. I want to move also to another story, and this goes back to the issue of trust. Elon Musk and Doge. New poll numbers are out saying that the majority of American people actually approve of what Elon Musk is doing. And they think that Doge is having a real impact in a positive way for this country and for taxpayers and the waste, fraud and abuse they want them to keep moving forward. What we're also seeing center at the exact same time is I would now describe it as a clearly well organized, orchestrated effort by the media and the Democrats to ramp up their smears against Trump early on, or I should say against Elon. And early on they were trying to drive a wedge between Elon and Trump. You could see it in their rhetoric where it's like, well, you know, Elon thinks he's the president.

[Ben Ferguson]

Oh, yeah. The Time magazine cover story that put Elon at the Resolute desk in the Oval Office was obvious and a clumsy attempt to Trump off and get Trump mad at Elon. And it was so transparent that I think it did not remotely have the effect they were trying to have.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, it backfired, but that was where you could tell they were. The, the first step was, well, maybe we can drive a wedge here. That hasn't worked. So now what we're witnessing is just a full on smear campaign against Elon Musk, even on the View. And this was an interesting moment for me because it's like you're getting real close to slander and libel when you, when you do what the View does against Elon Musk. I don't know if they care. They have to apologize pretty regularly now for things they say on the air with legal notes they keep having to make. But Joe Behar had this to say on the View about Elon Musk. And I want to play it and then get your reaction to it.

[Joy Behar]

And Elon Musk kisses his butt and strokes his, his tiny ego or big ego, whatever it is. And, and he doesn't get to do. He can take a nap. While the guy was not born in this country, who was born under apartheid in South Africa, so has that mentality going on. He was pro apartheid, as I understand it. He was a naturalized citizen. Right. He's a natural. Now he's a naturalized citizen. Oh, really? How did he do that? Did he come over the border legally? He flew in.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Joy Behar]

He allegedly overstayed that visa.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah.

[Joy Behar]

But I think this is just perfectly wonderful for Trump. He's been take a nap and let this foreigner foreign agent, you know, an enemy of the United States, do his job.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I mean, not only does she say he's an enemy, but then she says he's in favor of apartheid, by the way. Not true. Came back on the air later in the show and tried to undo that and said, elon, don't sue.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, look, I mean, the View, they, they are unhinged lunatics and they don't care about truth, but they, you know, the crazy thing is Joy Behar believes what she says. You know, it's, it's amazing. Apparently Elon Musk is the only immigrant that, that, that Joy Behar and, and the, the crazies on the View dislike If you're an MS.13 gang member, if you're a murderer or a rapist, they, they're perfectly fine with you. They don't have a problem with Joe Biden and the Democrats releasing millions of criminals into America that they have no problem with. But if someone comes legally to this country, if someone builds multiple incredible companies, creates thousands and thousands of jobs, is an incredible innovator, and then volunteers his time to serve his nation. That merits being called a foreign agent and an enemy of the United States. You know, at the end of the day, what the View was saying doesn't say much about Elon Musk, but it says a lot about the media and the left and how terrified they are of him. And I'll tell you, Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat congresswoman, had very similar comments. Listen to what she said about Elon Musk. Apparently she enjoyed the horror reading from the same talking points.

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[Senator Ted Cruz]

And this was in front of the United States Capitol where she said it.

[Marcy Kaptur]

Mr. Musk has just been here 22 years, and he's a citizen of three countries. I always ask myself the question, with the damage he's doing here, when push comes to shove, which country is he loyalty to? South Africa, Canada, or the United States? And he's only been a citizen, I'll say again, 22 years.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

By the way, I thought it was Democrats for the last four years that were obsessed with illegal immigrants coming into this country and saying, who is anyone else to say that they aren't Americans and we don't even call them illegals. You must call them immigrants. And they're just like you and I. But all of a sudden, a guy by the name of Elon Musk is actually getting things done, and now they're just gonna slander him and say, which country is he really loyal to? Like he's some sort of secret agent or bad actor for another nation.

[Ben Ferguson]

Well, look, I spent a good chunk of this morning with Elon over at the White House, and he met with a number of senators talking about what he's doing on Doge. And it was a very interesting meeting. And it's stunning. Some of the things that they're finding, they're finding, for example, they're going into agencies and finding agencies that have more electronic subscriptions than they have employees, and in many instances, thousands and Thousands more like 30,000 licenses for different electronic applications. 30,000 licenses and 15,000 employees, that order of magnitude. And so they're going in and canceling the ones that aren't used. They also went and checked, and they said hundreds and hundreds of them had never been open, had never even been installed. So even of the employees, not everyone is using them. They've never logged in. And so they can go and check. All right? And so anyone who's not using it, they're canceling those. Those are the sorts of things they're finding that are really just astonishing.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

When you met with him today, does it seem that he's even shocked by what he's finding?

[Ben Ferguson]

You know, there are things like he talked today about ghost payments, about the treasury has computers that transfer funds that make federal payments. And he says that there are ghost payments that are going out that a program officer puts in for a payment to a contractor, to somebody, and then the program officer retires, dies, leaves, is gone, and the payments just keep on going. And you know, he said it's stunning. The treasury computers have a field where you categorize, okay, what is this payment for and what in the congressional appropriation is it going for? And he said routinely that field is left blank. He said, usaid, they always left it blank. He said. So there's no way. He said, many ways, it's incredibly difficult, if not impossible to audit the billions of dollars that are going out the door because they don't keep the records. And it was interesting Elon's comments. He said if any public company did this, he said they would be massively fined and the executives would be put in jail.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

But hey, federal government just normal way of doing business. I think the best part is the polls are showing that the media propaganda against Musk so far has not been working against the President. The majority of the American people love what Doge is doing. And as long as he's got the people behind him, it's gonna be really interesting to see how this works out and we're gonna keep covering it here. Don't forget, we do show Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Hit that subscriber auto download button and we will see you back here for the week in review on Saturday as well for some of the stories you may have missed this week. And make sure you download the show every time you see it. Download it. And check your, your, your, your little boxes to make sure you have that auto download button on. Some of the algorithms change on a regular basis, so make sure you check that and we'll see you back here Saturday.

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[Tristan Hughes]

Feels like to be a gladiator facing a roaring crowd and potential death in the Colosseum? Find out on the Ancients Podcast from History Hit twice a week. Join me Tristan Hughes as I hear exciting new research about people living thousands of years ago, from the Babylonians to the Celts to the Romans, and visit the ancient sites which reveal who and just how amazing our distant ancestors were. That's the Ancients from History Hit.