Podcast Summary: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson

Episode: Cartels Now Terrorist Targets, Texas Pushes Back Against Blue Hypocrisy & Search Engine or Election Engine? Week In Review
Date: August 16, 2025
Host: Ben Ferguson (Premiere Networks)
Guest: Senator Ted Cruz

Episode Overview

In this Week In Review episode, Ben Ferguson and Senator Ted Cruz break down three major stories that dominated political headlines:

1. President Trump’s unprecedented move designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and authorizing military action.
2. The ongoing skirmish over gerrymandering and redistricting, with Texas at the forefront as Democrats are accused of hypocrisy.
3. New revelations about Google’s alleged bias in search results and email filtering, fueling concerns about interference in U.S. elections.

The episode is high-energy and combative, with Ferguson and Cruz directly challenging Democrats, mainstream media, and Big Tech, positioning their argument as unapologetically conservative and deeply skeptical of their opponents’ motives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Drug Cartels Now Terrorist Targets (03:09–10:20)

• Trump’s Policy Shift:
  President Trump has classified several Latin American drug cartels (notably Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles and El Salvador’s MS-13) as foreign terrorist organizations, giving the U.S. military permission to use force against them.
• Details & Motivation:
  • The administration’s goal is not just to dismantle but "completely destroy" cartel operations across the Western Hemisphere.
  • The policy is framed as a response to ongoing violence and deaths in the U.S. tied to cross-border drug trafficking.
• Historical Precedent:
  • Senator Cruz references Plan Colombia, praising U.S. military intervention in Colombia during the Bush era as a clear precedent for success against cartels.
• Criticisms and Media Response:
  Some in the media characterize this as risking “World War 3” and an attack on Mexico itself. Ferguson and Cruz dismiss these as hyperbolic and out of touch with American priorities.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Cruz: “If you’re a Mexican drug lord, … I would sleep with one eye open because, you know, a Predator drone is really good at making things go boom in the night.” (09:28)
  • Ferguson: “The president, if we attack the cartels or terrorist organizations, that’s not an attack on Mexico. … I don’t think the American people would see it that way either, especially with Americans dying on a daily basis.” (07:27)

2. Texas, Gerrymandering, and Democratic Hypocrisy (15:36–26:17)

• Texas’ Redistricting Fight:
  • Republicans in Texas are redrawing districts, inciting backlash from Democrats nationally, with blue state governors accusing Texas of undermining democracy.
• Exposing Double Standards:
  • NBC, Common Cause, and various watchdogs point out Illinois and New York have some of the most gerrymandered maps, with Democrats over-represented relative to their statewide vote share.
  • Cruz: “It is utterly brazen. … The loudest voices that are denouncing what Texas is doing are the governors of California, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Three Democrat hypocrites.”
• By the Numbers:
  • Illinois: 54% Democratic vote, 82% Democratic congressional delegation.
    Texas: 56% Republican vote, would rise to 76% Republican delegation after redistricting (still less skewed than California or Illinois).
  • Massachusetts: 100% Democratic delegation.
• Beto O’Rourke’s Honesty:
  • Cruz and Ferguson play a clip of Beto urging Democrats to “punch first and punch harder” by redrawing maps for maximum party advantage, disregarding rules (“There are no refs in this game.”).
• Core Republican Arguments:
  • Democrats’ rhetoric about “preserving democracy” is portrayed as a smokescreen for raw power plays.
  • The Republican map is not as egregious as blue states’, and reflects voters’ actual preferences.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Cruz: “Anytime you hear a Democrat use the words ‘assault on democracy,’ what they really mean is electing Republicans. It’s just about power.” (22:10)
  • Ferguson: “They always go back to democracy is at stake, Senator, like, don’t answer the question.” (17:25)

3. Google: Search Engine or Election Engine? (31:34–39:56)

• Allegations of Google’s Bias:
  • Reports that Google has been directing Republican fundraising emails to spam, while Democratic emails reach inboxes unimpeded.
  • Google’s parent company, Alphabet, was the top financial contributor to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
• Election Interference Claims:
  • Cruz references research by Dr. Robert Epstein indicating that Google’s skewed search results may have moved millions of votes in 2016.
• Big Tech as Election Threat:
  • Big Tech is framed as the biggest current threat to U.S. free speech and electoral integrity.
• Action and Accountability:
  • Despite lawsuits and headlines, Cruz says Google is “doubling down” on this behavior.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Cruz: “Big Tech censorship and bias poses the single greatest threat we have to free speech in America and the single greatest threat we have to free and fair elections.” (32:18)
  • Cruz: “The number one source for campaign contributions, hard money contributions to Hillary Clinton was Google. … They were her number one donor.” (33:11)

4. “Sandwichgate” DOJ Employee Assaults Officer (39:09–40:05)

• Incident Recap:
  • A Department of Justice employee, described as a leftist and anti-Trump, was caught on video assaulting a Customs and Border Patrol agent by throwing a Subway sandwich.
  • Under Trump, such acts are prosecuted as felony assault, in contrast to Biden or Obama administration practices (per Cruz).
• Memorable Moments:
  • Cruz describes the assailant as “this pink polo clad jumping up and down, nutcase.”
  • Humor from Jeanine Pirro, “Well, he may have to stick that sandwich somewhere else instead. … somewhere the sun don’t shine.”
• Themes:
  • Shifting tone on law enforcement and protest under Republican administrations.
  • Broader point: The Left has become unhinged by Trump and resorts to violence and lawbreaking.
• Quotes:
  • Cruz: “The left, they are so radicalized … that when they see a federal law enforcement officer there to stop murderers … this DOJ employee entered into sandwich gate.” (37:08)
  • Ferguson: “It’s nice to see that in Washington, D.C., certainly in the Trump administration, they’re not messing around anymore. They’re going after these criminals.” (39:56)

Timestamps of Important Segments

| Segment | Time | |--------------------------------------------------------|:-----------| | Trump’s military order on cartels | 03:09–10:20| | Texas vs. Democratic gerrymandering hypocrisy | 15:36–26:17| | Beto O’Rourke clip and Democratic strategy | 24:03–24:54| | Google/Big Tech bias and election interference | 31:34–39:56| | DOJ “Sandwichgate” incident & law enforcement defense | 39:09–40:05|

Notable Quotes

• Sen. Ted Cruz:
  “If you’re a Mexican drug lord, … I would sleep with one eye open because, you know, a Predator drone is really good at making things go boom in the night.” (09:28)
• Ben Ferguson:
  “They always go back to democracy is at stake, Senator, like, don’t answer the question.” (17:25)
• Sen. Ted Cruz:
  “Anytime you hear a Democrat use the words ‘assault on democracy,’ what they really mean is electing Republicans. It’s just about power.” (22:10)
• Sen. Ted Cruz:
  “Big Tech censorship and bias poses the single greatest threat we have to free speech in America and the single greatest threat we have to free and fair elections.” (32:18)
• Sen. Ted Cruz (on DOJ employee):
  “This pink polo clad jumping up and down, nutcase.” (37:08)
• Ben Ferguson:
  “It’s nice to see that in Washington, D.C., certainly in the Trump administration, they’re not messing around anymore. They’re going after these criminals.” (39:56)

Tone & Style

• Direct, Combative, Sarcastic:
  The episode is marked by fierce criticism of Democrats, mainstream media, and Big Tech, often deploying sarcasm and blunt humor to drive home their points.
• “Behind the Scenes” Conservative Advocacy:
  Both Ferguson and Cruz present themselves as tellers of hard truths not covered elsewhere, keeping the rhetoric sharp and unapologetic.

Summary Takeaway

This episode of The 47 Morning Update is a full-throated defense of recent Republican actions—from military strikes on cartels to redistricting—while painting Democrats and Big Tech as blatantly hypocritical and dangerous to democracy. With a mix of historical context, pointed statistics, and fiery quotations, Ferguson and Cruz rally conservative listeners to stay alert, skeptical, and engaged in the nation’s defining political and cultural disputes.